out the use of chemical preservatives, such as benzoate of soda, which is commonly used at present. Aside from hygienic reasons, experiments (see p. 19) have shown that the use of benzoate of soda is far from being a satisfactory means of preserving apple juice. The objections urged against sterilizing are (1) that a “cooked" taste is added to the juice, greatly injuring the flavor, and (2) that it is impracticable to hold the juice sterile for more than a limited period. These objections have been met. The investigations here reported demonstrate that only a slight cooked taste is produced by the heat STEAM INLET STURRING OUTLET FOR SPIRAL RIVETED 14 BLOCK TIN COIL ASBESTOS PIPS COVERING treatment required and that it is a simple matter to protect the juice from inoculation after sterilizing. EXPERIMENTS WITH BARRELS. a In the experiments of 1906 on sterilizing in barrels, it was found that they could be successfully used as containers when it was desired to keep the juice sweet for a few weeks. In one experiment two 50-gallon barrels were thoroughly cleaned, well steamed, and filled with the juice heated to between 149° and 158° F. (65° and 70° C.). In sealing a cask which is full of hot liquid, air should be allowed to enter during cooling to destroy the vacuum caused by the contraction of the liquid. Unless this is done, a severe strain is put on the cask, greatly increasing the danger of contamination. In this experiment, instead of at first driving in bungs to close the barrels, clean cotton plugs were used. When the casks and contents were cool, the plugs were removed and wooden bungs which had been sterilized by soaking in alcohol were quickly inserted. The juice kept for ten days without showing fermentation. TO STEA TRAP STUFFING BOT BRASS GROUND JOINT UNION INLET FOR JUICE FIG. 1. -Pasteurizer for apple juice. In this experiment the pasteurizer shown in fig. 1 was employed and proved to be a very useful machine, capable of heating the juice with perfect control of temperature at any desired rate up to several hundred gallons per hour. This pasteurizer was built for about $50. a Loc. cit. EXPERIMENTS WITH KEGS. Further experiments on sterilizing in wood were made during the season of 1907-8, and the results show that wooden containers can be successfully employed for fairly long periods of time. In these experiments, 10-gallon kegs made of No. 1 white-oak stock, costing $1.05 FIG. 2. Small pasteurizer for sterilizing apple juice in kegs. each, were used. A pasteurizer of smaller size was employed, similar to the one shown in fig. 1, but built of lighter material and costing about $12 (fig. 2). The results were satisfactory and demonstrate that this model will be found useful in work conducted on a small scale. The kegs were prepared for use as follows: They were paraffined on the outside by dipping in a bath of melted paraffin which was heated to about 120° C. (248° F.) by means of a steam coil. The arrangement is shown in fig. 3. Steam was run into the keg for about three minutes, when it was allowed to cool somewhat, and sulphured by lowering into each keg a small crucible filled with burning sulphur. The kegs were allowed to stand closed overnight, and in the morning just before filling they were steamed out for three minutes and well rinsed, removing practically all of the sulphur. It was found that a longer period of steaming melted the paraffin on the outside of the kegs. The juice was heated by running through the pasteurizer at from 65° to 70° C. and was delivered directly into the kegs. As each was filled, it was closed in the following way: A wooden bung which had been paraffined and then dipped in alcohol was placed in the bunghole. The quarter-inch hole in the center of the bung was stuffed with cotton and the bung was driven into the keg (fig. 4a). 28 FIG. 3.-Apparatus for paraffining kegs. Then the cotton plug was removed and another plug immediately inserted and saturated with alcohol. The cotton is stuffed into the bung before the bung is inserted in order to prevent the entrance of organisms while it is being driven in, and is replaced by a fresh plug of cotton afterwards, because it usually becomes saturated with juice during the driving. This plug of cotton, sterilized by alcohol, prevents access of organisms during cooling, the air sucked in on account of the contraction of the juice on cooling being filtered through the cotton. When the juice had cooled the cotton plug was cut off at the surface of the bung, the portion of the plug remaining was wet again with alcohol, and a wooden skewer, fitting the hole in the bung closely, was sterilized by soaking in melted paraffin, then in alcohol, and driven into the hole, forcing the cotton. plug out. In this way the cotton plug was replaced by a sterilized wooden plug without any chance for the entrance of organisms. The skewer was then sawed off even with the surface of the bung and smoothed over by a little melted paraffin (fig. 4, b and c). Forty 10-gallon kegs were filled in this way, and of these 22 were kept unopened for more than six months, the juice in the remaining kegs being used for other purposes. The juice was prepared from apples grown in the vicinity of Washington, being mostly of the Grimes (syn. Grimes Golden) variety, with some Winesaps, and while the fruit was sound and clean the juice was not of high quality, lacking in acidity and fruitiness. In no case, however, has the juice failed to keep well. The kegs were kept for the first two months in a warm cellar at about 20° C. Twenty-four were then subjected to a shipping Four lots of six kegs each were shipped by freight to Charlottesville, Va., and were held for periods of from two to four weeks in the cellar of W. B. Alwood, in charge of the enological investigations of the Bureau of Chem test. istry at that point, and then were returned to Washington. In no case was there any loss due to fermentation, although several kegs were injured in transit. The first shipment left Washington on January 30, 1908, arriving in Charlottesville on February 3 in good condition. One keg of this lot was opened by W. B. Alwood and the following notes were made: "February 12, 1908. * ** I opened one keg of the first shipment of cider to-day and found it very good. Color yellowish straw, not translucent, but not muddy. FIG. 4.-Wooden bung for cider barrels: a, Showing cotton Flavor excellent, barring plug. b, Skewer about to be driven in to displace cotton. slight cooked taste. Per Skewer in final position. C, On February 15 fectly sweet and sound. Sp. gr. 1.053. I was able to take out with a siphon 35 quarts of fairly bright cider; 5 quarts were too muddy for use without sedimentation or filtering." the remaining casks of this lot were returned to the Bureau of Chemistry at Washington, arriving in good condition. One of the kegs of the second shipment was leaking very slowly when received at Charlottesville, but the contents were found to be perfectly sound. The third shipment was received in good condition; but of the fourth shipment one keg was leaking, owing to a broken stave. Mr. Alwood calls attention to the fact that these kegs were too frail for the rough usage given freight, as the handlers drop them flat and thus spring the staves. 51262-08-Bull. 118- -2 All of the shipments from Charlottesville were received at Washington in good condition and have kept well subsequently. ORGANOLEPTIC TESTS OF THE JUICE FROM KEGS. On May 29 a keg was opened, the contents cooled to about 15° C. (59° F.), and a test made by a committee of three experts, H. W. Wiley, William A. Taylor, and J. A. Le Clerc, with a view to securing data as to the value of the product as a beverage for summer use. The opinions were as follows: H. W. Wiley. Much more brilliant in color than Roxbury," though not perfectly bright. Somewhat unpleasant taste but not spoiled; do not like the flavor so well as that of the preceding sample. Slight flavor of barrel, but not unpleasantly strong. Sample is perfectly sound and sweet, but originally must have been inferior to that of the Roxbury. After carbonating by running in a rapid stream of carbon dioxid (by means of which dilution of the juice was avoided) Doctor Wiley says: "Flavor much improved. It is now quite as palatable as Roxbury." W. A. Taylor. I consider this a palatable and refreshing beverage. It has a perceptible cooked taste, but that is not objectionable at a temperature of 15° C. (59° F.). With one part of carbonated water to three parts of juice, the flavor is improved, as the cooked taste of the uncarbonated juice disappears. With one-half carbonated water and one-half apple juice, the fruit flavor fades away. J. A. Le Clerc. A peculiar flavor, but can not detect any cooked taste. On the whole, it is a very good beverage. There is no alcohol, no perceptible acidity. I think the carbonating improves it and takes away the peculiar taste, the beverage still retaining enough of the apple flavor to make it acceptable; especially is this so with one part of carbonated water mixed with three parts of the cider. It appears that, although the original juice used for this experiment was not of high quality, when sterilized, cooled, and carbonated it became a palatable and refreshing beverage. IN CANS. Experiments in the canning of apple juice during the season of 1906 consisted mainly in the determination of the proper conditions of processing, while during the past season the experiments have been chiefly devoted to investigations as to the quality of sterilized apple juice. from different varieties of apples, and the maintenance of quality during storage in cans. CONDITIONS OF PROCESSING. A sterilizing process which was found in 1906 to be satisfactory consisted in heating the sealed cans in a water bath to 65° C. (149° F.). This requires from thirty to thirty-five minutes, the water in the bath being kept in constant agitation. The cans were then removed and allowed to cool. The flavor was but little affected by this treatment, "A sample of canned Roxbury apple juice was tasted by the committee on the same date (see page 13). . |