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Beverages
—
A
Icoholic
It
is
advisable
that
wines
so
treated
should
be
drunk
as
soon
as
possible.
Wine
sometimes
has
an
unpleasant
musty
taste,
which
it
has
acquired
from
being
put
into
a
dirty
cask
or
into
one
that
has
been
unused
for
some
time.
This
bad
flavor,
which
is
known
as
caskiness,
may
generally
be
removed
by
vigorously
agitating
the
wine
for
sone
time with
a
little
sweet
oil
or
almond
oil.
The
cause
of
the
bad
taste
is
the
presence
of
an
essential
oil,
which
the
fixed
oil
com-
bines
with
and
carries
to
the
surface,
whence
it
may
be
skimmed
off,
or
the
wine
lying
under
it
may
be
drawn
off.
A
little
coarsely
powdered
and
freshly
burnt
charcoal,
or
some
slices
of
bread
toasted
until
they
become
black,
or
a
little
bruised
mustard
seed
sometimes
effects
the
removal
of
the
objectionable
taste.
Mellowing
Wines.
—
Cover
the
orifices
of
the
vessel
con-
taining
it
with
bladder
closely
fastened,
instead
of
the
usual
materials,
and
an
aqueous
exhalation
will
pass
through
the
bladder,
leaving
some
fine
crystallizations
on
the
surface
of
the
wine,
which,
when
skimmed
off,
leaves
the
wine
in
a
highly
improved
state
of
flavor.
Remnants
of
wine
covered
in
this
manner, whether
in
bottles
or
in
casks,
will
not
turn
mouldy
as
when
stopped
in
the usual
way,
but
will
be
improved
instead
of
being
deteriorated.
Ripening.
—
To
promote
the
maturation
or
ripening
of
wine
various
plans
are
adopted
by
the
growers
and
deal-
ers.
One
of
the
safest
ways
of
hastening
this,
especially
for
strong
wines,
is
not
to
rack
them
until
they
have
stood
15
or
18
months
upon
the
lees,
or,
whether
crude
or
racked,
keeping
them
at
a
temperature
ranging
between
55
and
65°
F.
in
a
cellar
free
from
draughts
and
not
too
dry.
Full
or
heavy
sherries
or
ports,
when
bottled
and
treated
in
this
manner,
ripen
very
quickly
in
a
temperate
situation.
Racking.
—
Racking
should
be
performed
in
cool
weather
and
preferably
early
in
the
spring.
A
clean
siphon,
well
managed,
answers
better
for
this
purpose
than
a cock
or
faucet.
The
bottoms,
or
thick
portion,
may
be
strained
through
a wine
bag
and
added
to
some
other
inferior
wine.
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