IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING THE FERMENTATION OF SOLUTIONS CAPABLE OF YIELDING ALCOHOL
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Graham, of University College, London, Professor
of Chemical Technology, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING
THE FERMENTATION OF SOLUTIONS CAPABLE OF YIELDING ALCOHOL."
Sealed the 8th August 1878 and dated the 23rd May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Graham at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd May 1878.
CHARLES GRAHAM, of University College, London, Professor of Chemical
Technology. "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING THE FERMENTATION OF SOLUTIONS
CAPABLE OF YIELDING ALCOHOL."
This Invention relates to a method of effecting more rapidly and more effectually
the fermentation of saccharine or other solutions capable of producing alcohol, such,
for example, as what are known as worts and wash as employed by brewers and
distillers, and it consists in causing atmospheric air to be introduced into such
fermentable liquors either at the commencement of the fermentation process or
during the same, in such manner and in such quantity as that the fermentation
process shall be accelerated and rendered more perfect.
Atmospheric air when employed for this purpose may either be introduced by
being blown into and through the saccharine solutions, either by means of a forcing
pump to which are connected either open or perforated nozzles, or to which is
connected a perforated disc or rose, in order that the atmospheric air may be intro-
duced in divided streams or currents, my object being to introduce into and
dissiminate through the saccharine fermenting solutions atmospheric air, so as to
facilitate their conversion into the desired alcoholic products which result from their
fermentation.
The atmospheric air to be employed may be either heated or cooled to the desired
temperature as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Graham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th November
1878.
CHARLES GRAHAM, of University College, London, Professor of Chemical
Technology. "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING THE FERMENTATION OF SOLUTIONS
CAPABLE OF YIELDING ALCOHOL."
My said Invention relates to a method of effecting more rapidly and more effec-
tually the fermentation of saccharine or of other solutions capable of producing
alcohol, such, for example, as what are. known as worts and wash as employed by
brewers and distillers, and it consists in causing atmospheric air to be introduced
into such fermentable liquors either at the commencement of the fermentation
process or during the same, in such manner and in such quantity as that the
fermentation process shall be accelerated and rendered more perfect.
Atmospheric air when employed for this purpose may either be introduced by
being blown into and through the saccharine or other solutions, either by means of
a forcing pump to which are connected either open or perforated nozzles, or to which
is connected a perforated disc or rose, in order that the atmospheric air may be
introduced in divided streams or currents, or other methods may be adopted, my
object being to introduce into and dissiminate through the saccharine or other
fermenting solutions atmospheric air, so as to facilitate their conversion into the
desired alcoholic products which result from their fermentation.
The atmospheric air to be employed should be deprived as far as possible of all
gerins and organisms usually found in common air. This I effect by passing the air
through any convenient filtering material, by preference cotton wool or cotton
wadding wadding, or a series of cotton wool filters arranged in any convenient
manner so as to secure a thorough filtration without undue agitation or disturbance
of the cotton wool filters.
The accompanying Drawing represents in sectional elevation an arrangement of
apparatus which may be advantageously employed in carrying out my said
Invention.
A is the filter consisting of a chamber divided into a series of compartments by
perforated metal discs a, a, each carrying a layer a¹ of cotton wool or other similar
or suitable filtering medium; b is the air inlet pipe which communicates with the
external atmosphere, the mouth b' of the pipe being by preference covered with
several thicknesses of fabric so as to exclude dust or other extraneous matters; c is
the outlet pipe from the filter leading to the double-action pump d which draws the
air admitted at b¹ through the several tiers of filtering media a', and conducts it by
a pipe e into the vat f containing the fermentablo liquid. The extremity of the pipe
may be provided with a perforated coil for with an ordinary rose or equivalent
device for the purpose of discharging the air in finely divided streams or currents
into the liquid under operation.
It is desirable to provide a reservoir of filtered air, such, for example, as is shewn
at in that part of the apparatus near the pump, so as to avoid the undue agitation
or disturbance of the filtering surface; the air introduced into the fermenting liquid
inay be at the ordinary temperature, or it may be either heated or cooled to any
temperature required. I find that a very convenient method is to pass the air either
before or after filtration through a coil of copper pipe placed in a tank of water,
which may be kept at any desired temperature.
By proceeding in this manner I am enabled to introduce atmospheric air deprived
of gerins and organisms, which are injurious to alcoholic fermentation, and I can
thus stimulate the growth and activity of the yeast and its conversion of the
saccharine matters of alcohol yielding liquids into the desired alcoholic products.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of iny said In-
vention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,

page_text: I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, effecting more rapidly and more effectually the fermenta-
tion of saccharine, and of other solutions capable of producing alcohol, by the
introduction and employment of atmospheric air, substantially in the manner herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Graham, have to this my Specification,
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
CHARLES GRAHAM. (L.S.)