Familiar letters on chemistry. Second series, The philosophical principles and general laws of the science / By Justus Liebig ... Edited by John Gardner.

  • Liebig, Justus, Freiherr von, 1803-1873.
Date:
1844
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Familiar letters on chemistry. Second series, The philosophical principles and general laws of the science / By Justus Liebig ... Edited by John Gardner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    process of fermentation: such, vaults have been found particularly appropriate for the fabrication of the superior varieties of beer; and the advan- tages of these vaults mainly depend upon their constantly equal temperature. The influence which extraneous substances exercise upon the products of vinous fermentation is strikingly exemplified *in the fermentation of potato-mash. It is well known that in the manu- facture of potato-spirit an oily liquid is obtained, besides the alcohol, possessing poisonous proper- ties, a highly disagreeable smell, and nauseous taste ; this is called fusel oil. It does not exist, ready formed in the potato, but is a product of the transformation of sugar, for it is produced not only in the fermented potato-mash, but also in the fermentation, of the last syrups obtained during the preparation of the beet-root sugar. This fusel oil belongs, by its chemical proper- ties, to the same class of bodies as alcohol; it is an alcohol from which the elements of water have been separated. Two atoms of fusel oil are formed by the aggregation of five atoms of alco- hol, with separation of six atoms of water. Fusel oil is produced in our spirit manufac- tories as an accidental and accessory product, in