IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN BEVERAGES OR LIQUORS OF THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF HOME-MADE WINES, AND IN THE MEANS OF OBTAINING THE SAME
Year: 1857

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Frederick Henley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th January 1857.
I, THOMAS FREDERICK HENLEY, of Bromley, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN BEVERAGES OR LIQUORS OF THE NATURE
AND CHARACTER OF HOME-MADE WINES, AND IN THE MEANS OF OBTAINING THE
SAME," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of rice in the preparation of
certain beverages or liquors of the nature of home-made wines, and in improved
means and processes for obtaining such said beverages, as follows:-
For carrying out my Invention, I commence by thoroughly cleansing the
rice proposed to be operated on by any of the usual methods employed in rice
cleaning, but which operation forms no part of this Invention. In the next
stage of the process, I employ a vessel, which may be of wood, or other
material calculated to withstand the action of the acid employed, and of
dimensions proportioned to the quantity of rice proposed to be treated accord-
ing to the process. Within this vessel is fitted a steam worm, having a heating
surface, calculated to maintain the liquor operated on at the boiling ten-
perature. I also place therein a revolving apparatus of the nature of a rouser
or agitator, which may or may not be fitted at its lower part with heavy wooden
or other rollers, so fitted as to revolve freely on their axis and in contact with

page_text: the bottom of the vessel during the rotation of the said rouser, and in such
manner as to produce a levigating action therein. On the top of the above-
described preparing vessel I cause to be fitted a feed apparatus, intended to
deliver the rice to be operated on into the said preparing vessel in measured
portions, and which is so combined or arranged as to afford the calculated
supply notwithstanding that there may be a pressure existing from within
outwards in the said vessel. This may be accomplished by various mechanical
arrangements, or by hand, if preferred, the principal involved being to supply
the rice in its ordinary state, so as to economise the process of grinding,
crushing, or such other preparatory manipulation. The preparing vessel, as
aforesaid, may also be fitted with a man-hole discharge valve, two loaded valves,
and reverse valve testing cocks and glass guages. The said apparatus being
complete and ready for the operation, I place within the said preparing vessel
about four times the weight of the rice intended to be operated upon, of water
containing four per cent. of the weight of the rice of oxalic acid; but I do not
confine myself to that specific quantity, only preferring that proportion for the
purposes in view; nor do I confine myself to this acid, as I may also employ
the mineral acids, but I prefer the acid aforesaid, as I find it to yield a
superior flavoured product to that obtained by other means. The water afore-
said being brought to the boiling temperature, the rouser and feed apparatus
are now to be put in motion and the rice to be operated on gradually fed in
at such a rate and in such proportions as may extend over a period of three to
four hours, according to the judgement of the operator, or the particular
quality which it may be desirable to give to the liquor in its finished state.
Into the liquor so prepared as above I now cause to be added a sufficiency of
pulverized pure limestone, or marble, or carbonate of lime, so as to saturate
the excess of acid in the said liquor. The latter may now be run off into a
lower vessel and the salt of lime and residue of the rice allowed to subside,
and the liquid then run through a set of Schröders patent filters, or other
extensive filtering surfaces, in such manner as to produce a perfectly limpid
liquor, which is now to be cooled down, by allowing it to pass through
refrigerator pipes, so as to reduce the temperature as rapidly as possible to
about 65 to 70 degrees Farenheit.
The liquor so prepared forms the body or material of the manufacture, and
which, when carefully and skilfully prepared, forms a pure and neutral basis or
elementary matter, well adapted to the purpose of forming wholesome liquors
or artificial wines of almost any desired quality. By adding thereto the residues
For preparations thereof, containing the essential oils and flavouring matters of
the various Continental wines, for instance, with the rape of Port wines

page_text: I can produce the flavor of the wines of Portugal; with the various rapes
or prepared wine lees of the French, Spanish, and German grapes, I give
the desired flavour; or I may employ our home-grown fruits or extracts.
The liquor so prepared is now to be placed in suitable vessels and conditions
for fermentation, which process may be conducted according to the well-known
rules and usages, and which forms no part of this Invention. By the above
detailed process very pure and perfect wines may be obtained, either of the dry
or of the effervescing class, according to the skill and objects of the manu-
facturer.
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