The Practical Distiller by Samuel McHarry (best book recommendations TXT) 📕

bushels rye, at 60 cents 309 80 96 bushels malt, at 70 ditto 67 20 1706 bushels total. 60 pounds hops at 25 cents per pound 15 100 cords of wood, at 2 dollars 200 Distiller's wages per year and boarding 204 70 Hauling whiskey, at 4 cents per gallon 204 70 50 poor hogs at 4 dollars each 200 $ 1739 90 Contra Cr. By 5118 gallons whiskey, at 59 cents
per gallon $ 2559 50 fat hogs at 7 dollars each 350 $ 2939 Leaving a balance of $ 1143 10

I have charged nothing for hauling of grain, &c. as the feed or slop for milk cows, young cattle, and fatting cattle, will more than pay that expense.

An estimate of the profits arising from a patent distillery, (col. Anderson's patent improved) 1 still of 110 with a patent head, 1 still of 85 gallons for a doubling still, and a boiler of metal, holding 110 gallons.

Distillery, Dr. To 2454 bushels corn, at 50
cents per bushel 1227 1216 do. rye, at 60 cents do. 729 60 200 do. malt at 70 cents do. 140 3870 120 pounds hops, at 25 cents
per pound 30 100 cords wood, at 2 dollars
per cord 200 2 distillers wages, boarding, &c. 400 Hauling whiskey, per gallon at 4 cents 464 40 120 poor hogs at 4 dolls. each 480 Total expense $ 3671 Contra, Cr. By 11610 gallons whiskey, at 50 cents per gallon $ 5805 50 120 fat hogs, at 7 dolls. each 840 $ 6645 50 Clear profit, $ 2974 50 Profit of a common distillery 1148 10 Balance in favor of a patent distillery $ 1826 40

To do the business of a patent distillery or to carry her on to advantage, requires a little more capital to start with—but either the patent or common distillery, when they have run two or three months, managed by an attentive and brisk dealing man, will maintain, or keep themselves agoing.

Where wood is scarce and money plenty, the patent distillery is certainly to be recommended, indeed, in all cases, I would recommend it, where the proprietor has money enough. It is by far the most profitable, and will sooner or later become in general use in this country.

ART. III. Of Hogs.

Raising, feeding and fattening hogs on potale, a business pursued and highly spoken of, but from my experience I have discovered that few good pigs can be raised entirely on potale—as it has a tendency to gripe and scour too much; but after they are weaned and a little used with slop, they will thrive well.

If a hog in a cold morning comes running to a trough full of slop, that is almost boiling, and is very hungry—their nature is so gluttonous & voracious, that it will take several mouthfuls before it feels the effects of the heat, and endangers the scalding of the mouth, throat and entrails—and which may be followed by mortification and death;—moreover, hot feeding is the cause of so many deaths, and ill-looking unhealthy pigs, about some distilleries—which inconvenience might be avoided by taking care to feed or fill the troughs before the boiling slop is let out from the still.

A distiller cannot be too careful of his hogs—as with care, they will be found the most productive stock he can raise—and without care unproductive.

The offals of distilleries and mills cannot be more advantageously appropriated than in raising of hogs—they are prolific, arrive at maturity in a short period, always in demand. Pork generally sells for more than beef, and the lard commands a higher price than tallow; of the value of pork and every part of this animal, it is unnecessary for me to enter into detail; of their great value and utility, almost every person is well acquainted.

The hog pens and troughs ought to be kept clean and in good order, the still slop salted two or three times a week; when fattening, hogs should be kept in a close pen, and in the summer a place provided to wallow in water.

Hogs that are fed on potale, ought not to lie out at night, as dew, rain and snow injures them—indeed such is their aversion to bad weather, that when it comes on, or only a heavy shower of rain, away they run, full speed, each endeavoring to be foremost, all continually crying out, until they reach their stye or place of shelter.

At the age of nine months, this animal copulates first, and frequently earlier, but it is better engendering should be prevented, till the age of eighteen months—for at an earlier age, the litter is uniformly small, and weakly, and frequently do not survive, besides the growth is injured. It is therefore better not to turn a sow to breeding, till from 18 to 24 months old.

The sow goes four months with pig, and yields her litter at the commencement of the fifth; soon after encourages and receives the boar, and thus produces two litters in the year. I have known an instance of three litters having been produced in the year from one female.

A sow ought not to be permitted to suckle her pigs more than two or three weeks, after which eight or nine only should be left with her, the rest sold, or sent to market, or killed for use—at the age of three weeks they are fit for eating, if the sow is well fed. A few sows will serve, and those kept for breeding, well selected from the litter, the residue, cut and splayed. Care and pains is due in the choice of the breed of hogs—the breeder had then better procure good ones, and of a good race at once, tho' the expense and trouble may seem material in the outset, yet the keeping will be the same, and the produce perhaps fifty per cent more.

After the pigs are weaned, they ought to be fed for the first two weeks on milk, water and bran, after which potale may be used in the room of milk. I would recommend a little mixed potale from an early period, and increase it, so as to render them accustomed to the slop gradually.

ART. IV.

Of the Diseases of Hogs.

The only disease that I know of which seems to be peculiar to hogs, is a kind of leprosy, commonly called measles, when it seizes them, they become dull and sleepy, if the tongue is pulled out, the palate and throat will be found full of blackish spots, which appear also on the head, neck, and on the whole body—the creature is scarce able to stand, and the roots of its bristles are bloody. As this disorder proceeds chiefly from their gluttony and filth, and hot drinking of potale and slop; to remedy which, it would be commendable to feed on cold potale, or scarcely milk warm, to keep them clean, to mix salt occasionally with the potale—tar their trough once a month, and give them a little ground antimony.

In fattening hogs I have known them improve rapidly, after eating the warm ashes from a fresh burned brush heap. Hickory or willow ashes will have an effect to destroy worms, and I think ought to be used, they will eat it dry, when put in their troughs.

ART. V. On feeding Cattle and Milch Cows.

Potale is a great creator of milk, and will increase the quantity greatly in cows yielding milk, but no so good. Young cattle thrive very well, that get hay or straw during the night. To fatten cattle there ought to be mixed with the slop, a little oil meal, or chopped flaxseed, or chopped corn. The cattle kept on still slop ought to get plenty of salt. Warm potale injures their teeth.

SECTION XI.

ARTICLE I. Observations on erecting Distilleries.

Those who are about to erect distilleries, have a handsome subject for consideration; the advantages, and the probable disadvantages that may arise from building on a particular site, or seat. The contiguity to a chopping mill is a material consideration—Wood forming an important article, should be taken into view—Grain merits also a great share of attention. The water which forms, by no means, the least important ingredient should be well analyzed; and a share of thought is due to the subject of a market for the whiskey, spirits and pork, produced from the establishment.—And should the water then prove good, soft and proper for fermentation, can be bro't over head, and the chopping mill is not very inconvenient, and wood convenient and cheap, and grain plenty and at reasonable prices, and a market within one hundred miles, I have little doubt but that with proper economy and observance of system, the establishment will prove very productive; and may be progressed in with cheerfulness, and a reasonable hope of a fair retribution to the owner.

A proper seat being fixed on, with sufficient fall to bring the water over head, for it is very material, and an immense saving of labor—material, because it prevents a loss, in running the stills, from pumping or want of water in the cooling tubs. The size of the house follows, as requiring some more than usual calculation—houses are generally made too small, giving great inconvenience, and preventing that nice attention to cleanliness, which forms a very important item in the process of distilling. I would recommend a size sufficiently large for three stills, and to mash six hogsheads per day—one of col. Anderson's patent improved stills, I would consider, in many situations, as most desirable; at all events, I would recommend the preparation of room enough for three stills, if even it should be the intention of the owner to erect but two—for it is very probable, that after some experience, he may determine to pursue the business more extensively, and add the patent still.

The size then established, I would recommend the lower story to be 10 feet high, this will leave room for the heated, or rarefied air to ascend in the summer above the cooler, and more necessary air in the warm season of the year, and prevent the unpleasant effect of a too warm air on the mashing hogsheads, and the sowing of the stuff in fermentation—and moreover, prevent the unpleasant effects of smoak on the distillers eyes. But it is important that the house should be erected on level ground with doors opposite each other, with plenty of windows to afford a draft and recourse of air, at pleasure, during the warm season; and so that in the winter it may be closed and preserved perfectly warm—to which end it is most expedient the lower story should be well built with stone and lime, and neatly plastered—the windows well glazed, with shutters &c. Thus provided, and a thermometer placed in the centre of the house, a proper temperature may be kept up in the air of the house—for there is a certain degree of warmth which exceeds for fermentation—this degree of heat, then correctly ascertained by the distiller, he may by a close attention to his duties, fires and the thermometer, always keep the air of the house in nearly that same and most approved state; and even by a well timed observation guard against storms and casualties. To effectuate this grand and important object, some have divided the stills, placing the boiler at one end, and a singling and doubling still at the other; this mode will ensure, in cold weather, the success of the measure more fully—others have placed all the stills in the centre of the building—a plan that will do better in the winter than in the summer, and one I