Improved Method and Apparatus for Collecting the Carbonic Acid Generated during the Fermentation of Beer or Wine.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method and Apparatus for Collecting the Carbonic Acid
Generated during the Fermentation of Beer or Wine.
We KARL MICHEL, Director and MORITZ FRANK, Merchant both of
84 Schvanthalerstrasse, Munich in the Empire of Germany do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Heretofore during the process of fermentation in the manufacture of beer or
wine, the carbonic acid produced has been allowed to pass away into the air and is
consequently lost.
The object of the present invention is to collect this carbonic acid, in order t
make practical use of it in the drawing off of the beer or in preparing so called
aerated beverages.
The vessel in which the fermentation proceeds is closed airtight but in such a
way that the carbonic acid produced is collected in an upper space or chest in said
vessel under a certain pressure, from 1 atmosphere upwards before it is led off by
suitable means.
The apparatus consists of the usual fermenting back or gyle tun or any other
suitable receptacle of the form of a barrel, or of cylindrical or other form made of
wrought iron or other suitable metal provided with a chest or a hermetically closed
cover.
The cover is provided with a number of windows closed by glass for inspection
of the process of fermentation; the cover contains a manhole with door for cleaning
the receptacle and the vessel is provided with an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, a
cock for delivery of the yeast, a glass gauge pipe for indicating the level of the
liquid and a through way cock with pressure gauge for leading off the carbonic
acid gas.
As soon as the pressure gauge shows the desired pressure, the carbonic acid gas
is led off through the cock into a collecting vessel and thence or also directly
from the fermenting vessel is drawn off for use.
For the purpose of drawing off beer from barrel's the carbonic acid is led through
a reducing valve to the barrel, in which it exerts a pressure.
In place of thus directly using the carbonic acid gas it may be stored in cylinders'
or receptacles under great pressure or be transformed thus into a liquid form without
requiring to be previously purified because it represents pure beer carbonic acid,
or when generated by the fermentation of wine pure vinous carbonic acid.
This carbonic acid thus differs from that artificially produced since it needs no
expensive process of purification.
In order that the fermentation may be performed without exerting any disturbance
or disadvantageous influence upon the quality of the beer, for brewing on a small
scale an ice float is arranged according to the size of the gyle-tun; it at the same
time forms a device for closing the manhole hermetically. This float serves to
respectively regulate the temperature of the fermenting liquid.

page_text: For brewing on a larger scale, the ice float is omitted and the usual
refrigerating arrangement used so that the beer may be always kept at a suitable
temperature.
R. HADDAN,
Agent for Applicant.
Improved Method and Apparatus for Collecting the Carbonic Acid
Generated during the Fermentation of Beer or Wine.
We KARL MICHEL, Director and MORITZ FRANK, Merchant, both of
84 Schvanthalerstrasse, Munich in the Empire of Germany, 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 the present invention is to collect carbonic acid in order to make
practical use of it in the drawing off of the beer or in preparing so called aerated
beverages.
The vessel in which the fermentation proceeds is closed airtightly, but in such a
way that the carbonic acid produced is collected in an upper space or chest in said
vessel under a certain pressure from 1 atmosphere upwards under which pressure it
is automatically carried over into a collecting vessel.
The annexed drawing illustrates the arrangement for performing this process
partly in section and partly in elevation.
The apparatus consists of the usual fermenting back or gyle-tun A or any other
suitable receptacle of barrel or cylindrical or other form, made of wood, wrought
iron ог other suitable metal, provided with a dome or hermetically closed
cover A¹.
The cover is provided with a window closed by glass for inspection of the process
of fermentation. It also contains a manhole with door which is of special
importance as hereinafter described. The vessel is provided with an inlet pipe, an
outlet pipe d, if necessary a cock e for delivery of the yeast, a glass gauge pipe c
for indicating the level of the liquid, and a through-way cock a with pressure
gauge.
As hereinafter described, the carbonic acid rises and fills the dome A¹ under
pressure; as soon as the pressure guage shows the desired pressure, the carbonic
acid gas passes off through the cock a into the collecting vessel B and may be
thence, or also directly from the fermenting vessel A, drawn off for use at f
being passed for instance through the washing vessel C to the tap B¹ supplying
to cask E.
In the new process, as above described, the fermenting tun is closed air tight and
provided with a closable manhole b. During the first few days this man-hole
should remain open so that the process of fermentation can be observed. To
enable as much atmospheric air as is necessary to be brought into the wort, the
required quantity is drawn up with the whole quantity of wort by the aid of an
aerating or ventilating apparatus.
When, after some days the condition of fermenting becomes visible, the process
of aerating may be repeated according as a higher or lower degree of fermentation
is to be obtained; thereupon the fermenting tuns are airtightly closed. Owing to
the thorough mixture of the wort with the yeast and the air, the fermenting process
begins to increase, so that after a very short time a considerable amount of carbonic
acid is generated; but as in consequence of the pumped in air, the carbonic acid
rising in the first instance, is mixed with a large amount of air, said rising mixture
of air and carbonic acid is drawn off by a valve arranged upon the cover of-the
fermenting tun.

page_text: After the air has thus been removed, the valve is closed and the carbonic acid is.
drawn off by its own pressure through the pipe a provided upon the cover, which.
pipe a leads to the receptacle B for the carbonic acid.
When the fermentation begins to decrease as is observable by the aid of the
saccharometer, the manhole cover is opened again and the process of fermentation.
brought to an end in the regular way.
Carbonic acid obtained in the manner described is particularly distinguished from
artificially produced carbonic acid by the fact that it does not need to be purified.
by elaborate and expensive devices before it is compressed as does carbonic acid
otherwise generated.
To enable the process of fermentation to be performed without disturbance and
without any disadvantageous influence upon the quality of the beer, an ice-float S is.
arranged corresponding in size to the dimensions of the fermenting tun, which ice.
float hermetically closes the man hole, but this ice float is only required where
brewing is carried on on a small scale. By the aid of this device the temperature-
of the material under fermentation can be regulated.
In brewing on a large scale said ice float is omitted and a refrigerator as already
in use substituted therefor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we are
aware that it has already been proposed to collect and utilize the carbonic acid
generated during the manufacture of beer and wine in closed fermenting vessels, we-
therefore make no claim for collecting this gas except in the manner herein set.
forth, but what we claim is.
1. The fermenting tun which is hermetically closable by a cover or dome A',-
this cover being provided with a mauhole with lid band adapted to receive an ice
float or equivalent refrigerating device, and also with a pipe for drawing off the
carbonic acid above the cover in connection with a pressure gauge and a cut off
cock.
2. The process of obtaining carbonic acid by the use of said apparatus or-
equivalent devices in the manner specified.
Dated this 24th day of February 1894
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C..