IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FININGS FOR SPIRITS, WINE, BEER AND OTHER FLUIDS, PART PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Julius Blum the Younger of Homerton Row, Hackney
in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF FININGS FOR SPIRITS, WINE, BEER AND OTHER FLUIDS, PART
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Julius Blum the Younger at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th November 1882.
JULIUS BLUM the Younger of Homerton Row, Hackney in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FININGS FOR SPIRITS,
WINE, BEER AND OTHER FLUIDS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PURPOSES."
This invention relates to the manufacture of finings for spirits, wine, beer, and
saccharine or other fluids, and consists in the use of alumina preferably in the
form of the sulphate, for the preparation of such finings.
I have found a convenient mode of preparing any improved finings to be as
follows: I take, say 1 lb of the ordinary sulphate of alumina of Commerce and
dissolve it in 3 pints of water preferably at a temperature of 60° Fahrenheit. This
solution I neutralize by the addition of chalk or carbonate of lime in sufficient
quantity and to the clear liquor which is run off I add an equal bulk of pure
water.
The solution of alumina thus produced will fine beer, wine and saccharine fluids
with great rapidity; while the sediment obtained by the process can be advan-
tageously used when dried as a finings for spirits to which it is better adapted than
the liquid finings above described owing to its not reducing the strength of the
spirit.
My improved finings from alumina may also be prepared as follows: —
I dissolve say 3 lbs of the sulphate of alumina of commerce, in a sufficiency of
water. I next prepare a second solution containing about 4 lbs of soda-ash which
I allow to settle, and then add gradually to the solution of sulphate of alumina.

page_text: I allow the mixture to settle and then add a few drops more soda solution until
precipitation is complete. I pour off the clear liquor and thoroughly wash the
residue to clear it of the soda ash which will be detected by the taste. When the
pulpy mass is tasteless I drain the water from it in a canvas filter and dissolve
the resulting white preparation of alumina in sulphurous acid.
I take say 1 Gallon of ordinary sulphurous acid and add the alumina pulp,
stirring continually until it ceases to dissolve.
I then allow the mixture to settle and decant the clear liquor, adding for the
purpose of preservation, before bottling it, a small additional quantity of sulphurous
acid, so as to smell faintly of the gas
The above described solutions of alumina are also applicable to other purposes,
such as the bleaching of ivory.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Julius Blum the Younger in the Great, Seal Patent Office on the
5th May 1883.
JULIUS BLU the Younger of Homerton Row Hackney in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FININGS FOR SPIRITS
WINE BEER AND OTHER FLUIDS PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
TO OTHER PURPOSES
"
:
ר
This Invention relates to the manufacture of finings for spirits, wine, beer and
saccharine or other fluids, the object in view being to produce an efficient fining at
less cost than hitherto.-To this end the Invention consists in the use of sulphate
of alumina for the preparation of such finings.-I have found the following to be
a convenient mode of preparing my improved finings.
I take, say, one-pound of the ordinary sulphate of alumina of commerce; and
dissolve it in three pints of water, preferably at a temperature of sixty degrees,
Fahrenheit. This solution I neutralize by the addition of chalk or carbonate-of-
lime in sufficient quantity, and to the clear liquor which is run off I add an equal
bulk of pure water. The solution of alumina thus produced will fine beer, wine
and saccharine fluids with great rapidity, while the sediment resulting from the
process can be advantageously used when dried as a fining for spirits to which it
is better adapted than the liquid fining above described, owing to its not reducing
the strength of the spirit.-I may also prepare my improved finings from alumina
in the following way: I dissolve, say, three pounds of the sulphate of alumina of
commerce in a sufficiency of water.
I next prepare a second solution, preferably warm, containing about four pounds
of soda ash, which solution I allow to settle and then add gradually to the solution
of sulphate of alumina.-I allow the mixture to settle and it shortly presents the
appearance of a thick pasty fluid or mass, with a small quantity of clear liquor
above it. I then add a few drops more soda solution to complete the precipitation,
and having poured off the clear liquor from the thick pasty and pulpy residue,
I thoroughly wash this residue to clear it of the soda ash, which may be detected
by the taste. When the pulpy mass is tasteless I drain the water from it in a
canvas filter, and having removed the white pulpy substance from the filter I
dissolve it in sulphurous acid.
I take, say, one gallon of the ordinary sulphurous acid, and add the alumina pulp
stirring continually until it ceases to dissolve.
I then allow the mixture to settle and decant the clear liquor, adding to the said
clear liquor for the purpose of preservation before bottling it, a small additional
quantity of sulphurous acid, so that it smells faintly of the gas.
The above described solutions of sulphate of alumina are very efficient and
speedy in their fining action upon wines, beers and other fluids, and if beer thus
fined be shaken up it will speedily clear again. These finings can be produced at
about one-fifth the cost of ordinary isinglass finings.
The above described solutions of sulphate of alumina are also applicable to other
purposes, such as the bleaching of ivory.
To effect the bleaching of ivory, for example, I immerse the article to be bleached
in the fluid for about an hour more or less.
The above solutions are also well suited for use as mordants for fixing dyes in
calico prints and woollen goods.
Having now described the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in the
manufacture of finings for spirits, wine, beer and other Buids, part of which

page_text: improvements are applicable to other purposes," and having explained in what
manner the same may be carried into practical effect I wish it to be understood
that I claim:-
First: The uso of sulphate of alumina in the manufacture of finings for spirits,
wine beer and other fluids, substantially as described.
Secondly: The use of the aluminous precipitate or sediment obtained from the
first of the within described processes as a fining especially adapted for spirits,
substantially as described.
Thirdly: The application of solutions of sulphate of alumina, prepared in the
manner herein above described, to the fixing of dyes and printed colors and to the
bleaching of ivory, as set forth.
;
_ In witness whereof I the said Julius Blum the Younger have hereunto set
my hand and seal the third day of May in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three,
TITT ITS DUTY Toxi