IMPROVED MEANS FOR ASSISTING AND REGULATING THE PROCESS OF FERMENTATION
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James King, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,.
North Britain, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS FOR
ASSISTING AND REGULATING THE PROCESS OF FERMENTATION."
Sealed the 8th March 1864, and dated the 12th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James King at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th September 1863.
I, JAMES KING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVED
MEANS FOR ASSISTING AND REGULATING THE PROCESS OF FERMENTATION," to be as
follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for object to assist and regulate the process of fermen-
tation such as is employed by distillers and brewers, and it consists in passing
or forcing atmospheric air or other gas or mixture of gases of like action
through the fermentable or fermenting liquid or matters after yeast, or an
equivalent inducer of fermentation, has been added. By having the air thus
introduced of a suitable temperature, the temperature of the fermenting matters
may be regulated with facility, the importance of which will be well understood
by the practical distiller or brewer. Thus if the fermenting matters tend to
become too warm, comparatively cool air will be introduced and bring down
the temperature; whilst if the fermenting matters are not warm enough the air
may be sufficiently heated before its introduction to raise the temperature to
the required degree. The air may be introduced into the fermentable or

page_text: fermenting matters by bellows, fans, or pumps, and it is preferred to introduce
it through a number of perforations, so as to be distributed through the fer-
mentable or fermenting matters in a number of small streams or jets.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James King in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
KING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Chemist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James King, Her special licence that I, the said James King, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
King, my executors, "administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR
ASSISTING AND REGULATING THE PROCESS OF FERMENTATION," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James King, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James King, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
My said Invention has for object to assist and regulate the process of
fermentation, such as is employed by distillers and brewers, and it consists in
passing or forcing atmospheric air or other gas or mixture of gases of like action
through the fermentable or fermenting liquid or matters after yeast or an

page_text: équivalent inducer of fermentation has been added. By having the air thus
introduced of a suitable temperature, or by introducing ordinary atmospheric
air in suitable quantity, the temperature of the fermenting matters may be
regulated with facility, the importance of which will be well understood by the
practical distiller or brewer. Thus if the fermenting matters tend to become
too warm, comparatively cool air will be introduced in sufficient quantity to
bring down the temperature to the desired extent; whilst if the fermenting
matters are not warm enough, the air may be sufficiently heated before its'
introduction to raise the temperature as much as may be desirable.
"
The introduction of air in this manner acts beneficially in various ways.
Whilst supplying oxygen to the yeast fungus it helps to carry off the carbonic
acid arising from the fermenting process, and with the carbonic acid it also
carries of volatile matters whose retention hitherto has imparted the undesirable
but well-known flavour of "newness" accompanying freshly made spirit. The
easy control of the temperature herein-before referred to permits of the process
being conducted with increased uniformity and certainty, and has in practice
resulted in the complete absence for a long period of faulty or imperfect
ferments, such as were hitherto occasionally unavoidable with even the greatest
care and attention.
The air may be introduced into the fermentable or fermenting matters by
bellows, fans, or pumps, and it is preferred to introduce it through a number of
perforations, so as to be distributed through the fermentable or fermenting
matters in a number of small streams or jets. The apparatus employed may
obviously be constructed and arranged in a variety of ways, a simple and
practically successful modification, however, is shown upon the accompanying
Sheet of explanatory Drawings.
i
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a fermenting tun or wash back with the
apparatus for introducing the air shown in elevation in position inside it. A
main pipe A, running horizontally along between two rows, let us suppose, of
tuns, is fitted oppositely to each tun B, with a branch and stop-cock C. When
any tun is to be worked, a flexible tube D is coupled to the corresponding
branch C, such tube having attached to its end a four-armed tubular piece E,
(shown in plan in Figure 2,) each arm whereof is perforated by preference
obliquely downwards for the escape of the air. A weight F is connected to
the piece E to sink it to nearly the bottom of the tun. Air is forced into the
main pipe A by a pump or other suitable appliance, and the cock C being
turned on, finds its way out by the perforations in the discharge piece E, and
rises up through the fermenting matters.
. The air may be forced in continuously or at intervals during the time of

page_text: fermentation. By way of example it may be stated that a good result is
obtainable under such conditions and treatment as the following, but the
practical distiller or brewer will understand that the treatment must be modified
to suit the various conditions and circumstances with which he may have to
deal. The quantity of wash being 9,000 gallons, at a gravity of 53 degrees by
Allan's saccharometer, and at a temperature of 66 degrees Fahrenheit, I com-
mence forcing in air as soon as fermentation begins, and I continue to supply it
at the rate of about 900 cubic feet per hour for about five hours. I then
discontinue the supply of air for two hours, and then resume it, and continue
forcing air in until fermentation appears to have ceased. By mixing fumes
or volatile matters with the air injected into the wash various flavours may be
imparted to the spirit. Thus, if a little peat is burned so that the fumes from
it mingle with the air entering the pump a delicate flavour of peat is obtained.
It is preferred to combine such fumes with the air towards the close of
the fermentation.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the forcing of atmo-
spheric air or other gas or mixture of gases of like action through fermentable
or fermenting liquid or matters, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James King, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JAMES KING. (L.S.)