IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STEEPING GRAIN
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Denton Abel at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th February 1883. Communicated to
him from Abroad by Dr. Ludwig Mautner, Ritter von Markhof of Vienna in
the Austrian Empire
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28. Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR STEEPING GRAIN [Communicated to him from Abroad by Dr. Ludwig
Mautner, Ritter von Markhof of Vienna in the Austrian Empire]
"
One of the principal conditions for effecting a uniform growth in malting consists
in a uniform steeping. This has not yet been accomplished, and the present
invention has for its object a new steeping process, which enables the grain to be
successively steeped into the water and subjected to the action of the atmosphere,
by which process all the grains are subjected for an equal length of time to the
action of the water and are therefore uniformly softened. This is effected by
placing the grain in a cylindrical drum which is caused to rotate slowly, whereby
the grain lying in the lowest part of the drum dips first into the water, while by
the rotation of the drum other grain becomes immersed, and that first immersed is
raised out again and brought in contact with the atmosphere.
For practically carrying out the above process drums or cylinders with perforated
casings can be used, which are partly immersed in a vessel containing water, or
drums may be used with solid casings, into which in addition to the grain is
introduced the requisite water for steeping. The last named arrangement has the
advantage that the grain can be supplied with exactly the amount of water which
it required to absorb, and any injurious action on the grain consequent upon
subjecting it to too great a quantity of water is prevented.
In the first case the druin may be formed of perforated metal or wire gauze,
suitably strengthened by ribs, and carried by a horizontal shaft running in bearings
within a pan or other receptacle containing the steeping water, in which the drum
is partially immersed. The drum is filled about half full of grain through one or
more doors on the circumference, which are then closed, and the pan being filled
with water the drum is caused to rotate slowly by any suitable means. The
surface of the mass of grain is thus caused to assume an inclined position the angle
of such inclination being that at which the grain will slip from the higher to the
lower end; a fresh layer will then be raised to the same angle, and also slide down,
and so on,
a fresh layer, which has just been brought in contact with the atmosphere
D 071

page_text: at the higher end being each time immersed into the steeping water at the lower
end. A door is provided in the end surface of the drum through which the dead
grain floating on the water can be removed from time to time by a rake. This
having been done, so much of the steeping water is run off through a pipe in the
bottom of the pan, as to leave only a small portion of the drum immersed, so that
only the grain situated at the lowest parts will come in contact with the water and
will absorb the same. After completion of the steeping, the remainder of the water
is run off from the pan, after which, the doors- of the drum being opened, and a
shoot in the bottom of the pan uncovered, the grain is discharged through the shoot
directly into the germinating apparatus.
Should it be desired to employ steeping apparatus with unperforated, closed
cusings, which offers important advantages as above stated, the steeping water is
charged into the drum, and after the floating dead grain has been removed, the
excess of water is drawn off, after which as much water is added from time to time
as is desired to be absorbed by the grain. The end surfaces of the drum may have
holes formed in them near the axis for the admission of fresh air to the interior,
- and in case it should be found necessary, air may also be blown into the drum.