Improvements in the Preparation of Diastase for use in the Manufacture of Bread and Biscuits, and for other purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Preparation of Diastase for use in the
Manufacture of Bread and Biscuits, and for other purposes.
I THOMAS FLETCHER of Nos. 98 and 99 Great Hampton Street Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Baker and Confectioner do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
In the Complete Specification of Letters Patent granted to me for "An improve-
ment or improvements in the manufacture of bread and biscuits "dated October 23rd
1884 No. 14053 I have claimed "The use of an infusion of malt or an aqueous
solution of the diastase of malt in substitution of or in part substitution of the
water ordinarily employed in making bread and biscuits" and 1 have described in
the said Complete Specification the preparation of an aqueous solution of diastase
made by digesting malt in hot or cold water.
My present invention consists of the improved methods hereinafter described.
of obtaining diastase either in aqueous solution or in a concentrated solution
or extract.
According to one of my improvements I employ for the production of an aqueous
solution of diastase low dried malt that is malt which has been dried at a tempera-
ture of about 130 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer which low dried malt I
treat with warm or cold water and thereby extract or dissolve the diastase
therefrom.
According to another of my improvements I employ a mixture of low dried malt
and green or undried malt which mixture I treat with warm or cold water and
thereby extract or dissolve the diastase therefrom.
According to another of my improvements I extract or dissolve the diastase from
the malt by means of water made slightly alkaline by the addition to the water of
carbonate of soda in the proportion of from 5 to 15 grams of carbonate of soda to
one gallon of water. Or an equivaleut quantity of carbonate of potash or carbonate
of ammonia may be employed. Water made alkaline as described extracts the
diastase from malt more rapidly and more completely than water not having
an alkaline reaction.
Although I prefer in carrying my invention into effect to employ ordinary malt
that is malted barley I do not confine myself thereto as malted wheat or other grain
or mixtures of these with malt may be treated by the processes I have described for
the production of diastase.
The aqueous solution of diastase obtained either by simply steeping malt in water
or by either of the processes herein before described may be inspissated or brought
into the state of a solid or semi-liquid extract by evaporation. I effect this
evaporation or concentration by preference in an exhausted apparatus so as to
avoid injury to the diastase by the prolonged application of the ordinary boiling
temperature.
Dated the 20th dox of Denamber 1800
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Preparation of Diastase for use in the
Manufacture of Bread and Biscuits, and for other purposes.
I THOMAS FLETCHER of Nos. 98 and 99 Great Hampton Street, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, Baker and Confectioner do hereby declare the nature of
iny invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the Complete Specification of Letters Patent grauted to me for "An
improvement or improvements in the manufacture of bread and biscuits" dated
October 23rd 1884 No. 14053, I have claimed "The use of an infusion of malt or
an aqueous solution of the diastase of malt in substitution of or in part substitution-
of the water ordinarily employed in making bread and biscuits" and I have
described in the said Complete Specification the preparation of an aqueous solution
of diastase made by digesting malt in hot or cold water.
My present invention consists of the improved methods hereinafter described of
obtaining diastase from ordinary malt or from green or low dried malt or from
mixtures of ordinary, green and low dried malt either in aqueous solution or in a
concentrated solution or extract.
According to one of my improvements I employ for the production of an aqueous
solution of diastase, low dried malt, that is, inalt which has been dried at a
temperature of about 130 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, which low dried
malt I treat with warm or cold water and thereby extract or dissolve the diastase
therefrom. If warm water is used its temperature must not exceed 120 degrees of
Fahrenheit's thermometer but I prefer to use cold-water.
According to another of my improvements I employ a mixture of low-dried malt
and green or undried malt which mixture I treat with warm or cold water and
thereby extract or dissolve the diastase therefrom.
According to another of my improvements I extract or dissolve the diastase from
the malt by means of water made slightly alkaline by the addition to the water of
carbonate of soda in the proportion of from 5 to 15 grams of carbonate of soda to
one gallon of water. Or an equivalent quantity of carbonate of potash or carbonate
of ammonia may be employed. Water made alkaline as described extracts the
diastase from malt more rapidly and more completely than water not having an
alkaline reaction.
Although I prefer in carrying my invention into effect to employ ordinary malt,
that is, malted barley I do not confine myself thereto as malted wheat or other
grain or mixtures of these with ordinary malt may be treated by the processes
I have described for the production of diastase.
The aqueous solution of diastase obtained by simply steeping malt in water or
by either of the methods herein before described is inspissated or brought into the
state of a solid or semi-liquid extract by evaporation. I prefer to evaporate the
solution of diastase to such a consistency that it shall have a specific gravity of
from 1:35 to 14 at which consistency it keeps well and may be readily dissolved
in or mixed with water.
The evaporation may be effected by the application of heat, care being taken
that the temperature employed does not exceed from 120 to 135 degrees of Fabren-
heit's thermometer. I prefer to employ a temperature not exceeding 120 degrees
of Fahrenheit's thermometer as the extract is more active when prepared at the
lower temperature. The evaporation of the solution may be most conveniently and
economically conducted in a vacuum pau or other apparatus in which the atmospheric
pressure is reduced.
Before adding the malt to the water I crush it by rolls or otherwise and during
the time it is in the water I stir it repeatedly.
The extract or semi-liquid infusion of diastase prepared as described is in a

page_text: convenient form to be supplied to commerce the said extract or semi-liquid infusion
being practically free from saccharine and colouring matter and well suited to be
used in the manufacture of bread and biscuits. The said extract or concentrated
infusion may be kept for a much longer time without deterioration than the original
infusion and readily dissolves in or mixes with warm or cold water immediately
giving a solution of diastase suitable to be used in the manufacture of bread and
Biscuits and other uses to which a solution of diastase is or may be applicable.
I am aware of the Specification of Paterson's Patent No. 6337 A.D. 1890 and
I wish it to be understood that I make no claim for anything described and claimed
therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of "Improvements in the preparation of diastase for use in the
manufacture of bread and biscuits and for other purposes
"
:-
First-Preparing a solution of diastase by treating low dried malt or a mixture
of low dried malt and green or undried malt with water at a temperature of from
120 to 135 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described.
Secondly-Preparing a solution of diastase by treating low dried malt or a
mixture of low dried malt and green or undried malt with water made alkaline
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described.
Thirdly Concentrating an infusion of diastase whether made by one of the
methods hereinbefore described or otherwise made by evaporating the infusion
preferably under a reduced atmospheric pressure at a low temperature and thereby
producing a solid or semi-liquid extract in which the diastase is preserved in au
active state which solid or semi-liquid extract by being added to water immediately
produces a solution suited for the manufacture of bread and biscuits and for such
other purposes as a solution of diastase is or may be applied substantially in the
manner hereinbefore described.
Dated the 8th day of September 1891.
THOMAS FLETCHER..