AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS FOR THE CLARIFICATION OF BEER
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake
"
& Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS FOR THE CLARIFICATION OF BEER
communicated to him from abroad by Doctor Hugo Kunheim, of Berlin and
Doctor W, Raydt, of Hanover, both in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1883.
37
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London, "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS FOR
THE CLARIFICATION OF BEER [A communication to him from abroad by Doctor
Hugo Kunheim, of Berlin and Doctor W. Raydt, of Hanover, both in the Empire
of Germany.]
This invention relates to an improved method or process for the clarification or
fining of beer in the fermenting vats and drawing the said beer from such vats
into casks or barrels.
The fermentation of wort in open vats occupies a shorter or longer time for its
completion. When this wort is fermented to a certain extent care is taken to close
the said vat, in consequence of which a portion of the carbonic acid produced in
the fermentation is left in the vat and causes an excess of pressure therein.
Moreover, the beer in this case being loaded with carbonic acid, a clarifying or
fining of the said beer is rendered necessary. Such clarifying however, cannot
always be effected successfully and the beer often remains thick and turbid.
When beer thus treated is drawn out of the said vats into casks, the bungs
thereof are slightly raised, the result being a decrease of pressure in these casks by
reason of the carbonic acid present in the beer being set at liberty and rising to the
surface of the said beer, carrying with it the solid substances which were precipitated
during fermentation and which are component parts of yeast. Thus even clarified
or fined beer remains more or less turbid; the casks or barrels filled with such
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page_text: beer containing too little carbonic acid whilst they hold more or less of the said
component parts of yeast.
These component parts of yeast which are present in casks or barrels in the
manner above described are required for causing in the said casks or barrels an
"after-fermentation" in order to produce the carbonic acid which is necessary for t
the preservation of the beer contained therein and which takes the place of the
carbonic acid that had been previously allowed to escape.
In this after fermentation, however, the beer often turns turbid and not
infrequently becomes sour, as it is not possible, when drawing the said beer from
the vats into casks or barrels, to know what quantity of yeasty matter should be
allowed to pass into the said casks or barrels.
According to tho present invention, in order to obviate the above mentioned
defects and the injury to the beer before and after its withdrawal from the vats,
I cause carbonic acid gas to act upon the surface of the beer contained in the vats,
this gas being produced by the expansion of liquid carbonic acid either at the
place where it is required or as near as possible thereto. Under the pressure
(easily regulated) of this carbonic acid, the yeasty matter contained in the beer is
precipitated after a shorter or longer time.
According to the size of the vat, and the class of beer contained therein, the
latter may require to be left for a few days under the pressure of carbonic acid
gas, small quantities of beer being now and then withdrawn and tested in order to
ascertain when the clarification is completed.
The beer is subsequently drawn from the vats into casks or barrels whilst still
under the pressure of carbonic acid gas, any substantial loss of such gas being
thereby prevented and no turbidity occurring in the said beer which is consequently
clear and so rich in carbonic acid that an after fermentation is rendered
unnecessary.
The beer thus drawn from the vats is therefore free from yeasty matter, and as
an after-fermentation is not needed the said beer is preserved in a better condition
than beer clarified by other methods.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Patent Office on the 29th April 1884.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake and Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS FOR THE
CLARIFICATION OF BEER A communication to me from abroad by Doctor Hugo
Kunheim of Berlin and Doctor W. Raydt, of Hanover both in the Empire of
Germany
33
This invention relates to an improved method or process for the clarification or
fining of beer in the fermenting vats and for drawing the said beer from such vats
into casks or barrels.
The fermentation of wort in open vats occupies a shorter or longer time for its
completion. When this wort is fermented to a certain extent care is taken to
close the said vat, in consequence of which a portion of the carbonic acid produced
in the fermentation is left in the vat and causes an excess of pressure therein.
Moreover, the beer in this case being loaded with carbonic acid a clarifying or
fining of the said beer is rendered necessary. Such clarifying, however, cannot
always be effected successfully and the boer often remains thick and turbid.
When beer thus treated is drawn from the said vats into casks, the bungs thereof
are slightly raised, the result being a decrease of pressure in these casks by reason
of the carbonic acid present in the beer being set at liberty and rising to the
surface of the said beer carrying with it the solid substances which precipitated
during fermentation and which are component parts of yeast. Thus even clarified
or fined beer remains more or less turbid; the casks or barrels filled with such beer
containing too little carbonic acid whilst they hold more or less of the said
component parts of yeast.
These component parts of yeast which are present in casks or barrels in the
manner above described are required for causing in the said casks or barrels an
"after-fermentation" in order to produce the carbonic acid which is necessary for
the preservation of the beer contained therein and to replace that which had been
previously allowed to escape.
In this after-fermentation, however, the beer often turns turbid and not
unfrequently becomes sour, as it is not possible when drawing the said beer from
the vats into casks or barrels to know what quantity of yeasty matter should be
allowed to pass into the said casks or barrels.
According to the present invention in order to obviate the above mentioned defects
and the injury to the beer before and after its withdrawal from the vats, I cause
carbonic acid gas to act upon the surface of the beer contained in the vats, this gas
being produced by the expansion of liquid carbonic acid either at the place where
it is required or as near as possible thereto. Under the pressure (easily regulated)
of this carbonic acid the yeasty matter contained in the beer is precipitated
According to the size of the vat and the class of beer contained therein the
latter may require to be left for a few days under the pressure of carbonic acid gas,
small quantities of beer being now and then withdrawn and tested in order to
ascertain when the clarification is completed.
The beer is subsequently withdrawn from the vata into casks or barrels whilst
still under the pressure of carbonic acid gas, any substantial loss of such gas being
thereby prevented and no turbidity occurring in the said beer, which is consequently
clear and so rich in carbonic acid that an after-fermentation is rendered
unnecessary.

page_text: The beer thus drawn from the vats is therefore free from yeasty matter, and as
an after-fermentation is not needed the said beer is preserved in a better condition
than beer clarified by other methods.
The above described simple process replaces in an advantageous manner the
"Pasteur" method of fermentation.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it
understood that I claim.
First:—The above described process for the clarification of beer contained in
vats, which process consists in introducing into the vats carbonic acid gas produced
by the expansion of liquid carbonic acid.
Second-When drawing beer from a vat into a cask or the like the introduction
of carbonic acid gas resulting from the expansion of liquid carbonic acid, for
preventing any appreciable loss of carbonic acid gas, and the beer from becoming
thick or turbid.
In witness whereof 1 the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty ninth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundrod and eighty four