IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MALT
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PATRICK
STEAD, of Halesworth, in the County of Suffolk, Maltster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-second day of September, in the sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Patrick Stead, her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority
that I, the said Patrick Stead, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Patrick Stead, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MALT;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso. that I, the said Patrick Stead, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same. is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Patrick Stead, do hereby declare that the nature of my, said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
The first part of my Invention in the manufacture of malt relates to the
application of heated air propelled by machinery when screening or cleansing
grain before it is steeped, and for cleansing and screening malt.
The second part of my Invention relates to the process of malting on the
floors, which process follows steeping and couching in the ordinary way, and
consists in the application of heat from steam or hot water pipes, or hot or
cold air forced or drawn through pipes, as a means of heating, warming, or
cooling the several malting floors upon which the grain or malt has been
deposited. And also in the application of heat through perforated floors, and
upon which perforated floors the grain or malt shall have been deposited.
Another, the third part of my Invention, consists in applying steam to the
grain when deposited on the malting floors.
Another, the fourth part of my Invention, relates to the perfecting of malt
by the occasional use of steam admitted into the malt kiln under the floor in
the first stage of kiln-drying, in order to give moisture equally to that portion
of the malt which is laying at the bottom or nearest the kiln floor in the kiln,
as the malt which is laying at the top of the kiln floor possesses.
Another, the fifth part of my Invention, consists in the use of a fan or
other suitable machinery to withdraw and exhaust the air from a malt kiln, as
herein-after described.
Another, the sixth part of my Invention, relates to the application of heated
or cold air forced by machinery through the malt kiln floor, varying the
temperature of the heated air, according as pale, amber brown, brown, or
black malt is required; and the use of such heated air so forced through the
malt kiln floor by machinery may be separate or combined with the employ-
ment of the heat of fire or other artificial means..
Another, the seventh part of my Invention, relates to a mode of con-
structing and working malt kilns by having floors one above another, and a
commencing the process at the upper floor, and bringing down the malt or
grain under process from floor to floor.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention I use a winnowing machine,
blower, or any suitable machine whereby currents of air are forced against
falling grain, so that the same may be screened; and, in place of using air of 3
the ordinary temperature of the common atmosphere, I cause the blowing
part of the machine used to be connected with a suitable air heating apparatus
so that the air in passing to the machinery may first pass near or in contact
with heated surfaces, and thereby become heated, and thus will heated air be

page_text: employed in place of cold air, and I have found that heating the air to about
one hundred and ten degrees of Fahrenheit is a suitable temperature for
grain preparatory for steeping, and about two hundred degrees of Fahrenheit
for malt, but I do not confine myself thereto; and when necessary I repeat
this process again and again, in order to obtain the grain or malt dry, and
thoroughly cleansed and purified; and it will be found that by thus propelling
heated air amongst grain, preparatory to its being steeped, the grain so acted
on by heated air will, in addition to being cleansed, be sweetened and
benefited; and this mode of using hot air may be advantageously used before
shipping or storing malt.
In carrying out the second and third parts of my Invention I employ.steam
or hot water pipes for warming the malt house, or hot air or cold air forced
through pipes by mechanical means. The pipes being placed or running
along the interior walls or under the rafters, flooring, beams or joists of the
malting floors, as is convenient in particular cases, so as to enable me to.
obtain a temperature of about forty or fifty degrees of Fahrenheit in cold
weather; and in dry or in windy weather, when the malt pieces loose moisture
upon the surface, such pipes enable me to use steam passed through the pipes,
which are to be so arranged with valves, or stop-cocks, or pipes at different
parts to allow the steam to escape when I desire to preserve the moisture
of the grain under process of malting. By these arrangements I am enabled
to provide for the regular and continued process of the malting house in cold
or dry and windy weather. By means also of these pipes, valves, or stop-
cocks I am enabled to diffuse and give out in every part of the malting floors,
as occasion may require, a current of cold or warm air, by opening a com-
munication between the pipes and a suitable fan or blowing machinery, and
for the time being only using the pipes as a means of conveying heated or
cold air, so forced as to create and equalize throughout the malting floors the
requisite temperature; and in order to maintain or vary and regulate such
temperature, from time to time, I sometimes employ a fan or other air-blowing
machine for withdrawing air from malt floors, so as to cause currents of warm
or cold air to rush through the pipes for ventilating and regulating the degree.
of heat or temperature of each of the respective malting floors.
Also, in carrying out the second and third parts of my Invention, I some-.
times construct the malting floors double, the upper floor being perforate all
over to allow of steam to pass amongst the malt, or of hot or cold air being
forced through the malt on such floors, the steam from a steam boiler being
conducted by a suitable pipe or pipes between the floors; and when hot or
cold air is applied, the same is forced by a fan or other suitable blowing

page_text: apparatus between the floors, such space between the floors being from about
three to six inches, and made sufficiently close to prevent the steam or heated
or cold air passing in any other direction excepting through the perforated
floor on which the malt is placed. By thus having means of applying steam
or hot or cold air under pressure the malster may regulate the process of
malting on the floors with great nicety. I would remark that I do not claim
double floors when uncombined with the use of steam or with blowing
machinery for causing cold or heated air to rush through the malt with a
greater pressure than there is in the malt house.
When the fourth part of my Invention is employed (which would be for
perfecting the malt in the event of its not being perfected on the malting floor,
and would be used occasionally only, therefore, and in the first stage of kiln
drying, and for the purpose of giving moisture to the malt, which is under-
most, and which gets dry while the top or surface malt is charged with
moisture and damp exhalations) I use steam from a steam pipe introducing
steam under the kiln floor; and I from time to time cause steam to pass
through the malt on the kiln floor in order to moisten the undermost malt.
And this part of my Invention I employ in conjunction with the necessary
apparatus for withdrawing or exhausting the air and vapours in order that
vegetation or germination may not proceed further in the malt after it has
reached the kiln than is absolutely necessary in the opinion of the malter,
and that the drying of the whole mass after it has reached a uniform state
of vegetation, may take place; and for the purpose of rendering the drying of
the malt more speedy and effective where steam has been so used, as above
mentioned, air at any requisite teinperature may be propelled into the malt
Kiln through the malt floor in the manner herein-after.set forth.
In carrying out the fifth part of my Invention, I prefer to use a fan or other
air-blowing machine, such as is now commonly used for propelling air by iron.
founders and others, and I cause the upper part of the kiln to be made as air-
tight, or nearly so, as possible, applying a trunk or flue at the upper part in.
connection with the fan or other suitable machine for exhausting or with-
drawing the air; and I apply a slide or valve between the kiln and the fan,
or other propelling machine, in order, more or less, to close the kiln, as
may be desired by the malster in conducting the process. The process.of
drying the malt in a malt kiln being well understood, and the progress of the
process being judged of by the malster as it proceeds, it will be unecessary to
enter into any description thereof. This fifth part of my Invention does not
interfere with the ordinary process pursued by a malster, but simply relates to
the applying mechanial means for obtaining a certainty and velocity of draft

page_text: in the kiln, the extent or quickness of which may be regulated by the malster
at will.
In applying the sixth part of my Invention, I cause an apparatus suitable
for heating air to be applied between a fan or other blowing machine and a
malt kiln, and cause the air from the blowing machine to pass through the
malt floor of the malt kiln. The heating apparatus which I prefer for this
part of my Invention is such as is now used for applying hot blast to iron fur-
naces, by means of which, heated air of any desired temperature may be
obtained, according to the extent of fire used, and the same regulated by the
employment of a damper. to the chimney or flue of the furnace of such heating
apparatus; and when making pale malt, I keep the temperature under one
hundred and ninety degrees of Fahrenheit, raising the temperature as I require
darker colored malt, and occasionally I cause the space below the floor of the
kiln to be enclosed, so that the heated air may not escape except through the
floor and up amongst the malt thereon, and I turn the malt as usually
practised.
My further and seventh improvements and process consist in the use of a
kiln, constructed and furnished or fitted up with several floors instead of one
only, but I prefer the same to be made and constructed of similar materials
and forms to the one-floor kilns now used, excepting that each of the upper
floors are to be severally furnished with a trap door or shute, to allow of the.
shuting and lowering of the malt under process from floor to floor; I prefer
four floors to be made, one above another, at equal or nearly equal distances,
so that the operation of drying the malt may be performed gradually and pro-
gressively. Thus the moist. or green malt as it comes from the malting floor
is first to be delivered and spread on the upper floor or story of the kiln, which
I call No. 1, after it has remained on the floor of No. 1 about twenty-four hours.
When a fire is used, it is only to the lower kiln floor; and when mechanical
means are used for exhausting or withdrawing air, the same are to be applied
to the upper or top part of the kiln. The malt is passed or shot down
through the trap door or shute of No. 1 and let into the next floor underneath,
which I call No. 2; and the upper or No. 1 floor should then be replenished
or respread with a further portion of moist or green malt from the malting
floor; and so, after it has remained on No. 2 floor twenty-four hours for drying,
it is to be shot down to charge the No. 3 floor, where it is to remain twenty-
four hours, and then shot down on to No. 4 floor; each floor being recharged
as often as it is discharged. The charges of malt thus successfully arrive at the
floor No. 4, and are there successively finished; the malster pursuing the same
processes of turning on the various floors as he now practises on a single floor.

page_text: Although I have named twenty-four hours for the grain remaining on each
floor of a tower kiln of several floors, I do not confine myself thereto, as the
same may be varied according to the heat applied and the largeness of the
charges on the floors; and thus the operation of drying is to be gradually and
progressively carried on to completion, and the several floors will be kept
served with malt in a proper progressive state of drying. The first process in
the kiln, that is, whilst the moist or green malt is in the upper floor, gives to
it the mildest degree of the heat of the kiln, whether arising from a fire stove
in the kiln under the lower floor No. 4 or from hot blast, as herein described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the details by which my various improvements are directed to be
carried out, so long as the peculiar character of either part of my Invention be
retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the combining an air heating apparatus with blowing machinery used
in forcing currents of heated air against falling malt or grain which is to be
made into malt, as above described.
Secondly, I claim the applying steam or hot-water pipes in combination with
a malting house for heating the same, as above described; and I also claim
the use of pipes in the malting house, when combined with suitable machinery,
for forcing heated or cold air into the house or through the floor of the house;
and I also claim the exhausting or withdrawing air from a malt house, as
above described.
Thirdly, I claim the application of steam as a means of moistening the malt
on the floors of a malting house, as above described.
Fourthly, I claim the application of steam to a malt kiln, as above
described.
Fifthly, I claim the application of a fan or other suitable blowing. machine
in combination with a malt kiln for propelling air, in order to exhaust or
withdraw the air from a malt kiln, as above described.
Sixthly, I claim the forcing heated air into a malt kiln by a fan or other
blowing machine combined with a heating apparatus, as above described.
And, seventhly, I claim the mode of constructing and working malt kilns by
having a series of kiln floors one above the other, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Patrick Stead, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
PAT (L.S.) STEAD.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-second day of March,
in the year of our Lord 1843, the aforesaid Patrick Stead came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-three.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-three.