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| Vinegar manufacture – a natural process with little helpers |
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There are various ways of producing vinegar.
- The original method is the Orleans method. A liquid containing alcohol, wine for example, is mixed with a culture of acetic acid bacteria, the so-called mother of vinegar, and stored in an open container. In the course of time a thin skin of acetic acid bacteria forms on the surface of the liquid. With the aid of oxygen these bacteria convert the alcohol in the liquid into acetic acid. Once all the alcohol has been converted the vinegar underneath the skin is carefully drained off. This method produces particularly aromatic vinegar. It is very time-consuming, however, and poses the risk of an error in fermentation; it is not suited to the production of large quantities.
- In the nineteenth century Johann Sebastian Schützenbach developed the beech shavings method. With this method beech shavings are added to the liquid. Mother of vinegar then adheres to these, thus forming a larger surface. In a pump or rotating method the starting liquid (mash) is constantly poured over the shavings in a tank. The oxygen required by the bacteria is blown into the tank from below. In this manner vinegar may be produced on an industrial scale within just a few days or weeks. The disadvantage is the considerable effort involved as the temperature and ventilation have to be monitored constantly.
- Modern methods use pieces of ceramic instead of beech shavings, inject the acetobacters directly into the liquid, and ensure a constant flow of fresh oxygen thanks to the use of jets.
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