Improvements in Seasoning Casks Intended to Contain Wine, Spirits, and other Delicate Liquids, Ale, Stout, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seasoning Casks Intended to Contain Wine,
Spirits, and other Delicate Liquids, Ale, Stout, and the like.
1, FRANCISCO IVISON, of Jerez de la Frontera, in the Kingdom of Spain,
Doctor of Science, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the seasoning of casks preparatory to their being filled
with wine, spirits or other liquid which by reason of its flavour or aroma or other-
wise is liable to injury or deterioration if placed in unseasoned or insufficiently
seasoned casks.
Hitherto the seasoning of wooden casks and the various processes or aids for
accomplishing or hastening the same have occupied considerable time, generally
some months, and my invention, among other advantages, enables the seasoning to.
be accomplished in a very much shorter time than has hitherto been practicable,
say for example in one to a few days.
All kinds of wood generally used for the manufacture of casks contain soluble
constituents such as tannin, essential oils and the like which are more or less
harmful to the wines or other like contents and such objectionable matters vary in
their proportions and quantity in different kinds of wood.
Now by my invention the injurious effects of these substances are prevented:
According to my invention I employ ammonia, either in the gaseous state or
mixed with steam or in solution and either hot or cold, and either alone or I may
use therewith other gases or substances such as hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine, czone,
air, and soda and potash or salts thereof or other alkalies, by way of addition to
the ammonia according to the character of the wood to be seasoned.
The application of ammonia either alone or with other materials may be
conveniently made by pouring liquid ammonia into the cask to be seasoned und
then admitting steam under pressure into the cask for about an hour, after which
the ammonia may be washed out by means of a steam jet applied for a few minutes
after which the cask should be rinsed with clean water.
Dated the 26th day of June 1896.
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Seasoning Casks Intended to Contain Wine,
Spirits, and other Delicate Liquids, Ale, Stout, and the like.
I, FRANCISCO IVISON, of Jurez de la Frontera, in the Kingdom of Spain,
Doctor of Science, 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 :-
My invention relates to the seasoning of new casks preparatory to their being filled
with wines, spirits, or other liquid which by reason of its flavour or aroma or

page_text: otherwise is liable to injury or deterioration if placed in unseasoned or insufficiently
seasoned easks.
Hitherto the seasoning of new wooden casks and the various processes or aids
for accomplishing or hastening the same have occupied considerable time, generally
some months, and my invention among other advantages, enables the seasoning to
be accomplished in a very much shorter time than has hitherto been practicable,
say for example in one to a few days.
All kinds of wood generally used for the manufacture of casks contains soluble
constituents such as tannin, essential oils, and the like which are more or less
harmful to the wine or other the contents, and such objectionable matters vary in
their proportions and quantity in different kinds of wood.
Now by my invention the injurious effects of these substances are prevented.
According to my invention I emply ammonia either in the gaseous state or mixed
with steam or in solution and either hot or cold, and either alone or I may use
therewith other gages or substances such as hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine, ozone, air,
and sods and potash or salts thereof, or other alkalies, by way of addition to the
ammonia according to the character of the wood to be seasoned.
The method of operating, according to my invention, which I find most convenient
and which is well adapted for use on a commercial scale, is as follows:-
I pour a certain quantity of liquid ammonia into the cask to be seasoned and
I then close the cask and connect it with a pipe from a steam boiler, so that the
cask becomes filled with a mixture of steam and air at the boiler pressure and
I leave it thus for about one hour and a half more or less, according to the
circumstances.
The steam as it first enters the cask is some of it condensed, and mixes at or near
the boiling temperature with the liquid ammonia which it volatilisus, and the
ammoniacal vapour mixing with the steam is brought into contact with every part
of the interior of the cask at a temperature and pressure and under circumstances
very favourable to the action which it is désired to promote.
The quantity of ammonia to be used is not very strictly limited and admits of
considerable variation, but a quantity which answers well is as follows:-
If a cask of the capacity known as an octave, say about 63 litres, is to he
seasoned I find it best to use about 0.425 litres of liquid ammonia of sp. gr. .940
to -930.
For casks which are larger or smaller than the above named, more or less
ammonia must be used, and the quantity should be in the same ratio to the
superficial area of the internal surface of the cask as in the above example.
The steam pressure to be employed may according to circumstances be from
7 to 25 pounds on the square inch; about 15 pounds is a very convenient pressure
and gives very entisfactory results.
After being thus treated the eask should be washed out by being placed over a
steam jet for a short time, say for example, 5 minutes, after which it may be finally
rinsed with clean water.
Casks made of American oak require longer treatment and more ammonia than
those made of European wood on account of the large amount or strength of the
deleterious matter contained in the wood and such casks may be treated with from
25 per cent., to 50 per cent. more ammonia and the steaming may be continued for
nearly or about double the time applicable to other kinds of oak.
When it is required to use any one or more of the other ingredients hereinbefore
named, in addition to the ammonia, it or they may be most conveniently introduced
into the cask before the steaming is commenced, and either in the gaseous state or
in solution.
If the ammonia be applied at the normal temperature, that is to say, without
steam or other equivalent means or device, the effect is less rapid and less perfect,
but substantially the same results may be obtained.
New casks after treatment as above are immediately fit to be filled with wine or
the like, and are as effectually seasoned as casks which have been subjected to the

page_text: usual treatment for months, so that it becomes unnecessary to keep a large stock
of casks in hand for the purpose of a protracted seasoning, and kinds of wood, for
instance such as American oak, hitherto considered objectionable, can be used
without danger of their imparting any deleterious flavour or quality to the
contents.
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. The method of seasoning casks intended to contain wine, spirits, and other
delicate liquids, ale, stout, and the like, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. Seasoning new casks by treating them with ammonia either as herein before
described, or without the use of steam.
3. The use of ammonia either with or without the addition of hydrogen, oxygen,
chlorine, ozone, soda or potash or salts thereof or other alkalies for the purpose
of seasoning new casks substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
Dated the 12th day of October 1896.
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Applicant.