Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Fermented Liquids and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1890-Accepted, 21st Feb., 1891
[Communicated from abroad by HERMANN GÖTTER, of Jersey City,
United States of America.]
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Fermented Liquids
and to Apparatus therefor.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
Heretofore the fermentation of wine has been accomplished in bottles and in
vats, requiring a long time for its accomplishment.
It has been proposed to hasten or facilitate the operation by introducing into
the wine, paper-pulp, cotton, hemp chopped hay and grape skins to afford
nutriment for the minute organisms of the ferment. But the process as so con-
ducted has thus far proved unsatisfactory, because the presence of the substances
named has been found to produce chemical changes affecting injuriously the
flavor and bouquet of the wine.
I have discovered a process by which the fermentation of even a sparkling wine
may be accomplished in five or six days without impairing the qualities of the
wine. This discovery consists of the fact that the presence in the wine under-
going fermentation, of a substance presenting to the wine a great area of contact,
will hasten the fermentation, although the composition of the substance be such
that it is substantially inert in the surroundings and conditions to which it is sub-
mitted and therefore sets up no changes which are injurious to the qualities of the
wine in flavor or bouquet.
This discovery having been once made, it is evident that it may be utilized by
means of a wide range of substances, all of them in this process possessing
properties equivalent to those which I am about to name, and therefore do not
desire to be understood as limiting myself to any particular example of the class.
I have utilized my discovery by means of the immersion into the wine of spun
glass, or asbestos cloth which, by reason of their fibrous or porous nature afford a
great surface contact to the wine and at the same time are lacking in these
properties which set up other changes in addition to fermentation, and in this sense
may be said to be substantially inert.
I have furthermore discovered that the same substance may be used over and
over again in the fermentation of successive batches of liquid and that up to a
certain point, its efficiency will increase; but that beyond such point, which may
be detected by the substance emitting a disagreeable odor, the use of the same
substance will impair or injure the quality of the wine unless it be cleansed, when
its efficiency will be continued.
I have also discovered that the substance which is immersed in the wine, to
accomplish the best results, should be distributed to all parts of the vat containing
the wine.
I will now describe the process more in detail in connection with an apparatus
by which it may be practised and which is illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
In the apparatus shown the vats are hermetically closed so as to be adapted for
the fermentation of sparkling wine. A, B and C represent three different floors
upon which different parts of the apparatus may be located, though this arrange-
ment is not essential; but it is generally preferred for economy of room and facility
of increasing the capacity of the apparatus at any time desired. D and E are
vessels within which the fermentation may be accomplished, one shown in side

page_text: view and the other in section; they are similar in construction and may
be multiplied to any extent if it be desired to increase the capacity of the
apparatus.
F is a receiver by which the fermented wine from the various fermenting, vessels
is received and distributed to the extent required, to the various bottling machines.
G is the refrigerator by which the fermented wine is cooled, to make it retain a
larger proportion of gas. H and. I are filters for the clarification of the wine
before it is bottled. J and K are the bottling machines. L is a carbonic acid
gas machine.
A description of one of the fermenting vessels will suffice for all.. a is a
metallic shell capable of standing an internal pressure of say, at least 120 pounds
to the square inch. The top is made removable and is removed for the
purpose of cleansing, and for inserting and removing the spun glass, or other
material. This vessel is provided with a hand-hole b which is preferably located
at the centre of the top. It is also provided with a pressure gauge c. It is also
provided at its top with a pipe d connected with the various bottling: machines.
Within the vessel a is placed an open vat e constructed of some material, as for
instance white wood or silver, which will not corrode or in any way injuriously
affect the aroma or flavor of the contained wine. From the bottom of this vat, a
pipe extends downward through the bottom of the vessel a. A packing is pro-
vided where this pipe passes through the vessel a, to maintain the required pressure
within that vessel, and the portion of the pipe which is exposed to the wine is
constructed of such material as not to corrode or impair the same. g is a valve in
the pipe which remains closed until the process of fermentation is completed.
Another outlet as at i with a suitable valve may be supplied if desired for use when.
the vat is being washed out with water.
The fermenting vessel E is illustrated as containing spun glass, as the material
immersed in the wine while undergoing fermentation. order that this spun glass
shall be distributed in all parts of the vat, it is placed in bags of loosely woven
woolen cloth which are suspended from the rods & radiating from a central stan-
dard. Obviously this supporting mechanism may be varied and would undoubtedly
be varied providing other substances should be used in lieu of spun glass; the
object-in-view-being,-to-distribute_the_substance, whatever it may be, in various
parts of the vat.
The pipes leading from the various fermentating vessels all connect with the
receiver F. This receiver consists simply of a vessel so constructed as to withstand
sufficient internal pressure, and from the bottom of which lead various pipes m
sufficient in number to correspond with the number of bottling machines, n are
valves located one in each of these pipes where it leaves the receiver.
The refrigerator may be of any convenient form for cooling the contents of
pipes m by any of the well known cooling mediums such as ice, cold water
or expanded gases to a temperature of 40° Fahrenheit or thereabouts. In
the drawing, ice is shown as being placed above the coils formed in the various
pipes. From the refrigerator the pipes m pass to the bottoms of the respective
filters and each pipe is provided with a valve m just below the filter. The
filters are of any of the well known constructions in which the wine is compelled
to pass through substances calculated to clarify it without imparting any disagreeable
qualities.
From the top of each filter a pipe o leads to the bottling machine. The bottling
machine is of the ordinary construction employed for bottling sparkling beverages
and from each bottling machine a pipe o' connects with the pipe d so as to lead the
carbonic acid gas (with which the bottle is charged before being filled with wine,
and which passes out of the bottle as the wine enters) back into the fermenting
vessel, where this carbonic acid gas occupies the space which was left vacant in the
fermenting vessel by the removal therefrom of the wine necessary to fill the bottle.
A valve is provided in each pipe adjacent to each fermenting vessel, which
valve will be closed excepting when the fermenting vessel is being.discharged, so

page_text: that the carbonic acid gas from all the bottles being filled will be returned to the
fermenting vessel which is being discharged.
The carbonic acid gas generating machine L is connected by pipe 9 with pipe p¹
so as to ensure the maintenance of the proper pressure of gas in the pipes connected
with the fermenting vessels.
The process is conducted as follows:
The pipes, receiver and filters leading from the fermenting vessels are filled with
water to exclude the air. The spun glass is arranged within the various vats as
described and the covers put in place; the hand holes are opened and the vats are
filled with wine which is already in process of fermentation (to which a trifle of
sugar is added) up to about the level indicated in the vessel E by the line a. Above
this line the vessel is filled with carbonic acid gas, so that no air is left in contact
with the wine. The hand hole is then closed and the temperature of the room
is maintained at from 70 to 80° Fahrenheit or thereabouts and as nearly uniform as
practicable. Under these conditions the pressure gauge will indicate a rise of
pressure and when it indicates a pressure of from 75 to 90 pounds per square inch
or thereabouts, the fermentation may be considered complete. This may occupy
from five to six days or thereabouts. Then the valves and are opened and as
many as the valves as it is desired to employ of the bottling machines.
The wine driving the water before it, which may be discharged through the pipe
leading to the bottles before the bottles are placed in position, will flow through the
receiver, the refrigerator and the filter successively and into the bottles where it
replaces the carbonic acid gas, with which the bottles have been previously charged
as usual and which passes upward through the pipe d into the fermenting vessel.
After the contents of one fermenting vessel have been discharged, the valve p
and y may be closed and it may be recharged; and whilst the fermentation is pro-
ceeding in it, other fermenting vessels connected with the same separator may be
discharged. In this manner the operation of bottling may be conducted
continuously the charging of the various fermenting vessels being so timed as to
cause some one of them always to be in condition to be discharged.
After the fermenting vessel has been discharged and before a new charge of wine
is inserted, I rinse out the rat and in doing so rinse the spun glass or other
substance contained within the vat. This do by filling the vat with water
through the hand hole and agitating the spun glass therein sufficiently to rinse the
same and cause sediment formed in the vat to run off' with the contained water
through the pipe i.
The spun glass when new will not be as efficient as after it has been used and
the rinsing of it between the successive operations is not sufficient to impair this
increased efficiency. After the process has been conducted over and over a great
number of times in this manner, the spun glass may however become somewhat foul,
as can be detected by the odor which it will emit under such circumstances. When
this is discovered, I remove the cover of the fermenting vessel and also the spun
glass and wash the interior of the vat and replace the old spun glass by new or by
the old spun glass cleansed by washing and heating and then proceed with the
process as before.
In making up the first batch with new spun glass or equivalent substance, I
have directed wine to be used already in process of fermentation. This, although not
absolutely essential will be found expedient to secure economical working on a
large scale. In making up subsequent batches with the same spun glass or
substance, it is best to also use wine already in process of fermentation, though not
so essential as with the first batch..
I do not desire in my claims relating to the process to limit myself to the apparatus
shown; nor in my claims for the apparatus do I desire to limit myself to the
details thereof since I believe that my invention is broader in its scope than
details in either process or apparatus.
In applying the word "inert" to the spun glass or equivalent substances, 1
do not wish to be understood as asserting that a scientist might not discover soine

page_text: action, unknown to me. I use that term to indicate that it is productive of no
action which substantially impairs the qualities of the wine.
By employing the inorganic substances substantially inert toward the beverage
in the fermenting vessel, the fermentation is greatly accelerated and without said
substance imparting any disagreeable and deleterious taste, flavor or odor to the
beverage which injurious effects practice has demonstrated follow the use of cotton,
wood and other vegetable substances. By the use however of inorganic substances
such objectionable results are obviated and the process of fermentation materially
hastened and improved.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
First. The process of producing sparkling wine consisting in submerging in the
wine a porous or fibrous inorganic substance which is substantially inert toward
the wine and present a large area of contact to the wine, and causing the wine to
become charged with gas generated by fermentation in the wine, substantially as
described.
Second. The process of fermenting beverages which consists of fermenting the
beverage in contact with a porous or fibrous inorganic substance submerged therein
and which is substantially inert toward the beverage, substantially as described.
Third. In the art of fermenting beverages the treatment which consists in
partially fermenting the beverage and then submitting the same to contact with a
porous or fibrous inorganic material substantially inert toward the beverage,
substantially as described.
Fourth. The process of producing sparkling wine consisting in bringing the wine
into contact with spun glass suspended bodily in a closed vessel from which. air is
removed and excluded then passing the wine from said vat to a filter and on its
way subjecting it to a refrigerating agent and then passing it from said filter to a
bottling apparatus, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. In an apparatus for fermenting beverages, a closed vessel provided with
an inlet and an exit for wine, and containing spun glass with which wine may be
brought into contact to produce fermentation, substantially as, and for the purposes
-set forth.-
Sixth. In an apparatus for fermenting beverages, a closed-vessel-provided-with
an inlet and an exit for wine, and containing a porous or fibrous inorganic sub-
stance which is substantially inert toward the wine, and with which wine may be
brought into contact to produce fermentation, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Seventh. In an apparatus for fermenting beverages, a closed vessel provided with
an inlet and an exit for wine, an inorganic substance substantially inert toward the
wine suspended bodily within said vessel from the upper portion thereof to permit
the wine to pass about and beneath said substance, and means for so suspending
said inorganic substance, substantially as described.
Eighth. In an apparatus for fermenting beverages, the combination of a series of
fermenting vessels, a series of filters, a bottling machine, a receiver located
intermediate of the fermenting vessels and filters, pipes leading from all the
fermenting vessels to said receiver and separate pipes leading from the receiver
to the filters, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Ninth. In an apparatus for fermenting beverages, the combination of a series of
fermenting vessels, a refrigerator, a receiver common to all of said fermenting
vessels, pipes leading from all of the fermenting vessels to said receiver, separate
pipes leading from said common receiver through said refrigerator and to separate
filters the filters with which said pipes connect, and a bottling machine connected
by pipes to said filters, substantially as described.
Tenth. In an apparatus for producing sparkling wine, the combination of a closed
fermenting vessel, a porous or fibrous inorganic substance substantially inert

page_text: toward the wine and suspended bodily within said vessel, means for so suspending
said substance, a refrigerator to which the beverage is conducted from said vessel,
a filter connected with said refrigerator, and a bottling machine connected with
said filter, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1800
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.