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Show Concerning Cider. Concerning Cider. than ordinary) and then at a tap before preparedin the Veffel three or four aches from the bottom I drew it into pails, and from thencefilled the Hogfhead (orlefler Vefel) and left the greateft part of the Lee bebind ; and during thistime that the Cider ftood in the Vat, Ikeptit as clofe covered with hair-clothes or facks as¥ Goulds that foroo much of the fpir#ts might not evaporate. Now poflibly I might be asked whyI did not, fince I kept it fo clofein the Yat, putit at firft into the Vefel? To which I antwer, that had I put it at firft into the Vefél,it would poffibly (efpecially if the weather bad chanced to prove wet and warm)have begun to ferment before that time had been expired 5 and then there would day) draw-a little, and fee. what finene it is of; for when it is bottled it mutt not be perfeGly fines for if it befo) it will not fret in the bottle, which gives it a fine quicknefs, and will make ic mantle and {parkle in the gla/s, whenyou pour it out: And if it be too thick when it is boté/ed, then, when it hath ftood fome time in the bottles it will ferment fo much that it may poflibly either drive outthe Corks, or break the bottles,’ or at leaft be of that fort (which fome call Potguz-drizk) that when you openthe bottles ir will fly about the houle, and be fo windy and cutting that it will be inconvenient to drink: For the right teaper of Bottle-Cider is, that it wanrlea little andfparkle whenit is put out into the glafs; but if though I kept it warm in fome degree, yet fomeof the fpirits had itfroth andfly, it was bottled too foom: Nowthe temper of the Gider is {o nice, that it is very hard when you bottle it to foretell” which of thefe two conditions it will have:.but it is very eafie within few days after (chat is to fay, about a meek, or fo) to find ftill liberty to evaporates which had it been in the Hogfhead with the Bung only open, they wouldnot fo freely have done; but in the firlt 24 hours it would have beguntoferment, and fo my defign had beenfully loft: For thofe fpiritsif they had been too {trongly reverberated into the Liquor, would have caufed a fermentation before | could have taken away anypart of the grofs Lee. For thegreat my/tery of the whole thing lies in this, tolet fo many this time it will begin to ferment in the Bottles, and in that cafe you muft open the Bottles, and let them ftand open twoor three minutes, that that abundanceoffpirits may have Vent, whichotherwife kept in would in'a fhort time make it of that fort Icalled before Potgunz-drink; but being let out, that danger will be avoided, and the Cider (without danger of breaking the bottles) will have been nopoflibility to have feparated any part of the grojs Lee, before the fermentation had been wholly finifhed; which keeping it only covered with thefe clothes was not in danger : For, ofthe fpirits evaporate, that the liquor fhall not ferment before the grofs Lec be taken away 3 and yet to keep fpirits enoughto caule a fermentation when you would have it. For if you pavit up asfoon asitisfiraived, and do not let fome ofthe {pirits evaporate, and the grofs Lee byits weight only to be feparated with- out fermentation, it will ferment too much and lofe its fweetnels 5 andif none be left, it will not ferment at all; and then the Cider will be dead, flat and foure. Then after it is putinto the Vefel, and the Vefeel fill'd allbut a little (that is,about a Gallon or thereabout) [letit ftand (the Bungbole beingleft only covered with a paper, 'to keep out any duft or filth that might fall in) for 24 bowrs mores in which time the grofJeft part of the Lee being formerlyleft in the Vat,it will not ferment, but you maydrawit off by'a Tap fome two or three inches from the bottom of the Vefel, and in that fecond Vefél you may{topit up, and Jet it ftand fatelytill it be fit to Bottle; and poflibly that will be within a day or more: but of this time there is no certain meafureto be given; there being fo many thingsthat will make it longer, orlefs while before it befit to bottle. As for Example, If the Apples were over-ripe when youftamped them,or ground them in the 44H, it will be the longer before it will be clear enough to Bottles; or if the weather prove to be warmer or moilter than ordinary : or that your spples were of{uch kinds, as with the fame force inthe {tamping or g:inding they are broken into {maller particles than other Apples rhat were of harder kinds. Now, for knowing whenitis fit to Bottle,| knowno certain Rule that can be given, but to broach the Veffél witha {mall Piercer, and in that ole fit a peg, and now andthen (twoorthreetimesina day) its tevperas to this point, For firft, ifitbe bottledtoofoon; by keep and ferment, butnottoomuch. Nowthis is fo eafie a re- medy, thatL would advifeall men rather to erre on the handof bottling it too foon, than let it be toofize when they bottle it ; for if fo, ic wili not fret inthe bottle at all; and confequently, want that briskwe/s whichis defirable. Yet even in thiscafethereisa Remedy, but fuch a one asI am always very careful to avoid, that fol may have nothing (howlittle foever) in the C/der but the juice ofthe 4pple: But the remedy is, incafe youbeputtoaneceflity to ufeit, that you open every bottle aiter it bath beenbottled about a week cr fo, and put into each bottle alittle piece of white Sugar, about the bigtefs of a Nutmeg, and this will fet it intoa little fermentation, and give it that brisknefs which otherwife it would have wanted. But the other way being full as eafie, and then nothing to be added but the juice of the Apple to be fimply the fubitance of your Cider, I chufeto prefer theerrour of being in danger to bottle the Cider toofoon, rather than too late: Nay fometimes in the bottling of one and the fame Hogfhead (or other Veffel) of Cider, there may the firft part ofit be too fines the fecond part well; andthe laft not fineenough : and this happens when it is broached firft above the middJe, and then below 5and then whenit begins to runlow, silted or raifed at the further end, and fo all drawnout. But to.avoid this inconvenience, I commonly fet the bottles in the order they werefilled, and fo weneed not open all to fee the condition of the Cider; buttrying one at each end, and one in the middle, will ferve the turn: And to prevent the Jnconveniency, broach not at all above the middle, nor too /ow; and when you have drawn all that .will run at the Jap, you maybe fecure |
