Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Direct application of electrical or wave energy to food...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2001-09-11
Bhat, Nina (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Direct application of electrical or wave energy to food...
C426S330400, C426S592000, C099S275000, C210S222000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287614
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and means for enhancing the organoleptic qualities, while reducing the sensory perception of tannins and acid in wine, brandies, sherries, ports, cognac, spirits, beer, coffee, tea, fruit juice, and or any alcoholic beverages, including but not restricted to those that have been aged in wood barrels or had the addition of wood or wood chips added to the beverage to enhance the taste, by means of a magnetic field.
It is known that many alcoholic beverages are aged in wood barrels or have wood or wood chips added to the product for a time to allow the characteristics of the wood to enhance the organoleptic properties of the beverage including flavor and odor.
Tannins are the harsh, bitter, astringent, dry tasting substances, imparted by grape skins, seeds, stems and or the use of wood barrels, strips or chips, which allow wines to age and or impart a variety of different taste characteristics to wines and other alcoholic beverages. In wine these tannins will dissipate over the years and thus in general an older wine will have a softer, smoother and fruitier taste than it did as a young wine. In beer and spirits, tannins are generally derived from a variety of new and used wood barrels, in which the spirits are allowed to aged for a period of time, in order to impart the finished product with a variety of taste finishes. As an example, beverages such as malt scotches, sometimes age their product in a variety of new and previously used wood barrels which will impart a variety of different organoleptic properties to their final product, thus producing a diversity of taste selections within a single brand name. This is known as a line extension. In both instances these tannins may impart a harsher taste than might be desired either at the time of bottling or at the time that the product becomes available to the general public for purchase and consumption.
At this time there are several different methods, generally referred to as fining, for reducing tannins prior to bottling, through the use of a variety of substances including egg whites, diatomaceous earth, casein, gelatin and other chemical substances. These methods do not always remove the desired level of tannins in one application and may have to be repeated. This is very costly in terms of time and manpower as each of these methods are accomplished by manual labor.
When any one of the above sited alcoholic products are released to the public they generally have not been given enough time to age and reach their full maturity and flavor, through the use of climate controlled wine and spirits cellars, before they are released to the public. The additional expense to the manufacturer of cellaring a product for additional years, until it reached its optimum maturity, would add considerable cost to the finished product. The general public is impatient and generally consume these products before they are at their best. This can result in a negative public perception of the winery, spirits or beer manufacturer, store or restaurant in which they were purchased.
The use of magnets, to reduce acids and tannins, appears heretofore to have been unknown to the science of wine and spirits production and no references have been found in scientific wine publications, textbooks or journals. Despite strong skepticism, every wine maker who blind tested the singular magnetic device shown in
FIGS. 1-3
, on two of the same bottles of wine, agreed that a positive change in the organoleptic qualities of the wine had taken place. Furthermore, this device is already in successful national distribution through wine and liquor stores, wine tasting rooms, as well as direct marketing consumer sales.
According to this present invention, the reduction in perceived tannins and resulting enhancement of the organoleptic qualities, including taste, odor and mouth feel of these beverages may be accomplished without any health consequences and at negligible cost.
In coffee, tea and some fruit juices the exposure to a magnetic field can reduce the perceived taste of acidity.
PRIOR ART
It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple, safe, permanent, portable, removable and reusable method and means of reducing acids and tannins both for the consumer and manufacturer f a variety of beverages.
Already known are electromagnetic devices for aging wines, brandy, and spirits such as Ceccarani, U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,353, Jan. 19, 1999 incorporated herein by reference. The disadvantage of this devices relates to its use in alcoholic production. Distilled spirits are based upon a measurement of alcohol in an product known as proof level. Said measurement is based upon a scale of 1 to 200 proof. As an example, a spirits product available to the public at 100 proof is actually 50% alcohol by volume. During production most spirits are distilled and stored at 120 proof, this would include brandy, cognac, bourbon and other spirits that are aged in barrels. This level and volume of alcohol presents a potentially volatile and explosive situation in relations to the use of electrical devices. As regards to wine, many professionals feel that the pulsating element of this device shakes the wine much as would happen in transportation and the product then needs days to rest and settle before it can present itself at its optimum best. In addition, though this product is portable, it does require an electrical outlet and is thus generally inconvenient for use at the dining table or restaurant, where a bottle of wine would generally be desired to be within easy reach throughout the meal. Furthermore, this device provides a gauss level of between 10-120 which requires that the beverage be treated for days instead of ½ hour.
Also known is Fregeau, U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,654, Sep. 17, 1996 incorporated herein by reference. In this device a liquid is subjected to opposite magnetic fields up to 3000 gauss as it travels through a tubular magnet. This assembly is inserted in a pipe and may negatively influence the flavor characteristic of the liquid within, through contamination or chemical interaction. This device lacks portability and is not easily multiplied if the need exists for a stronger field to affect the desired changes.
Also known is Holcomb, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,751, May 19, 1992. This invention relates to removing the bitterness in coffee and tea through the singular and or combined use of magnetic and electromagnetic devices.
Also known is Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,401, Oct. 10, 1989. This is a multiple layered container with a plurality of magnetic bars inside the walls, with both positive and negative poles influencing the liquid contained within. I have never seen or heard of this device in commercial use.
Other References
The Vintange Enhances, form the Sharper Image catalog, fall of 1998, I believe this may be the Ceccarani, U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,353, January 1999. The disadvantages of this device are as previously stated under Ceccarani. It is no longer available in the Sharper Image catalog. Magnéfique Flav-O-Ring, from Magnetizer. This product came to my attention recently. I have seen and tested the Flav-O-Ring. Not only is it very heavy, more than two pounds, it is very awkward to hold. It comprises two circular magnets, with a wire handle and dipped in red plastic. It was very difficult to discern any difference in the wine that was poured through the center opening. I believe that there is not enough gauss strength here to effect any change to a flowing liquid.
The Omni-Mag, from Russell Biomagnetics. This product recently came to my attention as a pain and healing device. It is comprises of one large, irregular, gear shaped, circular magnet and six small magnets inside a red container with a blue and white label as pictured on the information sheet. The primary focus of this device is as stated to accelerate healing and relieve pain.
The Oxford Companion to Wine, Janis Robinson, 1999 edition, pages 6, 276, 537, 538, 686, 780, 781, 782
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of
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