Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to a process for the
manufacture of a sweet effervescent beverage, having a very low
alcohol content, of the soda water or soda pop type, flavoured
with various fruit juices and flavours.
The invention also relates to beverages prepared by this
process.
Numerous processes for the manufacture of effervescent
beverages of the soda type are known. These known beverages are
all obtained by adding carbon dioxide -to a sweetened aqueous solu-
tion. This gasification necessitates numerous intricate operations,and the beverages obtained by these processes are not entirely
natural, and this is a very important commercial consideration.
Finally and as far as taste is concerned, artificial
carbonation is not generally satisfactory for the consumer.
It is an object of the present invention to avoid -these
difficulties by providing a process, which enables an entirely
natural sweet effervescent beverage of the soda type to be ob-
tained.
The process of the invention is characterized by the fact
that the carbon dioxide, required for the formation of the gas
bubbles, is formed "in situ" in the liquid, as a result of alcoholic
type fermentation of the sugar by the action of ferments, with
fermentation being interrupted before the formation of a signi-
ficant quantity of alcohol. The sugar, which is not converted by
the fermentation, remains in solution conferring on the beverage
the desired sweet taste.
In the process according to the invention, mixing of
water, sugar, ferments and an acidifier is carried out at a first
stage. Fermentation promoters, essentially fermentation exciters,
.
are added. Optionally, part of the juices and flavours, which
are to characterise the desired beverage, can also be incorporated
into the solution at this stage.
Fermentation proceeds at an optimum temperature of from
to 35 C. for a relatively limited period - between 10 and 20
hours - so as to bring about formation of carbon dioxide, sufficient
for gasifying the liquid but without reaching a significant alcoholic
content. The final alcoholic content will not exceed l in any
case and, as a general rule, will lie between 0.5 to 0.9 alcoholic
degree. Such a beverage is classed as a "non alcoholic beverage",
in existing legislation.
Fermentation is then stopped by abrupt cooling to a temp-
erature of below 10C, for example from 5 to 6C. This temperature
is maintained until the end of the process. At this stage, the
ferments are present in the solution at a concentration of about
109 cells per litre; this concentration is reduced to about 104
by plate filtration and isobarometric drawing off of the beverage
is carried out.
Treatment is then carried out which is designed to avoid
further fermentation when the beverage is returned to ambient temp-
erature, for example, by pasteurisation or flash pasteurization.
The effect of this treatment is to completely destroy the ferments
that have remained after the filtration operation.
Varous additions, such as flavouring and fruit juice
additives, are incorporated in the beverage to impart the various
desired colour, taste and smell.
There is no limitation in this regard and the following
tastes and smells may be obtained, for example: blackcurrant,
cherry, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, passion fruit, guava, orange,
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apple, etc.
Advantageously, fermentation will be stopped when about
15~ of the initial sugar has been transformed into alcoho~.
By the present process, very original effervescent bev-
erages are obtained, which show the advantage of having been ob-
tained by using natural substance, exclusively.
Moreover, the gas bubbles, obtained according to the pre-
sent process are smaller than those present in known soda waters,
conferring better digestibility to the product.
The invention will be more fully understood with refer-
ence to the accompanying drawings, which is a flow chart; and
to the following non-limiting e-x-am~leswherein the quantities
indicated are those necessary for obtaining a litre of beverage.
EXAMPLE:
A ferment solution A is prepared by dissolving 5 g. of
sugar and 0.250 g. of ferments in 0,150 li-tre of water of drinking
water quality - for example, spring water. Then this solution is
heated to 30C. for from 2 to 3 hours, so as to activate the ferment.
At the same time, a second solution B is prepared, con-
taining fermentation exciters, for example ammonium phosphate andthiamine, (nitrogenous products). For this purpose, a solution of
95 g. of sugar and cream of tartar in 0.850 litre o:E drinking
water is heated to 90 - 95C., so as to free it from any "para-
sitic" ferment that may be present. The solution is cooled to
30 C. and 0.2 g of ammonium phosphate and 0.4 mg of thiamine are
added. The whole is mixed and stirred to complete solution. It
is also possible to carry outa first addition of fruit juices and
flavouring at this stage.
The next step is to mix solutions A and B, enabling
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fermentation at a temperature of from 30 to 35 C. When the
desired concentration of carbon dioxide has been reached - for
example, a concentration of from 3.5 to ~.5 g/litre, - the mix-
ture is cooled to 5 - 6C. The average fermentation time is of
the order of 15 hours.
The temperature of from 5 to 6 C. is maintained until
the end of the working process.
The fermented solution is then filtered with a pressure
of carbon dioxide on the tank, equal to the pressure existing in
the solution, (2 kg/cm ). A slight pressure of carbon dioxide,
for example 0.5 kg per cm , may be applied to the tank receiving
the filtration liquor, so as to avoid emulsification. This work-
ing process typifies operations involving filtration and it will
not be described in greater detail. Filtration will preferably
take place on plates. A solid residue is thus recovered, which
is either discarded or, if it is desired, recycled, as it contains
a high concentration of ferments. To the liquid extracted by
filtration, the various fruit juices and flavours are then added
under carbon dioxide pressure and with stirring, either completely
or as a supplement to what may have already been introduced into
solution B.
In practice, it is more advantageous to introduce the
whole of the flavouring substances after filtration, which leaves
a much greater freedom of choice regarding the nature of the fi~al
product, because, in fact, the same filtered juice can serve, in
this case, as a basis for the manufacture of beverages of differ-
ent flavours. Moreover, any risk of possible degration of -the
juice, introduced into B, by the fermentation phase is thus
avoided.
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After the flavoured product has been allowed to stand
for about 1/2 hour, it is drawn off in a conventional manner by
counter-pressure of carbon dioxide on a bell-jar of a drawing-pump.
Finally, in order to kill any remaining ferments, the
final product is submitted to pasteurisation for 20 min. at a
temperature of 65C. which is conventional for low pasteurization.
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