OCR Text |
Show wi Vegetables ; Acid, becaufe it acts almoft like Fire, when apply’d to the Tongue or other The firft Clafs will confit of the mealy Seeds; i.e, all the Grain, which being Parts of the Body ; Volatile, becaufe there ripe afd well dry’d, may be reduced fully , by appears to be no Liquor, that is raifed with grinding; to a light Meal or Flower, ‘that js greater Eafe ; but “tis this Liquorbeing totally neither clamm nor un@uou y s, inflammable, and at the fame time capable of The fecond Clafs confifts of all the Pulpy mixing with Water, that ultimately diftin- guifhes Fermentation from all other Operations in Nature: For neither Putrifaction, Digeftion, Effervefcence, nor any thing of that kind, will ever afford a Liquorat once pofleffed of thofe Qualities. Putrifaction, indeed, as well as Fermenta- tion, is performed by means ofan inteftine Motion ; but the former will never produce either of the Liquors above defcrib’d, as the Effects of Fermentation, that is, neither a vinous nor acetous Liquor. We {ee then, that there are two different Effects of Fermentation, the Produétion of an inflammable Spirit, and an uninfammable Acid ; and whatever Operation will afford, neither of thefe Liquors is improperly called Fermentation ; whichtherefore can only take Place in the Vegetable Kingdom: Forall the Art inthe World, { far as hitherto appears, will never gain fuch Spirits from Animals or Foffils ; and confequently never excite an actual and real Fermentation in them : For Fermentation is the fingle Operation in Nature, by whichfuch Spirits can be obtain’d, 2, Any Vegetable Liquor fo fermented, as to afford the inflammable Spirit above-me ntioned, for the firft thing in Diftillation, we call Wine ; but if the Liquor be fo fermented, as-firft to afford the Acid, uninflammable one, tis called Vinegar ; by which we mean every thin, acid, volatile, vegetable Liquor, capable of extinguifhing Fire : So likewife under the Name of Wine, we indude Beer or Ale, Mead or Metheglin, Cyder, Perry, all Sorts of artificial Wines, and whatever Liquors afford Spirits poffefs’'d of the Properties before fet down. The like is to be underftood of Vinegar, which is obtainable from all the fame Bodies that afford Wine: So that we have either the Wine Summer Fruits, which when ripe, affect the Tongue with the Senie of Acidity and Sharpnefs, as Apples, Pears, Grapes, Goofebe rries, &c. underthis Clafs may be fanged all manner of bulbous pulpy Roots growing in the Ground, if theyare but firft deprived of their volatile, alkaline Salt, which is apt to deter- mine them to Putrifaction. The third ClafS takes in all the Jaicy Parts of Plants, asthe Leaves, Flowers, Stalks and Roots, provided they arenot too Oily or two Alkaline, in which Cafes Vegetables will fae ther putrify than ferment. The fourth Clafs contains the frefh, expreffed and native Juices of all Kinds of Vegetables ; to which may be added, all the native, faline Liquors that diftil from wounded Plants, as the Tears of the Vine, the Walnut, the Birch-Tree, €3c. Underthe fifth Cla, come the moft perfect of all vegetable Juices, wz. thofe that are unctuous, condenféd and elaborated by Nature herfelf, fuch as Honey, Manna, Sugar, and all other Kinds of concreted Juices capable of diffolving in Water. In order to fit any of the fermentable Bodies for Fermentation, there are feveral Parti- culars requifite : 1. Maturity ; the Juice of unripe Berries, as of Currants or Goofeberries, for Inftance, will {carce be brought to ferment at all; while it is very difficult to hinder their Juice, when fully ripe, from falling fpontaneouflyinto Fer- mentation. Thus the Juice of unripe Grapes being uncapable of fermenting, is a rough, acid Li- quor, call’d Verjuice, that will for feveral Years remain in the fame unactive State ; but after they are come to Maturity, it can no fooner be prefs’d into the Veflel, thanit becomes a fermentable {pirituous Fluid. or Vinegar ofall Sorts of Fruits, as 2. Another Requifite to prepare a Bodyfor Grapes, Currants, Mulberries, Cherries, of 3c, Fermentation, is, that it fhould contain only a moderate Proportion of Oil ; for if it either Sorts of Roots, as ‘Turnips, Carrots, exceeds in the Quantity, or be intirely deftitute of Oil, it will never be brought to ferRadifhes, &c. and in fhort, of all. Sorts of ment at all. Thus Almonds, FennelSeeds, vegetable Subftances, even Grafitfelf. are always depriv’d of their Oil before €&c. 3. All the Bodies capable of being changed they are attempted to be fermented. by Fermentation, either into Wine ; or Vinegar, 3. The Bodies intended for Fermentation are faid to be fermentable Bodies ; and be- muft not be too acid or auftere ; as is plain caufe fuch a Change can only be wrought, fo from the acid Juices of unripe Fruits, which far as we know at prefent, upon Vegetables, are greatly indi{pos’d to ferment. thefe alone are accounted fermentable. 4. The laft Thing requir’d to fic and pre_ 4 Any Matter which being mixed with a pare a Bodyto undergo Fermentation is the fermentable Body, increafes its , inteftine Mo- Property of diffolving in all Sorts of Grain, as Barley, Wheat, Oats, &e,all Sorts of Pull, as Beans, Peas, Tares, &c. all tion, or excites or forwards the Fermentat ion, is called a Ferment: And according to the Do@trine before delivered, nothing can properly be called fo; but what will produce either Wine or Vinegar. Thefe fermentable Bodies may be reduced to the following Claffes, Water: For want of which, all acid Bodies, and fuch Woods, Roots and Herbs as are dry and hard, become unfit for this Operation : For unlefs the Parts of thefe Bodies are diffolv’d, the requifite inteftine Motion thereof will not enfue ; but without fuch Motion, fubfift. aee WwW iI Wt T Fermentation cannot Hence Hence Honeyitfelf can never be made to ferment, whilft it retains its native, thick Confiftence ; but being diffolv’d by Heat, or let down with Water, it immediately enters the State of Fermentation. On the other hand, fo violently as the Juice of Grapes af- Wi long employ’d by Vintners or Brewers, bear fo great a Price among them, It is very remarkable, though a thing well known to Brewers and Vintners, that a new Cask checks the Fermentation of vinous Li- quors, and renders them weak and {piritlefs ; fects this State, yet, if immediately after it is for which Reafon they never chufe to make exprefs'd, it be reduc’d, by boiling to the Con- ufe of fuch a Cask beforeit is feafon’d, as they fiftence of a Jelly, it will lie quiet, and never call it, by having firft contain’d fome {piriferment at all, unlefs it be again diluted, and tuous or fermented Liquor or other, which let down with Water, Ferments are of two Kinds, the Natural or being plentifully drank in by the Wood, the original Liquor comesto be depriy’d of a large Spontaneous, and thofe produc’d by Fer- Proportion ofits Spirit and more fermentable mentation. Part, whence the Remainder muft needs tafte The {pontaneous, or natural Ferments, flat and vapid. : are This is certain, that even Muft itfelf will t, All the frefh exprefs'd Juices of fully not eafily ferment in a new pure Veffel; but ripen’d Plants which eafily run into Fermen- with the greateft Facility, if put into one that tation. has before contain’d fermenting Juices ; for 2. Honey, Manna, Sugar, and the like the Parts of the fermenting Liquors, with thick and infpiffated vegetable Juices, which which fuch a Veffel muft have been impreg- caufe a ftrong Fermentation. nated, prefently rouze and determine it to 3. ‘The Ferments produc’d by Fermentation, Action. are the freth Flowers or Yeaft of any ferment7. There are fome Ferments that appear to ing vegetable Juice or Liquor, as of Wine, be heterogeneous, or which are improperly Beer, &c. By Flowers or Yeatt is to be under- call’d Ferments; as the White of an Egg beat ftood that light frothy Matter which covers the into a Froth, which is us’d when the Liquor Surface of the fermenting Liquor in the Nature to be fermented proves too dilute or thin to of atender Cruft, and which being added to fuftain the Operation: For in this Cafe, the any other fermentable Juices will excite a Fer- fermentable Parts of the Fluid eafily extricate mentation in them. themfélves, andfo fly off for want of fomething 4- The frefh Feces, or Lees of any ferment- to detain and keep them in the Bodyof the ing Liquor, as of Wine, Ale, Beer, &c. For Liquor; which therefore requires fome vifcid all Fermentation divides the Liquor, which is Subftance to be mix’d withit, in order to prethe Subject of it, into three Parts, viz. the vent this Avolition of its fubtile Parts: And Flowers or Yeaft, which poffefs the uppermoft this cannot be more commodiouflyeffected than Place; the operating or fermenting Fluid, by the White of Eggs. which lies in the Middle; and the grofs and 8. Of the like heterogeneous kind of Ferfeemingly exhaufted Matter, whichfalling to ments are all fix’d and acid Salts. Thus, if the Bottom of the Veffel, is known by the the Liquor defign’d for Fermentation be too Nameof Lees, Sediments, Faculence, or Mother, acid to work kindly, the Addition of an Alkathat will, if rais’d again out of the Liquor into line Salt, as that of Vine-branches, or any which it was precipitated, caufe it to work faponaceous Subftance, will, by taking off afreth, from the Acidity, fit it for, and fo promote Thus when a Hogfhead of Wine has done fermenting, and is fined down, if the Veffel be any way fhookor difturb’d, it will grow turbid again, and ferment anew, as Vintners the Operation; but if the Liquorbeofitfelf too alkaline, then Tartar, or the like, ought to be added to it to promote the Fermentation. very well know: For fuch as were the Flowers But this does not happen, becaufeeither the in the Act of Fermentation, fuch is the Mother acid or alkaline Salt is an a€tual Ferment, as after the Actionis over. fome Chymifts have vehemently contended 5. Acid Pafte or Bakers Leaven, which is for the Alkaline; becaufe the Salts employ’d, no more than any kind of Meal brought into refpectively temper and take downthe prea clofe Lump by means of Water, after the dominant Acid or Alkali, whichbefore hindred fame manner as common Bread is made, for the Fermentation of the Liquor, this being fer in a warm Place, during the And if fuch Salts fhould in due Quantities Space of four or five Days, it will firft {well, be mix’d with any proper Subject of Fermenthen turn very acid, and at length become a tation, poffefs’d ofall the Qualities before fer Ferment. down, as requifite toit, the Operation would be 6. Thofe Ferments which refide in, or ftick intirely check’d and prevented; fo that alkato the Sides of the Casks that have contain’d line Bodies may as well be faid to hinder as fermenting Liquors; for fuch Casks will of promote Fermentation. , themfelves raife a Fermentation in the Liquors g. And laftly ; Of the fame Sort are certain committed to them; and He/mont was of auftere or rough-tafted Subftances; as all Opinion, they might be capable of doingthis harfh and green Fruit, Pomegranate-Bark and for ever, a Flowers, the 'Tamarisk-Bark, Crab-apples, Uponaccount of this inherent Ferment it is unripe Medlars, €%c. Which when the Liquor that old feafon’d Veffels, or fuch as have been defign’d for the Fermentation is too much 9Q broken |