certain proportion of oxygen; and these three elements are combined in
such a way, that a very slight force is sufficient to destroy the
equilibrium of their connection. By a long train of experiments, made
in various ways, and often repeated, I ascertained that the proportion
in which these ingredients exist in sugar, are nearly eight parts of
hydrogen, 64 parts of oxygen, and 28 parts of charcoal, all by weight,
forming 100 parts of sugar.
Sugar must be mixed with about four times its weight of water, to render
it susceptible of fermentation; and even then the equilibrium of its
elements would remain undisturbed, without the assistance of some
substance, to give a commencement to the fermentation. This is
accomplished by means of a little yeast from beer; and, when the
fermentation is once excited, it continues of itself until completed. I
shall, in another place, give an account of the effects of yeast, and
other ferments, upon fermentable substances. I have usually employed 10
libs. of yeast, in the state of paste, for each 100 libs. of sugar,
with as much water as is four times the weight of the sugar. I shall
give the results of my experiments exactly as they were obtained,
preserving even the fractions produced by calculation.
TABLE I. _Materials of Fermentation._
libs. oz. gros grs.
Water 400 0 0 0
Sugar 100 0 0 0
Yeast in paste, 10 libs. { Water 7 3 6 44
composed of { Dry yeast 2 12 1 28
----------------------
Total 510
TABLE II. _Constituent Elements of the Materials of Fermentation._
libs. oz. gros grs.
407 libs. 3 oz. 6 gros 44 grs. { Hydrogen 61 1 2 71.40
of water, composed of { Oxygen 346 2 3 44.60
101