1885 New Guide Hotel Bar Restaurant

TO FINE STRONG WINES.

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cess, much practised abroad by wine refiners and it is to be highly condemned. Many of the good finings in the market, sold by manufacturing chemists, are far more harmless and quite as effective. Here is a very simple one. Take 12 whites of eggs and shells, beat the whites to a foam, also ^ lb. of No. 3 quality Cox's gelatine, (I find this Edinburgh gelatine very free from grease, which is essential in a pannikin of heated wine, when the gelatine has dissolved and the wine has cooled a little, add the whites and shells, and beat the whole together for 2 or 3 minutes, adding cold wine by degrees until there is about a quart of wine added. Then rummage the whole with the hogshead of wine and leave it for a few days to fine. Many red wines are apt to become bitter in taste. This may be prevented by heating them to a temperature of 60^. By the way in buying wines, it may not be in appropriate here to add a few simple tests as to purity. One of the most simple I know is what is called "The White Paper Test.'' Take perfectly plain white filtering paper, and after straining some wine through it, if it leaves a pink stain, you may conclude it is adulterated. Another is, to a glass of suspected wine, add as much soda as will cover a sixpence, and the same quantity of powdered alum. If the wine is adulterated it will change to a violet or a pink colour. Another test, is that of caustic potash To a wine glass, as much as will lie upon a sixpence. If the wine is pure it will change to a brown or green colour, for cellar work and brewing). Soak the gelatine in cold wine, and when it is sufficiently swollen, dissolve it

adulterated with bilberry or elderberry, deep violet

if it is

will be the result, if logwood, a reddish violet ; if beetroot or red sanders wood, it will turn red, and if with American grape spirit, yellow. A great revolution will be effected in