The French Wine and Liquor Manufacturer

The liquor trade's own 1868 handbook — stills, cordials, imitation brandies and how wines were doctored, preserved as printed.

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To Fine Port Wine

To fine Madeira or any kind of Wine with Isinglass.

To fine 40 gallons wine, steep 1 ounce isinglass in 1 pint of pure cold water over night, and then melt it over a gentle charcoal fire, until a uniform gelatinous mass is formed. When cool mix with it 3 pints of wine, and let it repose 12 hours in a moderately warm room. Then add 1 gallon of wine and mix the whole in a wooden vessel; whisk it with a clean broom until it foams up. Pour this mixture gradually in the wine you desire to fine, being careful to stir the whole continually during the process. Bung up the cask, and in the course of 48 hours the wine will appear perfectly clear and bright. Isinglass prepared in this way will precipitate perfectly, and leave no particles suspended in the wine.

To fine White or Red Wine with Eggs.

WHITE WINE.- To fine 60 gallons white wine, take the whites of 5 or 6 fresh eggs, 1 egg-shell nearly reduced to powder, and a small handful of common salt. Beat the whole together in a little of the wine, with a small clean broom, until it foams, then pour it into the wine gradually, constantly stirring it all the while. RED WINE is clarified in the same way. When you have Roussillon, or the dark wines called vin du midi, which are usually of a deep color, and wish to make it of a lighter color, add 5 or 6 eggs, yellows, whites, and shells together, with a small handful of salt.

To fine a Pipe of Port Wine.

Take the whites and shells of ten good eggs, and beat them up to a froth in a wooden bucket; add one gallon of Port and whisk it well up to a froth with a clean broom; draw off 4 gallons, and put the finings in it, stir

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