IMPROVEMENTS IN BREWERS' MASH TUNS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Millward, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREWERS' MASH TUNS."-A communication from abroad by James Walker,
of Cincinnati Ohio United States of America
Sealed the 19th July 1867, and dated the 20th April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Millward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th April 1867.
I, JOHN MILLWARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BREWERS MASH TUNS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of an arrangement of pipes for draining off and
attemperating brewers" "mashes," which arrangement is adapted to conduct
off the worts in numerous small streams, and prevent the escape along with
the worts of the dregs or feculencies mechanically suspended in the "mash" or
goods," and affords an effective means of introducing liquor for raising the
temperature in an equable and uniform manner; also, by the pipes being
mainly inside the tun injurious cooling is avoided, and the set or group of
pipes being detachable, this admits of easy removal for frequent and thorough
cleansing.
A mash tun constructed in accordance with this Invention is provided with
a false bottom of perforated plates placed a little distance above the real

page_text: bottom. In the intermediate space are placed numerous small open-ended
branch pipes or ducts, radiating from and communicating with a central
junction box; the longest of the said branch pipes or ducts (which are of
varying lengths) approach nearly to the circumference of the tun, and the
shorter ones open of course nearer the centre, thus commanding all parts of
the tun, so as when letting in hotter liquors for the purposes of attemperation,
to effect the raising of the temperature equably throughout the mash. The
central junction box is fitted with a lid or cap, to which is joined the elbow of
the main pipe, thus causing the outward current in letting off the mash to
take to some extent an ascending direction, which still further facilitates the
precipitation of the dregs. The main pipe from the central box passes out
through the side of the tun, the internal portion being connected to the
external pipe (which is attached to the tun) by an union joint, so that it is
easily taken out for cleansing. Outside the tun the main pipe is provided
with stop and discharge cocks or valves, and between these is the junction
of a pipe which serves to introduce the liquor into the tun, which pipe also
has a stop-cock or valve, and thus the inner portion of the main pipe can be
used for introduction as well as for draining off. The bottom of the central
junction box is provided with a neck fitting into a "let-off" pipe passing
through the tun bottom, and provided with a cock or valve.
In applying this Invention to mash tuns with mechanical or revolving
agitators, with a spindle passing through the centre of the bottom of the tun,
the arrangement of the pipes may be varied by division into two or more
groups radiating from separate junction boxes, which latter may be provided
with corresponding drain pipes and cocks having ascending elbows, as
described above, or descending ones from the under side and passing off
underneath the tun.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Millward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MILLWARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Millward, Her special licence that I, the said John Millward,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Millward, 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 BREWERS' MASH
TUNS," a communication to me from abroad by James Walker, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Millward, my executors or adminstrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
cularly 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 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Millward, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the ful-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention consists of an arrangement of pipes for draining off and
attemperating "brewers' mashes," which arrangement is adapted to conduct
off the worts in numerous small streams, and prevent the escape along with
the worts of the dregs or feculencies mechanically suspended in the "mash
or "goods," and affords an effective means of introducing liquor for raising
the temperature in an equable and uniform manner; also by the pipes being
mainly inside the tun, injurious cooling is avoided, and the set or group of
pipes being detachable, this admits of easy removal for frequent and thorough
cleansing.
A mash tun constructed in accordance with this Invention is provided with
a false bottom of perforated plates placed a little distance above the real
bottom. In the intermediate space are placed numerous small open-ended.
brauch pipes or ducts radiating from and communicating with a central
junction box. The longest of the said branch pipes or ducts (which are of
varying lengths) approach nearly to the circumference of the tun, and the
shorter ones open of course nearer the centre, thus commanding all parts of:
the tun so as when letting in hotter liquors for the purposes of attemperation.
to effect the raising of the temperature equably throughout the mash. The

page_text: central junction box is fitted with a lid or cap to which is joined the elbow of
the main pipe, thus causing the outward current in letting off the mash to
take to some extent an ascending direction, which still further facilitates the
precipitation of the dregs. The main pipe from the central box passes out
through the side of the tun, the internal portion being connected to the external
pipe (which is attached to the tun) by an union joint, so that it is easily taken
out for cleansing. Outside the tun the main pipe is provided with stop and
discharge cocks or valves, and between these is the junction of a pipe which
serves to introduce the liquor into the tun, which pipe also has a stop-cock or
valve, and thus the inner portion of the main pipe can be used for intro-
duction as well as for draining off. The bottom of the central junction box
is provided with a neck fitting into a let-off pipe passing through the tun
bottom and provided with a cock or valve.
In applying this Invention to mash tuns with mechanical or revolving
agitators with a spindle passing through the centre of the bottom of the tun,
the arrangements of the pipes may be varied by division into two or more
groups radiating froin separate junction boxes, which latter may be provided
with corresponding drain pipes and cocks having ascending elbows, as described
above, or descending ones from the under side and passing off underneath
the tun.
But in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the manner of performing the same,
and for that purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the accom-
panying Drawing; the same letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts throughout all the corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a mash tun, partly in section, showing the
improved arrangement of pipes and branches; Figure 2 is a plan of the same,
a portion of the strainer or false bottom being removed to show the pipes;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the component parts of the improved drain
pipe and fittings, shown detached; Figure 4 is a plan showing a duplicated
arrangement of drain tubes for use in connection with a mechanical agitator
in cases when the spindle of the same passes through or is fitted to the bottom
of the tun.
A represents a brewer's mash tun of the ordinary construction, and having
its floor B slightly sunk at the centre. C is a strainer or false bottom con-
sisting of stout perforated copper plates upheld a short distance above the
floor B by a series of strips of wood D, which rest upon without being attached
to the said bottom B. This Invention consists in the design and arrangement
of the parts now to be described. E is the main drain pipe through which

page_text: the worts are conveyed to the copper or "under back" (when an under back
is used), and it also serves along with the upright pipe I for introducing
beneath the false bottom all the liquor required for making the mash. The
drain pipe E is provided with a suitable stop-cock J and discharge cock J'.
The drain pipe E has a down-turned elbow e, which, engaging over a neck g
on the top of the cap G, communicates with the interior of a chamber or
junction box F, from which a series of open ended branches H radiate to all
parts of the tun; this ascending form of drain pipe may also in some cases be
employed without the branch pipes. L is a let-off cock for emptying the tun
when the drain pipes are removed. When a rotary agitator or mashing
machine is employed requiring a step or bearing in the centre of the tun, the
modified arrangement shown in Figure 4, may be adopted, two or more
groups H, H, being used in connection with as many descending drain pipes E,
but, wherever practicable, the main drain pipes should ascend, as the upward
direction of the current is an important feature in this Invention. By so
arranging the agitator in the masher as to run clear of the elevated main
pipe, such an apparatus may be employed in connection with the arrangement
represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3. The drain pipe may have a cover or
shield over it to protect it from danger either by hand or machine mashing.
The pipes, as arranged in accordance with this Invention, may be constructed
so as to be readily detachable, thus admitting of ready and frequent cleansing.
The connection of. the elbow of the drain pipe with the neck g of the cap
and of the drain pipe with the tun, may be either by slip joints or screw
couplings. The passages of the pipes, being all straight and open at both
ends, can be quickly and thoroughly cleansed after every mashing, if thought
desirable.
G
By this Invention the drainage though quickly performed is rendered much
more gentle and diffused than usual, and "sparging" can be carried on
without the danger of washing out with the saccharine matter those fine
particles of malt which do damage in the boiling. When second washing is
preferred this arrangement affords the means of uniformly and quickly
attemperating the whole mash without any danger of overheating.
By this Invention, also, the current of the drainage is in an ascending
direction (instead of the usual downward currents), and the escape of the dregs
is thereby retarded to the utmost, and by the numerous inlets the mash is
drawn off quickly without any violent currents; injurious cooling is also
avoided by the pipes being inside the tun and surrounded by the hot liquor.
By this Invention, also, every portion of the drain pipes admits of being

page_text: thoroughly swabbed out or washed, and the clogging and fouling of the usual
arrangement is obviated.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details of the apparatus nor to the form and
number of the radiating branch pipes or of the drain pipe or pipes as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying Drawing, as these may
be variously modified without departing from the nature of the Invention ;
but what I claim as new and desire to be secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the provision in mash tuns of radiating branches to the drain pipe or
pipes, placed internally and open at their extremities, substantially as described;
also the employment of such system of pipes for the introduction of liquor into
the mash tun, substantially as herein-before set forth.
Second, constructing the drain pipe or pipes or ducts of mash tuns in such
manner as to cause the liquor to pass away in an ascending direction through
the same.
Third, the general arrangement of radiating branch pipes H with central
junction box F, cover G, and main drain pipe E combined, and operating
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Millward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN MILLWARD. (L.S.)