An Improved Mash Tun or Substitute therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Sept., 1893—Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mash Tun or Substitute therefor.
I, LOUIS VANDEN HULLE, Director of The Superior Institute of Brewing, of
Gand, in the Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
Recent experiments notably those of Messrs. Brownis & Morris on the amyloines
have shown the great importance of the malto-dextrine (amyloines) in brewing.
It is this substance which performis the most important part in the complementary
fermentation and consequently has the most influence on the preservation, stability,
taste and general character of the beer. The proportion of these substances present
in the wort should be from 12 % to 20 % in weight of the solid matters in the
wort. The latter should have a rotary power of 193° under the polariser and a
reducing power of about 21 on the "Fehling" test.
With mash tuns as at present constructed however well and technically correctly
they are made, the process is carried on, so to speak in the dark and the brewer has
not the power of regulating or controlling the process of saccharifying as is desirable
nor can he obtain any predetermined quantity or quality of malto-dextrine, for the
following reasons ;-
At the end of 15 to 20 minutes the saccharifying of the amidon may be so far
complete that iodine gives no color to the wort and this would be the moment for
drawing off the wort, unfortunately in such mash tuns it is necessary to wait till
the wort in clear which will perhaps take an hour during which time the diastase
continues its saccharifying action without it being possible to deprive it of such
action.
The object of this invention is to remove this disadvantage by constructing a
mash tun or a substitute for the ordinary mash tun, from which a wort may be
drawn giving (according to the polariscope and Fehling liquor tests) the desired
quantity of amyloines, and whereby the saccharifying power of the diastase may be
arrested in a very short time, for instance 10 minutes at longest.
The improved mash tun is a horizontal cylinder the lower part of which, up to
above the level of the liquid etc. which will be therein, is jacketted or in other words
made with an outer mantle leaving an intermediate space into which high pressure
steam may be allowed to enter. The jacket is provided with inlet and outlet for
steam draining cock or cocks gauges and safety valves or valve. The ends of the
cylinder are not jacketted, water level gauges, sample drawing cocks, thermometers,
and returns cocks are provided on the cylinders at one end while at the other are
the pulleys on the agitator shaft which passes along the axis of the cylinder and
carries radial agitating arms. These arms may have cross bars spaced along their
length and at their ends caoutchouc or similar wipers moving on the inner surface
of the cylinder. The cross bars may be arranged obliquely those on one arm being
opposed in direction to those on the next arm thereto, or the next arm provided
with such cross bars, for if desired some of the arms may be made without
cross bars.
A peculiarity of the agitator employed herein lies in the fact that although when
in use the arms stand out from the shaft at angles of 90° each to the next in series,
when placed out of action all the arms may be raised out of contact with the mash
and wort which is of great advantage for the even settlement of the mash and
regularity of the filtration. This may be effected as follows; the arins revolve
loosely on the shaft and are carried round by projecting pins thereon or on collars
thereon. In the upper part of the cylinder which is shouldered outward to provide

page_text: space for it, is a longitudinal rod so pivoted on crank arms that it may be swung
down out of the recess formed by the shouldering into the cylinder proper and so
come into the path of the arms of the agitator. The arms may now be raised away
from their driving pins and be lifted until they rest against the aforesaid rod which
supports them and prevents them falling into the mash and wort in the lower half
of the cylinder. This construction is also very convenient for facilitating cleansing
of the apparatus and the drawing off in an uninterrupted manner of the wort and
returns.
Along the bottom of the cylinder is a trough in which lies a longitudinal shaft
having along one half an Archimedian screw in one direction and along the other
half a similar screw in the other direction. This trough lies wholly within the
steam jacket aforesaid and between said trough and the cylinder are accurately
fitted perforated plates properly shaped so as to preserve the cylindrical form of
the cylinder.
The double screw shaft in this trough keeps the body of liquid therein in motion
as well as the particles which inevitably fall through the false bottom and permits
of the saccharifying of the wort in the trough which would be untouched by the
agitator in the cylinder.
In the floor of the trough are several holes spaced along the length of the
trough, these holes leading by pipes to separate cocks over a vessel divided into
two compartments. The cocks are either two way cocks or movable so as to
discharge into either the one or other compartment. The one compartment is in
communication with a pump for carrying back the wort into the mash tun or else-
where and the wort, is drawn into this compartment so long as it appears thick, the
other compartment leads direct to the copper and the wort is drawn off into this
compartment directly it runs clear from any one of the cocks by simply turning this
cock so as to discharge into that compartment.
In the shouldering at the top of the cylinder is an evenly perforated pipe for
sparging purposes.
For the purpose of facilitating the steeping the cylinder is surmounted a
mechanical hydrator.
"steel
"
The following are among the advantages given by the improved mash tun.
As the jacketting allows the temperature to be very quickly raised, the steeping
may be commenced with cold water, if desired, this being always of advantage
especially in dealing with malt of poor quality.
Where peptonisation of the albumenoids is especially desired it can be ensured
by keeping the tun at the temperature most favorable for the operation.
A constant temperature may be ensured for saccharifying, the loss by radiation
of heat being compensated by admission of a proper quantity of steam to the
jacket.
In ten minutes at most the whole contents can be raised to a temperature at
which the saccharifying effects of the diastase are annihilated.
The contents can if desired be heated to boiling.
The best return may be had, by drawing off sixty to eighty gallons of wort
containing saccbarifying diastase previous to heating the remaining contents up
to 80° centigrade and keeping the said quantity drawn off in reserve to be again
added to the wort to saccharify the amidon which will have become dissolved at
the higher temperature. The diastase remaining in the contents not drawn off as
above will lose its saccharifying properties without losing its solvent power on the
granules of amidon from the upper parts of the grains left untouched during
germination, granules which resist in a large measure solution at the ordinary
temperatures of saccharification. During the period, about twenty minutes, during
which the contents of the tun are raised to 80° C., the wort previously drawn off is
kept from cooling. The contents of the tun are allowed to cool down to the usual
temperature of saccharification before the wort drawn off is again added.
The screws in the trough under the tun keep the liquid etc. therein well agitated
and the jacket keeps the same heated as before mentioned.

page_text: The economy resulting from these last two advantages may be stated at a
minimum of ten per cent.
The withdrawal of the agitator arms allows great freedom for filtration and
cleaning and the sparging is also very regular by the same arrangement.
Dated this 16th day of December 1892.
R. HADDAN,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mash Tun or Substitute therefor.
I LOUIS VANDEN HULLE, of Gand in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer,
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 :-
Recent experiments notably those of Messrs. Brownis and Morris on the
amyloines have shown the great importance of the malto-dextrine (amyloines)
in brewing. It is this substance which performs the most important part in the
complementary fermentation and consequently has the most influence on the
preservation, stability, taste and general character of the beer. The proportion of
these substances present in the wort should be from 12% to 20% in weight of the
solid matters in the wort. The latter should have a rotary power of 193 degrees
under the polarizer and a reducing power of about 21 degrees on the "Fehling'
test.
"
With mash tuns as at present constructed, however well and technically correctly
they are made, the process is carried on so to speak in the dark and the brewer has
not the power of regulating or controlling the process of saccharifying as is
desirable, nor can he obtain any. predetermined quantity or quality of malto-dextrine
for the following reasons ;--
At the end of 15 to 20 minutes the saccharifying of the starch may be so far
complete that iodine gives no colour to the wort, and this would be the moment for
drawing off the wort, unfortunately in such mash tuns it is necessary to wait till
the wort is clear which will perhaps take an hour, during which time the diastase
continues its saccharifying action, without it being possible to deprive it of such
action.
The object of this invention is to remove this disadvantage by constructing a
mash tun or a substitute for the ordinary mash tun, from which a wort may be
drawn giving, according to the polariscope and Fehling liquor tests, the desired
quantity of amyloines, and whereby the saccharifying power of the diastase may be
arrested in a very short time, for instance ten minutes at longest.
A special form of construction of such improved mash tun, forming the object of
this invention, is represented in the annexed drawing, in which
Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in longitudinal section.
Fig. 2 a vertical section on the line A. B. Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a horizontal section on the line C, D, Fig. 1.
Figs. 4 and 5 being detail views illustrating the fixing and actuating of the forks
of the beaters.
This mash tun substantially consists of a horizontal cylinder A, the open upper
part of which B, has all along its length a vertical extension C, covered with hinged
doors D.
A double envelope or jacket E (see Fig. 2.) surrounds completely the lower part
of the horizontal cylinder A reaching up to a little over the middle of the
cylinder, so that this jacket extends for several centimeters over the usual liquid
level in the cylinder.
This double envelope or jacket serves to receive steam under pressure for raising
the materials contained in the apparatus in a very short time to a temperature

page_text: of 75 degrees to 80 degrees C., to keep the temperature of the substance under
treatment at any desired degree and to regulate this temperature at will in
conformity with the requirements for rational production of malt-dextrine.
The jacket is provided with a steam inlet and a steam outlet, draining cock
or cocks, gauges and safety valve or valves and all such as are usually fitted
to steam vessels.
The ends of the cylinder A are not provided with double envelope or mantle.
The front end (which lies away from the driving pulleys) carries a level
indicator F, a cock G for drawing samples of the liquid under treatment, a
thermometer H, indicating the temperature of the liquid and finally a return
cock I.
To facilitate the process of steeping, the cylinder is surmounted by any of
the well known mechanical hydrators J, the construction of which forms no part of
the present invention.
The axis of the horizontal cylinder A is traversed by an arbor N supported at its
centre by a cross bar O', while its one extremity rests in the step bearing O fixed
on one of the cylinder ends, and the other extremity passes through the centre of
the other end, through a stuffing box P and carries outside the cylinder the
actuating pulleys Q.
The outer end of the arbor can be supported in a journal bearing on a standard
or in a niche in the walling R.
This arbor N is provided with radial agitating arms S, having at certain distances
apart small cross bars T obliquely fixed. The arms are arranged all along the
inside of the apparatus and the oblique position of the cross bars T highly
contributes to the agitating of the material under treatment; these arms S are also
provided at their extremities with caoutchouc or similar blades U, which can
readily be replaced, these blades scrape against the walls of the cylinder, so as to
completely prevent the mash from adhering to the walls. The cross bars I may be
arranged all in the same direction or those on one arm opposed in direction to those
on the next arm thereto, or the next arm provided with such cross bars, for if desired
some of the arms may be made without cross bars.
A peculiarity of the agitator employed herein lies in the fact that although when
in use the arms stand out from the shaft at angles of 90 degrees each to the next in
series, when placed out of action all the arms may be raised out of contact with the
mash and wort, which is of great advantage for the even settlement of the mash and
regularity of the filtration.
This may be effected as follows:-the arms S are mounted loosely on the shaft N
and are carried round by projecting pins n thereon or on collars thereon, acting against
pins n' on the hubs of the arms S, which are held against the pins by collars X¹
secured by screws on the arbor N.
In the upper part of the cylinder, which is shouldered outward to provide space
for it, is a longitudinal rod W so pivoted at w¹ on crank arms to that it may be
swung down out of the recess formed by the shouldering (position a) into the
cylinder proper (position a') determined by suitable stops, and so come into the
path of the arms S of the agitator. The arms S may now be raised away from
their driving pins n and be lifted until they rest against the aforesaid rod W, which
supports them and prevents them from falling into the mash and wort in the lower
half of the cylinder. This construction is also very convenient for facilitating
cleansing of the apparatus and the drawing off in an uninterrupted manner of the
wort and returns.
position a or a¹.
ware counterweights which hold the rod W either in the
An indicator V on the arbor N indicates the position of the arbor, in which the
arms can be so raised.
Along the bottom of the cylinder is a trough y, in which lies a longitudinal
shaft 1 having along one half an Archimedean screw 2 in one direction and along the
other half a similar screw in the other direction. This trough lies wholly within
the steam jacket E aforesaid and between said trough and the cylinder are

page_text: accurately fitted perforated plates, properly shaped, so as to preserve the
cylindrical form of the cylinder.
The double screw shaft 1 in this trough keeps the body of liquid therein in motion
as well as the particles, which inevitably fall through the false bottom z and permit
of the saccharifying of the wort in the trough, which would be untouched by the
agitator in the cylinder.
In the floor of the trough are several holes 3, spaced along the length of the
trough, these holes leading by pipes 4 to separate cocks 5 over a vessel 6, divided
into two compartments 6x, 6°. The cocks are either two way cocks or movable, so
as to discharge into either the one or other compartment. The one compartment 6*
is in communication with a pump 7 for carrying back the wort into the mash tun or
elsewhere, and the wort is drawn into this compartment so long as it appears thick,
the other compartment 6°, leads direct to the copper and the wort is drawn off into
this compartment directly it runs clear from any one of the cocks by simply turning
this cock so as to discharge into that compartment.
By means of an arrangement of supplementary cocks and pipes the entrance of
water beneath the false bottom may be provided for if desired, through the pipes 4.
In the shouldering at the top of the cylinder is an evenly perforated pipe 8 for
sparging purposes.
The whole of the apparatus is supported by solid supports K and surrounded by
a gallery L to which access is had by a railed staircase M.
The following are among the advantages given by the improved mash tun :-
As the jacketting allows the temperature to be very quickly raised, the steeping
may be commenced with cold water, if desired, this being always of advantage
especially in dealing with malt of poor quality.
Where peptonisation of the albuminoids is especially desired, it can be ensured
by keeping the tun at the temperature most favorable for the operation.
A constant temperature may be ensured for saccharifying, the loss by radiation
of heat being compensated by admission of a proper quality of steam to the
jacket.
In ten minutes, at most, the whole contents can be raised to a temperature at
which the saccharifying effects of the diastase are annihilated.
The contents can, if desired, be heated to boiling.
The best return may be had by drawing off sixty to eighty gallons of wort,
containing saccharifying diastase, previous to heating the remaining contents up
to 80 degrees centigrade, and keeping the said quantity drawn off in reserve, to
be again added to the wort to saccharify the starch, which will have become
dissolved at the higher temperature. The diastase remaining in the contents not
drawn off as above, will lose its saccharifying properties without losing its solvent
power on the granules of starch from the upper parts of the grains left untouched
during germination, granules which resist in a large measure solution at the ordinary
temperatures of saccharification. During the period, about 20 minutes, during
which the contents of the tun are raised to 80 degrees C., the wort previously drawn
off is kept from cooling. The contents of the tun are allowed to cool down to the
usual temperature of saccharification before the wort drawn off is again added.
The screws in the trough under the tun keep the liquid etc. therein well agitated
and the jacket keeps the same heated as before mentioned.
The economy resulting from these last two advantages may be stated at a
minimum of ten per cent.
The withdrawal of the agitator arms allows great freedom for filtration and for
cleaning, and the means adopted for the spraying render the latter very regular.
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. An improved mash tun or substitute therefor adapted for production of wort
containing precise proportions of dextrine, amyloines and maltose, and consisting of

page_text: a horizontal cylinder or mash tun proper having its lower half to above the ordinary
level of liquid therein, jacketted to receive steam under pressure whereby the
temperature of the contents of the cylinder may be rapidly raised to that desirable
for arresting the saccharification at the time desired.
2. The combination with a horizontal cylindrical mash tun jacketted upon the
lower part, of a trough along the base thereof and situated within the jacket of the
cylinder, a shaft in said trough carrying two contrary Archimedean screws, a series
of orifices along the base of said trough, three way or rotary cocks thereto and a
vessel divided into two compartments into either of which liquor may be drawn
from any of said cocks for the purpose of drawing off clear liquor separate from the
cloudy.
3. The combination with a horizontal cylindrical mash tun of an axial shaft
therein, agitator arms loosely mounted on said shaft but adapted to be engaged and
carried round in one direction by pins or equivalent projections on said shaft, and a
bar movable into the path of said arms and serving as a support therefor when said
arms are raised and maintained out of action.
4. An improved mash tun or substitute therefor comprising a horizontal cylinder,
a shaft having agitating arms in said cylinder, adapted to be raised clear of the
mash tun and wort therein, and perforated pipes in a shouldering above said
cylinder for sparging substantially as set forth.
5. The improved mash tun or substitute therefor comprising a horizontal
cylinder whose lower half is jacketted for admission of steam, a trough at the base
of said cylinder and a shouldering at the upper part thereof, agitating and wiping
arms driven by an axial shaft in the manner described, rocking frame W, w, shaft 1
with screws 2, passage ways 3, divided vessel 6 and cocks 5 adapted to discharge to
either compartment of said vessel, the whole substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated 14
1000
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.