Improvements in or relating to Malting Floors.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1893-Accepted, 23rd June, 1894
Improvements in or relating to Malting Floors.
A communication from JOHANN JUNGBLUTH, of Cologne, in the Empire of
Germany.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
In order rightly to appreciate the importance of a rationally developed system
of making malt, in its relation to the present development of the brewing industry,
it is necessary to give prominence to the essential points in the preparation of this
substance.
For the brewer who makes his mash wholly of malt, this substance is of the very
highest importance. Malt supplies the material from which the wort is derived,
and affects the colour, flavour, and odour of the beer, therefore the utmost care is
to be devoted to its preparation. Growth or germination has for its chief object,
besides the formation of diastase, the conversion of the insoluble albumen into
soluble nitrogenous substances, suitable for the nutrition of the yeast.
The success of this operation consequently depends principally upon the character
and nature of construction of the building and floor devoted to this purpose; and
this must be entirely independent of external influences.
Inasmuch however as it is impossible by steeping or damping to supply the
malt with the full quantity of moisture which it needs for a regular complete and
thorough germination process, it becomes a primary object and in fact a necessity
to construct and arrange the locality i.e. the malting or germination floor in such
manner that the requisite moisture can be supplied to the malt during the
germination process in a way that admits of being controlled and regulated; and
this can be done by supplying to the heaped-up mass of barley either moist or dry
air, according to requirement.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a floor for malting
with means for allowing not only the necessary quantity of moisture to pass through
the malt spread over the floor, but also to regulate to a nicety the temperature as
well as the degree of moisture prevailing in order to ensure in all cases the most
advantageous conditions for germination and to prevent the colour of the barley
from changing, while on the other hand all the grains germinate uniformly and
emit an agreeable odour.
The application and use of this malt-manufacturing apparatus is shown in the
accompanying drawings, Figures 1 to 4, and hereinafter described.
Figure 1 shows a plan or view from above of the main structure of the floor,
the perforated covering plate (or top floor) being supposed to be removed;
Figure 2 is a cross section of the whole floor showing all its parts;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the same; and
Figure 4 is a plan of part of the covering plate or top floor.
The arrangement of the malting floor according to this invention consists of
three divisions superposed, i.e. the top floor A on which the malt is spread for
germination, the middle part composed of blocks B provided with channels and
finally the lower or supporting floor C.
The floor A is preferably constructed of galvanized iron plates provided with
conical perforations and is supported on girders. This floor is intended to receive

page_text: the barley from the steep, the latter being spread evenly about 60 centm. deep
over the floor to complete its germination. Between the top and middle floors is
an air space D to allow fresh air, dry or moist, to pass through the barley and
thus finish the germination in a natural manner. The lower floor C is formed of
any suitable material and is traversed by a water-discharge channel E (Figure 3)
and collecting water conduits H.
The middle floor rests on the floor C and is, as has been already mentioned,
constructed of blocks B. The latter are provided with bell-shaped cups or
recesses G in which water is discharged in the form of spray.
The said cups or
recesses dip with their flanges h into the transverse water conduits H. At each
side above the water-discharge channels E are compartments for the germination
of the malt, similar and equally divided and the barley from the steep arriving at
one extremity of the malting room is turned day by day into the next following
contiguous compartment till on the ninth day it reaches the last compartment at
the opposite end of the room. Thus it will be seen that the barley is turned only
once a day.
From the last compartment it is turned on the tenth day into a receptacle, spread
on a drying floor, and afterwards transferred to the malt-kiln.
The present arrangement requires only a quarter of the ordinary malting floor,
or in other words, with equal floor-space the present arrangement as compared with
the ordinary system allows four times as much malting to be performed in equal
time, while the malt produced is far superior both in quality and uniformity.
The greatest advantages amongst others derived from the use of the improved
system are economy in flooring space and the possibility of carrying on malting
operations the whole year through.
It may here be mentioned that another important advantage is derived from
covering the walls and the ceiling of the malting chamber with a glaze or enamel,
to prevent even in the presence of the greatest heat and moisture any formation of
fungus and excrescence.
The principle forming the basis of this improved system for malting is that of
causing the air current to become saturated with moisture through contact with
finely divided water-spray so as to keep the barley spread over the floor at an
uniform and cool temperature.
The extremely favourable results obtained in this arrangement are mainly due
to the disposition of the air conduits in conjunction with the water-spray in such a
manner that the temperature of the whole apparatus is entirely under the control
of the maltster enabling him to introduce either dry air or air laden with moisture
according to his judgment so as to produce the greatest amount of sugar in the
barley.
The combination of a number of similar separate compartments together with
the power of controlling and regulating the temperature, make it possible for the
system to be established and carried out on any floor of a building, thus ensuring
the production of malt of a certain invariable quality and quantity under all
conditions at any season of the year.
This improved system answers all the requirements of a perfect malt producer
while at the same time it has no equal in simplicity and economy of construction.
In carrying out the process, my correspondent proceeds as follows;-The
channel K running parallel with the wall supplies the water to a number of
channels J. The latter are connected one to the other at suitable intervals by
tubes L provided with a number of fine perforations for producing spray which
falls down in minute drops in special bell-shaped recesses; the object of the spray
is to saturate the surrounding air.
The moist air collects in the air-space D, Figure 2, and is constantly but uniformly
forced through the perforations and through the layer of barley on the floor A.
The superfluous water runs through the conduits H into the discharge-channel E
and thence into a tank from which it is again pumped and returned into the
channel K.

page_text: Thus the maltster is enabled at will with this apparatus, by simple regulation or
adjustment of the cock on the water-supply pipe, to admit a greater or less quantity
of water thereby rendering the air more or less damp, so that he can force through
the malt, air, either in a state of dryness or containing more or less moisture.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
An arrangement of a malting floor characterised by the arrangement of a water-
conduit such as K with parallel branch water-conduits such as J joined together in
pairs by pipes such as L in such manner that the water circulating therein spurts
forth through openings into bell-shaped spaces such as G in the form of finely
divided spray for the purpose of saturating partly or wholly with moisture the
current of air flowing through G so that the said air-current ascending into the
general air-space such as D passes thence through perforated plates A and
permeates the germinating mass or layer of barley while the superfluous water
which has not passed off in the form of spray and thus been absorbed by the air-
current flows away by the collecting conduits H into the discharge-channel E and
thence into a cistern or reservoir whence it can be again supplied for further use
and so on for the purpose of enabling the maltster to control and regulate at will
the temperature and degree of moisture of the barley heaped up on the malting
floor to germinate substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 28th day of June 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.