A Practical Handbook on the Distillation of Alcohol from Farm Products

by F. B. Wright

Oct. 31, 1906

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
Alcohol, Its Various Forms and Sources.
Its chemical structure. How produced. Boiling points. Alcohol andwater. Alcohol, where found. Produced from decomposition of vegetables.Sources. Principal alcohols.	[1]
CHAPTER II.
The Preparation of Mashes, and Fermentation.
A synopsis of steps. Mashing starchy materials. Gelatinizing apparatusand processes. Saccharifying. Cooling the mash. Fermentation. Yeast andits preparation. Varieties of fermentation:—Alcoholic, acetous,lactic and viscous. Fermenting periods. Fermenting apparatus and rooms.Strengthening alcoholic liquors.	[8]
CHAPTER III.
Distilling Apparatus.
The simple still. Adams still. Concentrating stills. Compounddistillation. Dorn’s still. Continuous distillation. TheCellier-Blumenthal still. Coffey’s still. Current stills. Regulatingdistillery fire.	[33]
CHAPTER IV.[viii]
Modern Distilling Apparatus.
The principles of modern compound stills. Vapor traps and theirconstruction. Steam regulation. Feed regulation. American apparatus. TheGuillaume inclined column still.	[66]
CHAPTER V.
Rectification.
General principles of “ractionation.” Old formof rectifying still. Simple fractionating apparatus.“Vulcan” rectifier. Barbet’s twin column rectifier.Guillaume’s “Agricultural” rectifying apparatus. Rectifyingby filtration.	[82]
CHAPTER VI.
Malting.
The best barley to use. Washing. Steeping. Germinating. The “wetcouch.” The “floors.” “Long malt.” Drying.Grinding and crushing.	[103]
CHAPTER VII.
Alcohol from Potatoes.
Washing. Gelatinizing and saccharifying. Low pressure steaming, and apparatustherefor. Crushing the potatoes. High pressure steaming and apparatus. Thevacuum cooker. The Henze steamer. Isolation of starch without steam. Englishmethods. Saccharifying the starch.	[110]
CHAPTER VIII.[ix]
Alcohol from Grain, Corn, Wheat, Rice, and Other Cereals.
Relative yields of various cereals. Choice of grain. Proportions ofstarch, etc., in various grains. Grinding. Steeping. Preparatorymashing. Saccharifying. Treatment of grain under high pressure.Softening grain by acid.	[126]
CHAPTER IX.
Alcohol from Beets.
Beet cultivation. Composition. Soil and manures. Sowing. Harvesting.Storing. Production of alcohol from beets. Cleaning and rasping.Extraction by pressure. Extraction by maceration and diffusion. Thediffusion battery. Fermentation. Direct distillation of roots.	[140]
CHAPTER X.
Alcohol from Molasses and Sugar Cane.
The necessary qualities in molasses. Beet sugar. Molasses mixing anddiluting. Neutralizing the wash. Pitching temperature. Distilling.Fermenting raw sugar. Cane sugar molasses. “Dunder.”Clarifying. Fermenting. Various processes.	[163]
CHAPTER XI.
Alcoholometry.
Hydrometers in general. Proof spirit. Syke’s hydrometer. Gay-Lussac’shydrometer. Tralles alcoholometer. Hydrometric methods. Estimationof alcohol. Field’s alcoholometer. Grisler’s method and apparatus.Estimating sugar in mash. Determination of alcoholic fruits. Physicaltests. Chemical tests. The Permanganate of Potash test. Results by Barbet.	[174]
CHAPTER XII.
Distilling Plants, Their General Arrangement and Equipment.
Simple apparatus. Elaborate plants. Steam stills. The fermenting room.Ventilation. Fermenting vats. Preparatory vats. Arrangement of graindistillery. A small beet distillery. Large beet distilling plant.Transporting beets. Potato distillery. Molasses distillery. Fermentinghouse for molasses. Transportation of molasses to distillery. Coalconsumption.	[189]
CHAPTER XIII.
De-natured Alcohol, and De-naturing Formulæ.
Uses of alcohol. De-natured spirit:—Its use in Germany, Franceand England. The “Denaturing Act.” The uses of de-naturedalcohol. Methods and Formulæ for de-naturing. De-natured alcohol in theindustrial world.	[211]
CHAPTER XIV.
De-naturing Regulations in the United States.
The Free Alcohol Act of 1906, and proposed changes therein. TheAmendment of 1907. Internal Revenue Regulations.	[224]
Index.	[261]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

No.		Page.
1	Vacuum mash cooker	[10]
2	Henze steamer	[12]
3	Mash cooler, air system	[15]
4	Mash cooler, water system	[17]
5	Yeasting and fermenting apparatus	[22]
6	A simple still	[34]
7	Simple direct-heated still	[35]
8	Simple still, with rectifier	[37]
9	Adam’s still	[39]
10	Corty’s simplified distilling apparatus	[41]
11	Double still	[42]
12	Dorn’s compound still	[43]
13	Compound still	[46]
14	Compound direct-fire still	[47]
15	Cellier-Blumenthal still	[49]
16	Details of rectifier column	[50]
17	Details of condenser and mash heater	[52]
18	Coffey’s rectifying still	[55]
19, 20	Rotary current still	[59], [60]
21	Indicator for regulating the distilling fire	[61]
22	Diagrammatic view of column still and accessory apparatus	[to face 64]
23	Distilling plate	[64]
24, 25	Barbet traps	[68]
26	Steam regulator	[70]
27	Gauge glass for regulator	[72]
28	Continuous distilling apparatus with external tubular condenser	[72]
29	Detail of chamber, continuous still	[73]
30, 31	Details of perforated plate A	[75], [76]
32	Continuous distilling apparatus with goose separator	[76]
33	Section of Gillaume’s inclined column still	[78]
34	Gillaume’s inclined column still	[79]
35	Rectifying still	[88]
36	Section of rectifying still	[89]
37	Fractional distilling apparatus	[91]
38	Rectifying apparatus with external tubular condenser	[94]
39	Twin column Barbet rectifier	[95]
40	Gillaume’s rectifier and inclined still	[97]
41	Steaming vat for potatoes	[112]
42	Bottom of steaming vat	[113]
43	Steam generator	[114]
44	Potato steamer and crusher	[116]
45	Bohn’s steamer and crusher	[118]
46	Stack for storing beets	[148]
47	Storage cellar for beets	[149]
48	Beet and potato rasp	[152]
49	Dujardin’s roll press	[155]
50	Defusion battery	[158]
51	Mixing vat	[165]
52	Syke’s hydrometer	[176]
53	Field’s alcoholometer	[182]
54	Geisler’s apparatus	[184]
55	Continuous grain alcohol distillery—Barbet’s system	[198]
56	Grain distillery, capacity 2500 bushels per day	[198]
57	Small beet distillery	[200]
58	Large beet distillery	[202]
59	Molasses distillery, capacity 2500 gallons per day	[206]
60	Molasses fermenting house	[207]

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CHAPTER I.
Alcohol, its Various Forms and Sources.