Chapter 5

A COMPARISON OF THE PROCESSES OF THE BREWER WITH THOSE OF THE WHISKEY DISTILLER.

From the experiments of one of the most learned chymists of Europe, it has been demonstrated, that the proportions the most advantageous to the formation of a good vinous liquor, are, one part of dry sweet substance to four parts of water; that is, that the sugar must form one fifth of the whole. We have, moreover, seen that 100lbs. of dry sweet matter gave 25 gallons of spirit 19°, which comes to 4lbs. of sugar per gallon.

We shall make use of that scale in comparing the processes of the brewer with those of the whiskey distiller.

Supposing the bushel of grain to weigh 50 pounds, and that it gives 2 gallons of whiskey at 19°, each of which gallons is the product of 4lbs. of sugar; then the strong beer which contains in 40 gallons the sweet matter of 200lbs. of grain, contains the elements of 8 gallons of spirit, or 32lbs. of dry sweet substance; and as the 40 gallons of this beer weigh 320lbs. the 32lbs. of sugar form only one-tenth of it, which is one half of Lavoisier's proportions.

Those of the distiller of whiskey are 100lbs. of grain to 100 gallons of water, or thereabouts: 100lbs. of grain contain only 16lbs. of dry sweet matter: therefore, as the 100 gallons of vinous liquor weigh 800lbs. the 16lbs. of sugar form only its fiftieth part.

Thence is seen how inferior the proportions of the whiskey distiller are to those of the brewer, and how far they are from good theory. But the brewer aims only at producing a sort of wine, and succeeds; while, the distiller wants to make spirit, and only obtains it in the manner the most expensive, and opposed to his own interest.