The mixture of colouring and spirit is tested, and reduced to 74°. It is not sold above 72°, but a slight loss occurs on keeping, which must he provided against. By age, absinth loses its green colour, becoming yellowish ; this tinge is preferred by consumers. The spirit is considered to be of good quality when, on being diluted with water, it becomes whitish or opalescent, owing to the presence of the essential oils from the seeds, and the resinous and colouring matters of the plants, which, on the addition of water, are set at liberty, and thus afford the milky colour so highly prized by connoisseurs. In this state it should he agreeable, odorous, and sweetish.
Absinths of an inferior and very pernicious quality are frequently met with in the market. These are chiefly manufactured without distillation, essences being used instead of the seeds and plants. Others are prepared from old or damaged materials, while others again have had added to them aromatic resins, such as benzoin, guaiacum, &c., after the distillation, in order to increase tho opalescence.
Absinthine, the bitter principle of wormwood, is an energetic poison, acting especially upon the nervous system, and very injurious effects are invariably consequent upon the long-continued use of this think.
Fig. 193 represents the apparatus used in Neufchatel and other places for the manufacture of absinth and other perfumed spirits. It consists of the following parts :— A is a kettle enclosed in a wooden jacket, acting as a water-bath enclosing another kettle, which contains the ingredients to be distilled. B is the top or cover of the still ; C an opening closed by a plug for charging the still ; 0' a similar opening for discharging the plants after distillation. D is the cap of the still, fastened on by a circular collar, and terminating in a neck which conducts the alcoholic vapours to the cooling coil. E is the cooler with its coil, and E' the discharge pipe of the coil. F is the colourer, furnished, like the still, with plugs through which to fill and empty at. G is a pump fastened firmly to the wall by the collars G'. H is a piston rod; I, the eccentric for driving the pump; J, a pulley on which a hand runs to connect with the power ; and K, bearings from the pulley shaft. L is a tank or well of metal sunk into the floor. M is a suction pipe, and 1VI' another, connected with the colourer. N is a three-way cock attached to the suction pipe to draw auy liquid from the tank to deliver it into the still, into the colourer, or to the store-room, or to draw the finished liquor from the colonrer, and deliver it to the store-room. N' is a pipe for
drawing off the coloured product; 0 is a force or delivery pipe; P, a three-way cock, which directs liquids at pleasure into the still or the colonrer; P', a pipe delivering the liquid into the colourer, and P" a pipe conveying tho liquor into the still. R is a cock and pipe for delivering the manu factured product into the store-room ; S, a funnel and pipe to convey the distilled product to the tank ; 'r, the main steam-pipe connected with the steam boiler ; U, the steam-cock for the kettle of the still ; and V the steam-coek for the colourer.
The apparatus is worked in the following manner :— The tank L having been filled with water and alcohol in the correct proportion, and the boiler of the still with the ingredients necessary for the preparation of the absinth, the cook P P' is opened and the pump set to work. Tho boiler A is immediately filled with the contents of the tank L. As soon as the tank is empty, the pump is stepped and the cock P closed. Steam is turned on by opening the cock U, and the product soon begins to flow over from the condensing coil into S, and again fills the tank L ; it now consisie of spirits perfumed by the plants placed in the still ; it is white in colour, and'possesses already many of the propertiea peculiar to the manufactured article. In order to colour it, the pump again draws up the liquor into the colourer F, which has been previously filled with the proper quantity of the colouring plants. After this operation, the pump fulfils its third office by raising the coloured absinth from the colourer through the pipe N', and the cock and pipe R into its final receptacles.
Arrack or Rack. (Fa., Arac ; GER., Arnic•.) Any alcoholic liquor is termed "arrack" in the East ; but arrack proper is a liquor distilled either from toddy, the fermented juice of the cocoa-nut palm, or from rice. Io the latter case, the rice is covered with water in large vats and agitated with a long rake. Great care must be taken in order to effect this without breaking the seed, and so causing the rice to decay, which would greatly impede its fermentation. This agitation is carried on until about half the rice has begun to germinate, when the water is run off from below. Molasses, or toddy, or a mixture of both, is now added, and the whole is left to ferment. When this proem is complete, the fermented rice is distilled in the ordinary way.