Morton W. Coutts
Encyclopedia
Morton William Coutts was a New Zealand
born inventor who revolutionised the science of brewing beer
. He is best known for the continuous fermentation
method.
grandfather, Frederick Joseph Kühtze, began brewing beer in Otago, New Zealand
in the late 19th century. In 1900 he moved to Palmerston North
and set up the family brewery
. The brewery was inherited by William Joseph Kühtze, who changed the family name to Coutts during World War I
to sound more British
. When William Kühtze became seriously ill as a result of the Spanish Flu
in 1918, Morton Coutts took over the brewery at age 15 with the aide of his mentor, Conor W. Cary.
which is the most important ingredient in any brewing. Coutts speculated:
...that yeast could be properly controlled if you looked on it as a human being with a brain. It has so many enzyme mechanisms to call upon to react to whatever is necessary for its survival. Instead of looking on the final product I always took notice of the yeast as an organism that produced whatever you ended up with.
This led him to create the wort
stabilisation process, which resulted in a clearer and consistent wort. He then separated the fermentation into stages. In the first stage the yeast grew and in the second the fermentation began. The yeast was thus encouraged to either grow or produce alcohol
. As a result Coutts created a continuous flow between the two fermentation processes.
signals, and the first to send a telegraph message (to Britain).
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
born inventor who revolutionised the science of brewing beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. He is best known for the continuous fermentation
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
method.
History
Coutts' GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
grandfather, Frederick Joseph Kühtze, began brewing beer in Otago, New Zealand
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
in the late 19th century. In 1900 he moved to Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
and set up the family brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
. The brewery was inherited by William Joseph Kühtze, who changed the family name to Coutts during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to sound more British
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
. When William Kühtze became seriously ill as a result of the Spanish Flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
in 1918, Morton Coutts took over the brewery at age 15 with the aide of his mentor, Conor W. Cary.
Continuous fermentation method
In the 1930s, Coutts investigated the nature of yeastYeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
which is the most important ingredient in any brewing. Coutts speculated:
...that yeast could be properly controlled if you looked on it as a human being with a brain. It has so many enzyme mechanisms to call upon to react to whatever is necessary for its survival. Instead of looking on the final product I always took notice of the yeast as an organism that produced whatever you ended up with.
This led him to create the wort
Wort
Wort may refer to:* Wort, the liquid created by the mashing of malted barley to use in brewing beer* Worting, Hampshire, a large district and suburb of the town of Basingstoke, in Hampshire, England....
stabilisation process, which resulted in a clearer and consistent wort. He then separated the fermentation into stages. In the first stage the yeast grew and in the second the fermentation began. The yeast was thus encouraged to either grow or produce alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. As a result Coutts created a continuous flow between the two fermentation processes.
Other work
Apart from his several patents for the brewing of beer, Coutts was also the first person in New Zealand to broadcast televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
signals, and the first to send a telegraph message (to Britain).
External links
- Morton Coutts - Continuous Fermentation System
- http://www.realbeer.co.nz/alefiles/sparging/article_2004_02_25_3212.php (mentions his 100th birthday)
- http://www.realbeer.co.nz/index.php?comment_id=index.php&comment_page=show_all (mentions his date of death)