To quote Martha Washington:
The inclusion of the lump sugar at bottling implies carbonation to a modern brewer. However, in Martha's time, carbonation wasn't commonly done yet. Also, I'd think the alcohol content wouldn't allow yeast to grow given the use of so much brandy in the mix. If the lump sugar isn't for carbonation then what is the purpose?
Extract the juice of 20 pounds well ripend Morrella cherrys. Add to this 10 quarts of old french brandy and sweeten it with White sugar to your taste. To 5 gallons of this mixture add one ounce of spice such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmegs of each an Equal quantity slightly bruis’d and a pint and half of cherry kirnels that have been gently broken in a mortar. After the liquor has fermented let it stand close-stoped for a month or six weeks then bottle it, remembering to put a lump of Loaf Sugar into each bottle.
The inclusion of the lump sugar at bottling implies carbonation to a modern brewer. However, in Martha's time, carbonation wasn't commonly done yet. Also, I'd think the alcohol content wouldn't allow yeast to grow given the use of so much brandy in the mix. If the lump sugar isn't for carbonation then what is the purpose?