IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BREWING PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do bereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BREWING
PURPOSES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improved apparatus for carrying on brewing as a
continuous operation. Fig. 1 of the Drawings shews a diagram of the combined
apparatus for this purpose. The vessels A'B' O' serve for the reception of the
mash; they are provided with a charging opening a closed by a cover, through
which the ground malt is introduced into them together with cold water, and they
contain a stirring apparatus c, d which is rotated from a driving shaft by means of
fast and loose pullies and driving belt. The pipes a' connect the vessels with an
evacuating apparatus, while the pipes b lead to the centrifugal apparatus L. This
apparatus is shewn in vertical section at Fig. 2; the drum A, open at top and
bottom, is connected by ribs at C with the lower and inner part B, which is fixed
on the driving shaft I. A double tubular funnel D, carried by the cover F and
held in position by the projecting rim a, reaches down into the drum; it consists
of an inner part E and an outer part D, which do not rotate, and through which
the liquid to be acted upon enters the druin, being supplied through the pipe b.
The liquid is directed by the funnels D E so as to issue at C into the rotating
drum, where it is at once thrown against the sides and there separated by the
centrifugal action into two parts of different density. The specifically lighter
portion is thrown over the upper lip R of the drum and collects in the space G
whence it flows off through the spout G. The specifically heavier portion escapes
at bottom at H, in the first instance mixed with some liquid, until, by the
formation of a solid layer, the passage of liquid is prevented. Near the upper
lip R is a screen consisting of fine wire gauze which retains the small solid
particles still suspended in the escaping liquid. The cylindrical projection S round
the funnel D prevents the escape of the liquid otherwise than through the wire
gauze.
The bottom of the drum bas a projecting rim L'acting as a guard for preventing
the material that escapes below from finding its way to the bearing of the axis I.

page_text: While the drum is in operation air enters it through the opening e and mingles
partly with the liquid issuing at C so as to impregnate it with oxygen, and also to
act as a cooling medium. The air escapes either with the liquid or through the
openings fin the upper part of the funnel D.
Figs. 2 and 2b shew a modification of the above described apparatus in which
the screen is arranged in the chamber G instead of at R; the air escape openings f
are here formed in the cover F. At the point H where the heavy material escapes
a ring shaped slide Y is provided, which is turned so as to close the openings o on
first starting the machine, so as to prevent as much as possible the escape of liquid
with the heavy particles at that time. When a sufficient layer of the latter has
accumulated, the slide Y is turned so as to uncover the openings o.
The funnel D can be readily removed for cleansing it after the completion of the
operation, and the bottom of the drum can also he readily cleared through the
openings of the casing.
Fig. 3 shews the construction of the hop pan, which is for the greater part
surrounded by a jacket, into which steam is introduced for effecting the boiling of
the hops with the wort. At the lower end of the pan is a perforated double
bottom A on which a layer of hop is deposited, so that on drawing off the wort on
completion of the boiling operation the liquid will be filtered through such layer.
After the boiling cold water can be circulated through the jacket for cooling the
wort before discharging it.
Fig. 4 shews a perspective view of the apparatus for cooling the wort in lieu of
the ordinary cooling tanks. The wort from the hop pan is first subjected to the
action of a refrigerator O cooled by cold water acting on extended surfaces, and
then passes into the centrifugal machine P after which it is made to circulate
through another refrigerator, where it is reduced to the required temperature by
means of iced water.
The brewing process in which the above described apparatus are employed is as
follows: The malt after stoving, is ground fine and screened for the removal of
husks & The bran, consisting of husks and germs, can be advantageously used
as saccharifiers in distilleries, while the removal of these constituents and of the
excess of diastase from the malt insures the stability of the beer.
By the removal of the husks and germs it is rendered possible to use even the
most inferior qualities of malt, which is of great advantage for countries, such as
Algeria and Russia, where only inferior qualities of malt are obtainable.
The malt contains wore diastase than is necessary for the saccharification of
the starch, and for this reason the above treatment is adopted. The malt meal is
mixed with water and raised to the saccharification temperature, after which it is
boiled, whereby the albumen is caused to coagulate. On discontinuing the boiling,
the clear sugar wort and the flaky precipitate of albumen will separate from each
other, the latter being deposited on the bottom of the boiling pan.
As there are no husks &°. present that can be used as filtering medium, a
different clarifying process must be employed.
By the saccharification and subsequent boiling the meal becomes entirely
converted into sugar wort, congulated albumen, and traces of cellulose, and the
wort must consequently be separated from the other constituents. This can be
effected by decantation, as the albumen is specifically heavier than the wort, and
if necessary increased pressure may be employed for this purpose, the residues
being eventually pressed practically dry by means of any known construction of
filter presses; or the separation can be effected by the above described centrifugal
apparatus, the clear wort flowing off at G while the solid constituents pass away
at H. The wort thus obtained then introduced together with hops into the hop
boiling pan Fig. 3, and on discharging it, it is filtered through the layer of hops at
bottom, the albumen separated by the action of the tannic acid of the hops being
retained by the latter. The filtered wort is then subjected to the action of a
refrigerator, preferably one operating with extended cooled surfaces over which the
wort is made to flow in thin streams and it is only cooled with water at about

page_text: 64° Fahr. During this refrigeration albumen is again separated, which does not
dissolve during the subsequent fermentation, and consequently cannot serve for
nourishing the yeast, but which becomes decomposed during the fermenting process
and would affect the quality and durability of the beer.
It is therefore necessary to remove the same completely by filtration; this can
however not readily be effected by ordinary filtering media, and consequently the
wort, after leaving the first refrigerator at 64° Fahr. is led into the centrifugal
machine, where the albumen is retained.
The wort is then led into a second refrigerator where it is cooled to the required
temperature. Here again albumen is separated, but this becomes dissolved at the
highest temperature of the fermentation and in the presence of alcohol, and serves
to nourish the yeast.
By the above described process there is consequently produced a beer and yeast
entirely free from albumen.
If it be possible to cool the wort in the hop pan to 64° Fahr., and if the
centrifugal machine is in a cold chamber, the wort may be transferred directly
from the former into the latter. The centrifugal machine acts in this case similar
to an exhauster, causing a large quantity of air to be brought in contact with the
wort, so that the latter is cooled during the process and is at the same time
impregnated with the requisite amount of oxygen for the fermenting process.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim in respect of centrifugal machines for brewing purposes of the kind herein
referred to:-
First. The use of the lip R on the centrifugal drum, over which the specifically
lighter constituents are made to flow, in combination with the space H formed
between the outer drum A and the inner part B, in which the heavier constituents
become deposited in such manner as to prevent the escape of the lighter liquid.
Second. The arrangement consisting of the double inlet funnel D, E, carried by
the cover of the drum, into which atmospheric or refrigerated air is drawn at e, in
order partly by mixing with the liquid and partly by passing in contact therewith,
to effect the cooling thereof to the required degree.
Third. The use of the annular screen at R, with or without the cylindrical
projection S, for retaining the solid particles suspended in the liquid passing off.
Dated this 15th day of April 100%.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.