1876 Facts About Sherry by Henry Vizetelly

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Facts about Sherry.

of gypsTim contained in the water of the Trent, and that quite as much of this innocuous substance enters into a pint and a-half of that excellent beverage as into any bottle of sherry in existence. In one respect gypsum, acts, with regard to the fermentation of beer, precisely in the same way as it acts with reference to that of wine—^that is to say,it checks over-activity by counteracting the influence of the excess of nitrogenous matter present alike in wort and must,and which troubles bitter- beer brewers in the form of gluten and the Jei-ez wine-growers in the shape of albumen. So important an element,indeed, is gypsum in the brewing of beer that many Scotch and other brewers add it in considerable quantities to the water which they employ. hTot merely is gypsum largely used by brewers, but all the wine-growers of the South of Prance have recourse to it. Some years ago proceedings were taken against the latter, under the pretence that the use of gypsum constituted an adulteration,and the matter eventually came on appeal before the tribunal of Montpellier, which appointed three distinguished French chemists, MM. Chancel, Berard, and Cauvy, who had mado wine their especial study, to investigate and report upon the subject. Singularlyenough,these gentlemen made their experi ments upon wine containing as nearly as possible the same proportion of gypsum as according to the most extravagant estimate enters into a butt of sherry—namely, 401bs. to the 108 gallons. The wines they analysed had been plastered to the extent of40 grammes per litre, which is at the rate of almost 20,000 grammes, or 401bs., to the 484 litres comprised in the 108 gallons which a butt of sherry contains. . The analyses ofthese wines showed that the sample to which ordinary plaster had been applied contained 1*240 grammes of sulphate of potash per litre, and that another sample of wine made with prepared plaster contained 1-828grammes of sulphate of potash per litre, which gave in the first instance less than 600 grammes, or under IJlb., and in the second less than 900 grammes,or under 21bs.,in the 108 gallons, which is very