Improvements in the Process for Producing Coffee Substitutes from Grain.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process for Producing Coffee Substitutes
from Grain.
I, REGINALD HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co., of
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C. Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by
Kathreiner's Malzkaffee Fabriken mit beschränkter Haftung of Munich, Bavaria,
Manufacturers of Coffee_Substitutes, and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
Coffee substitutes produced from grain, especially barley, have a disagreeable
taste of burnt matter which is caused by the decomposition products (pyridine and
derivates thereof) formed during the roasting from the proteine substances lying
between the shell and the starch body of the grain.
If during the soaking preceding the roasting an electrical current is caused to
act on the grain, the substances producing this unpleasant taste are changed so
that in the following roasting considerably less nitrogenous substances soluble in
water are produced. A long series of practical experiments and analyses has
shown that the nitrogenous substances soluble in water which are contained in
grain coffee are diminished as much as 50% by means of the treatment with an
electrical current preceding the roasting.
It is evident, that the effect of the current is the better the more equally it can
operate upon all the grains that are being steeped. In order to render this possible
the grain is steeped in a vessel rotating round a horizontal axle the one pole of the
electric current conductor being connected with the axle insulated from the walls
of the vessel whilst the wall of the vessel or electrodes suitably arranged therein
are connected with the other pole.
As a practical example the following is a description of the treatment of barley
(the basis for the production of grain coffee). In the above described vessel the
barley is steeped in water or weak solution of strongly conductive substances, such
as sulphate of soda, at a temperature of 20-70° C. As soon as the interior of
the grain up to the starch body is well soaked the vessel is put in circuit of a
current of an equal current machine. The most advantageous method is to work
with small tension (5-10 V.) the strength of the current and duration of its
action being in proportion to the kind and quantity of the barley to be used.
Barley poor in nitrogen needs less current than that rich in nitrogen. The first
requires 500-3000, the latter 1000-6000 Watt pro cubic meter contents.
After the current is turned off it is well to change the soaking water once or
more and to leave the barley as long in soak until the whole interior of the grain
is well soaked.
The constructions for carrying out this process may be of very different kinds.
The figure together with its cross section X-Y shows a construction in which
the receiver B effects itself the mixing of the material S and can serve at the same
time as a soaking vessel. B is a drum of iron which is turned by the shaft W
round the fixed axle A. The man hole M serves for the admission of the
material into the drum as well as for cleaning the interior of the drum ; P serves
for taking out some of the material for testing; L L are windows for observing
the process. A fixed paddle or cross A 1 A 2 is provided upon the axle A for

page_text: mixing the material S. A is insulated where it touches the material. The current
enters from the power source K to shaft A, passes by means of A 1 A 2 through
the material S and from the drum wall B by means of a metallic brush or the like
back to the power source K.
The use of rotary soaking vessels or soaking vessels with mixing apparatus has
-also the advantage, that the grain soaks more equally, than in the usual vessels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in, what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
-claim is :-
(1.) A process for improving coffee substitutes, in which an electrical current
adapted to the kind and quantity of the grain used is caused to operate upon the
substances lying between the shell and the starch body of the grain in such a
manner in that in the following roasting: there are produced less nitrogenous
..decomposition, products which are soluble in water and cause unpleasant taste.
.. (2.) A soaking vessel, provided with a mixing, device, in which the vessel wall
itself, or suitable bodies, provided on it,, cau serve as a pole, of an electric
-conductor.
R. HADDAN.