Improvements in the Préparation and Treatment of Sweet Potatoes, Yams, and Arums, and the Manufacture of Spirit from those Vegetable Substances.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in the Préparation and Treatment of Sweet
Potatoes, Yams, and Arums, and the Manufacture of Spirit
from those Vegetable Substances.
We, ADRIEN RALU fils Distiller of 21 rue Condorcet, Paris, France and JOSEPH
GRATHVOHL, Commission Agent of 13 rue Fenelos, Paris, France and HORACE
ALBERT BROWNE of Nouveau Brighton, Cayeux le Hourdil, Departement of the
Somme, France Major General do hereby declare the nature of our Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION AND TREATMENT OF SWEET POTATOES
YAMS AND ARUMS AND THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRIT FROM THOSE YEGETABLE
SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
Hitherto the tubers of the plants belonging to the families of the sweet potatoe
yams and arums of which tropical countries are capable of furnishing prodigious
quantities have been used but to a very limited extent not at all in proportion
with the intrinsic value of the properties they possess, the rapidity with which
such tubers deteriorate having prevented their being transported in their raw
state and utilised as they might otherwise have been.
In carrying out our Invention we propose to dessicate and triturate the above
namned tubers and by so doing we obtain a product which furnishes a material for
the distillation of spirit so rich and of so superior a quality that the spirit distilled
therefrom is free from empyreumatic oils and other injurious substances and is of
such fineness as to require no rectification, results which are not obtained in
distilling from any other feculent substance.
Our method of proceeding is as follows The fresh tubers of the above plants
having been washed by a machine or by hand are cut into thin slices by a root
cutter or are rasped into a pulp. The slices (or the pulp) are then spread in thin
layers on stands and are exposed to the air until they have lost about one fifth of
their weight; they are then dried on a stove until they have become friable, care
being taken so to graduate the heat as to avoid any sudden rise of temperature, as
otherwise the fecula would be starchified and the product made so consistent as
not to be easily disintegrated. The desiscated substance is then reduced to
fragments or ground into a flour and in either form is then ready to be packed in
sacks, boxes or barrels and transported as required.

page_text: The subsequent treatment is the same for either fragments or flour. They are
treated either by diastase or by sulphuric or chlorohydric acid. In the former
case they are mixed in about the proportion of 100lba to 25 lbs of malt, then washed
in about 10 gallons of water at 96° to 104° Fahrenheit when the mass has become
quite homogeneous it is brought to the temperature of 122° to 131° Fahrenheit,
by addition of 25 to 45 gallons of boiling water. The saccharification begins and
when terminated, cold water is introduced in sufficient quantity to bring the
temperature of the must down to about 4° Fahrenheit. Then fermentation is set
up in the mass by means of fresh yeast in the proportion of 22lbs of yeast to
1cwt of matter to be treated. The treatment by acid is as follows: The slices,
fragments or flour are boiled with about two and a half times their weight of
water to which sulphuric or chlorohydric acid has been added in the proportion
of about 5 of acid to 100 lbs of matter to be treated. The sulphuric or chloro-
hydric acid is saturated with a chalky substance such as carbonate of lime in the
proportion of 6 of such substance to 5 of acid. Fermentation is then set up
in the mass as in previous case.
The product in the state of phlegm or vinasse is then distilled by ordinary
distilling apparatus.

page_text: Fotatoes, rams, and Arums, and the manufacture of sp
from those Vegetable Substances.
We ADRIEN RALU fils Distiller of 21 Rue Cordorcet Paris France and JOSEPHI
GRATHVOHL Commission Agent of 13 Rue Fenelon Paris France and HORACE
ALBERT BROWNE of Mouveau Brighton Cayeaux le Hourdel Department of the
Somme France Major General do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Hitherto the tubers of the plants belonging to the families of the sweet potatoe
yams and arums of which tropical countries are capable of furnishing prodigious
quantities have been used but to a very limited extent not at all in proportion
with the intrinsic value of the properties they possess the rapidity with which
such tubers deteriorate having prevented their being transported in their raw
state and utilized as they otherwise might have been.
In carrying out our Invention we propose to dessicate and to divide powder
grind or triturate the above named tubers and by so doing we obtain a product
which furnishes a material for the distillation of spirit so rich and of so superior a
quality that the spirit distilled therefrom is free from empyreumatic oils and other
injurious substances and is of such fineness as to require no rectification, results
which are not obtained in distilling from any other feculent substance.
Our method of proceeding is as follows. The fresh tubers of the above plants
having been washed by a machine or by hand are cut into thin slices by a rest-
cutter or are rasped into a pulp. The slices (or the pulp) are then spread in thin
layers on stands and are exposed to the air until they have lost about one fifth of
their weight they are then dried on a stove until they have become friable care
being taken so to graduate the heat as to avoid any sudden rise of temperature,
as otherwise the fecula would be starchified and the product made so consistent as
not to be easily disintegrated. The dessicated substance is then reduced to frag-
ments or ground into a flour, and in either form is then ready to be packed in
sacks boxes or barrels and transported as required.
The subsequent treatment is the same for either fragments or flour. They are
treated either by diostase or by sulphuric or chlorohydric acid. In the former
case they are mixed with malt in the proportion of or about 100 lbs of the flour or
fragments to 25 lbs of malt then washed in about 10 gallons of water at 96°
to 104° Fahrenheit when the mass has become quite mixed or homogeneous it is
brought to a temperature of 122° to 131° Fahrenheit by the addition of 25 to 45
gallons of boiling water. The saccharification begins and when terminated, cold
water is introduced in sufficient quantity to bring the temperature of the must
down to about 4° Fahrenheit, then fermentation is set up in the mass by means of
fresh yeast in the proportion of 23 lbs of yeast to 1 cwt of matter to be treated.
The treatment by acid is as follows the slices fragments or flour are boiled with

page_text: about two and a half times their weight of water to which sulphuric or chloro-
hydric acid has been added in the proportion of about 5 lbs of acid to 100 lbs of
matter to be treated. The sulphuric or chlorohydric acid is saturated with a
chalky substance such as carbonate of lime in the proportion of 6 lbs or thereabouts
of such substance to 5 lbs of acid.—Fermentation is then set up in the mass as in
the previous case.
The product in the state of phlegm or vinasse is then distilled by ordinary
distilling apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
First The preparation or treatment of sweet potatoes yams and arums by
drying or dessicating the dividing powdering grinding or triturating them sub-
stantially as herein described and the new article of manufacture or commerce thus
produced.
Second: The manufacture of alcohol or spirit by distilling, substantially as
herein before described, the sweet potatoe yam or arum flour or fragments produced
substantially as hereinbefore described.