CHAPTER V.
A COMPARISON OF THE PROCESSES OF THE BREWER WITH THOSE OF THE WHISKEY
DISTILLER.

From the experiments of one of the most learned chymists of Europe, it
has been demonstrated, that the proportions the most advantageous to
the formation of a good vinous liquor, are, one part of dry sweet
substance to four parts of water; that is, that the sugar[Pg 18] must
form one fifth of the whole. We have, moreover, seen that 100lbs. of
dry sweet matter gave 25 gallons of spirit 19°, which comes to 4lbs.
of sugar per gallon.

We shall make use of that scale in comparing the processes of the
brewer with those of the whiskey distiller.

Supposing the bushel of grain to weigh 50 pounds, and that it gives 2
gallons of whiskey at 19°, each of which gallons is the product of
4lbs. of sugar; then the strong beer which contains in 40 gallons the
sweet matter of 200lbs. of grain, contains the elements of 8 gallons
of spirit, or 32lbs. of dry sweet substance; and as the 40 gallons of
this beer weigh 320lbs. the 32lbs. of sugar form only one-tenth of it,
which is one half of Lavoisier's proportions.

Those of the distiller of whiskey are 100lbs. of grain to 100 gallons
of water, or thereabouts: 100lbs. of grain contain only 16lbs. of dry
sweet matter: therefore, as the 100 gallons of vinous liquor weigh
800lbs. the 16lbs. of sugar form only its fiftieth part.

Thence is seen how inferior the proportions of the whiskey distiller
are to those of the brewer, and how far they are from good theory. But
the brewer aims only at producing a sort of wine, and succeeds; while,
the distiller wants to make spirit, and only obtains it in the manner
the most expensive, and opposed to his own interest.
CHAPTER VI
DEFECTS IN THE USUAL METHOD OF MAKING WHISKEY.

1st. The most hurtful of all for the interests of the distillers, is
undoubtedly the weakness of the vinous[Pg 19] liquor. We have seen
that the proportion of spirit is in a ratio to the richness of the
fermenting liquor; that Lavoisier, by putting one-fifth of the mass of
dry sugar, obtained twice as much spirit as the rum distiller, who
puts in the same quantity, but drowns it in water. From those
principles, which are not contested, the distiller, whose vinous
liquor contains only one-fiftieth part of sweet matter, obtains the
less spirit, and loses as much of it as he gets.

2dly. Another defect is joined to this: bodies are dissolved by reason
of their affinity with the dissolving principle; the mucilaginous
substance is as soluble in water as the saccharine substance. A mass
of 100 gallons of water having only 16lbs. of sugar to dissolve,
exerts it's dissolving powers upon the mucilaginous part which abounds
in grains, and dissolves a great quantity of it. There results from
that mixture, a fermentation partaking of the spirit and the acid, and
if the temperature of the atmosphere is moderate, the acid invades the
spirit, which is one of its principles: nothing remains but vinegar,
and the hopes of the distiller are deceived.

Some distillers have been induced, by the smallness of their products,
to put in their stills, not only the fluid of the liquor, but the
flour itself. Hence result two important defects. 1st. The solid
matter precipitates itself to the bottom of the still, where it burns,
and gives a very bad taste to the whiskey. In order to remedy this
inconvenience, it has been imagined to stir the flour incessantly, by
means of a chain dragged at the bottom of the still, and put in motion
by an axis passing through the cap, and turned by a workman until the
ebullition takes place. This axis, however well fitted to the[Pg 20]
aperture, leaves an empty space, and gives an issue to the spirituous
vapors, which escaping with rapidity, thereby occasion a considerable
loss of spirit.

3dly. The presence of the grain in the still, converted into meal, is
not otherwise indifferent. It contains a kind of essential oil, more
or less disagreeable, according to its nature; which distils with the
spirit. That of Indian corn, in particular, is more noxious than that
of any other grain; and it is the presence of meal in the stills,
which causes the liquors obtained from grains to be so much inferior
to that of fruits.

4thly. There is a fourth defect, at which humanity shudders, and which
the laws ought to repress. Vinous liquors are more or less accompanied
with acetone acid, or vinegar; but those proceeding from grain contain
still more of this acid. The stills are generally made of naked
copper; the acid works upon that metal, and forms with it the acetate
of copper, or verdigrise, part of which passes with the whiskey. There
is no distiller, who, with a little attention, has not observed it. I
have always discovered it in my numerous rectifications, and at the
end of the operation, when nothing more comes from the still but what
is called the sweet oil of wine. An incontestable proof of this truth
is, that as the stills of the distillers are of a green color in their
interior part; that they are corroded with the acid, and pierced with
numberless little holes, which render them unfit for use in a very
short time. It is easy to conceive how hurtful must be the presence of
verdigrise to those who make use of whiskey as a constant drink: even
those who use it soberly, swallow a slow poison, destructive of their
stomach; while to those who abuse it, it produces a rapid death, which
would[Pg 21] still be the consequence of abuse, if the liquor was
pure, but is doubly accelerated by the poison contained in the
whiskey. It is easy to remedy so terrible an evil. The acetous acid
has no action upon tin. By tinning the stills, the purity of the
liquor will be augmented, and the distilling vessels, already so
expensive, will be longer preserved. This operation must be renewed
every year. The worms must likewise be tinned, if they are copper; but
they are better of tin, or of the purest pewter.

Such are the defects of the present method of distilling whiskey.
Having exposed them, I must present the means of bringing to
perfection the fabrication of a liquor of such general use.
CHAPTER VII.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS THE MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TO MAKE WHISKEY.
TR: The next 2 paragraphs were cut short, noted with[*]

As it is demonstrated that the spirit is the more abundant in
proportion to the richness of the vinous liquor,* it is therefore
necessary to enrich that of the distillery* which is so deficient in
that respect. An exposition of* my processes will point out the means
I employ to attain* that end. A large whiskey distillery should be*
able to make 100 gallons per day, or three barrels* making altogether
that quantity.

One gallon of spirit being the produce of 4 pounds* of dry saccharine
matter, we must therefore have 400 pounds of this substance for the
100 gallons we wish to obtain.

If 1 bushel of grain gives 2 gallons of whiskey, there must be 50 to
obtain a daily result of 100 gallons. I[Pg 22] take Indian corn as the
basis of the fabrication, as that of all the grains which yields the
most. For, from my method, whatever grain is employed, the spirit is
equally pure.

I divide the still house into three different rooms, to wit:

One for Infusion;

One for Fermentation;

One for Distillation.