Improved Process for Aerating and Purifying Beer Worts and Beer, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
[Communicated from abroad by AXEL BERGH, of Hanchsvej 20, Kopenhagen,
Denmark, Engineer.]
Improved Process for Aerating and Purifying Beer Worts and Beer,
and Apparatus therefor.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
A main condition in brewing is that both the wort as also the beer shall only come
in contact with a certain description of ferment, which is added to the wort in order
to induce the general fermenting process.
This can only be effected when the wort is conducted in a sterilized condition to
the fermenting house, that is to say, free from living organisms of all kinds. It is
therefore necessary that the wort that has become sterilized by boiling shall not have
foreign organisms introduced into it while cooling and undergoing aeration, this
being unavoidable in the processes now in use.
Hansens air analyses from 1879 to the present day show that the air is filled with
germs that are detrimental for the wort.
From this it follows (and this is also proved by experience,) that it is practically
impossible, while using cooling backs, to conduct the wort in a sterilized condition to
the fermenting houses. It has therefore been attempted to employ tubular cooling
apparatus instead of the cooling backs, but without obtaining sufficiently good results,
as the admission of air, and consequently the aeration of the wort was not sufficient,
resulting in an irregular fermentation. With other cooling apparatus the air supply
is doubtless sufficient, but the air is not pure, whereby the detrimental organisms
become introduced into the wort, and pass with the same to the fermenting and
storing houses. Before the fermentation the wort must not only be cooled, but at
the same time the suspended matter must be separated and a sufficient quantity of
pure air must be taken up.
This threefold operation can be carried out by means of the apparatus shewn on
the accompanying drawing.
A. is a centrifugal machine and B a cooling apparatus, which may be of any suitable
known construction. The wort is conducted directly from the hop vat to the centri-
fugal machine through the pipe a. The substances suspended in the wort are separated
by centrifugal action, and the wort is caused to pass at d into the pipe in which it
flows into the cooling apparatus B. The centrifugal machine is rendered air tight by
any suitable means and communicates with the outer atmosphere only through a pipe
provided with a cock and a cylindrical receptacle c. In this receptacle is a cotton
wool filter, or a filter of any other suitable material, so that the entering outer air is
filtered and consequently sterilized before it comes in contact with the wort. The
air supply can be regulated by the cock.
The apparatus has the following advantages as compared with known constructions.
1. The wort is led to the fermenting houses in an absolutely sterilized condition
while at the same time it is cooled, aerated to the required degree and freed from
impurities.
2. The apparatus can be readily cleaned and sterilized by means of steam.
3. The apparatus takes less room, so that the large cooling chambers can be used
for other purposes.
L

page_text: 5. Dripping bags are not required.
6. On account of the case with which the apparatus is cleansed and of the absence
of dripping bags, there is a saving of labor.
7. Losses due to residual wort are avoided.
It will be readily understood that the wort may be made to pass through the
cooling apparatus as well before as after the centrifugal operation.
The apparatus constructed by the French brewer Velten, (which is however based
on quite a different principle,) has proved to be of incalculable utility in the manu-
facture of beer, notwithstanding. its many detrimental features and it consequently
follows as a matter of course that an apparatus like that above described which does
not possess those detrimental features, and that is in addition of cheap construction,
must assume an important position in the working of breweries.
The after fermentation in the storage casks is just as important for the proper
preservation and quality of the beer as the principal fermentation.
In the artificial ferment there will always be mixed some wild ferment which is
consequently introduced into the wort together with the other ferment. During the
first stage of the fermenting process, no cells of wild ferment will be found in the
upper layer of the wort, as they only shew themselves towards the end of the process,
for which reason the larger portion thereof remains in the beer and passes with it
into the storage casks, where they carry out their destructive action.
"3
It would therefore be of importance, to be able to separate as perfectly as possible
the ferment cells from the finished fermented beer, and to effect the after fermentation
with "Hoch Kreutz or ferment, which cannot contain any wild ferment.
This can be effected by filtration, but this process is not only difficult and trouble-
some but also expensive, and is accompanied by no small risk.
The centrifugal process on the other hand is the surest, cheapest, and simplest
method of carrying out this operation.
The beer is led directly from the fermenting vat to the centrifugal apparatus and
from this to the storage casks.
But the centrifugal apparatus is not alone applicable for separating the residual
ferment cells in order to add "Hoch Kreutz" ferment. With this process ferment
cells can be employed for the main fermentation which impart to the beer certain
properties but which are not suited for the after fermentation.
These cells are afterwards separated and the after fermentation is effected by
means of suitable descriptions of ferment. The ripeness of the beer for consumption
can also be controlled by employing for the after fermentation ferments that clarify
either rapidly or slowly.
It also happens sometimes that notwithstanding that the fermentation has reached
the desired point, more ferment remains behind than it is desired to introduce into the
storage casks, and the only thing to be done in that case is to allow the fermentation
(which is probably a defective one) to continue for some time. If on the other hand
the cells are separated by means of the centrifugal apparatus, this is of course avoided,
and the risk of introducing a probably defective ferment into the storage casks is thus
obviated.
From what has been said above it will be readily seen that the use of the centrifugal
apparatus will also play an important role in the transference of the beer from the
fermenting vats to the storage casks.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process for Aerating and Purifying Beer Worts and Beer,
and Apparatus therefor.
I, OLIVER IMRAY, of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents 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 developments effected in the brewing industry have latterly been and will in
the future still be directed towards the elimination of the micro-organisms which
may be considered as the enemies of beer. In this endeavour the centrifugal machine,
as is shewn by the present invention, will play an important part. A main condition
in brewing is that both the wort as also the beer shall only come in contact with a
certain description of ferment, which is added to the wort in order to induce the
general fermenting process.
This can only be effected when the wort is conducted in a sterilized condition to
the fermenting house, that is to say, free from living organisms of all kinds. It is
therefore necessary that the wort that has become sterilized by boiling shall not have
foreign organisms introduced into it while cooling and undergoing aeration, this being
unavoidable in the processes now in use.
Hansens air analyses from 1879 to the present day shew that the air is filled with
germs that are detrimental for the wort..
From this it follows (and this is also proved by experience) that it is practically
impossible while using cooling backs, to conduct the wort in a sterilized condition to
the fermenting houses. It has therefore been attempted to employ tubular cooling
apparatus instead of the cooling backs, but without obtaining sufficiently good results,
as the admission of air, and consequently the aeration of the wort was not sufficient,
resulting in an irregular fermentation. With other cooling apparatus the air supply
is doubtless sufficient, but the air is not pure, whereby the detrimental organisms
become introduced into the wort, and pass with the same to the fermenting and storing
houses.
Before the fermentation the wort must not only be cooled, but at the same time the
suspended matter must be separated and a sufficient quantity of pure air must be
taken up.
This threefold operation can be carried out by means of the apparatus shewn on
the drawing accompanying my Provisional Specification.
A is a centrifugal machine and B a cooling apparatus, which may be of any suit-
able known construction. The wort is conducted directly from the hop vat to the
centrifugal machine through the pipe a. The substances suspended in the wort are
separated by centrifugal action, and the wort is caused to pass at d into the pipe b in
which it flows into the cooling apparatus B. The centrifugal machine is rendered air
tight by any suitable means and communicates with the outer atmosphere, only
through a pipe provided with a cock and a cylindrical receptacle c. In this receptacle
a cotton wool filter, or a filter of any other suitable material, so that the entering
outer air is filtered and consequently sterilized before it comes in contact with the
wort. The air supply can be regulated by the cock.
The apparatus has the following advantages as compared with known constructions.
1. The wort is led to the fermenting houses in an absolutely sterilized condition
while at the same time it is cooled, aerated to the required degree and freed from
impurities.
2. The apparatus can be readily cleaned and sterilized by means of steam.
3. The apparatus takes less room, so that the large cooling chambers can be used
for other purposes.
The
lid and stra

page_text: 6. On account of the ease with which the apparatus is cleansed and of the absence
of dripping bags, there is a saving of:lahor.
7. Losses due to residual wort are avoided.
It will be readily understood that the wort may be made to pass through the cooling
apparatus as well before as after the contrifugal operation.
The apparatus constructed by the French 'brewer Velten (which is however 'based
on quite a different principle).has proved to be of incalculable utility in the manu-
facture of beer, notwithstanding its many detrimental features, and it consequently
follows as a matter of course that an apparatus like that above described which does
'not possess those detrimental features, and that is in addition of cheap construction,
'must assume an important position in the working of breweries.
The after fermentation in the storage casks is just as important for the proper
preservation and quality of the beer as the principal fermentation.
In the artificial ferment there will always be mixed some wild ferment which is
'consequently introduced into the wort together with the other ferment. During the
first stage of the fermenting process, no cells of wild ferment will be found in the
upper layer of the wort, as they only shew themselves towards the end of the process,
for which reason the larger portion thereof remains in the beer and passes with it into
the storage casks, where they carry out their destructive action.
It would therefore be of importance, to be able to separate as perfectly as possible
the ferment cells from the finished fermented beer, and to effect the after fermentation
with "Hoch Kreutz "
or ferment, which cannot contain any wild ferment.
This can be effected by filtration, but this process is not only difficult and trouble-
some but also expensive and it is accompanied by no small risk.
The centrifugal process on the other hand is the surest, cheapest, and simplest
method of carrying out this operation.
The beer is led directly from the fermenting vat to the centrifugal apparatus and
from this to the storage casks.
But the centrifugal apparatus is not alone applicable for separating the residual
ferment cells in order to add "Hoch Kreutz" ferment.
With this process ferment cells can be employed for the main fermentation which
impart to the beer certain properties but which are not suited for the after
fermentation.
These cells are afterwards separated and the after fermentation is effected by means
of suitable descriptions of ferment. The ripeness of the beer for consumption can
also be controlled by employing for the after fermentation ferments that clarify either
rapidly or slowly.
It also happens sometimes that notwithstanding that the fermentation has reached
the desired point, more ferment remains behind than it is desired to introduce into the
storage casks, and the only thing to be done in that case is to allow the fermentation
(which probably a defective one) to continue for some time. If on the other hand
the cells are separated by means of the centrifugal apparatus, this is of course
avoided, and the risk of introducing a probably defective ferment into the storage
casks is thus obviated.
From what has been said above it will be readily seen that the use of the centri-
fugal apparatus will also play an important role in the transference of the beer from
the fermenting vats to the storage casks.
'Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The herein described method of separating the suspended particles from worts or
beer by means of centrifugal action.
2. The herein described method of simultaneous freeing worts from suspended
particles and supplying the same with sterilized air.
3. The herein described method of conducting the worts.from the boiling vat or

page_text: nop strainer through the centrifugal apparatus and the cooling apparatus to the
fermenting vat without bringing the wort during its transit in contact with other than
sterilized air, the supply of such air being at the same time regulated at will.
4. The construction of centrifugal apparatus for aerating and purifying beer
worts and beer herein described with reference to the drawing accompanying my
Provisional Specification which may be combined with a cooling apparatus of any
suitable construction, and which consists mainly of an air tight casing containing a
centrifugal drum, a supply pipe a a discharge pipe b with orifice d and an air supply
pipe with filtering chamber c and regulating cock.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.