V I N

VI N

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fey granular limeftone,felfpar, mica, hornblende,zeolite, garnet, &c. The Siberian variety isfound in Kamtfchatka, at the mouth of the riverAchtaragda, imbedded in lteatite, and accom-panied by magnetic iron.

VESUVIAN (ofKirwan). See Leucite.

VINEGAR. EJftg, Germ.

Vinegar is a liquor of an agreeable fmell, apleafant and ftrongly acid tafte, and of a huevarying from light red to brown ft raw colour, andis prepared by fermenting any fubflance or com-pound which has already undergone the fpiri-tuous fermentation. Vinegar therefore maybe made immediately from any wine, maltliquor, cyder, &c. or from the juice of thegrape and other fruits, from infulion of malt,or any faccharine liquid, through the inter-medium of vinous fermentation. Both thefemethods are actually praCtifed with compleatfuccefs.

The chemical properties of the pure acid ofthe different kinds of vinegar (which appears tobe the fame in all) have been already defcribedunder the article Acetous Acid, and we {halltherefore only mention the ufual proceffes ofmanufacture.

To make vinegar out of a liquor containingfuitable materials, it is only neceffary, iff. toallow fome accefs of air to the veffel in whichit is kept, and 2d. to keep it in a temperaturerather higher than that of the atmofphere inthis climate, that is to fay, about 75 0 to 8o°.It is alfo almoft effential where a liquor alreadyfermented is employed, to add a portion ofyeaft, or any other ferment, for though anyfermented liquor if kept in a moderate tem-perature in an open veffel will fpontaneouflyrun four or become changed to vinegar, thischange is too gradual to produce this acid inperfection, and the firft acetified portion turnsmouldy before the lad has become four. Butwhere the fubftance employed has not yet un-dergone fermentation, the whole procefs of thevinous and fubfequent acetous fermentationwill go on uninterruptedly with the fame fer-ment which at firft fet it in aCtion, which hap-pens, for example, in the making vinegar frommalt or from fugar and water.

As even vinegar is not the ultimate changewhich a vinous liquor fpontaneoufly affumes,there is a period in the procefs of the manufac-ture in which the acid is in its higheft degree offtrength and perfection, after which if theprocefs is not flopped, the liquor fpeedily de-teriorates, the acetous acid gradually difappears,

and only an offenfive mouldy watery liquidremains, with fcarcely any fournefs. It belong*therefore to the fkill and experience of themanufacturer to know when his vinegar iscompleat and fit to be drawn off and clofelybarrelled.

Vinegar was doubtlefs (as its name imports)originally made from wine, and this is the ma-terial which furnifhes it probably in the greateilperfection, and is employed lolely in the winecountries. It is prepared by adding wine leesto wine, which excites a new fermentation thatis kept up till the whole is changed to vinegar.Any wine will anfwer the purpofe; the beltand fulleft-bodied wine gives the ftrongeft vine-gar, and that which is already loured and in-jured by keeping may be applied to this ufe.The aCtual method purfued in Paris is the fol-lowing. a A quantity of wine lees is put intoa large tun, and worked up with wine fufficientto render it very fluid. This is then put intocloth facks, which are arranged in a large iron-bound wooden vat, the heavy cover of whichis laid over them and ferves as a prefs, that isgradually ferewed down till all the liquor ispreffed out. The wine, thus loaded with theextractive and tartareous matter of the lees, isdiftributed in large calks fet upright, throughthe heading of which a hole is cut which isconflantly left open. In fummer thefe calksare limply fet in the fun, but in winter they arearranged in a ftoved room. The fermentationcomes on in a day or two, and when it has gotto its height fo much heat is excited that fome-times the hand can hardly be borne in it. Inthis cafe it muft be checked by a cooler air,and by adding fome frefh wine to the calks,and indeed it is in a due regulation of the heatthat molt of the practical fkill of the makerconfiffs. The procefs goes on in this way tillthe whole of the wine is thoroughly acidified,which requires about a fortnight in fummerand a month in winter > after which the newvinegar is put into barrels, at the bottom ofwhich are laid a good many chips of beechwood. Here it remains for about a fortnight,during which time it clarifies and the clear partis then drawn off and kept in well clofed calks.Thefe beech chips may be ufed over and overagain for feveral years.

The natural colour of good wine vinegar is avery pale red, but a higher colour is given, ifdefired, by the addition of elder-berries.

There are feveral flight variations in themode of making wine vinegar, but which need

JJncycl, Aits & Met. Article Visaigre,