808. Fining with Eggs for Cordials

808.    Fining with Eggs for Cordials. Take the whites of 4 eggs, beat them to a stiff froth, add a little alcohol, and mix it gradually with 20 gallons of cordial, stirring all the while, and it will soon clarify the liquor.

809. Fining with Potash for Cordials

809.    Fining with Potash for Cordials. 2 ounces of carbonate of potash (salts of tartar), dissolved in a quart of water, is sufficient to settle 20 gallons of cordial; add and stir as directed above.

810. Fining with Alum for Cordials

810.    Fining with Alum for Cordials. 6 drachms of powdered calcinated alum, dissolved in alcohol, is sufficient to clarify 20 gallons of cordial; add as directed above.

811. Filter Bags for Cordials

811.    Filter Bags for Cordials. The filter bags used for rendering cordials transparent are made of flannel, felt, Canton flannel, and other materials, according to the thickness or density of the liquor, and are generally of a conical shape, In order to perform the operation of filtering cordials thoroughly, it is necessary that there should be placed inside of each bag 1 or 2 sheets of filtering paper prepared as follows: Rub each sheet of paper until it becomes soft and flimsy, like a piece of cloth, then tear it in small pieces and place it in a pail, pour over it a little boiling water, and rub and beat it up until it becomes a soft pulp; afterwards add more water, and continue the same as if you were beating up eggs. When the pulp assumes the appearance of a fine paste, fill up the pail with water and throw the contents into the filter; as soon as the water has run through, fill up the filter again so as to keep it full. When the liquid runs clear and limpid let it all run through, and commence filtering the cordial, being careful to keep the filter always full. If the liquor does not run clear, add about 2 ounces of granulated animal charcoal (sifted and fanned from the dust) to each filter. The charcoal should be washed with a little muriatic acid before being used.

812. The Aroma of Cordials

812.    The Aroma of Cordials. It requires a great deal of experience to combine different perfumes to produce any certain required aroma, a knowledge is necessary of the effect produced by perfumes in combination. The mere facts laid down in receipts will not be sufficient for a liquor manufacturer; he must know just what, and how much of it to use, to counteract what is objectionable, and produce or increase the correct aroma. He will frequently find that a single aromatic perfume fails to give the effect he anticipated; and yet the addition of a mere atom of some other perfume may be all that is required. Thus, the flavor of star-anise is accompanied by a slight, but objectionable odor of bedbugs ; a very small addition of green anise and fennel counteracts this. Ambergris, alone, gives scarcely any perfume, but musk brings it out. The quince has a peculiar taste which is corrected by cloves; the aftertaste of cinnamon is also destroyed by cloves; vanilla has more flavor if pounded with sugar than when ground with it. Absinthe requires the zest of the lemon to take away its naturally bitter taste. These examples will show that considerable experience is needed to be able to blend perfumes with any degree of success. (-See No. 767.)