718. To Charge Champagne with Gas

718.     To Charge Champagne with Gas. Matthews' apparatus is the one usually adopted in the United States for generating the gas and charging champagne wine. The fountains, tubes, and valves are silver-lined, and the machines are adapted for pint and quart bottles. The following is a proper charge for a No. 2 apparatus with 2 fountains: Charge the generator with 9 gallons water, 6 gallons ground marble, and 3 gallons sulphuric acid ; put 2 gallons water in the gas washer, and 20 gallons wine in each of the fountains. For a warm climate, a pressure of 70 pounds to the square inch is sufficient. When the wine is made in winter for immediate sale, the pressure may be increased to 80 pounds. Genuine champagne has an average pressure of 50 pounds.

719. Catawba Champagne

719.    Catawba Champagne. Take 40 gallons Catawba wine; 1/2 gallon old cognac brandy; and 4 gallons syrup made of 30 pounds sugar and 2 gallons water according to No. 715;—or, 38 gallons Catawba wine; 2 gallons Angelica wine, and 4 gallons syrup as above. A very little tincture vanilla added to either of these makes a fine bouquet.

720. California Champagne

720.    California Champagne. 40 gallons California wine; 1 quart raspberry syrup (see No. 1372 (Raspberry Syrup)); 4 gallons syrup made of 25 pounds sugar and 2 gallons water (see No. 715 (To Make Syrup for Champagne "Wine)); and 4 gallons water. Or: 20 gallons California wine; 20 gallons Sauterne or white Bordeaux wine; 1/2 gallon old cognac brandy; with 4 gallons syrup as before. Add to these 10 per cent, of water.

721. Scuppernong Champagne

721.      Scuppernong Champagne. 40 gallons Scuppernong wine; 1/2 gallon old cognac brandy; and 3 gallons syrup made of 20 pounds sugar (see No. 715 (To Make Syrup for Champagne "Wine)) and 2 gallons water.

722. Imitation French Champagne

722.    Imitation French Champagne. 40 gallons white Bordeaux wine; 1 gallon muscat wine; 1/2 gallon old cognac brandy; and 4 gallons syrup made of 25 pounds sugar and 2 gallons water. (See No. 715 (To Make Syrup for Champagne "Wine)). In this receipt a little tincture of vanilla, or a small bottle of bouquet venatique, may be used instead of the muscat wine. They may bo omitted altogether if aroma is not desired.

723. Cheap Champagne

723.    Cheap Champagne. 13 gallons California wine; 13 gallons white Bordeaux wine; 13 gallons water; 1 gallon 95 percent. French spirit; 1 quart raspberry syrup (see No. 1372 (Raspberry Syrup)); and 4 gallons syrup made of 25 pounds sugar and 2 gallons water. (See No. 715 (To Make Syrup for Champagne "Wine).) Or: 20 gallons Catawba wine; 20 galIons water; 2 gallons Angelica wine; 2 gallons 95 per cent. French spirit, and 4 gallons syrup as before.

724. Cheap Champagne

724.    Cheap Champagne. 20 gallons white Bordeaux wiue; 20 gallons German or Hungarian wine; 20 gallons water; 2 gallons 95 per cent. French spirit; and 6 gallons syrup made of 35 pounds sugar and 3 gallons water. (See No. 715 (To Make Syrup for Champagne "Wine).)

725. The Use of Glycerine in Wine

725.    The Use of Glycerine in Wine. Glycerine differs from sugar in not fermenting or taking any active part in the process of fermentation. It can, therefore, be made use of alter fermentation, to impart any required degree of sweetness to wine, without the risk of further fermentation, as is the case with sugar when used for this purpose; it is said that it can be added with perfect safety to even a young or new wine, as soon as it has become clear. It is absolutely necessary that the glycerine should be chemically pure; care is consequently to be taken in purchasing it, as there are few articles in the market which are liable to contain so many impurities. (See No. 1151 (To Test the Purity of Glycerine).) The proportion of glycerine should be from 1 to 3 gallons for 100 gallons of wine, according to the quality of the latter. If the wine is perfectly clear before adding the glycerine it will be ready for bottling at once. It is best to mix the glycerine first with an equal quantity of the wine, and then add the mixture to the remainder of the wine.

726. Electricity as an Agent for improving Whiskey and Wines

726.    Electricity as an Agent for improving Whiskey and Wines. From experiments made on a large scale, it has been bund that electricity in any form, either as a regular current or a succession of discharges, renders wine or whiskey mellow and mature. It is supposed that the bitartrate of potassa is decomposed, setting free potash and tartaric acid: the former tending to neutralize the acids of the wine; and the tartaric acid, reacting upon the fatty matters present, favors the formation of the ethers which constitute the bouquet of the wine. It is probable, also, that a small quantity of the water is decomposed, setting free oxygen, which forms, with some of the constituents of the wine, new compounds peculiar to old wines. (See No. 6295 (To Improve Wine by Electricity).)