Improvements in the Treatment of Ground Malt for Brewing Purposes, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1889
ROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Ground Malt for Brewing
Purposes, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY ANTHONY BIRRELL, of Castle Brewery, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:-
---
The object of my invention is to restore to ground malt, before being treated in the
mash tun, certain important qualities and properties imparted during the operation of
kiln-drying, and which said qualities and properties become in a great measure lost, or
deteriorated when the malt has been stored for any length of time after leaving
the kiln.
As is well known, anthracite coal is the fuel commonly employed in the kiln, and
its combustion is attended with the production of very small quantities of smoko,
creosote and sulphur dioxide, and when the kiln is arranged so that these products of
combustion have access to the malt, they impart to it an empyreumatic flavor as well
as certain antiseptic qualities of great value. By means of my invention, I treat the
ground malt just before entering the mash tun in such a manner that these
ampyreumatic and antiseptic proporties are restored, no matter how completely they
have been lost by long storage, so that malt treated at any time in accordance with
my invention, will be equal, if not superior, to malt used as soon as possible after
leaving the kiln.
In carrying out my invention in practice, I may treat the ground malt or grist, after
leaving the grinding rolls, in the hopper before it enters the mash tun, or I may treat
it in an ordinary mash tun having internal rakes.
In the first case I place within the hopper, a perforated shelf or suitably shaped
removable division, upon which the grist rests, and I introduce at the lower part of tho
hopper, and underneath the said shelf or division, the products of combustion from a
stove or furnace burning anthracite coal, a fan or other suitable blowing apparatus
being employed to force the said products through the malt and when the process
has continued sufficiently long for the malt to have regained the desired empyreu-
matic and antiseptic qualities the shelf or division is opened or moved to allow the
grist to fall into the mash tun, or external mashing machine. A shutter or valve inay
be placed in the bottom of the hopper to regulate the feed, or the movable shelf or
division may be so constructed as to serve this purpose.
In the second case I provide the mash tun with a specially arranged perforated false
bottom upon which the grist can rest, and I force the products of combustion from the
anthracite coal through the said false bottom and the grist as before; or I
may drivo
the said products under and through the perforated bottom usually supplied to
mash tuns.
Dated this 14th day of Decembe- 1000
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, S.W., Agont for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Ground Malt for Brewing
Purposes, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY ANTHONY BIRRELL, of Castle Brewery, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, Gentleman, 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:-
The object of my invention is to restore to ground malt, before being treated in the

page_text: mash tun, certain important qualities and properties, imparted during the operation of
kiln-drying, and which said qualities and properties become, in a great measure,
lost or deteriorated when the malt has been stored for any length of time after leaving
the kiln.
As is well known anthracite coal is the fuel commonly employed in the kiln fire,
and its combustion is attended with the production of very small quantities of smoke,
creosote, and sulphur dioxide, and when the kiln is arranged so that these products of
combustion have access to the malt, they impart to it an empyreumatic flavor as well
as certain antiseptic qualities of great value. By means of my invention, I treat the
ground malt, just before entering the mash tun, in such a manner that these empyren-
matic and antiseptic properties are restored no matter how completely they have
been lost by long storage, so that malt treated at any time in accordance with my
invention, will be equal, if not superior, to malt used as soon as advisablo after
leaving the kiln.
In carrying out my invention in practice, I treat the ground malt or grist, after
leaving the grinding rolls in the hopper or grist bin before it enters the mash tun.
The accompanying drawing represents a hopper, or grist bin in sectional elevation,
with my invention applied thereto.
A A is the casing of an ordinary hopper or grist bia. Within it is placed an
inner grist bin formed of any suitable perforated material. This inner grist bin
may be constructed in various ways; thus I find that a wooden frame, having strong
chease cloth, or strong coarse sacking stretched and nailed upon it, answers well
in practice. In place of this arrangement fine wire ganze, or finely perforated sheet
metal, supported upon a suitable framing may be employed. In the drawing B B is
the perforated material, the frame supporting the sides, and D B pillars
supporting the sloping bottom. A sufficient space E, is left between the outer and
inner cases. F is tho shoot through which the hopper is emptied into the mash
tun, a slido H being provided to regulate the flow. The opening of the bottom of the
inner case B, is closed by a tube J, formed of suitable perforated material, similarly
to the case B. This tube is closed at top but open at the lower end. A rack K
is attached to the top of the tube and a pinion L, operated by a crank M, gears with
the said rack, so that by rotating the crank the tubo J can be raised. To retain the
tube in position, guide rods N are provided, between which it slides.
P is a stove or furnace burning anthracite coal, it is provided with a chimney Q,
and hot air chamber R, with filter S formed of asbestos or other suitable material.
T is a fan having its inlet connected to the hot air chamber R by the pipe U, and its
outlet to the shoot 1 by the pipo V. As shewn in the drawing the pipe V is connected
to the bottom of the shoot by means of a flange joint and eyo bolts, but any other
convenient form of connection may be employed.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The stove P being charged with anthracite coal, and a little stone lime, the damper W,
which shuts off the hot air chamber, is closed and the damper W', communicating
with the chimney, is opened. When the fire burns brightly, the hopper being filled
with ground malt or grist, the damper W is closed, and the damper W openod, and
the fan T set in motion. By this means the products of combustion from the stove
are drawn through the filter S, and discharged into the spaco E between the cases A A
and. B B, and into the central tube J, and tho said products are forced through the
perforated material forming the caso B B and tube J, and diffused through the grist.
A deflector Y is attached to the bottom of the tube J to direct part of the inflowing
current into the space E, and so prevent the whole force of the current passing up
into the tube J. When this process has continued long enough for the grist to have
regained the desired empyreumatic and antiseptic qualities, the fan is stopped, the
pipo V disconnected and the tube J raised, thereby allowing the grist to fall out
through the shoot F into the wash tun.
A thermometer or pyromoter X, is fixed in a convenient situation in the spaco E, so
that if the heat of the blast exceeds 170°, or 175° Farenheit, it can be at once

page_text: detected and measures taken to reduce the temperature, and under no circumstances
is it advisable that the grist should be heated above 150° to 155° Farenheit.
I wish it to be understood that in carrying out my invention in practice, I do
not necessarily confine myself to the exact details of construction shewn in the
above described drawing. Thus the shape and arrangement of the double grist bin
may be altered as desired, provided that a sufficient space be left between the two
cases and that the inner one be suitably perforated, or so formed that the products of
combustion can be forced through it into the grist. Again a force pump, blowing
engine, or other similar apparatus may be employed in place of the fan, and I do
not confine myself to. the particular pattern of stove described and shewn in the
drawing.
I find in practice that in ordinary cases there should be a length of at least
forty feet of pipe between the hot air chamber R and the fan T, or between the fan
and the hopper, so that the heated air may be reduced in temperature, and in the
case of larger apparatus; the length of pipe should be still greater. Where space is
limited and the stove and fan have to be in the same room, the pipe may be bent
to and fro, or up and down, or in a coil, or otherwise conveniently arranged to obtain
the necessary length.
I am aware that it has been proposed to re-torrefy grist by forcing air through
it, which has been raised in temperature by passing through tubes heated externally
by steam, but this has the effect of charging the grist with impure air, for the microbes
and disease germs present in the atmosphere Hourish at a temperature of from 150°
to 180° Farenheit, and it is well known that these microbes, and disease germs form
one of the chief difficulties to be contended with in brewing. Now one of the great
advantages of my apparatus consists in the fact, that the air forced into the grist,
together with the aforesaid products of combustion, is absolutely pure being sterilized
by having to pass through the incandescent fuel in the stove or furnace, all the
microbes or disease germs being thereby destroyed.
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. Forcing or diffusing the products of combustion from anthracite coal, through
ground malt, before treatment in the mash tun, for the purpose of imparting thereto
an empyreumatic flavor and certain antiseptic qualities of great value.
2. Forcing or diffusing through ground malt, before treatment in the mash tun, air
which has been purified from microbes and disease germs by being passed through
burning anthracite coal.
3. Forcing or diffusing the products of combustion from anthracite coal, and
purified air, through ground malt while in the hopper or grist bin, before treatment
in the mash tun, for the purpose of imparting thereto an empyreumatic flavor and
certain antiseptic qualities of great value.
4. The combination with a hopper or grist bin, of an internal casing of suitable
perforated material, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
5. The combination with a hopper or grist bin, of an internal casing and a central
tube of suitable perforated material, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
6. The apparatus for forcing or diffusing the products of combustion from
anthracite coal, and purified air, through ground malt before treatment in the mash
tun, constructed substantially as herein described and shewn with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
1000
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.