Improvements in and connected with the Manufacture of Fermented Products.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 9th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Manufacture of Fermented
Products.
I, JEAN CHARLES RENÉ GASTON BOULET, of 21 Boulevard Poissonnière,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved process in which formaldehyde is utilized
for the preparation of malt, saccharification, fermentation, purification of leaven
or yeast, preservation of residues. and in general for all operations relating to the
production of alcohol, of leaven and of all fermented products.
Up to the present time mineral acids have been especially used in the work of
saccharification and of fermentation for the purpose of impeding the development
of the lactic, butyric acetic and other ferments.
Experiments which I have made have led me to the discovery that there exists
a series of neutral bodies endowed with highly antiseptic qualities and capable of
serving as substitutes for the acids when used for the purpose hereinafter indicated.
These bodies are the aldehydes and more especially formaldehyde as known, in
trade, and-its compounds and derivatives.
The formic aldehyde, formaldehyde is so much the more suitable for this purpose
as it presents itself in three forms or conditions namely the solid, the liquid and the
gaseous and as in each of these forms without distinction the antiseptic properties
of the same always produce their action upon the noxious ferments.
In a series of experiments I have found that very small quantities of formalde-
hyde not only prevent the development of the acetic, lactic and butyric ferments
but are even capable of destroying the same when already in full evolution. In
another series of experiments I have further found that the diastase does not
undergo any alteration, or modification in the presence of formaldehyde, neither
in the liquid nor in the gaseous state. It is the same with the alcoholic ferinent
(leaven), the action of which is in no way impeded.
Busing myself upon these two qualities of formaldehyde namely its antiseptic
power on the one hand with regard to the noxious ferments and on the other hand
its perfect harmlessness with regard to the diastase and to the alcoholic ferment,
I have adopted my new process of using this body in the work of saccharification,
fermentation, purification of leaven and including the preparation, preservation
and crushing of malt and its dilution into malt-milk.
The addition and use of formaldehyde in its solid, liquid or gaseous state may
of course be effected in different ways and in various stages of production, my
object being to secure the exclusive use of these agents at any chosen moment of
the treatment. I confine myself to mention the principal stages of the operations,
that is to say the preparation of the malt at such moment as I consider imeful; its
preservation, the crushing and the preparation of the malt-milk, the boiling of the
amy laceous substances, the saccharification after the boiling, the preparation and
preservation of the leaven and the yeasts, including the industrial production of
the leaven, the fermentation at any moment, the preservation of wines and distillers
wash and of any residues whatever.
My invention may also be used in the operations which are connected with the
treatment of beet-roots, molasses, topinambers, sorgho, dates, carob-beans, batatas
or any other alcoholizable substances.

page_text: When I employ formic aldehyde in gaseous form I do this either by direct
production of the gases or by means of an air current charged with vapours of this
body, this being effected during all the above described operations or during any
of them. The proportional quantities used. for one or the other system may be
varied.
Instead of formaldehyde I may choose any of its compounds, its additional
combinations, its derivatives, its ethers and its homologues. I also reserve to
myself the use of the formic acid and its salts for the purposes of my invention.
Dated this 9th day of April 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
CUMI LEID DI DUIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Manufacture of Fermented
Products.
I, JEAN CHARLES RENÉ GASTON BOULET, of 21 Boulevard Poissonnière,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved process in which formaldehyde is utilized
for the preparation of malt, saccharification, fermentation, purification of leaven
or yeast preservation of residues and in general for all operations relating to the
production of alcohol, of leaven and of all fermentel products.
Up to the present time mineral acids have been especially used in the work of
saccharification and of fermentation for the purpose of impeding the development
of the lactic, butyric, acetic and other ferments.
Experiments which I have made have led me to the discovery that there exists
a series of neutral bodies endowed with highly antiseptic qualities and capable of
serving as substitutes for the acids when used for the purpose hereinafter indicated.
These bodies are the aldehydes and more especially formaldehyde as known in
trade, and its compounds and derivatives.
The formic aldehyde, formaldehyde is so much the more suitable for this purpose
as it presents itself in three forms or conditions namely the solid, the liquid and
the gaseous and as in each of these forms without distinction the antiseptic
properties of the same always produce their action upon the noxious ferments.
In a series of experiments I have found that very small quantities of formalde-
hyde not only prevent the development of the acetic, lactic and butyric ferments
but are even capable of destroying the same when already in full evolution. In
another series of experiments I have further found that the diastase does not
und. rgo any alteration, or modification in the presence of formaldehyde, neither
in the liquid nor in the gaseous state. It is the same with the alcoholic ferment
(leaven), the action of which is in no way impeded.
Basing myself upon these two qualities of formaldehyde numely its antiseptic
power on the one hand with regard to the noxious ferments and on the other hand
its perfect harmlessness with regard to the diastase and to the alcoholic ferment, I
have adopted my new process of using this body in the work of saccharification,
fermentation, purification of leaven and 'including the preparation, preservation
and crushing of malt and its dilution into malt-milk.
I
The addition and use of formaldehyde in its solid, liquid or gaseous state may
of course be effected in different ways and in various stages of production, my
object being to secure the exclusive use of these agents at any chosen moment of
the treatment. I confine myself to mentioning the principal stages of the
operations, that is to say the preparation of the malt at such moment as I consider

page_text: useful; its preservation, the crushing and the preparation of the malt-milk, the
boiling of the amylaceous substances, the saccharification after the boiling, the
preparation and preservation of the leaven and the yeasts, including the industrial
production of the leaven, the fermentation at any moment, the preservation of
wines and distillers wash and of any residues whatever.
My invention may also be used in the operations which are connected with the-
treatment of beet-roots, molasses, topinambers, (Jerusalem artichokes), sorgho-
dates, carob-beans, batatas or any other alcoholizable substances.
When I employ formic aldehyde in gaseous form I do this either by direct.
production of the gases or by means of an air current charged with vapours of
this body, this being effected during all the above described operations or during-
any of them. The proportional quantities used for one or the other system may
be varied.
Instead of formaldehyde I may choose any of its compounds, its additional
combinations, its derivatives, its ethers and its homologues. I also reserve to.
myself the use of formic acid and its salts for the purposes of my invention.
The grains of any suitable amylaceous substances such as maize, rice, wheat,
rye, oats, barley and the like, potatoes, Jerusalem-artichokes, in one word all raw-
materials containing starch or fecula, are boiled with a suitable addition of water..
This boiling process may be carried on in the open air as well as under pressure-
and in the latter case at a temperature corresponding to the pressure of the
digester or boiler.
To this boiling operation the raw materials are subjected either integrally that.
is to say such as they are, or they are before hand crushed or powdered.
By this boiling operation a juice containing starch partly soluble but not yet.
converted into sugar, is obtained.
:
This juice is then cooled down to a temperature usually varying between 50.
and 70 degrees Centigrade (but I may employ any other temperature if found
suitable).
I then place this juice into a disintegrating apparatus (having for example the
form of a tub containing crushing rollers) and add malt (germinated barley).
This malt has previously been crushed in connection with water and during
this crushing process I add to the water a quantity of formaldehyde the propor
tion of which may be varied at will; but I may say that, to give an example, this
proportion usually varies between 1 and 3 ten thousandth of the quantity of the
grain-juice, taken from the digester or boiler.
This operation consisting in mixing for a certain time the boiled juice with the
crushed malt to which formaldehyde has been added I call "saccharification"; and
in this latter operation the starch is couverted into sugar called: maltose.
The juice, after this saccharification is cooled down to a temperature suitable for
alcoholic fermentation and brought into the fermenting vats.
I then add yeast (alcoholic ferment) thereto.
To this yeast a small quantity of formaldehyde may be previously added if
found suitable.
The alcoholic fermentation then sets in and continues; the fermenting vat.
being subsequently supplied with further saccharified juice to which formaldehyde
has been added.
When the vat is full and the fermentation finished I subject the product to
distillation in order to separate the produced alcohol therefrom.
The special object of employing formaldehyde in these operations (and that is.
the invention I claim) is to prevent ferments other than the alcoholic ferment, for
example lactic ferment or butyric ferment, which may be present in the juices,.
from producing besides alcohol, lactic acid or butyric acid, which, when once
produced, would prevent the alcoholic fermentation from being carried out
completely.
From this additional use of formaldehyde thus results a higher yield of
alcohol.

page_text: The formaldehyde thus has the effect of counteracting noxious fermentations
while the saccharifying action of the diastase of malt, and the fermenting action of
the alcoholic yeast are not interfered with.
It is the discovery and application of this particular twofold quality which I
claim as my invention and, in fact these qualities have heretofore neither been
known nor employed.
Besides the herein before described operations the invention also comprises the
use of formaldehyde in variable proportions in connection with water, for the
purpose of steeping barley before the malting, that is to say before the germination
of latter; also for the purpose of preserving the malt by using water to which
formaldehyde has been added or by applying formaldehyde vapour thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1.....
¿
(1.). The use of formic aldehyde of its derivatives, compounds, ethers, additional
combinations, homologues and also of formic acid and its salts in the manufacture
of alcohol from: grain material or any other amylaceous substances, from malt' or
from acids; also in the treatment of any sugared substance in the preparation,
preservation: and amelioration of malt or its infusions destined for the distillery or
for any other industrial purposes.
:
(2.) The use of formaldehyde in variable proportions in connection with water
for the purpose of steeping barley before the inalting, that is to say before the
germination of the latter, also for the purpose of preserving the malt by using
water to which formaldehyde has been added or by applying formaldehyde vapour
thereto.
Dated On 3
duary 1070,
"HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
( )