Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 30.djvu/109

Rh acetic, in variable but subordinate quantities. The fusel-oil has a pungent odor and burning taste, easily detected in the crude product of ordinary distillation. The object of the rectifier is to remove it entirely, and produce what is known commercially as "neutral" or "pure" spirit, his ideally perfect result being ethyl alcohol, chemically pure save for the water of association. It follows, therefore, that all rectified spirit being of the same character, and with a standard of quality, is a staple article of merchandise, and the great consideration with the manufacturer is to produce it with as little expense as possible, rectification being depended on to remove all offensive ingredients.

Damaged grain, which can be bought so cheaply that the low price will compensate for decreased yield and increased expense of handling, is as available as any other, provided that rectification will rectify the product. Even potatoes, which produce in fermentation such an excessive quantity of fusel-oil that amyl alcohol is commonly known as "potato-oil," are, on account of cheapness, extensively used in Germany, and so perfectly is the rectification conducted that the German pure or "Cologne" spirit is unsurpassed in quality.

When amylaceous material is boiled with a small proportion of a strong mineral acid, there results an almost perfect conversion of the starch into sugar. For this reason an attempt was made in this country several years ago, on a commercial scale, to dispense with the use of malt in the manufacture of rectified spirit by substituting sulphuric acid in the mash, and afterward neutralizing it before fermentation. Had the attempt been successful, it would, on account of the cheapness of the substitute, have caused a material reduction in the cost of the alcoholic product. It turned out, however, that the successful neutralization of the acid was difficult, and that the alcohol developed by the subsequent fermentation was so acted upon by it as to produce sulphuric ether, which, besides causing a waste of material, could not be removed economically; had this proved feasible, sulphuric acid would undoubtedly have come into general use in the manufacture of rectified spirit.

In every detail of the manufacture the same law of economy holds good; and that machinery is most popular which will accomplish the desired result with the least expenditure of time, material, fuel, and labor.

I mention these facts mainly to show that, however unpromising for a favorable result are the preliminary materials and means, rectification thoroughly conducted is relied upon as a practical remedy for all defects, and they no more detract from the character of the finished product than does the nature of its source from the purity of perfectly filtered water.

Pure or neutral spirit is largely used for the manufacture of counterfeit whisky, brandy, etc., in which the imitation is produced by the