IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FERMENTED BEVERAGES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George O'Brien, of Fitzroy Square, Regent's Park, in
the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF FERMENTED BEVERAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George O'Brien at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th May 1880.
GEORGE O'BRIEN, of Fitzroy Square, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FERMENTED BEVERAGES."
This Invention consists in improvements in the manufacture of fermented
beverages from all cereals, but more particularly from barley, wheat, rye, Indian
corn, and rice, whereby the same is effected without the necessity of employing the
process of "malting," thus avoiding the injurious and disadvantageous consequences
attendant upon such process.
The cereals are heated in an oven or chamber whilst they are in their compact
condition, before trituration or pulverisation, until their starchy and glutinous
compounds are wholly or partially converted into gums and saccharine matter,
which result occurs at a heat between 212° and 450° Fahrenheit. I then fracture
or pulverise the cereals and place them in cold or warm water, in which they are
allowed to remain until the essential extractive matter is dissolved, after which I
filter, strain, or draw off the liquid and extracted matter, and add hops or other
bitter substance to flavor and preserve the liquid, and to coagulate any albuminous
matter. When the extracted matter or "wort" does not contain sufficient
saccharine matter to produce the requisite amount of alcohol to arrest corruption,
and to fortify the beverage, and to produce carbonic acid, I add thereto sugar,
saccharum," or other saccharine matter in sufficient quantity to effect the desired
objects, as will be well understood. In some cases, in order to assist the formation
of saccharine matter, before heating the cereals I soak them in acidulated water or
add acids to the water used for dissolved the extractive matter. Having treated
the liquid and extractive matter as above described I add yeast, barm, or other
t

page_text: agent for producing fermentation, except in cases where it is found that the
extractive matter itself contains sufficient medium for effecting the desired purpose;
and, when necessary, I also add isinglass or other fining for the purpose of clarifying
the liquid, after which it is ready to be placed in casks or bottles.
The heating of the cereals in the manner hereinbefore described causes the
evacuation of certain oils and gases, and the partial or complete conversion of the
starchy and glutinous compounds into gums and saccharine matter, thus rendering
the cereals soluble in cold or warm water without the necessity of "malting ;" and
the partial or coinplete destruction by heat of the diastase principle, together with
the other putrescible fluids and their consequent productions, fixes the essential 1
nutritive extract, and thereby avoids the undue fermentation and attenuation
attendant upon the employment of the malting process.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George O'Brien in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
November 1880.
GEORGE O'BRIEN, of Fitzroy Square, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FERMENTED BEVERAGES."
My said Invention consists in improvements in the manufacture of fermented
beverages from all cereals, but more particularly from barley, wheat, rye, Indian
corn, and rice, by means of which the necessary dextrinous and saccharine
formations occur, and the cereals are brought into a suitable condition for effecting
the desired object without the necessity of employing the ordinary process of
malting, thus rendering the operation more beneficial than is usually the case by
avoiding the injurious and disadvantageous consequences attendant upon the said
process.
I heat and torrify the cereals in an oven, furnace, or by means of any other
analogous and suitable apparatus, before crushing or pulverisation, and either with
or without husks or pellicles, until their starchy and glutinous compounds are
wholly or partially converted into gums and saccharine matter. In heating beyond
212° to within 270° Fahrenheit the cereals are rendered anhydrous, but at the same
time they become hardened and "steely," and remain with their constituents still
insoluble and unconverted, and therefore unfit for brewing purposes, as the required
transformations into gums and saccharine matter, the necessary conditions of
solubility, only occur after heating from 290°, and the culminating point for such
transformations is at or about 390°, the latter heat, or approximate to 400°, being
about the limit required to effect the conversion without complete carbonisation
and ignition, which would entirely destroy their utility for brewing purposes.
The exceeding and superior heat, from about 400° to 450°, I consider as requisite
for the purpose of heating the cereals to the lesser heats, with economy and
precision for the objects indicated.
"
I then crush or pulverise the cereals and place them in cold or heated water, in
which they are allowed to remain until the essential extractive matter is dissolved,
after which I filter, strain, or draw off the resulting liquid, which will contain the
extracted matter, using hops or other bitter substance to flavor and preserve the
liquid, and to coagulate albuminous matter contained therein. When the extracted
matter or "wort
does not contain sufficient saccharine matter to produce the
requisite amount of alcohol to arrest corruption, and to fortify the beverage, and
to produce sufficient carbonic acid, I add thereto sugar, "saccharum," or other
saccharine matter in sufficient quantity to effect the desired objects, as will be well
understood. In some cases, in order to assist the formation of saccharine matter,
before heating the cereals, as hereinbefore described, I soak them in acidulated
water, and then their constituents are converted into dextrine and saccharine matter
at a lesser heat than without acid, but always requiring a heat above 290° for
perfect transformation; or I add acids of a suitable nature to the water used for
dissolving the extractive matter.
Having treated the liquid containing the extracted matter in the manner above
described I introduce yeast, barm, or other known agent or agents for producing
fermentation, except in cases where it is found that the extracted matter itself
contains sufficient medium for effecting the desired purpose; and when necessary
I use isinglass or other fining for the purpose of clarifying the liquid, after which it
is ready to be placed in casks, or bottles, or other desired receptacles.
The heating of the cereals to a temperature within the extremes (from 290° to
450°) and in the manner herein before described causes the evacuation of certain
oils and gases, and effects the partial or complete conversion of the starchy and

page_text: glutinous compounds into gums and saccharine matter, which latter are thus made
soluble in cold or heated water, and are thereby rendered suitable for the manu-
facture of fermented beverages without the necessity of ordinary "malting," and
the partial or complete disorganisation by heat of the putrescible fluids and their
consequent productions fixes the essential nutritive extract, and thus prevents the
undue fermentation and attenuation attendant upon the employment of the malting
process.
Having, thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and the
manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider novel and original, and therefore claim as constituting the Invention
secured to me by the said herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The manufacture of fermented beverages from cereals by effecting the trans-
formation of the constituents thereof into gums and saccharine matter, in the
manner substantially hereinbefore set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George O'Brien, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
GEORGE O'BRIEN. (L.S.)