IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FERMENTING LIQUIDS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nevile Lubbock a Director of the Colonial Company
Limited of 10 Leadenhall Street in the city of London for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FERMENTING LIQUIDS communicated to
him from abroad by Frederic Isenbart Scard of Demerara, British Guiana.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nevile Lubbock at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1882.
"
NEVILE LUBBOCK a Director of the Colonial Company Limited of 16 Leadenhall
Street in the City of London IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FERMENTING
LIQUIDS" [Communicated to him from abroad by Frederic Isenbart Scard of
Demerara, British Guiana.]
The object of this Invention is to increase the growth of yeast or other ferment
in solutions which are to be fermented, or are being fermented, so as when
alcoholic liquids are to be made, to increase the rapidity and completeness of the
transformation of the saccharine matter into alcohol, and when yeast or other
product is to be made, to increase the quantity of the said product.
I have been led to conclude that in many cases the cause of comparative
slowness and incompleteness of the fermentation as at present carried on, is due
to a deficiency in the wash of the nutritive material upon which the propagation
and nourishment of the yeast or other ferment depends, viz-nitrogen. This
deficiency of nutritive material I propose to remedy by the addition of chemical
compounds of which the yeast possesses the power of appropriating and assimilating
the nitrogen. These compounds are sulphate of ammonia, chloride of ammonia,
nitrate of ammonia, tartrate of ammonia, and nitric acid. Their mode of use is as
follows:-
The wash having been set up at the usual or any other suitable specific gravity
one of the above salts, sulphate, chloride, nitrate or tartrate of ammonia, or a
mixture of any two or more of these is added, and thoroughly dissolved in
the wash.

page_text: The quantity which I use is dependent upon the proportion of nitrogenous
constituent already present and should be such as to ensure that nearly all the
saccharine matter present is converted into alcohol, the proportion or proportions
of the salt or salts being so arranged as to give the requisite amount of nitrogen.
The yeast feeds on and is nourished by the salt or salts of ammonia whose action
is supplemental to and more rapid than that of the nitrogenous matter before
mentioned as present in most fermentable liquids, and the result is an increased
production of healthy yeast or ferment. This yeast or ferment causes a more
rapid attenuation of the wash or wort and a larger production of alcohol
Where sulphuric acid is used in the wash (as is sometimes the case in the
fermentation of molasses in the manufacture of rum) to create an acid condition,
a portion of the acidity requisito can be obtained by the substitution of nitric
acid. In this case there is no occasion to use the ammoniacal compounds.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Nevile Lubbock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd May
1883.
NEVILE LUBBOCK a Director of the Colonial Company Limited, of 16 Leadenhall
Street in the City of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS OF FERMENTING
LIQUIDS A communication to me from abroad by Frederic Isenbart Scard of
Demerara, British Guiana.
"
The object of this Invention is to increase the growth of yeast, or other ferment,
in solutions which are to be fermented, or are being fermented, so as when alcoholic
liquids are to be made, to increase the rapidity and completeness of the trans-
formation of the saccharine matter into alcohol, and when yeast or other product
is to be made, to increase the quantity of the said product.
I have been led to conclude that in many cases, the cause of comparative
slowness and incompleteness of the fermentation as at present carried on, is due to
a deficiency in the wash of the nutritive material upon which the propagation and
nourishment of the yeast, or other ferment, depends, viz-nitrogen. This deficiency
of nutritive material I propose to remedy by the addition of certain inorganic
chemical compounds, of which the yeast possesses the power of appropriating and
assimilating the nitrogen. These compounds are, sulphate of ammonia, chloride
of ammonia, nitrate of ammonia, tartrate of ammonia, and nitric acid. Their mode
of use is as follows:-
The wash having been set up at the usual or any other suitable specific gravity,
one of the above salts, sulphate, chloride, nitrate, or tartrate, of ammonia, or a
mixture of any two or more of these is added, and thoroughly dissolved in
the wash,
The quantity which I use is dependent upon the proportion of nitrogenous
constituent already present, and should be such as to ensure that nearly all the
saccharine matter present is converted into alcohol, the proportion, or proportions,
of the salt, or salts, being so arranged as to give the requisite amount of nitrogen.
The yeast feeds on, and is nourished by, the salt or salts of ammonia whose action
is supplemental to, and more rapid than, that of the nitrogenous matter before
mentioned as present in most fermentable liquids, and the result is an increased
production of healthy yeast or ferment. This yeast or ferment causes a more rapid
attenuation of the wash or wort, and a larger production of alcohol.
In the fermentation of molasses, for instance, as at present carried out, a
considerable quantity of the saccharine matter escapes fermentation and is conse-
quently lost. The fermentation also extends over a considerable period of time,
often amounting to seven or eight days, great inconvenience thus arising and
opportunity being afforded for fermentative action, other than alcoholic, occurring.
The quantity to be added, in the case of molasses, ought to contain so much
nitrogen as would give 2 lbs of nitrogen to 1000 gallons of wash, and this amount
would be approximately yielded respectively by each of the following weights of
the respective compounds, vie:-

page_text: acidity requisite can be added in the form of Nitric acid. Two thirds of a gallon
of nitric acid is to be used per 1000 gallons of wash, about 2 lbs of nitrogen being
thus added. This is equivalent to about 3'/, pints of oil of vitriol, and if further
acidity is required, it can be added in the form of sulphuric acid. Where nitric
acid is used there is no occasion to use the ammoniacal compounds.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is.
1 The application, and employment, of certain inorganic salts of ammonia by
their addition to a fermentable liquid in order to promote the growth of the yeast
or ferment, as and for the purpose specified.
2nd The application, and employment, of nitric acid by its addition to a
fermentable liquid in complete or partial substitution for another acid, in order to
promote the growth of the yeast or ferment, as and for the purpose specified.
In Witness whereof I the said Nevile Lubbock have hereunto set my hand
and seal this tenth day of May, A.D. 1883.
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