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gas was evolved in a generating vessel by the action of sulphuric acid
on chalk, and after purification was forced at high pressure into water,
which was then used for doughing the flour. In this process the flour
that had to be made into bread was submitted to the action of the
super-aerated water by direct transference. It was found, however, in
practice that much difficulty occurred in making the gas admix readily
with the flour and water, great pressure being required, and to lessen
the difficulties a new process, called the "wine whey," was introduced.
To carry this out, a vat placed on the upper storey of the factory is
charged with a portion of malt and flour, which is mashed and allowed to
ferment until a weak and slightly acid thin wine is produced; this after
passing through the coolers is stored until it is transformed into a
vinous whey. This whey is then introduced into a strong cylinder partly
filled with water, and is aerated by letting in the gas (now stored in a
highly compressed form in bottles), the pressure required being only a
quarter of that necessary with the original method. The flour having
been placed in the mixers, which are of globular form containing
revolving arms, the aerated fluid is admitted, and in a short period the
flour and fluid are completely incorporated. By means of an ingenious
appliance termed a dough cock, the exact amount of dough for a single
loaf of bread is forced out under the pressure of the gas, and by
reversing the lever the dough, which expands as it falls into a baking
tin, is cut off. Two sacks of flour can be converted with ease into 400
2-lb. loaves in forty minutes, whereas the ordinary baker's process
would require about ten hours. At first a difficulty was encountered in
the fact that the dough became discoloured by the action of the "wine
whey" on the iron, but it was overcome by Killingworth Hedges, who
discovered a non-poisonous vitreous enamel for coating the interior of
the mixers, &c. It has been claimed for the Dauglish process that it
saves the baker risks attendant on the production of carbon dioxide by
the ordinary process of fermentation, in that he is no longer liable to
have his dough spoilt by variations of temperature and other
incalculable factors, the results being certain and uniform. A further
claim is the saving of the proportion of starch consumed by conversion
into glucose during the process of fermentation. The original objection,
that,