In the First place, provide a Copper of such a bigness as you shall judge needful for the great, or less quantity of Juice you have; let it have a plain and even bottom, and let it have the sides about a Span high, and get it well Tinned over in the inside, and not Leaded, the which Vessel you must put in a Furnace of a sizeable bigness, and so order it, that being set in the Furnace, the Flame may come but only to the bottom, and not be able to touch the sides. The Walls of the Furnace are to be some two foot high, and must have an Iron front, or Stone Door, serving for the putting in the Wood, and registring the fire, by opening and shutting it. At the backside is to be an hole of such a bigness, as may suffice for making the fire burn by the access of the Air, and for carrying away the Smoke and Flame. But it must be so ordered, as to be covered with a broad stone, if need be, that so the fire may on such wise be registred, that the Juices may not boil over by the overmuch fire, or taste of burning. These Juices are to be so long boiled with the wood, until they begin to wax thick, and then more new Must is to be thereunto added, this addition is to be so long made, and so often repeated, until the Copper be almost filled with those thick Juices. Then the holes of the Furnace that serve for giving air, are to be shut both above and below, that there may be no flame under the Copper, but the bare heat of the fire, and a sweet and gentle warmth, which will bring the Juices by a sweet decoction to the consistence of Honey, and will condense them without any adustion, insomuch that they will become as sweet as Sugar.
These Juices, you may let out by a Pipe, or Cock placed near the bottom of the Vessel, and shutting it again, pour in more to be condensed after the same manner, until all the Musts are condensed, but you must not presently put the Condensate Juices, as soon as ever they come hot out of your Copper, into your Barrels, but let them run first into some wooden Vessel, and be there left so long till they are cool, then put them up in your Barrels, and shut them up tight, and so may you keep them whole and sound, and free from Corruption, even as long as you list: For if you should put them hot into your Barrels, and so shut them up, the Barrels would burst, or else when you open them, would (by reason of the pent-up Vapours, which can have no exhalation) break or run out.
NB. And here comes a notable Secret, which I think good to add. When the Juices have rested some two or three weeks, and be afterwards dissolved with warm water, the residue of the Tartar which would have made the wines acid, will fall down undissolved to the bottom, in the form of small and big Crystals, and being washed with common water, may be used instead of Tartar forasmuch as it is nothing else than a meer absolute Tartar. Now this separation of the Tartar, is of great concernment as to the Wine, for it thereby becomes much better than if those Crystals had remained dissolved with it. Nor is any thing lost by this means, for that the Tartar is of as much value as the Juices: And besides, the Wines will be by this means freed from their acidity, and rendred better and sweeter; which thing verily deserves to be esteemed of as a great and profitable Artifice; and which, many there are that will know to use it to their great profit.
Verily, he that is of so dull an Apprehension, as not to be capable of understanding these things, that are so clearly, and evidently manifested, will not be any whit the better by larger Discourses. But he that has a desire of setting about this work, will insinuate, or work himself by a farther Meditation into the inmost centrality as ’twere of this so great an Artifice, and will with a far juster mind bear with me, in that I have not so much time at present, as to use a more prolix, or larger Stile.
But if so be, any do desire to have this Artifice declared unto him, by a more clear delivery, let him read my Explication of the Appendix adjoined to my Fifth part of the Philosophical Furnaces; as also the Vegetable work, and there he shall find more such Artifices. Or if haply it concerns him, he may see in my Laboratory, the Furnaces and Coppers requisite to such a work, together with the Manual Operations.
I am even constrained briefly, and as it were by the bye, to insert thus much, that if some more than usually unskilful Men cannot understand those things which I have declared concerning the three Principles, viz. That all Wine must needs consist of the same, to wit, Salt, Water, and Spirit; I dare boldly and confidently averr, that he who knows how to conjoin (according to art) these three Principles, may every where make good Wine.
NB. But yet I would not have such an one perswade himself that he can do any good, if he mixeth Tartar, Water, and Spirit of Wine together, no, no, that is not the way for him to be Master of his desire. There are far other-guise Manual Operations, requisite to this Artifice, and such as I think it inexpedient to manifest in this place. Let every one be content with the things at present shown him, haply God will sometime or other bestow (on him) better.
CHAP. II.
Treateth of Corn: Shewing what means it is to be Concentred, and Condensated by, so as to be Exported in great Quantities into other Countries, whereby both Gain and Moneys may be thereof made.