Improvements relating to the Preservation of Yeast and other Vegetable and Animal Substances.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left. 10th July, 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Preservation of Yeast and other
Vegetable and Animal Substances.
I, AUGUSTE COLLETTE, of Séclin, in the Republic of France, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the preservation of yeast and other vegetable and
animal substances.
The change to which most substances are subject which it is desired to preserve
is due to the moisture with which these substances are impregnated, to the water
which enters into their constitution. I may more especially mention yeast, the
vegetables which serve to make preserves, and in general all vegetable and animal
substances. I have endeavoured to effect the preservation of these substances
without having recourse to the employment of antiseptics by subjecting them to
the action of dehydrated fecula which possesses the property of great avidity for
water.
As regards yeast this substance associated with fecula remains in such a state
that it can preserve its reproductive and fermentative properties for several months.
For this purpose I take pure pressed yeast, and after having rapidly pulverized
the same, it is mixed with dried fecula, which is moreover of a nature similar to
that of the substances with which it will ultimately be employed. The fecula thus
incorporated with the yeast not only serves for removing from the latter its own
moisture, but also as a protection against the moisture from the ambient air, the
fecula thus prepared being if necessary placed in carefully closed bottles or tin
boxes. If a corruptive action of the air which may be enclosed in the receptacle
be feared an atmosphere of an inert gas, such as hydrogen, carbonic acid, nitrogen
or the like, may be maintained therein; these gases penetrate the fecula and
surround the yeast thus divided. The employment of inert gas is not needful,
since in many cases the fecula will alone be sufficient for ensuring the preservation
of the yeast.
Applied to yeast my improved method offers the advantage of dispensing with
the necessity of daily supplying customers with yeast, as the yeast may be sent to
them at long intervals and in large quantities. It enables the colonies, the army in
the field, and navy to be supplied with a perfectly preserved yeast which can give
bread of excellent quality and irreproachable from a sanitary point of view.
When applying this method to the preservation of vegetables and fruit I remove
from them all the water which they contain so that it will subsequently be sufficient,
for bringing these substances back to their natural state, to cause them to take up
as much water again as has been removed from them.
A precaution has to be taken in causing the water to be absorbed by the fecula,
by reason of the abundant disengagement of heat which is produced. It is needful
to add the fecula only little by little and to effect the artificial cooling of the recep-
tacle or apparatus in which the manipulation takes place. A rotary apparatus is
preferably employed so as to continually renew the surfaces in contact, the sub-
stances undergoing a kind of rolling movement in the same. For cooling the
apparatus exteriorly may be immersed in cold water. I may also take the
precaution to previously cool the fecula or the product to be treated or both.
The fecula introduced little by little may be more and more destitute of water.
A current of cold air is sometimes employed when the apparatus is closed.
In the case of the treatment of alimentary substances I remove the fecula by
sifting; and peas, haricots, strawberries and the like are then ready for the market.

page_text: In the majority of instances I may also preserve yeast in the form of powder or
small grains under the same conditions.
By immersion in water the substances thus treated reassume their original
properties, their flavour and odour; they give rise to a reduction in the cost of
transport and packing, because they have lost from two-thirds to three-quarters
of their weight.
The fecula may be replaced by other material capable of absorbing moisture,
especially by starch and its substitutes, cellulose or the like.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements relating to the Preservation of Yeast and other
Vegetable and Animal Substances.
I, AUGUSTE COLLETTE, of Séclin, in the Republic of France, 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:―
My invention relates to the preservation of yeast and other vegetable and animal
substances.
The change to which most substances which it is desired to preserve are subject
is due to the moisture with which these substances are impregnated, and to the
water which enters into their constitution. I may more especially mention yeast,
the vegetables which serve to make preserves, and in general all vegetable and
animal substances. I have endeavoured to effect the preservation of these
substances without having recourse to the employment of antiseptics by subjecting
them to the action of dehydrated fecula which possesses the property of great
avidity for water. The kind of fecula I preferably employ is that obtained from
potatoes.
As regards yeast this substance associated with fecula remains in such a state
that it can preserve its reproductive and fermentative properties for several
months. For this purpose I take pure pressed yeast, and after having rapidly
pulverized the same it is mixed with dried fecula. The proportion of this fecula
is equal to four or five times the weight of the pressed yeast to be dried and
preserved. The fecula thus incorporated with the yeast not only serves, for
removing from the latter its own moisture, but also as a protection against the
moisture from the ambient air, the fecula thus prepared being if necessary
enclosed in carefully closed bottles or tin boxes. If a corruptive action of the
air which may be enclosed in the receptacle be feared an atmosphere of an inert
gas such as hydrogen carbonic acid, nitrogen or the like may be maintained
therein; these gases penetrate the fecula and surround the yeast thus divided.
The employment of inert gas is not needful since in many cases the fecula will
alone be sufficient for ensuring the preservation of the yeast.
Applied to yeast my improved method offers the advantage of dispensing with
the necessity of daily supplying customers with yeast, as it may be sent to them
at long intervals and in large quantities. It enables the colonies, the army in the
field and the navy to be supplied with a perfectly preserved yeast which can give
bread of excellent quality and irreproachable from a sanitary point of view.
For putting the prepared yeast in the market and for delivering it for consump
tion I place it in an envelope which close and which I dry with dehydrated
fecula, either by putting it successively in more and more dehydrated fecula or by.
adding little by little anhydrous fecula. Instead of putting the yeast in the form

page_text: of powder in the envelope I may, in order to have a more saleable product, nould
it in the form of blocks and cut it into thin slices.
.1
I have thus at the same time a cheap cover facilitating the retail trade and a
product of considerable fermentative power, for the envelope of cloth or paper
constitutes a protective covering which prevents the surface from being dried
suddenly.
I may likewise dry the yeast by enclosing it in bags of cloth or paper and putting
them in fecula which permits of obtaining yeast free from foreign bodies.
If into the bags I add a certain quantity of fecula containing about 20 per cent.
of water the desiccation is rendered slower and more regular; for then the fecula
remains moist during the whole time of the desiccation and thus serves as an inter-
inediary between the yeast and the dry fecula; it is consequently impossible that
a cell of yeast should be dried suddenly by the direct contact with the anhydrous
fecula.
I thus utilize the property heretofore unknown which fecula possesses of forming
with water various hydrates disengaging by their formation various quantities of heat.
I may also put the yeast in a bag and enclose this bag in another one containing
fecula with 20 per cent. of water which is placed in the anhydrous fecula.
I may also surround the yeast with a cloth, paper which is coated with gelatine,
starchel fecula or any other adhesive material to render the envelope stronger.
Another means consists in incorporating pressed yeast in a weak solution of
gelatine or agar-agar; by cooling the gelatine becomes hard. The cake thus
formed is cut into thin slices which are dried as before in fecula.
All these operations are effected either by hand by stirring from time to time
for renewing the surfaces in contact with the fecula, or better still by putting the.
whole in any kind of turning apparatus in order that this renewal of surfaces may
take place by mechanical means.
When applying the method of treatment by fecula to the preservation of
vegetables and fruit I remove from them all the water which they contain so that
it will subsequently be sufficient, for bringing these substances back to their
natural state, to cause then to take up as much water again as has been removed
from them.
A. precaution has to be taken in causing the water to be absorbed by the fecula
by reason of the abundant disengagement of heat which is produced. It is necessary
to add the fecula only little by little and to effect the artificial cooling of the
receptacle or apparatus in which the manipulation takes place. A rotary apparatus
is preferably employed so as to continually renew the surfaces in contact, the
substances undergoing a kind of rolling movement in the same. For cooling the
apparatus exteriorly it may be immersed in cold water. I may also take the
precaution to previously cool the fecula or the product to be treated or both.
The fecula introduced little by little may be more and more destitute of water.
A current of cold air is sometimes employed when the apparatus is closed.
In the case of the treatment of alimentary substances I remove the fecula by
sifting; and peas, haricots, strawberries and the like are then ready for the market.
In the majority of instances I may also preserve yeast in the form of powder or
small grains under the same conditions.
By immersion in water the substances thus treated reassume their original
properties, their flavour and odour; they give rise to a reduction in the cost of
transport and packing, because they have lost from two-thirds to three-quarters of
their weight.
.
The fecula may be replaced by other material capable of absorbing moisture,
especially by starch and its substitutes, cellulose or the like.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The process of preserving yeast, vegetable animal and other alimentary

page_text: substances which contain water, this process consisting in mixing these materials
and in leaving them or not mixed with dehydrated fecula at a low temperature, as
herein set forth.
Second. The arrangement of the yeast in the form of powder or in the form of
plates in envelopes or bags which are closed and which are put in fecula for drying
the yeast, it being optional to put a little hydrated fecula with the yeast in order
to retard the desiccation.
Third. The employment, for forming the bag or envelope, of paper or linen
impregnated with a coating which renders the envelope stronger.
Fourth. The incorporation of yeast in a solution of gelatine which solidifies by
cooling and from which are cut thin slices which are dried.
Fifth. The optional replacement of fecula by another material absorbing
moisture and especially by starch and its substitutes such as cellulose and the like.
Dated this 10th day of July 1894
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.