IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF FERMENTING LIQUORS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Youil, of Burton-upon-Trent, in the County of
Stafford, Common Brewer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MODE OR METHOD OF FERMENTING LIQUORS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 2nd March 1855, and dated the 8th September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Youil at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th September
1854.
I, JOHN YOUIL, of Burton-upon-Trent, in the County of Stafford, Common
Brewer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE OR METHOD OF FERMENTING LIQUORS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My said Invention consists of, firstly, in fermenting malt liquors. I use an
apparatus with a valve so constructed as to allow the escape of the carbonic
acid gas, and to exclude effectually the atmospheric air, the fermenting vessel
having an air-tight cover or lid; I also use a similar valve in the fermenting
or tunning casks, my sole object being to exclude the air and to allow the gas
to escape at the same time during the process of fermentation.
Secondly, in the construction and use of a double tube for filling up the
fermenting or tunning casks, while the barm or yeast will be allowed to escape

page_text: freely into a barm receiver, in the use of which all manual labour will be
superseded.
Thirdly, in the use of a barm collector, so constructed that the barm may
be taken from the surface of the wort and discharged without the admission
of atmospheric air. By this process and arrangement of apparatus I produce
ales perfectly free from acidity, without being overcharged with carbonic acid
gas, and consequently the liquor will become bright in an incredibly short
time, and will keep in good condition for almost an indefinite period of time.
The nature of this apparatus will be easily understood by reference to the
accompanying outline Drawing, in which, altho it is shewn on the top of a
barrel or working puncheon, may be placed in any convenient position.
1, represents the barrel or tunning cask; 2, the barm receiver; 3, feet or
supports for the same; 4, the double fermenting tubes; 5, the valve to let out
the gas and resist the oxygen; 6, the barm collector, to raise or depress at
pleasure, on the top screw of which is a stuffing box; 7, the bottom of the
barm collector, which is constructed so as to admit of no air; 8 represents the
part of the apparatus which may be appended to the tunning cask, and save
the use of the barm receiver.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Youil in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
YOUIL, of Burton-upon-Trent, in the County of Stafford, Common Brewer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Youil, Her special licence that I, the said John Youil, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Youil, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE

page_text: OR METHOD OF FERMENTING LIQUORS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Youil, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Youil, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):
:-
My Invention relates to improved modes or methods of fermenting malt
liquors in closed or air-tight vessels, excluding the atmospheric air from the
wort during the process of fermentation, and at the same time allowing the
escape of the carbonic acid gas, by which means I produce malt liquors free
from acidity without being overcharged with carbonic acid gas; the liquor thus
fermented in close or air-tight vessels (instead of open vessels, as heretofore
generally adopted,) will become bright or clear in an incredibly short time, and
will keep in good condition under the vicissitudes of climate and temperature
for almost an indefinite period. The process of brewing by this
my improved
plan may be conducted at any or every season of the year, as it cannot be
affected by the change or variation of the atmosphere, as is now the case with
open vessels. These my improvements consist,―
Firstly, in using an apparatus, which I denominate "an hydraulic valve,"
which is constructed so as to allow the escape of the carbonic acid gas without
admitting the atmospheric air. This apparatus I fix at the end or top of the
tunning cask or in any other convenient position, or to a fermenting vessel of
any suitable shape or dimensions, attached to or separate from the tunning
cask or tunning casks.
Secondly, to the construction and use of a double tube for filling up the
fermenting vessel, whilst the barm or yeast will be allowed to escape freely
into a barm receiver, by which I dispense with manual labour to a very
great extent.
Thirdly, in the use of a barm collector, so constructed that the barm may be
taken from the surface of the wort, and discharged without the admission of
atmospheric air.
These my said improvements will be clearly understood by the following
description, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in
which Fig. 1 represents a barrel or tunning cask with a valve on the top of it.

page_text: a, the barm receiver, which may be suspended in any convenient manner;
b, the feet of the same; c, the double fermenting tubes; d, the valve to let
out the gas and resist the oxygen; e, the barm collector, to raise or depress at
pleasure by the top screw through a stuffing box, thus being self-acting, and
dispensing with manual labour; f, the bottom of the barm collector, con-
structed so as to prevent the admission of air, and which may be appended to
the tunning cask, and save the use of the barm receiver. Fig. 2 represents
a tunning cask with my improved hydraulic valve at the end of it; in which a
represents the barm or yeast collector; b, the air-tight barm exhauster or
outlet; c, the carbonic acid gas collector; d, the hydraulic valve, which resists
the entrance of atmospheric air, and allows at the same time the gas to escape
freely. Although in this Figure I have shewn the hydraulic valve at the end of
the tunning cask, I do not confine myself to that particular position, as I can
place it at the top of the cask or vessel, or any other convenient position.
The tunning cask, as shewn in this Figure, is filled with fermenting wort to the
level of the apparatus after being mixed with barm about eighteen or twenty-
four hours. The top part forms the chamber for the newly evolving barm and
carbonic acid gas. The bung being fixed tight and the barm outlet effectually
closed, the fermentation goes on free from atmospheric influence and without
further personal attention until the process is complete, when the barm is
forced through the outlet 6 by the compressed gas in the top part of the
chamber of the tunning cask. The space requisite for gas and barm is about
ten gallons for every thirty-six gallons.
Another modification of my said Invention is shewn in Fig. 3, in which
I use a cylindrical vessel with similar arrangements to those described in
Fig. 2, with the addition of my double tube for filling up the fermenting
vessel. In this Figure, a represents the filling up wort; b, the barm outlet;
c, the carbonic acid gas collector; d, the hydraulic valve; e, the double
tube, the inner part of which is used for incessant filling up, thus keeping
the tunning casks always full. The outer part is for the purpose of con-
ducting the barm as it forms from the fermenting mass into the chamber
above. I fix this combined apparatus into a bush in the bung of the tun-
ning cask f, which is filled with fermenting wort, as in the former case, and
two additional gallons for each barrel of thirty-six gallons, placed in the
apparatus for filling up purposes. The orifice or bung hole of the appa-
ratus being closed air-tight, the fermentation proceeds as already stated until
it reaches maturity without any personal attention, when the barm may be
taken out through the outlet or exhauster, or it may remain until required for
It is evident that I can extend this cylindrical arrangement with the
use.

page_text: hydraulic valve, barm collector, &c. so as to ferment any number of air-tight
tunning casks simultaneously, and may be fixed on bearings to revolve by
means of a wince handle or other convenient means for the purpose of being
readily cleansed. Although I have shewn in this Figure a cylindrical vessel
only, I do not intend to confine myself to that shape or construction, as I can
adopt square vessels as troughs, stillions, or vessels of any other shape or con-
struction. I can also adopt my closed or air-tight plan to the union method
of fermenting, as is now generally adopted at Burton-upon-Trent, in which
case, as well as well as with the square or other shaped vessels, I fix air-tight
covers or lids, by making a groove or kind of spout all round the inside of the
trough or stillion near its upper edge, within which the under edge of the cover
or lid will fall, being lowered for that purpose by means of ropes and pullics or
other suitable contrivances. I fill the said groove with water or a composition
of oatmeal, flour, and water, or other suitable cement, by which the atmo-
spheric air will be effectually excluded. The said covers or lids may be fixed
by placing on the top edge of the trough, stillion, or barm receiver a strap of
galvanized india-rubber, and inserting in the top edge a series of screw bolts,
to pass through the lid or cover when it is lowered to its place, and make it
air-tight by means of thumb screws and cement.
Fig. 4 is a view of the lid or cover with the tunning casks and apparatus, as
already described, which may be considered square, circular, or any convenient
shape, shewing the manner in which the lid may be raised or lowered, by
pullies fixed to the ceiling or other convenient position, and the spout or groove
into which it may fall, and shews how my improvements may be applied to the
union system of arrangement, as generally adopted at Burton-upon-Trent. In
this arrangement I merely claim the use of an air-tight lid or cover to the
fermenting vessel, whether it be constructed by any of the methods herein
described or any modification thereof. In this Figure, a represents the
tunning casks; b, the filling-up pipe; c, the barm outlets; d, the barm trough
or stillion; e, groove into which the cover or lid will fall and be made air-
tight, as heretofore described; and f, the hydraulic valve. Fig. 5 is a detached
view of the hydraulic valve and barm outlet on an enlarged scale.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it
to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details
herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle of my Invention; but I claim,-
Firstly, the improved apparatus herein described, combining the hydraulic

page_text: valve, the barm collector, and air-tight barm exhauster or outlet, both sepa-
rately and in combination.
Secondly, the construction and use of a double tube for filling up the
tunning casks, whilst the barm is allowed freely to escape through its outer
part.
Thirdly, the method or plan of fixing air-tight covers of any shapes or
dimensions over the troughs or vessels into which the barm is discharged from
the tunning casks, whether the same be applied to the union arrangement or
any other system now in use, or any modification thereof, as all such improve-
ments are for the purpose of excluding the atmospheric air during the process
of fermentation, and of allowing the carbonic acid gas to escape at the same
time, which objects I believe to be new within this realm.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Youil, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named John Youil, in the presence of
JOHN GIDEON CROWTHER.
JOHN YOUIL. (L.S.)

page_text: LONDON: Printed by GEORGE EDWARD EYE and WILLIAM SPOTTSWOODE.
Printers to the Queen's most. Excellent. Majesty. 1855.