IMPROVEMENTS IN BREWING AND DISTILLING; AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO THE SEPARATION OF LIQUIDS FROM SOLIDS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Littell Tizard at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
October 1864.
I, WILLIAM LITTELL TIZARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Brewers' Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN BREWING AND DISTILLING; AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO THE SEPARATION OF LIQUIDS FROM
SOLIDS," to be as follows:-.
The chief object of the improvements in which my present Invention
consists is to render the Bavarian process of. vinous fermentation commonly
practicable by, and otherwise suited to the requirements of brewers and dis-
tillers who have hitherto been unable to practise it, whether in consequence of
their breweries or distilleries being situated in countries the climates of which
do not present naturally (or at least not at any fixed and regularly recurring
season or seasons, or, as a rule, for more than very short periods. at a time)
those conditions under which alone vinous fermentation can be successfully
conducted on the principles on which the Bavarian practice is founded, and
with the, important advantages which attend that. practice, or on account of.
some of the other conditions which have hitherto hampered the practice of
Bavarian process, not being in accordance with the special necessities of their
trade, or from both these reasons combined. What is here spoken of as the
Bavarian process of vinous fermentation is that process, hitherto confined to
the best brewers of Bavaria, the advantages and, chief features of which are

page_text: "
stated by Dr. Liebig in his work on Chemistry in its Applications to Agri-
culture and Physiology."
The essential characteristics of the Bavarian system consist in the fermen-
tation being conducted at a temperature "never allowed to rise above from
45° to 50° Fahrenheit," and in the azotised constituents of the wort being
oxydised, not at the expense of any of the sugar of the wort, but solely by the
oxygen of the atmosphere, the low temperature being essential not only to
prevent the azotised constituents of the wort baving the power to seize oxygen
from the sugar of the wort, and thereby to render so much of the sugar
unavailable for conversion into alcohol, but likewise to enable the wort to be
freely exposed to the air in order that its azotised constituents may be oxydised
by atmospheric oxygen without the alcohol generated by the fermentation
being oxydised also. Although to facilitate this oxydisement by the atmosphere
of the azotised constituents of his wort the Bavarian brewer uses very shallow
gyles, which expose direct contact with the atmosphere a very large surface
of wort, he nevertheless finds the process of oxydisement so slow as to extend
over "from three to six weeks." The Bavarian system, therefore, as followed
hitherto is practicable only in countries in which a temperature not higher
than from 45° to 50° uniform for periods of from three to six weeks is of
frequent occurrence. In Great Britain such a temperature continuous.for so
long a period perhaps never occurs, and certainly could not be relied on to
recur frequently or. at regular intervals and at fixed seasons, and of so many
other countries is this equally, true, that the Bavarian process has hitherto
been confined solely to Bavaria, while even in Bavaria it has been practicable
only in the: winter: By the method: of procedure and the apparatus. and
appliances for carrying it: out; which constitute the chief part of my present
Invention, I render, the. great advantages which result from the management
of vinous fermentation on the principles on which the. Bavarian practice is
founded; available to brewers, distillers, and wine: makers who do not enjoy
advantages of climate: naturally suited to the Bavarian process as conducted
hitherto, and whom it would not suit to have to allow "from three to six
weeks for the process of fermentation, or to be able to work only during a
part of the year.
1.
The first part of my Invention relates to cooling atmospheric air below the
average mean temperature of a British climate, say 52° F.; and in applying it,
among other cooling purposes, to the cooling of water, worts, fermenting,
and store. rooms, and to oxydising worts during their fermentation; thereby
enabling the brewer to decarbonize-his worts more- expeditiously and at tem-
peratures from 15° to 25° F. lower than heretofore, whereby a lighter, softer,

page_text: finer flavored, better preserving, and a more spirituous article is produced than
by any other means extant.
The second part of my Invention relates to the construction of cooling.
apparatus by which to correct the varying temperature of the atmosphere and
to meet the requirements of; the operator, whether, brewer, distiller, or wine
maker. The apparatus consists of a strong iron cylinder lined with.coils of
copper tubing and containing a hollow rouser. Its exterior is fitted with a
pressure guage, a thermometer, and air pump; this is called the high
pressure cylinder. There is also another cylinder of similar dimensions, but
not, necessarily so strong, which is furnished exteriorly with a thermometer
and pressure guage; this is called the low-pressure cylinder.. These two
cylinders are connected by means of a pipe and cock and a differential self-
acting valve apparatus which regulates the pressure, of air in the low-pressure
cylinder. On, working the air pump, the high-pressure cylinder is filled with
air until the pressure guage indicates from 150 to 200 lbs.; during and at
the termination of this operation considerable heat is- developed. by such
concentration, in short the latent heat of the air becomes serisible, to the
thermometer, which now indicates, for example, 75% degrees Far: Cold or well
water is now passed through the pipes and rouser, and the latter put in motion
until the air is reduced in temperature to that of the water, or nearly so, say,
to 53°, when a little of this cool air is turned into the low-pressure cylinder
and cut off by the self-acting valves at any degree of tension required, which
usually ranges from one to three, pounds, and there presents itself ready for
use at a further reduced heat of some 10° or 15°, which reduction is owing to
the dilatation of both the air and its habitant caloric, on being released from
high to low pressure. Pipes and cocks connect the low-pressure cylinder to
the fermenting and store rooms, fermenting vessels, refrigerating or any
apparatus, place, or purpose in which air at about 38° or 40° may from time
to time be required. Where air-cooling apparatus is required on a small
scale or of a less costly nature, I dispense with the higher-pressure cylinder
and substitute therefor a tubular receptacle (made on the principle of a common
refrigerator) and lay it in a trough of running well water and connect its exit
end with the low-pressure cylinder before described.
The third part of my Invention relates to a novel cooling apparatus or
refrigerator which is specially adapted to the expeditous cooling of worts with
cold air and water together, by which alone the. extraordinary low pitching
temperature of 45° here required is attainable. To this end I construct a
series of cellular of plates. of tinned copper tubes, of a somewhat oval form in
section, having holes at their ends for the transmission of water and air

page_text: through them. These hollow plates are placed upright, and about one inch
apart, with their tubular petitions horizontally, the ends of which are closed
by movable doors, each of which is lined with vulcanized rubber to make
the instrument water and air-tight. One of the doors contains hollow
passages through which the cooling media pass, and which communicate with
the interior of the top and bottom of each plate alternately. The spaces
between the plates are wort channels. These, when in use, are partially
filled with movable petitions, whereby the wort spaces are reduced to from
one-inch to of an inch wide. These petitions are taken out separately
when the wort channels of the instrument are scrubbed out. The hot wort
enters the refrigerator between the highest plate and the first-petition and
descends beneath the lowest edge of the latter, and then rises between the
narrow space formed by its other side and the next plate, over the top of
which the wort passes, when it descends as before until it is cooled sufficiently
for the operator's purpose, say, to from 44 to 46°. In the meantime the air
issues from the low-pressure cylinder at a tension of less than eight ounces
per square inch, and is charged with a small stream of well water which
enters the air pipe before it reaches the refrigerator, through which both fluids
flow together in an opposite direction to that of the one wide and thin sheet
of wort. The power of the instrument is enlarged by withdrawing the cooling
média by means of a rotary fan placed on its exit pipe, which increases the
dilatation and speed of the moistened air, and consequently its cooling power.
It is a part of this Invention to enclose the fermenting room, or each
fermenting vessel, separately by means of a double casing or either brick or
wood work, and to enter the chambers so formed through two doors to prevent
an exchange of air at such times as they may be opened for the inspection of
the gyles. A small valve-like opening is made in the floor or stage for the
occasional descent of the expelled gases, and a similar opening is made in the
roof or ceiling for the escape of the warmest air. Under ordinary circum-
stances the atmosphere (besides either checking or stimulating the process)
vaporises and absorbs the most volatile principles of a fermenting wort as
much in proportion to its dryness as to its temperature or barometrical con-
dition. Such influences are here precluded by moistening the cooled air_by.a
jet of well water before it enters the fermenting chambers, which adds to its
cooling power. Thus an artificial climate of about 40°, and uniformly cool,
always fills the fermenting room and envelopes the fermenting vessels, to the
exclusion of external influences, which provision's harmonize with the principle
on which the new system is founded..
Part of my Invention consists in oxydising the azotised ingredients of worts

page_text: or wash outside the formenting vessel. I enclose an ordinary fermenting
tun and add a perforated tinned copper dish or colander, which is placed a
few feet above the surface of the fermenting fluid, and I occasionally pump
up into it about one-tenth of the gyle, which falls in small streams through-
the cold atmosphere, with which the chamber enclosing the tun is always
charged, on to the surface of the gyle. Thus the carbonic acid gas, that great
obstructive in fermentation, especially at low temperatures, is sifted out of the
wort and the yeast absorbs only as much oxygen as it can appropriate within
reasonable time, while the temperature of the gyle is kept down to any point
ranging from 44° to 50° by passing a blast of air and water through attem-
perators immersed in the wort or wash.
4
Part of my Invention consists in placing a perforated coil of tubing a few
inches above the bottom of a fermenting vessel and injecting through it
cooled, but dry air, from the low pressure cylinder. The modus operandi is
as follows:-Eight or ten hours after the wort is pitched or set to ferment.at
the requisite temperature, say 45°, and with the necessary quantity of yeast,
which is from one to three ounces per barrel (instead of as many pounds, as
heretofore) the cold-air cock is turned on, when the air, by its inherent ten-
sion, passes through the perforated pipe and, in innumerable broken streams
or globules; drives the carbonic acid gas out of the gyle and occupies its place";
a few minutes injection will raise the yeasty fob some ten or twelve inches
high, when the cock is turned off; the frothy head breaks and disappears in
the course of a few minutes. The injection of air, and consequent ejection
of carbonic acid gas, is resumed every five or six hours, and continued
periodically until the saccharometer shows that the attenuation of the liquor
is complete, which it is at from 4 to 6 lbs. I employ meters to ascertain and
regulate the quantity of air admitted into the gyles. In some cases I intro-
duce my cold air into union or cleansing casks by carrying an air pipe to near
the bottom of the cask, and to distribute the air I use a perforated spreader
in which the bottom of the air pipe terminates. This introduction of the air
not only oxygenates the beer or ale, but assists in driving off the yeast, which
rises to the top of the cask and enters a yeast trough.
The two chief products of fermentation consist of a vinous liquor and yeast.
With a view to their economy I subject the latter to a speedy and uninter-
rupted separation by passing it through a a filter which is constructed of four
metallic cylinders of unequal diameters placed upright and concentrically
one inside the other and about 1 inch apart. . The outer and inner cylinders,
videlicit, the largest and the smallest, are made of brass or iron, and the two
intermediate cylinders are made of strong woven brass wire or galvanized iron

page_text: wire. The smallest of the latter is covered with fustian cloth, and the largest
is lined with that or similar material. These four cylinders are placed on a
base plate which has a hole in its middle nearly as large as the smallest
cylinder. Two ring-like covers enclose the upper ends of the four cylinders
and leave the space between the top ends of the two wire cylinders open for
the emission of the dried yeast. The base plate and covers are bolted air-
tight, with rubber packing, against the ends of the cylinders, forming two
enclosed concentric chambers, videlicit, one between the two largest cylinders
and the other, between the two smallest; these are vacuum or beer channels.
An adjusting valve closes or opens the upper aperture between the two wire
cylinders by which the quantity or condition of the issuing yeast is regulated.
Connected with the bottom of the base plate are two-pumps, one of which
injects the fluid yeast into the annular space which is between the cloths of
the two wire cylinders, and the other pump exhausts the space which exists
on the other side of the latter, and by forming a partial vacuum therein
accelerates the exudation of the fluid (beer) through the filtering medium.
Thus the separation of fluid and solid is effected by compression inside the
cloths and exhaustion on their outsides at the same time, while the dry yeast
is forced upwards and falls through the inner cylinder into a tub or other
receptacle. To guard against excessive pressure I place a safety valve on the
yeast-injection pipe. This filtering apparatus is unlike all others because it
is self-disgorging, and being continuous in its action does not require dis-
memberment to be emptied or cleaned. It is applicable to, the separation
of liquids from solids generally.