Home › Alcohol › To Test the Purity of Alcohol

To Test the Purity of Alcohol

The presence of water may be detected by its specific gravity. Fusel cil may be de nitrate of silver to the alcohol. Dissolve 10 tected by adding a little of a solution of grains nitrate of silver in 1 ounce of pure distilled water. Then take half a tumblerful of the suspected liquor and drop into it 25 these are well mixed together and then left to drops of the above solution; and if the subside; the chloroform takes up the alcohol liquid should contain any grain oil, it will and leaves the water, which, being lighter assume the form of a black powder and than the chloroform, will float on the top; float on the surface. The action of this test and the quantity of water that has been mixed is not always immediate, for it is sometimes with the spirit will be at once seen. necessary to wait from 1 to 30 hours when Treatment of Alcohol. The followir 1449. Arithmetical Rules for the The following testing a sample of alcohol which has been Treatment of Alcohol. well rectified, before any evidence of the oil or excellent rules, derived from various sources, powder can be perceived floating on the contain, and will yield to the manufacturer, liquid, and even then it is necessary to expose the glass to a strong light before the powder can be discovered.

For detecting fusel oil in alcohol, Mr. E. N.

Kent finds pure sulphuric acid the best test.

Half fill a test tube with the spirit to be tested, then fill up slowly with pure concentrated sulphuric acid. Pure spirit remains much information of a very useful character. 1450. To Ascertain the Cost of any Quantity of Alcohol at any Degree or Percentage of Strength Above or Below Proof. Alcohol is always bought and sold at so much above or below proof. To ascertain the price of a quantity of alcohol, add the percentage over proof, or deduct the colorless; impure spirit becomes colored in percentage under proof, and multiply by the proportion to the amount of fusel oil present. price per gallon. Thus: what will 40 gallons 1 per cent. of wood spirit (wood naphtha) in of alcohol, 25 per cent. over proof, cost at 28 alcohol, will cause it to turn yellow or brown cents proof? We first find 25 per cent. of 40, with the addition of caustic potassa. Pure alcohol is neutral to test paper; should be colorless; will evaporate entirely by heat; retains its transparency when combined with water or ether; tastes and smells vinous. which is 10; we then add that number to 40, the number of gallons, and we get 50; we then multiply 50 by 28, the price per gallon proof, and get $14.00, or 35 cents per gallon.

Again, what will 40 gallons alcohol, 25 per cent under proof, cost, at 28 cents per gallon proof? Again, we find that 25 per cent. of 40 is 10; we then deduct 10 from 40, this leaves us 30; by multiplying 30 by 28 we get $8.40, broken oyster shells; this removes all other 1451. Το Ascertain How Much Waimpurities as well. The fusel oil can be ex- ter Should be Added to Spirits, to Reto Spirits, to Retracted from small quantities of alcohol, by duce it from a Given Degree of Strength adding a few drops of olive oil to the spirit, to a Lower Degree or Percentage of agitating thoroughly in a bottle, and, after Strength. The manufacturer may some- 1445. To Free Alcohol from Fusel Oil. This may be effected by digesting the alcohol with charcoal. By Schaeffer's method the alcohol is filtered through alternate layers of sand, wood-charcoal, boiled wheat, and or 21 cents per gallon. settling, decanting. The olive oil dissolves and retains the fusel oil. 1446. To Deodorise Whiskey or Alcohol and free it from Fusel Oil. To the barrel of liquor add about a gallon (or more) of water saturated with chlorine; stir up thoroughly, and let it rest for 12 hours. Then of the spirit, and divide the amount by the saturate with chalk; add another gallon of water, and distill.