eivable on the
roads leading to a distillery, and preceeding from no other cause than
that liquor wasting out of bad vessels, to the great loss of the
distiller.

4thly. A fourth cause of loss arises from the worm of the still. However
careful in keeping the surrounding water cool, there is always one
portion of vapor not condensed. This is made more sensible in the
winter, when the cold of the atmosphere makes every vapor visible; upon
examination, it will be seen that the running stream of liquor is
surrounded with it. In my description of my apparatus, I give the means
of obviating that evil.

To these several causes, may we not add another? May not the production
of spirit be in a ratio to the richness of the fermenting liquor? It is
certain, that in every spirituous fermentation there is a portion of the
sweet matter which remains undecomposed and in its original state.
Lavoisier found that it was 4.940; that is, nearly 5 parts in 100. It
may possibly be the same in a weaker liquor; which would increase the
loss, in the inverse ratio of the density of the liquor. Such are the
causes to which I attribute the great superiority of Lavoisier's
products; and from those observations I thought I could establish the
fabrication of whiskey upon new principles.

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 must form one fifth of
the whole. We have, moreover, seen that 100lbs. of dry sweet matter gave
25 gallons of spirit 19 deg., 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 deg., 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