Improvements in or relating to the Preservation of Beer and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1889-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1889
Improvements in or relating to the Preservation of Beer and
the like.
A communication from HEINRICH FERDINAND, LOUIS OTTO, Manufacturer and
GUSTAV BERNHARD SCHWERDTFEGER, of Doebeln, Merchant, in the Kingdom of
Saxony.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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:-
The object of this invention is to protect beer and such like liquids as are easily
accessible to fermentation against putrefaction, by the direct application of salicylic
acid.
Salicylic acid has been used for this purpose until now in a direct form by simply
mixing the liquid to be preserved with this acid, but since doubts were entertained as
to the sanitary practicability of this proceeding, nearly all countries issued prohibitive
measures against its further use.
Considering that the ferments which cause the putrefaction are through the air
brought into contact with the beer to be preserved, it is necessary to close the access
of the former, and this object has been attained in the retail of beers by the general
use of compressing machines especially with the application of carbonic acid.
A complete hermetically closed vessel, for the purpose of storing or transporting
does not exist as the above contrivance cannot be applied and it is here that the dis-
advantages show themselves. This invention does not aspire to attain the impossible
air-tight closing but it intends to put the liquid in an envelope which is impregnated
with Salicylic acid and renders all ferments of the external air perfectly harmless.
By the thus direct application of the Salicylic acid the liquid, as beer and such like
will remain free from all admixture of the acid.
To render the Salicylic acid applicable to act in this way to the preservation of beer
and such like it requires a neutral support consisting of a substance which is absolutely
free from any unwholesome acid and serves as a solidifier of the salicylic acid in order
that the latter should not be absorbed by the liquid to be preserved. The best
adapted substance for this purpose is paraffin or ceresin (Mineral Wax) to which the
Salicylic acid is added in the proportion of preferably 1-1000, as soon as it is melted
and rendered liquid.
The vessels are then on their inside surfaces covered with this substance and all
pieces of cloth serving to close the bung-hole are soaked in it. When colophonium is
used in the pitching of the casks, the salicylic acid impregnated with paraffin or
ceresin (Mineral Wax) can be added to it when it will find its application in a simple
way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is ;
The preservation of beer and the like by the direct application of Salicylic acid to
which when applied to the inner surfaces of the vessels paraffin or ceresin (Mineral
Wax) is added and the inner surfaces of the vessels are covered with it or both are
added to the substance with which the vessels are pitched or covered substantially as
specified.
Dated this 1st day of Octoler 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.