Harvey Washington Wiley

“ The grape-sugar made from corn-starch, when well made, is pure white in color when first made, but has a tendency to assume a yellowish tint when old. It is hard and brittle, does not usually take on a visible crystalline structure, and is less soluble in water than cane-sugar. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it dissolves more slowly, since both cane- and grape-sugar dissolve in all proportions in hot water. I have found its specific gravity to be as high as 1·6. It is much less sweet to the taste than glucose, and a faint bitter after-taste is to be perceived. ”

“ THE manufacture of sirup and sugar from corn-starch is an industry which, in this country, is scarcely a dozen years old, and yet it is one of no inconsiderable magnitude. On August 1, 1880, ten glucose-factories were in operation in the United States, consuming daily about twenty thousand bushels of corn. These, with their several capacities, are as follows:
At that time, also, there were in process of construction nine factories, with a total capacity of twenty-two thousand bushels daily. ”

“ The capital invested in this sugar industry is likewise no inconsiderable one. Taking the large and small establishments together, each thousand bushels of daily capacity represents sixty thousand dollars of capital. Over two million dollars are therefore actively employed in the glucose-works. The number of men employed amounts to about sixty for each thousand bushels capacity, making a total of twenty-one hundred. On account of the nature of the process of manufacture, the mills are run night and day, and work is not entirely suspended on Sunday. ”

“ Glucose, like many other bodies, has the property of reducing a hot alkaline copper solution and separating the metal as a red sub-oxide. This power in glucose is always inversely as the rotating power. ”

“ A very large percentage of all the glucose made is used for the manufacture of table-sirups. The process of manufacture is a very simple one:
The glucose is mixed with some kind of cane-sugar sirup until the tint reaches a certain standard. The amount of cane-sugar sirup required varies from three to ten per cent., according to circumstances. ”

“ Its highest rotatory power is found when it is made with the least possible amount of conversion—i. e., when the process of conversion is stopped as soon as the starch has disappeared. Continued boiling with dilute acid causes a gradual decrease of rotatory power. It is only after six to eight hours' heating to a temperature of 104° C. that a constant rotatory power is reached. This power is only about half that exhibited by the glucose as a maximum. This minimum rotatory power, however, is greater than that possessed by cane-sugar. ”

“ Dealers and manufacturers are likewise reticent when approached on this subject, since it is but natural for them to wish to protect the interests of their patrons. We shall not go far wrong, however, when we say that the amount of glucose used by brewers is by no means small, and that the quantity is constantly increasing. ”

“ After neutralization the liquid is filtered through cloth and animal charcoal, and is then conveyed to the vacuum-pan. Here it is evaporated, at as low a temperature as possible, to the required concentration. ”