Improvements in or relating to the Production of Rum and to the Transport and Storage of Molasses.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 5th May, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Production of Rum and to the
Transport and Storage of Molasses.
I, EMILE BARBET, of 167, Rue de Rennes, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The manufacture of rum and arrack from the juice of sugar cane or cane
molasses is still in a very primitive condition. There is no culture for the
fermentations, which are allowed to be produced spontaneously; the yields are
absurdly small and the spirit produced is often excessively bad and impure.
The object of the present invention is a combination of processes, some of them
already known in connection with the distillation of spirit, and others which
have been specially invented by the applicant for this particular manufacture,
the whole forming a single complete process and producing novel industrial
results.
1. FERMENTATION.
Instead of spontaneous fermentation I employ a pure fermentation obtained
by means of pure cultures and I totally sterilize the worts before acting on them
by the pure germs.
For the details of this process I refer to my Patent Applica-
tion No. 16159 dated August 8th 1899, and I need not therefore enter into details
of the process here. I reserve the right of employing only a part of the whole
of the aforesaid method according to circumstances. Thus the ferment may be
merely made pure in aerobic cultures, which will. supply active fermenting wort
on which diluted non-sterilized molasses can be poured. Or the continuous
sterilization of the molasses can proceed simultaneously with the preparation of
the first wort which sterilized liquid is then cooled, suitably diluted and finally
fermented. Or again, the total sterilization of the wort may be effected after its
dilution; it may be cooled with recovery of the heat with advantage. Or else,
after total sterilization of the diluted wort the "pure continuous fermentation
with aerobic cultivation as described in the aforesaid Application No. 16159
of 1899, may be applied.
"
These processes will furnish much improved yields and the quality of the
spirit will be uniformly good. The judicious choice of the ferment is of great
importance to the commercial value of rum.
2. COMPOSITION OF THE WORT OR MUST :—
The presence of certain organic acids has a marvellous influence on the quality
of the fermented and distilled product. This discovery and its industrial applica-
tions are fully set forth in my Application for Patent No. 16233 of even date
with this application. I make use of the boiling lees from the still for diluting
the molasses previously sterilized. I may employ as much as one-half of the

page_text: lees from the still in this manner. Wort mixed in this manner will augment to
the highest possible point those aromatic qualities of rum or arrack which are
so appreciated in commerce. It is possible to make use of still liquor evaporated
as far as this point of concentration of the saline substances and foreign organisms
originally contained in it owing to the potency of the ferment produced by
aerobic cultivation. If the molasses are too expensive the application of my
before cited process, described in Patent Application No. 16159 of 1899, can be
made viz, that of strengthening the worts by means of pure fermentable sugar,
either cane sugar or a glucose syrup which will produce a spirit which I call
"whisky-rum.".
3. SYSTEMATIC HEATING (OR PASTEURISATION) OF THE WORT BEFORE
DISTILLATION:
From my above cited application of even date I may apply to rum the method
therein set forth of pasteurizing worts fermented before distillation for the purpose
of maturing the wort and effecting the gradual cooking of the material and
the etherefication of the fatty acids. I may make use also of carbonic acid gas
from the fermentation vats forcing it under pressure into the hot wort.
4. DISTILLATION:-
"
All that has been stated herein and in my aplication No. 16233 of 1899 con-
cerning the distillation of whisky or cognac, is applicable to that of rum or "tafia
and I reserve the application to the latter of any suitable distilling apparatuses
and processes for the purification or rectification of the various flavours.
The objectionable aldehydes or the higher alcohols (such as fusel oil) should be
separated.
5. THE EMPLOYMENT OF STILL LIQUORS FROM WHICH THE SPIRIT HAS BEEN
EXTRACTED
If exactly half of the waste liquors produced are returned for diluting the
molasses it will be seen that after a few days all the saline and organic impurities
contained in the daily supply of molasses will be found in the liquors used, and
as the volume of the discharged liquors will be exactly one half of the original
volume these liquors will therefore contain twice as much saline and organic
matter as they originally had. The result thereof, is, if these liquors are placed
in a furnace to incinerate, as is done with the best liquors in Europe, they will
be nearly "self evaporated" by the combustion of their own organic matter.
Hence a great economy of fuel for obtaining salts of potash.
These saline residues are not as rich in carbonates of potash as the residues
of beet but they are nevertheless of great value, although they are at present
wasted.
"
If desirable in order to dispense entirely with fuel for the furnace except for
heating up I may use a "triple effect" evaporating apparatus of known con-
struction, preferably a copper triple effect"under pressure operating the heat-
ing of the distilling column. This apparatus has been applied with success for
leet concentrating residues and even for distillers residues from grains.
Such are the processes the use of which I claim in combination for the improve-
ment of rum manufacture, securing a better yield of alcohol, purity and augmen-
tation of the natural aromas, a more rapid maturing of the rum, the obtaining
of potashes with scarcely any expenditure of fuel. It is obvious that these
processes possess indisputable unity of invention as it is owing to the activity of
my pure ferments obtained by aerobic cultivation that the still liquors can be
re-employed so largely, and a remunerative extraction of the saline contents
attained.
It still remains to describe another improvement, specially intended for cane
niolasses and which will have great influence on the economic results of this

page_text: industry. Cane molasses is not always distilled in the sugar manufactory in
which it is produced, and thus the transport in casks is the source of consider-
able expense, especially in the colonies. There is also waste of material, and'
the preservation of the molasses in tropical climates is very uncertain. It
becomes charged with microbes which cause decomposition so that when worked
it cannot be relied on.
I therefore propose to do away with the necessity for casks and even tanks
and large reservoirs of molasses.
The following is the process which I claim to protect. It consists in concen-
trating the molasses preferably in vacuo until it answers to the test called the
"break" or crack "familiar to sugar boilers and then letting it run into the
ordinary sugar loaves or into other suitable shapes.
All sugar factories have apparatuses for boiling molasses so it is only necessary
to procure a certain store of moulds for sugar loaves. If it is wished to minimise
this expense the rows of sugar moulds can be arranged in vessels of sheet-iron in
which cold water is circulated. In this manner the blocks of molasses are formed
more quickly, and the moulds more rapidly rendered available.
Before running off the molasses the inside of the mould is covered with a sheet
of paper to prevent the sugar adhering to the mould. After loosening, the
block will be found packed in its paper and by this means the blocks are prevented
from adhering during transport. It also protects the molasses against moisture
of the air as molasses is slightly hygroscopic or deliquescent.
The transport of the blocks of molasses is extremely simple; the operation
is exactly the same as for blocks of sugar and there is no extra weight to carry
(except perhaps % for the paper) but it is much less than the extra weight of
the cask and there is no waste in transport. Finally the concentration of the
molasses effects a very distinct economy of transport as 10 to 12% of water has
been taken away and there is only S8 to 90% of the original weight.
In colonies where there are no roads, transport can be made by other means
and the molasses can be kept in ordinary stores instead of requiring special damp-
proof iron buildings. No decomposition is possible as the mass has been sterilised
by the boiling which has rendered it solid, and its preservation is prolonged
indefinitely. Moreover it is obvious that the blocks of molasses will be very
easily and economically transported into Europe, and if desired the distillation
of rum can take place there. This simplified transport will cost even less than
that of the spirit. From this it appears probable that I with my experienced
chemists, with much less expensive fuel, can manufacture rum in Europe profit-
ably and as described above. The colonies will sell us molasses instead of rum
which they will certainly find to their advantage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The process for the manufacture of rum and the like consisting of some or
all of the series of processes set forth which in combination attain a new industrial
result and comprise
a) Fermentation by means of pure, aerobically cultivated ferments, or
continuous fermentation by aerobic cultivation, as set forth.
b) The
re-employment of a considerable portion of the still liquors
rendered possible by the activity of the pure ferment.
The slow and gradual heating of the liquors or worts before distillation
and the use of the carbonic acid gas evolved for the rapid etherisation and
maturing.
The economical manufacture of potashes from the residues with triple
effect evaporation under pressure or in vacuo.
e) The transport, storage, and preservation of the molasses in the shape of
sugar loaves, substantially as set forth.

page_text: In the treatment of cane sugar residues the above described method of
reducing these residues to the solid state substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated the 9th day of August 1899.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
822, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.