ILLUSTRATIONS.

PLATES.

PLATE I. Fig. 1.-Vintage scene, Cognac. Fig. 2.-Very old distillery,

Cognac.

Page.

Frontispiece.

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II. Fig. 1.-Wine press in operation, Cognac. Fig. 2.-A Cognac
brandy distillery.

TEXT FIGURES.

FIG. 1. Four types of pot stills used in the north of Scotland..

2. A modern form of condenser, Scotland_.

3. Scotch pot stills, showing instalment_

4. Two types of Irish pot stills___.

5. Irish pot stills, showing attachments....

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FOREIGN TRADE PRACTISES IN THE MANUFACTURE AND EXPORTATION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND CANNED GOODS.

THE WHISKIES OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

SCOTCH WHISKY.

MALTED BARLEY DISTILLERIES.

There are two kinds of distilleries found in Scotland-those producing grain spirits and those using malted barley only-but by far the greater number belong to the latter class. These distilleries are divided into four groups, according to location, and the number of distilleries in each group is about as follows: Highland and not classified, 108; Lowland, 33; Campbelltown (island of Kintyre), 21, and Islay, 9. This is only an approximate classification. Many changes take place in the number of distilleries in active service, and the classification is by no means perfect. These figures, however, give a general idea of the distribution of the distilleries.

Much of the barley used is home grown, but the amount available is insufficient, and considerable quantities are imported from Denmark, Hungary, and the United States. The California barleys are highly prized because they can be used in the early part of the distilling season—that is, in September-before the home-grown barleys are sufficiently dry. Often the barley in the north of Scotland is not all harvested until late in August.

Malting is generally conducted in the old-fashioned way, by steeping the grain until thoroly moist and spreading it on cemented floors well protected by heavy walls against the cold. Even in winter the malting takes place without any artificial heat. In very cold weather the layers of grain are made thicker on the floor and the heat of germination prevents freezing. The lower the temperature at which the malting takes place the better the product, tho the time required is longer. From ten to sixteen days are usually required to complete the germination. In some cases the malting is accomplished by the so-called pneumatic process, in revolving drums which move very

slowly, so as to keep the sprouting grain gently stirred. A current of air is drawn thru the apparatus and this air is warmed or cooled and made wet or dry according to the indications of the thermometer and hygrometer. This method was found in use in only one of the distilleries.

After the germination is completed the malt is dried by being spread on a perforated tile or wire floor over an open fire fed by peat and anthracite coal or coke. The peat is specially prepared and is kept dry for a year or more before using. The older peats are said to give the finest flavors to the product. The empyreumatic emanations from the smoldering peat are absorbed by the malt, subsequently dissolved in the mash, and pass over into the distillate, imparting thereto the much-prized smoky flavor so well known in Scotch whisky. The use of water which has filtered thru the peat bogs is also deemed of great efficacy in distilling the finest Scotch and Irish whiskies. Some of the kilns are made with double floors, the second placed about 5 feet above the first. The green malt is placed on the upper floor and let down to the lower as soon as the charge thereon is removed. This practise, however, is by no means general. The malt is dried until the moisture is reduced to 2 per cent or less, care being exercised to avoid any burning. To this end the layer of malt is frequently turned during the process. Considerable quantities of malt are kept in store, and it is generally believed that old malt makes a better product than new.

After grinding, the malt is mashed in large vats furnished with stirring machinery, which keeps the mass in constant motion. The mass is gradually heated, but not above the point of the activity of the diastase, 140° F., at least until the starch is all converted. The bottom of the mash tun is finely perforated, so that when this operation is completed the liquid part of the contents may be drawn off to the coolers and the residual grains separated for cattle food. These grains are sold in a moist state for neighborhood consumption or dried for shipment to a distance. The hot wort is past over coolers and run into the fermentation vats, called "wash backs." To the cooled, wort the yeast is added and the fermentation conducted at ordinary temperatures. The fermentations are finished in from forty-eight to seventy-two hours and the beer is then ready for distillation.

In all of the distilleries inspected the distillation is conducted in pot stills heated over an open fire. The stills have necks of various shapes and sizes. In some cases the neck passes in a horizontal position to the worm, immersed in flowing water, and the products of any condensation in this horizontal section are returned by an attached pipe to the still. This is by no means a universal arrangement, however. The stills are usually arranged in sets of three, one

large beer still for making low wines and two smaller low-wine stills for making the high wines or crude whisky. In the beer or wash still is found a scraper, usually in the form of a chain, properly fixt to revolving arms which fit the convex inner surface of the bottom of the still and prevent the deposit and burning of solid matter during the distillation. This scraper is operated by a per

FIG. 1.-Four types of pot stills used in the north of Scotland.

pendicular shaft passing into the center of the still, usually with an air-tight journal in the top of the neck.

The acompanying illustrations (fig. 1) show some of the variations in the form of the stills used at the different distilleries in the north of Scotland. Much stress is justly laid by all distillers on the shape of the still, and it seems very probable that the character of the whisky is markedly affected by its form and the length of the

11250 No. 102-06-2

neck, controlling as these factors do the incidental rectification which takes place during the distillation.

The still shown as figure 1, No. 1, is covered with a nonconducting material said to effect a considerable reduction in the quantity of coal used. There are two sets of these stills, heated over an open fire, a wash still and two low-wine stills comprizing each set. The neck of the still has an enlargement near the bottom, instead of being regularly horn shaped, as were those in Glasgow, and

the horizontal portion of the neck is provided with a condensing jacket.

The type shown as No. 2 in figure 1 has no covering, tho heated over an open fire, and no condenser in the horizontal part of the neck. The neck is peculiar in shape, having straight conical sides until it assumes a horizontal position, and is rather shorter than usual, not exceeding 10 feet. There are two sets of stills, of which the wash still holds a little over 6,000 gallons and the low-wine stills half that amount.

Another modification is shown as Nos. 3 and 4, figure 1. Instead of the horizontal jacketed neck piece, the very large neck ends in a vessel which acts as a condenser, being surrounded by a jacket containing water, and from which the products of condensation return directly to the still. The low-wine still differs slightly in shape from the wash still, but is constructed on the same principle. The stills are heated over an The newer set of open fire, as in the other cases. stills at this distillery have a condenser composed of a large number of small copper tubes placed in a cylindrical vessel thru which alcohol flows (fig. 2). This form of condenser takes up much less space than the old form and is considered quite an improvement.

Scotland.

The distillation is carried on until the alcoholic content of the distillate becomes too low for use as low wine. The residue is then distilled until the alcohol is all run off, and this portion of the distillate is added to the next charge of beer. The spent beer is disposed of in various ways. It is not permitted to discharge this byproduct into running streams because of the pollution which is caused thereby. If possible, it is sold for cattle food, but it is not highly prized for this purpose. Sometimes it is settled in cement tanks sunk in the earth and the solid matter is used as manure. In some distilleries it is put into septic tanks and destroyed by bacterial action; in others furnaces are erected in which the spent beer is burned.