The Must Scale Or Saccharometer

The most suitable one now in use is the _Oechsle's_ must scale,
constructed on the principle that the instrument sinks the deeper into
any fluid, the thinner it is, or the less sugar it contains. Fig. 32
shows this instrument, "which is generally made of silver, or German
silver, although they are also made of glass. A, represents a hollow
cylinder--best made of glass, filled with must to the brim, into which
place the must scale B. It is composed of the hollow float _a_, which
keeps it suspended in the fluid; of the weight _c_, for holding in a
perpendicular position; and of the scale _e_ divided by small lines
into from fifty to one hundred degrees. Before the gauge is placed in
the must, draw it several times through the mouth, to moisten it--but
allow no saliva to adhere to it. When the guage ceases to descend, note
the degree to which it has sunk; after which press it down with the
finger a few degrees further, and on its standing still again, the line
to which the must reaches, indicates its so-called weight, expressed by
degrees." The must should be weighed in an entirely fresh state, before
it shows any sign of fermentation, and should be free from husks, and
pure.

This instrument, which is indispensable to every one who intends to
make wine, can be obtained in nearly every large town, from the
prominent opticians. JACOB BLATTNER, at St. Louis keeps them for sale.

The saccharometer will indicate the amount of sugar in the must, and
its use is so simple, that every one can soon become familiar with it.
The next step in the improvement of wines was to determine the amount
of acids the must contained, and this problem has also been
successfully solved by the invention of the acidimeter:

Next: The Acidimeter And Its Use
Previous: Dr Gall's And Petiol's Method Of Wine Making

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