Читать книгу The Complete Distiller - A. Cooper - Страница 13

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Among the Accidents which frequently happen in Distilling, the least of all is for the Operation to miscarry and the Ingredients to be lost.

And this being a Subject of the greatest Importance we shall treat it with all possible Accuracy.

All Accidents are occasioned by Fire, their primary Cause; by want of Attention they get too much Head, and Fear often suffers them to become irremediable.

The first Accident which may happen by the Fire, is when a Distiller, by too great a Heat, causes the Ingredients to be burnt at the Bottom of the Still; by this Means his Liquor is spoiled by an empereumatic Taste, and the Tin is melted off from the Alembic. An Empereuma resembles the Smell of burnt Tobacco, and is produced in Liquors by too great a Degree of Heat. To illustrate this, distil any Fruit, Flowers, or any Aromatic whatever; but especially something whose Smell is very volatile, draw off only the best, unlute the Alembic, and what remains in the Still, will be found to have a very disagreeable Smell; whence it follows, that if a little more had been drawn off, it would have spoiled what was before obtained.

If the Fire be too violent, the extraordinary Ebullition of the Contents causes them to ascend into the Head; and, if a Glass Alembic, they fall ignited into the Recipient; the Heat breaks it, the Spirits are dissipated, and often take Fire from the Heat of the Furnace.

If the Fire be too strong, the Bottom of the Still becomes red hot, the Materials inflamed, and consequently the Fire reaches the Recipient.

When an earthen Alembic is used, the closest Attention is requisite to keep the Fire from burning the Materials at the Bottom. The Head, which is always of Glass, bursts, and the Spirits are spilt, and often catch fire. And the Remedy becomes the more difficult, as Earth retains the Fire much longer than a common Alembic.

If the Alembic be not firmly fixed, it is soon put out of Order, falls down and un lutes itself; thus the Liquor is spilt, and the Vapour sets the Spirits on fire.

If all the Joints be not carefully luted, the Spirits at their first Effort issue through the least Aperture, run into the Fire, which is propagated into the Alembic by the Vapour.

In Distillations where the Phlegm ascends first, its Humidity penetrates the Lute, and loosens it, so that when the spirituous Vapours ascend, they are exposed to the same Accident.

Lastly, when the Recipient is unluted, especially if near full, without the greatest Circumspection the Spirits will be spilt, and so catch Fire.

Hitherto I have only given a simple Account of what daily happens to Distillers; but the Consequences of these Accidents are infinitely more terrible than the Accidents themselves; for an Artist to lose his Time, his Labour and Goods, is no small Matter; but it follows from what we have premised, that both his Life and Fortune are in danger from these Conflagrations. Instances of the former are too common, as well as those of the latter, relating to the Danger to which the Operator is exposed. They are evident, and we have seen very lately three Instances sufficient to intimidate the most sanguine. The Spirits catch, the Alembic and Recipient fly, and the inflamed Vapour becomes present Death to all who breathe it.

The Rectifiers, who perform the most dangerous Operations of Distillery, are particularly exposed to these terrible Accidents; the Fineness of the Spirit at the same time that it renders it more inflammable, also causes the Fire to spread with the greater Rapidity. And when their Store-houses are once on Fire, they are seldom or never saved.

Possibly I may be censured for my Conciseness on this Head; indeed the Importance of it requires the most particular Discussion; but intending to speak of the Methods proper to prevent these Accidents, I shall close this Chapter, with recommending the Subject of it to the serious Reflection of all concerned in Distillation. And it being hitherto omitted, though of all others it requires the Attention of the Distiller, I shall further observe, that these Operations should never be left to Servants. What can be expected from ignorant Persons? Fear will seize them, when the greatest Presence of Mind is requisite.————Let us now proceed to the Methods of preventing, or at least lessening their Effects.