Improvements relating to the Production and Preservation of Pure Yeast.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st June. 1892-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LA SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME LA LEVURE," a
Company organized in accordance with the Laws of France, of 95, Boulevard
Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Republic of France.]
Improvements relating to the Production and Preservation of
Pure Yeast.
Í, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
:-
The object of the present invention is the production and preservation, on a
commercial scale, of a pure cultivation of yeast, based on the following well known
facts.
25
The saccharine worts intended for the reproduction of a pure cultivation of
yeast, are enclosed in a "back of a height greater than its diameter. At its
lower end, the "back" is provided with a double casing, into which steam is
admitted, a cock at the lower part of the casing serving to draw off the water of
condensation.
The "back" being filled with the wort, steam is admitted to the casing, and the
lower part only of the "back" being heated, the liquid is automatically agitated.
A cock on the upper part of the vessel is left open during the heating, and permits
of the escape of air. After the air has escaped, this cock is closed, and the
temperature is raised to, and maintained at 115° C. for 20 minutes, after which the
liquor is driven out by the pressure of previously sterilized air or of steam, admitted
to the "back."
The sterilised wort is now cooled, and the contained heat may, if desired, be
recovered. In order to cool the wort, and at the same time recover the heat, the
liquid, on coming out of the back, is led into an arrangement of apparatus
consisting of two tubular refrigerators, in which it is cooled by the interchange of
temperatures, first, with the non sterilised wort intended for the next operation,
and secondly, with cold water, which may be used in the preparation of other worts
before being treated.
The sterilised wort is driven by the pressure of steam, or of sterilized air, into
two fermenting vessels. These vessels are of copper, and are completely closed.
They are each fitted with a rotary paddle agitator, and a coil of pipe, through
which cold water may be caused to circulate, for the purpose of keeping the
temperature, during fermentation, below 27° C. An annular pipe perforated with
holes is also provided for the admission of sterilized air or steam to the interior of
each vessel.
The mode of operating with these apparatus is as follows:-
All the casks being opened, the vessels are sterilized by the admission of super-
heated steam, at a temperature of 120° C., for twenty minutes, after all the air has
been driven out. The steam is then cut off, and the vessel cooled, and one of the
vessels completely filled with wort. Leaven is then introduced, and fermentation
permitted to commence.
All that has been described above relates to both vessels, with the sole difference,
that in the yeast vessel a pure cultivation of yeast obtained by any of the known
methods must be introduced. For a vessel of one hectolitre, a Pasteur flask of
ten litres containing yeast is prepared, and is connected by means of an indiarubber
tube with the yeast vessel, all the air having previously been driven off by means of
the steam. This steam may afterwards be condensed by passing cold water through
the coil of pipe, and thereby producing a vacuum. Fifteen litres of sterilised wort

page_text: are first passed into the vessel, and then the yeast. Air as required is admitted to
the flask through a bent tube having its outer extremity held in a flame; the yeast
is thus introduced into the vessel without the possibility of any non-sterilised air
passing into the vessel with it.
The fermentation is facilitated by the admission of sterilised air under pressure,
and when the pressure rises, the inflow of the sterilised air is stopped, and the
fermentation allowed to proceed.
When the fermentation is over, the wines are filtered in a special filter. This
filter is composed of a conical case in which is enclosed a sort of funnel of perforated
sheet iron or wire gauze, lined with cloth. A rotary agitator is fitted in the centre,
and a sliding valve is connected to the bottom, for the purpose of drawing off the
yeast after filtration; a cock is also provided for the exit of the fermented wort.
A cover or cap having a stuffing box is fitted to the upper part, and is traversed
by the shaft of the rotary agitator. A breeches pipe serves for the admission of
sterilised air or steam, and pipes and cocks are provided for the admission of the
worts and the yeast from the fermenting vessel. The fermented worts or wines
are drawn off, the latter being treated afterwards for the extraction of the contained
alcohol.
mixed with a special wort composed of ordinary
This wort is saturated and sterilised twice for
ten minutes, and the whole mass is agitated in the filter. When the brewing is
ended, the mixture is passed into a second similar mixer, and a certain quantity of
wort again added.
The yeast left in the filter is
grain and 5 to 15% of gelatine.
The cans in which the yeast is to be preserved should be of tin, and furnished
with two tubes,-one tube reaching to the bottom of the can, the other serving to
get out the yeast. The latter tube is closed with a plug of cotton wool, and the
former with a tube of caoutchouc, also closed with a similar plug.
The cans are first heated to 120° C. for two hours.
In order to introduce the yeast into the cans, a steam cock in the tube of the
yeast-mixing receiver is first opened, and the cotton plug is quickly removed from
the longer tube of the can.
The can is next connected to the tube of the mixer, the cock of which is opened,
and the yeast and gelatinised wort allowed to fall into the can. The mixer cock is
next closed, and the can withdrawn, the india rubber tube rapidly plugged with a
wooden plug, and sealed. The can is then taken to a stove, and the fermentation
again set up.
It is then removed from the stove, and when the gelatinised wort has coated and
set, the other tube is sealed, and the can is ready to be sent out.
The apparatus for the sterilisation of air consists of (1) an antiseptic washer ;
(2) a pump for drawing in the air to be washed and sterilised; (3) an air reservoir;
(4) a coil of pipe heated over a furnace, through which pipe the air is forced into
a reservoir; (5) a sulphuric acid washer fitted with baffle plates; (6) a filter_of
cotton wool; (7) a refrigerator; and (8) a receiver for the sterilised air under
pressure.
Dated this 1st day of August 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Production and Preservation of
Pure Yeast.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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 the production and preservation, on a

page_text: commercial scale, of a puré cultivation of yeast, based on the following well known
facts.
A pure cultivation of yeast, if sown in a fermentable saccharine mash or wort,
and kept from contact with the air, will increase and multiply, remaining always
identically the same, dividing the sugar into two parts. In all fermentation for a
given mash or wort, the quantity of yeast produced is dependent on the quantity of
oxygen which reaches the wort during the fermentation, so that the production of
the yeast is facilitated by forcing air through the wort.
According to this invention, the air is sterilised as well as the wort. These facts
being established, the process consists in the following various operations :-
(1) The sterilisation of a fermentable saccharine mash or wort;
-
(2) The sowing and the fermentation of this wort in the presence of sterilised
air, with a pure yeast cultivated according to any suitable method;
(3) Blowing in sterilised air during the process, and at given moments of the
fermentation, in order to augment the production of the yeast;
(4) Separation of the fermented wort from the yeast, and the after incorporation
of the yeast in a gelatine or gelatinous wort, in order to preserve it, such operations
being effected under shelter from non-sterilised air.
The results of these operations are:-
(a) The growth of a pure cultivation of a given species of yeast, which will
remain always pure and identically the same;
The preservation, for an indefinite period, of the yeast obtained;"
The transformation of the worts into liquids containing pure ethylic alcohol,
without the admixture of aldehydes or any other superior alcohol.
In the accompanying drawings are shewn the various apparatus employed in
carrying out the invention, and by an examination of which the operations will be
readily understood.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus for sterilising the worts.
Figs. 2 and 3 shew, in vertical section and plan view, the arrangement of the
first cooler.
Figs. 4 and 5 Lew also in vertical section and plan view, the second cooler.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the yeast vessel.
Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the fermenting vessel.
Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the yeast filter.
Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the arrangements for sterilising the air.
Fig. 10 is an elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus for putting the yeast
into cans or vessels for sale.
Fig. 11 shews details of construction of the same, on an enlarged scale.
The description of the apparatus and the various operations which take place
during the working are as follows :-
STERILISING THE WORTS.
The saccharine worts intended for the reproduction of a pure cultivation of yeast,
are enclosed in a "back" (Fig. 1), of copper, of a height greater than its diameter.
At its lower end, the "back" is provided with a double casing B, into which steam
is admitted by the upper cock fat the side of the casing. A cock g, at the lower
part of the casing, serves to draw off the water of condensation. The wort is
admitted to the receiver A by the pipe d, furnished with a cock, and is drawn off,
after sterilisation, by the pipe e, prolonged to the bottom of the vessel A by the
tube e¹.
OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS.
The "back" A being filled with the wort, steam is admitted to the casing B, the
lower part only of the "back" A being heated, and the liquid is automatically
agitated. A cock a on the upper part of the vessel A, is left open during the
heating, and permits of the escape of air. After the air has escaped, this cock a

page_text: is closed, and the temperature-is-raised to, and maintained at 115° C. for 20 minutes.
After this, the liquor is driven out through the tubes e e' by the pressure of sterilised
air, or of steam admitted by the cocks b and c respectively of the pipe h, to the
back A.
The sterilised wort is now cooled, and the contained heat may, if desired, be
recovered. In order to cool the wort, and at the same time recover the heat, the
liquid, on coming out of the "back"A by the pipe e, is led into an arrangement
of apparatus consisting of two tubular refrigerators, in which it is cooled, by the
interchange of temperature, first with the non-sterilised wort intended for the next
operation, and secondly with cold water which may be used in the preparation of
other worts before being treated.

page_text: the other serving as a disengaging tube. The cans are closed at a by a plug of
cotton wool, and provided at 6 with a tube of caoutchouc, also closed with a
similar plug.
The cans are first heated in a stove at 120° C. for two hours.
In order to introduce the yeast into the cans, the cotton plug is quickly removed
from the longer tube 6 of the can, and the tube is placed in connection with the
outlet tube of the yeast-mixing receiver. The steam cock R (Fig. 10) in connection
with the tube of the yeast-mixing receiver, is then opened, and steam is allowed to
pass for a certain time through the can.
The cock R is then closed, and the can is put into communication with the mixer
by opening the cock R', when the yeast and wort will fall into the can. When the
can is full, the cock R' is closed, and the can is withdrawn from the tube, the tube b
of the can being rapidly plugged with a wooden plug, and sealed. The can is then
taken to a stove, and the fermentation again set up. It is then removed from the
stove, and when the gelatinised wort has cooled and set, the other tube a is sealed,
and the can is ready to be sent out.
The apparatus for sterilising the air is shown in Fig. 9. It consists (1) of an
antiseptic washer A; (2) a pump P, which draws in air, which is washed in the
washer A; (3) an air reservoir R for the reception of air at a pressure of 3 kilos.;
(4) a helical coil of pipe wherein circulates the air, and in which it is sterilised
under the effect of the heat of a furnace F; (5) a sulphuric acid washer L
composed of a column furnished with division plates and baffles; (6) a filter of
cotton woolf; (7) a refrigerator ; and (8) a reservoir, S, of sterilised air at
3 kilos. pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The process of manufacturing yeast, and putting up the same in suitable
vessels for sale, as herein set forth.
2. The apparatus above described comprising the leavening and fermenting
vessels, and one or more mixing filters, as set forth.
3. The means for sterilising the air as above described.
+. The complete plant for carrying out the process above specified.
Dated this 1st day of June 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.