IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRIT AND FERMENTED LIQUORS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McGaan, of 38, Dale Street, Liverpool, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SPIRIT AND
FERMENTED LIQUORS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McGaan at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th February 1880.
JOHN MCGAAN, of 38, Dále Street, Liverpool. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SPIRIT AND FERMENTED LIQUORS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of spirit and
fermented liquors.
At the present time spirit is sometimes produced from maize, but there are
difficulties in the process, especially in respect to the disposal of the residues.
Now according to my Invention in place of using maize I employ a glucose
prepared from maize, or it might be from other grain, but it is most economically
prepared from maize, and in order to ferment this glucose until the whole or prac-
tically the whole of it is converted into spirit I employ yeast together with mineral
salts and material suitable to nourish the yeast.
For this purpose ammoniacal tartrate, potassic phosphate, calcic phosphate,
magnesia sulphate are suitable. By this addition to glucose of substances suitable
to nourish the yeast and to maintain its activity I am able to ferment glucose by
itself to the extent of complete conversion, whereas heretofore this has not been
practicable.
Glucose has already, I would remark, been used by brewers, but they have only
been able to employ it together with malt in large proportion, and this notwith-
standing that for brewing the complete conversion of the saccharine into spirit is
not desired.
The addition to the glucose according to my Invention of salts suitable to nourish
the yeast will enable brewers to make use of glucose in any proportion they may
consider desirable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John McGaan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th August
1880.
JOHN MCGAAN, of 38, Dale Street, Liverpool.
FACTURE OF SPIRIT AND FERMENTED LIQUORS."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of spirit and
fermented liquors.
At the present time spirit is sometimes produced from maize, but there are
difficulties in the process, especially in respect to the disposal of the residues.
Now according to my Invention in place of using maize I employ a glucose
prepared from maize, or it might be from other grain, but it is most economically
prepared from maize, and in order to ferment this glucose until the whole or prac-
tically the whole of it is converted into spirit I employ yeast together with materials
suitable to nourish the yeast.
By this addition to glucose of substances suitable to nourish the yeast and to
maintain its activity I am able to ferment glucose by itself to the extent of complete
conversion, whereas heretofore this has not been practicable.
The wash or fermented liquor thus obtained when distilled yields spirit.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the method in which it is preferred to conduct
the manufacture.
The glucose which I employ is readily obtainable in the market. It is usually
made from maize by digesting the meal of this grain under pressure with dilute
sulphuric acid. Practically the whole of the starch of the meal is thus converted.
Afterwards the acid is neutralized, and the glucose solution is evaporated to facilitate
transport.
I take glucose as it is found in commerce; it should be a sample in which
practically complete conversion has been effected; or I manufacture a glucose for
my use by the known processes.
I dissolve this glucose in water. To ferment the solution I employ yeast, which
I add in the proportion of three quarters of a part by weight of well drained yeast
for every hundred parts of glucose; also as a yeast food I add the clear extract or
wort obtained by mashing from five to ten parts of malt. The liquor should be
set for fermentation at a temperature of about 25° C., and at a specific gravity of
1055 (water being 1.000).
Malt extract is the yeast food which I generally find to be the best, but I can
also employ mineral salts. Thus the addition to the glucose solution of the following
salts will be found to cause the yeast to be nourished in a satisfactory manner:-
Potassium acid phosphate
"
"
carbonate
silicate
Ammonium dextrotartrate
-
1.30 parts.
0.86
"
-
0.04
-
1.50
"
دو

page_text: The spirit obtained by distillation of the wash is of a finer quality than that
which results from the distillation of a wash prepared by mashing maize meal with
malt, as is sometimes done at present, and in addition a greater yield of spirit is
obtained from a given quantity of maize. An advantage also of the highest
importance is that the manufacture of spirit may by this Invention be carried on
where there are no facilities for the disposal of residues. This applies whether
malt extract or wort or mineral salts be employed, as the yeast food for the extract
or wort may be prepared at a distance in a concentrated form and packed in casks
for conveyance to the distillery.
In place of yeast a wine ferment may be employed where this is more readily
obtainable.
At the present time when maize meal is used by distillers and mashed with malt
to produce a wort, a preliminary treatment of the maize meal with dilute acid, but
without pressure, is sometimes resorted to. The advantage of this treatment is that
it causes the wort produced by the mashing to separate from the residue much more
freely than it otherwise would. This acid treatment however also has the effect of
converting an insignificant proportion of the starch of the meal into glucose, but
the great bulk of the starch is always converted by the mashing operation with
malt into maltose and dextrine, the latter of which is as far as the distiller is
concerned, a useless product.
Glucose has already, I would also remark, been used by brewers, but they have
only been able to employ it together with malt in large proportion, and this not-
withstanding that for brewing the complete conversion of the saccharine into spirit
is not desired.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The manufacture of spirit from glucose (as the same is found in commerce)
by distilling a wash prepared by dissolving the said glucose in water and fer-
menting it by the addition of yeast food and yeast or like ferment, substantially as
described.
Second. The manufacture of a fermented liquor or wash from glucose without
putting it through any mashing operation, but by fermenting it with the aid of
yeast food and yeast or like ferment, substantially as described.
Third. The manufacture of spirit by the process substantially as herein described,
by which process maize or other starch containing material is made to yield spirit
without being put through any mashing operation, but by the starch being con-
verted into glucose, and the glucose fermented with the aid of yeast food and yeast
or like ferment.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McGaan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.