A New Method of Killing Microbe-like Minute Living Organisms, such as Yeast Cells, Bacilli, and the like Contained in Wines, Alcoholic, and other similar Liquors.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
A New Method of Killing Microbe-like Minute Living Organisms, such
as Yeast Cells, Bacilli, and the like Contained in Wines, Alcoholic,
and other similar Liquors.
We WILHELM SPILKER, Manufacturer, of No. 11 Wallstrasse, Berlin, Prussia,
HERMANN BENDEL, Colonel, of San Francisco, California, United States of America,
MAX HAHN, Merchant 11 Wallstrasse, Berlin, Prussia, and CARL LOEWE, Manu-
facturer, of 22 Hollmannstrasse Berlin, Prussia, 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 a new method of killing microbe like minute living
organisms, such as yeast cells, bacilli and the like contained in wines, alcoholic and
other similar liquors.
This hereinafter described method has for its object to obviate a long storage of
wines, alcoholic liquors and the like which hitherto was always necessary; it is based
upon the new fact that under certain conditions a large number of minute plant
animals free and locomotive in wines, alcoholic and other similar liquors are killed by
the electric current without changing directly the physical condition of the wine or
liquor itself, while an alteration of the chemical condition of the wine, liquor etc., is
indicated by the formation of a flavour produced by the combination to esters of a
part of the free acid with the alcohol.
The process consists essentially in causing the wine or liquor to be treated to flow
at a great speed through an electric or magnetic field in such a manner, that the
direction of the electric or magnetic lines of force remains constantly the same as the
direction in which the wine or liquor circulates.
The circulation of the wine or liquor to be treated during the action of the electric
current is of principal importance, as the effect of the electric current on the liquor
when moving and circulating is far more considerable than on the liquor when at
rest. The effects produced by the electric current on the latter are indeed similar,
but there is required for obtaining the final result an incomparably long space of
time and consequently such a large quantity of electricity and so great an expenditure
in setting up the first plant, that an industrial working of the process is entirely
excluded. Only by the circulation used by us, such an industrial working has been
rendered possible.
We preferably employ for this purpose pipes made of glass or clay or any other suitable
material communicating with each other and inclosed by copper wire serving as a con-
ductor of electricity in such a manner that the wine or liquor flows continuously from a
positive to a negative element or inversely from a negative to a positive element.
Coils or serpentines made of clay are particularly suitable for the intended purpose.
When small wine for instance is caused to flow at a suitable speed through such an
apparatus, it is demonstrated that wine, which in entering the apparatus, is rich in
living cells, contains after having passed through the apparatus only dead cells. We
have found for instance that in fresh Moselle wine treated in the above described
manner the contents of tartaric acid were reduced from 0.85 to 0.75 per centage.
There is furthermore flavour given to the wine and the taste becomes less hard and
in general the wine treated according to this method obtains the properties of an old
aged wine. For treating 1000 litres of wine a current energy of about 7000 volt
ampère hours has generally been used, that is to say, in 12 hours about one cubic meter
of wine would be treated by means of 1 HP.
Analogous results have been obtained in treating cognac and other alcoholic
liquors, these liquors obtain by this treatment a milder taste and a flavour, which
properties are usually obtained only by a storage of several years.

page_text: In industrially carrying out this method the fact is of particular importance that no
other chemical alterations result from the electric treatment than those which are
in direct relation to the corrupting process of the living organism to be killed, such
as in treating wines the decrease of free acid and the chemical alterations connected
with the formation of the flavour, so that the inconveniences resulting for instance from
the Pasteurizing process are entirely obviated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The method of treating wine, alcoholic and other similar liquors for the purpose
of destroying the minute living organisms contained therein, which method consists
of causing the wine or liquor to pass in a continuous current through an electric or
magnetic field, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In carrying out the above characterised method the arrangement, that the
direction in which the liquor circulates is constantly the same as the direction of the
electric or magnetic lines of force, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Twelfth day of December 1889.