How Sugar was Made
Part 6 in a series
Excerpts from "Divers Information on The Romantic History of St. Croix" by Florence Lewisohn, 1963, St. Croix Landmarks Society.
The cut cane was carted in from the fields to the mill; cut short and bundled for the grinders.The cane was put through the mill's grinding machinery; the juices ran into the big vessel called the Receiver. The juice ran out of the Receiver into a leaded trough, downhill to the Factory into a large vessel called:
The Clarifier, which there were as many as three holding 300 to 400 gallons each. Fire was lighted under the clarifier, a temper added, such as Bristol lime powder (or a vegetable alkali or ashes of certain woods).
Scum rose to the top as the juice was brought almost to a boil. Damper applied and fire extinguished. The juice remained there an hour while impurities collected on top. Each Clarifier had a siphon or cock for drawing off juice, which then went by gutter to:
The Grand Copper or evaporating boiler where juice was boiled and the rising scum taken off with large skimmers. When thickened, the juice was ladled into the smaller or Second Copper. Boiling and skimming continued; perhaps limewater added to temper the juice and to dilute thickness.
The process was repeated in the Third Copper; then it was ladled into the Fourth Copper, called the Teche, where the final evaporation was done. The juice was now very thick, and tested in cold water for coagulation. Small plantations sometimes used only two coppers for the process. When ready, the juice was ladled, called taking a strike, into:
The Cooler, of which there were usually six. These were shallow, wooden vessels, about 7' long and 5' to 6' wide. Each held one hogshead (1,600 lbs.) of sugar. In the cooler, the sugar grained; i.e., as it cooled, it formed a coarse mass of crystals, separating from the molasses residue. It was then:
Carried to the Curing house where the molasses was to be drained out. The Curing house consisted of a molasses cistern with loping sides of terras or boards. Over the cistern an open framework of joists held rows of hogsheads, each with 8 to 10 holes in the bottom, each hole plugged with a plantain stalk through which molasses drained.
The mass from the cooler was put into hogsheads, which was termed potting, and allowed to drain through the pulpy stalks for about three weeks. By then the grains were dry and ready for shipment. This made a brown sugar called Muscovado.
Last issue: St. Croix's Sugar Mills
Next issue: Molasses to Rum to Planter's Punch
