The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

But after what manner Vinegar may be made, I shall briefly shew: Vinegar-makers dispose many Hogsheads upon Stands a foot high from the ground, under which a pot to receive the Vinegar is set, erected in a hot place, the upper head being taken out, about the middle of the Hogshead they place two pieces of Wood across, sustaining another foraminous bottom, upon which they put the Vinous dregs, filling the Vessel even to the top, then they cover it with the head or some good square Cover, that little Air may enter; when in two or three daies, by putting in your hand, sufficient heat is perceiv’d, the wine which before was prest out of the dregs, is to be pour’d to it, so that the wine may be above the dregs, so the Hogshead close covered is left, till on the opposite row another Hogshead can be filled with the like dregs and grow hot; then the Wine being drawn out of the first hogshead, is poured into this, till the dregs in the first hogshead begin again to be hot, which are again to be macerated in the first Wine. This mutual affusion and depletion of the Wine is to be repeated till a just acidity follows, which may be done in the space of two or three weeks, according to the heat of the Air; which will be good and permanent Vinegar, to be kept for sale in another Hogshead. Presently the first dregs being hot, fresh wine is to be pour’d to them, doing all things as before, till this wine also shall become good Vinegar. If you have many Hogsheads, you may make Vinegar all Summer only, but if you will also work in Winter, the place may be made hot by the help of a Furnace.

After this manner in France and Holland, many Families are maintain’d and enriched, by the dregs of Wine prest and converted to Vinegar.

And now I shall produce my Invention, a good Gift of God, as I take it, to good men; ’Tis certain, that in Viniferous Countries, where much dregs are bought for a small price, they may obtain a profit to themselves not to be despis’d; for which (next to God) they are beholden to me, who by unwearied toil have found this Science, and let ’em shew their gratitude towards Needy Persons, lest they incurr the displeasure of God, and so turn this Blessing into a Curse.

First of all, let there be a good Press, with a long Beam, from which hang weights, let there be put in small bags at least 5 or 6 Firkins of Lees, and them soundly prest.

The wine that comes out by pression, you may turn to Vinegar, either by the help of other Lees, or some other method; pour as much of the thick in the sacks with a due proportion of water into a Still, let it not boil in stilling, the Head being on, apply the refrigeratory, manage the destillation as otherwise Spirit of Wine is wont to be drawn, keep the Spirit proceeding thence till there is a good quantity of it, which you ought to rectifie or clarifie by several destillations: (tho this Spirit is not abundant in the dry dregs, yet there is sufficient to pay for the making of the Vinegar and Tartar) when there comes an insipid water, take out the fire, open the Pipe or Cock coming from the Still, let the water with the dregs run through the Channel into a great sack put to the Press, when ’tis close ty’d, press it, that the moist may be separated from the dry: the Liquor cooling in a peculiar Vessel, and congealed into Tartar, will stick to the sides, the rest falls down like sand: Take out the dregs remaining in the sack, dry them in the heat of the Sun, burn them under a Still as wood, and you will have very sharp ashes, commonly called clavellated ashes, useful for Dyers, the price of which (at least) exceeds the pression and preparation of Tartar. When you have finished one destillation with the Press, fill the empty Destillatory with fresh water and dregs, as before, and while you draw spirit thence, press the first dregs, and continually put the destillation to the same Press, which coming out hot, don’t put it to the former, but give proper Vessels to each destillation. The day after, put the first water from which the Tartar went to the bottom, to the third destillation, instead of fresh water, that is, by dissolving and destilling new dregs in it, as I have taught: Let the fæces of the fourth destillation be pour’d in the second water, which hath let fall its Tartar, and so afterwards, by which Compendium you will make no waste of Tartar, but what remains in the water, may take encrease from the new dregs to which it is pour’d, and it will give its Gain: But if you will, you may animate that acid water from which the Tartar is separated, and with a small charge, by Grain and Fruits of Trees, give it life and soul again, that it may again be made Wine, not unlike the first prest from the Lees, after the same method it is turn’d into Vinegar, (because ’tis already sharp, the life or soul only that preserve from Corruption being wanting) the way of proceeding will bring great Gain to him that understands it.

If you know not the administration, do as I have order’d, and instead of common water, dissolve the hard dregs in this acid, and you will have good Tartar; but that languid water may also be adhibited to other uses, which I shall set down in the end of this Book: This do, that the fæces be not burnt by too great a fire, nor the spirit stink, and the still be spoil’d, which you may prevent if you anoint the bottom with Lard before you put in the heavy water, and draw off the spirit. Here I might shew a Compendium whereby the dregs, tho’ dry, should not be in danger of burning, but it would be long and tedious to the Reader. But if you mind diligently what I have written, you will get enough.

When you have gotten a good quantity of Tartar from the Lees, not neat to outward appearance, but very like dirt or sand, purge it yet more, that either it may be reduc’d to a very fair Crystal, or till it cleaves in great Fragments to the sides of the Vessel, which you may effect by the following Way. Fill a Vesica with limpid water, almost to the top, put a little granulated Tartar into that water, soundly boiling to dissolve, putting a stick to the bottom, you may see when it is dissolv’d, add more by degrees, till no more will melt in the water, which you may thus find out: Fill a Pewter Saucer with this Liquor, if it contracts a little skin or cream, it shews that it has enough Tartar to produce Crystals, but if not, add more Tartar, till you see this sign in the pot; while it boils, add the scum taken off with a perforated Brass Ladle, to the dry Lees, which by reason of the Tartar adhering, when burnt, conduces to the clavellated ashes; when the boiling has drawn Tartar enough, let it be let out thro’ the Pipe of the Still into a clean Receiver, where while the water cools, the Crystals will incrustate on the sides; apply the rest of the water to the same uses, you will do better; if you shall change it into Wine or Vinegar, let the Crystalline roughness remain in the Vessel, for if you add a new boiling, greater and fairer sorts of Crystals will be made, because by how much the thicker this Tartar is, so much the dearer ’tis held; and thus you may conciliate thickness to your Crystals. When it shall seem enough, pour the rest of the Solutions into another Vessel, in which the first Tartar has concreted, let it dry of it self, afterwards strike the sides of it with a great blow, and great Fragments of Tartar will fall down, which you may sell for profit, put the vessel to the same labour again.

This is the exact description of producing good Vinegar and Tartar necessary for many Arts, from the basest dregs, and of justly getting much profit with little pains.

Now I proceed to make the Wine which some call Adust, or Spirit of Wine, of the Lees of Wine, without any Costs.

After the defecated Wine is pour’d out, put the fæces into the Still, add as much water as the dissolution of the inherent Tartar requires, kindle a fire, stir it at the bottom with a wooden Ladle, that it may not burn to; when you can no longer bear the heat of the water with your hand, and the spirits break forth, take out the Ladle, put on the Head, and destil till you perceive no spirit, but meer Phlegm; the remaining Liquor draw out into a sack close ty’d, work it in the Press, and you will have spirit of wine by destillation, and also Tartar by expression, concretion, crystalisation, with double encrease; as I shall shew more clearly by and by, that before you begin to work, you may be sure, how much you hope to gain thereby, lest you labour in vain, maturely consult that you may discern by a premis’d computation what is to be done.