Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
PROVISIONAL LETTUATION
Improvements in the Manufacture of Beer.
1, ANDREW WORTHINGTON BILLINGS, of 30 Moorgate Street, in the City of
London, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
This invention relates to the aeration of wort previous to its conversion into
beer. The necessity for the aeration of wort is now generally acknowledged,
although it is probable that the exact nature of its effect is not definitely
understood. Aeration of wort, as practised in the brewery, is of two kinds, the
wort may be aerated whilst it is nearly at boiling temperature, or it may be aerated
when it is cooled down either on its passage to the fermenting tuns, or whilst it is
in fermenting tuns undergoing fermentation.
My invention relates to the aeration of wort before its introduction into the
fermenting vessels, and may be accomplished whilst the wort is boiling, or whilst
it is cooling down previous to its introduction into the fermenting vessels.
The difficulties which have hitherto attended the aeration of wort in breweries
have been two-fold; the regulation of the quantity of admitted air, and the
If it is desired to aerate
ensuring of such air being sterile or free from germs.
wort whilst in a state of ebullition, an additional difficulty arises in connection
with the introduction of air into the ordinary brewers copper, an open vessel being
ill adapted to the purpose.
By means of my invention I am enabled to regulate the amount of air which is
to be admitted, to ensure if necessary that it shall be sterile, and am able to
introduce the air to the wort whilst the latter is in a state of ebullition, or at any
stage of its cooling. I am further enabled to introduce it in an atomized condition,
and to bring it into such intimate contact with the heated wort that the full effect
of the aeration is communicated to the whole bulk of the wort to be operated
upon.
I preferably effect this by means of a modification of the apparatus patented
and described by me in Specifications 8952 of 1892 and 17912 of 1893 but I can
also apply it to other suitable boiling apparatus permitting of aeration from the
bottom of the vessel containing the hot wort.
The air employed may be either hot or cold, some brewers preferring the former
to the latter for the purposes of aeration. It is very advisable to remove all germs
from the air, and this may be accomplished by passing it through cotton wool
The air is forced through the
steeped in glycerine or by other well known means.
hopped wort immediately after actual ebullition ceases, and its introduction may be
stopped after a short period, or it may be continued during the entire cooling
operation. I accomplish my aeration by injecting the air, by means of suitable
connections, through the side and end inlets of the apparatus alluded to in the
above mentioned Specifications, but preferably through the thickening piece under
the strainer plate in the apparatus described in Specification 17912 of 1893. The
air passing through the holes in the strainer plates is atomized and its distribution
throughout the wort is secured by keeping the stirrers in motion whilst the air is
passing into the apparatus. Whilst this injection of air is continued, cold water
may be introduced as desired into the jacket surrounding the apparatus in which
the wort has been boiled so that the latter is rapidly cooled, and its aeration during

page_text: the period of cooling thereby secured. In this way a wort may be produced in
the boiling vessel sufficiently aerated to at once introduce into the fermenting
vessels.
I have found in practice that the space under the strainer plates described in
Specification 17912 of 1893 occasionally becomes obstructed by the resinous matter
of the hops and with other matter present in the wort.
I overcome this difficulty in one or other of the following ways; I pass through
the thickening piece under the strainer-plate two or more pipes, so arranged that I
cau blow steam through these pipes and by its means dislodge any accumulated
sediment which, upon the opening of the discharge valve can be dissipated. Or I
introduce hot or cold water into the pipes, and by so doing thoroughly wash and
clean out the space under the strainer-plates.
By the method above described, I secure aeration of wort in the same apparatus
in which the mashing and boiling have been performed, and I overcome a difficulty
often experienced in breweries, of obtaining aeration of wort. This notwith-
standing the absence of the requisite height to ensure a fall of the wort on its way
to the coolers or fermenting vessels.
Dated the 20th day of August 18014
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.
I, ANDREW WORTHINGTON BILLINGS of 30 Moorgate Street, in the City of
London, Chemist, 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 :-
This invention relates to the aeration of wort previous to its conversion into beer.
The necessity for the aeration of wort is now generally acknowledged, although it
is probable that the exact nature of its effect is not definitely understood.
Aeration of wort, as practised in the brewery, is of two kinds, the wort may be
aerated whilst it is nearly at boiling temperature, or it may be aerated when it is
being cooled down either on its passage to the fermenting tuns or whilst it is in
fermenting tuns undergoing fermentation.
This invention relates to the aeration of wort before its introduction into the
fermenting vessels, and may be carried out whilst the wort is boiling, or whilst it
is cooling down previous to its introduction into the fermenting vessels.
The difficulties which have hitherto attended the aeration of wort in breweries
have been twofold, the regulation of the quantity of admitted air, and the ensuring
of such air being sterile or free from germs. If it is desired to aerate wort whilst
in a state of ebullition, an additional difficulty arises in connection with the
introduction of air into the ordinary brewers copper, an open vessel being ill
adapted to the purpose.
By means of my invention I am enabled to regulate the amount of air which is
to be admitted, to ensure if necessary that it shall be sterile, and am able to
introduce the air to the wort whilst the latter is in a state of ebullition, or at any
stage of its cooling. I am further enabled to introduce it in an atomized condition,
and to bring it into such intimate contact with the heated wort that the full effect
of the aeration is communicated to the whole bulk of the wort to be operated
upon.
1 preferably effect this by means of a modification of the apparatus patented
and described by me in Specifications 8952 of 1892 and 17912 of 1893, but I can

page_text: apply it to other suitable boiling apparatus permitting of aeration from the
bottom of the vessel containing the hot wort.
The air employed may be either hot or cold, some brewers preferring the former
to the latter for the purposes of aeration. It is very desirable to remove all germs
5 from the air, and this may be accomplished by passing it through cotton wool
steeped in glycerine or by other well known means.
hopped wort immediately after actual ebullition ceases, and its introduction may
The air is forced through the
be stopped after a short period, or it may be continued during the entire cooling
operation.
[1
In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 represents partly in elevation and partly in section an end view of
apparatus similar to that described in said former Specifications with the present
invention applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an arrangement for introducing the air when a filter
plate is not employed.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of an advantageous method of connecting the air and
like supply with the interior of the vessel.
Fig. 4 is a side sectional elevation showing the filter plate, water and steam
jacket, thickening piece for carrying the discharge valves and certain other parts,
and
Fig. 5 is a plan view of pipes as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.
In the Provisional Specification it is stated that it is preferred to introduce the
air through the thickening piece shown in Specification 17912 of 1893 as being
under the strainer plate, and this is a perfectly satisfactory method to employ in
small vessels or where a sound and even thickening piece can be secured, but
considerable difficulty has at times been experienced in getting thickening pieces
for large sized vessels evenly and truly made in cast iron which for economy is the
material usually used for this purpose. To obviate the use of large sized thickening
plates it is proposed to connect the aeration pipes in the vessel in the manner
hereinafter described.
In the drawings A represents the vessel or converter provided with the stirring
blades B, water and steam jacket C supplied through pipe D while the inside of
the converter or vessel may be supplied with water or steam through pipe E with
branch pipes leading through the sides and ends of the vessel, said pipes being of
course provided with suitable valves. The strainer plate F rests around its edges
upon a recessed or curved portion of the inner plate forming the vessel, said recess
being conveniently made by "dishing "the bottom of the vessel or as shown by
making said bottom plate & of a separate piece, and so attaching it that it will
upport the straining plate at the same distance from the line of revolution of the
tirring blades as the rest of the inner side of the vessel. Said plate may be
urther supported by feet H attached thereto or to bottom plate G. The air to
effect the aeration is injected as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 through pipes I, J, said
ipes being provided with taps or valves K.
When carrying on the manufacture of beer in this apparatus the parts are
ubject to rapid expansion and contraction owing to the alternate admission to the
acket C of steam to effect the boiling and subsequently of cold water to effect
he cooling, and it is consequently desirable that the joints of the pipe connections
rough the outer casing and the bottom plate G should be effectively made, and
his can be accomplished as indicated in Fig. 3 in which a brass or other metal
imble L provided with internal and external screw threads is screwed through
e outer casing and bottom plate G, and preferably expanded or rivetted over so
to secure it to said plates and the pipe J or end of valve or tap K is then
rewed therein. The air so admitted passes through the holes in the strainer
ates is atomized and its distribution throughout the wort may be secured by
eeping the stirrers in motion whilst the air is passing into the apparatus.
is injection of air is continued cold water may be introduced through pipe D into
Whilst

page_text: the jacket C surrounding the apparatus in which the wort has been boiled, so that
the latter is rapidly cooled, and its aeration during the period of cooling thereby
secured. In this way a wort may be produced in the boiling vessel sufficiently
aerated and cooled to at ouce introduce into the fermenting vessels.
I have found in practice that the space under the strainer plates occasionally
becomes obstructed by the resinous matter of the hops and with other matter
present in the wort.
To overcome this difficulty the air supply to pipe I through pipe T is cut off
and steam is admitted to 1 from pipe R or hot or cold water through pipe S so
that any sediment or adhering material may be blown or washed out through
discharge valve opening M. The thick fluid may then be returned in top of vessel
for subsequent filtration. The space under the strainer plate may be thus
thoroughly cleansed.
By the method above described the aeration of wort may be effected in the same
apparatus in which the mashing and boiling have been performed, and the difficulty
often experienced in breweries of obtaining aeration of wort secured. This
notwithstanding the absence of the requisite height to ensure a fall of the wort on
its way to the coolers or fermenting vessels.
When using the vessel simply as a mashing converter and boiling apparatus in
which the mashing and boiling only is to be conducted, the straining plate F would
be omitted and the bottom plate need not be dished, the air pipes N, O which take
the place of pipes I J are arranged as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, so that any air
which it is desired to inject into the mash or wort may cuter through the main
steam and water pipes from E. This arrangement is also advantageous when the
vessel is to be set so close to the floor as to prevent the valves K from being
readily reached by the operator. The thickening piece P need only be of sufficient
size to carry the openings M, Q of the discharge pipes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of beer the improved method of aerating the wort in a
closed vessel prior to the fermenting stage, substantially as described.
2. For the manufacture of beer a closed boiling vessel or hop back provided
with a strainer plate and pipes for the delivery of air, or other fluid beneath said
plate, substantially as described.
3. The improved apparatus for the manufacture and aeration of beer,
substantially as described.
Dated the 11th dor of Mar 1905
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.