Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage – Primary-alcoholic fermentations with subsequent and/or prior...
Patent
1998-11-12
2000-10-03
Alexander, Reginald L.
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
Primary-alcoholic fermentations with subsequent and/or prior...
99277, 435813, C12C 1100
Patent
active
061257362
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fermenter used in particular in the wine industry for the vinification of musts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In the technical sector very many types of fermenters are known, said fermenters all comprising essentially at least one container, or vat, with an overturned frustoconical bottom having an opening for the introduction of liquid to be fermented and a tap for discharging the fermented liquid.
The liquid to be fermented, in the case of vinification, i.e. the production of wine from pressed grapes, is composed of both the grape juice and the marc, namely all the solid parts of the grape consisting of skins, grape-pips (seeds present in the grape berries) and, in some cases, the stalks. The fermented liquid is more properly called fermented must or wine.
During the fermentation process, a solid floating layer--the so-called cap--is formed at the top of the vat, said cap consisting of various layers of marc, the outermost one of which usually emerges slightly above the liquid. It therefore consists of a particularly compact mass which must be broken up to avoid excessive solidity at the end of fermentation, but also in order to exploit its characteristics during the course of soaking in the fermenting liquid.
The skins, for example, contain the substances which colour the wine, and this characteristic is of particular importance in the case of grapes which release the extracted colouring substances less easily, such as the Sangiovese grape variety. In order to make proper use of the cap, it is important, therefore, that it should not be left simply to float on top of the liquid to be fermented, but, on the contrary, that it should be exploited in order to improve the quality of the wine. For this purpose, there exist known fermentation containers which, during the course of alcoholic fermentation, allows one to perform complete and calibrated movement of the marc so as to improve the release of colouring and polyphenol substances. More particularly, these containers are equipped with a mechanical device having three motor-driven rotating shafts provided with vanes arranged in the manner of an open screw and a repassing pump designed to re-introduce the marc into the bottom part of the fermenter.
This solution, however, is extremely complex and costly. Morover, the mechanical action on the cap generates an undesired quantity of dregs which is deposited, subsequently, on the bottom of the vat.
It is known, moreover, of fermenters provided with continuous rake-type conveyors or screws arranged at the top of the fermenter and designed to remove mechanically part of the cap which has surfaced and re-introduce it into the bottom part of the vinification device or convey it away definitively.
Finally, it is known to act on the cap using pneumatic pistons so as to immerse it in the wine-must, even only partially, in order to break it up and reduce the solidity thereof. This operation, which is known as "plunging", is repeated two or three times a day and requires particular attention since each plunging operation causes splits in the marc, increasing the formation of dregs.
Plunging may also be performed by means of the introduction of compressed air alone using guns or the like, in order to move and remix the cap.
When this operation is performed manually, the personnel must be instructed beforehand how to carry out the operation at the predetermined speed.
The introduction of an excessive amount of air may result in substantial losses of alcohol or, in some cases, favour acetic fermentation which transforms the wine into vinegar. On the other hand, the introduction of too little air needlessly slows down the fermentation process. Considering that a vat may contain up to 3000-4000 hl, the importance and delicate nature of these operations may be easily understood. Any error in evaluation during the plunging operations may result in the loss of a considerable quantity of wine.
All the solutions of the known type illustrated above have in common the
REFERENCES:
patent: 3478669 (1969-11-01), Lanes
patent: 4413747 (1983-11-01), Tenold et al.
patent: 4790238 (1988-12-01), Hsu
patent: 4836918 (1989-06-01), Szikriszt
Alexander Reginald L.
Castle Commercial Enterprises Limited
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