Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02928398 2016-04-28
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric fermentation apparatus that
allows the user to produce an
alcoholic beverage with more automation thus reducing the need for lifting and
racking. The apparatus
will also enable the user to filter and bottle the beverage using the same
automation. The apparatus will
provide for a better end product with very little effort from the user.
BACKGROUND
The present process for making wine has not changed for many decades. The
process involves
combining wine making ingredients into a plastic fermentation vessel referred
to as the Primary. The
Primary has a large opening and a loose fitting lid to allow access to oxygen
as the initial fermentation
requires oxygen to assist in rapid cell reproduction.
The mixture is allowed to ferment for approximately 1 week, after which the
Primary is elevated to such
a degree as to allow the fermented liquid to be siphoned to a Secondary
vessel. The Secondary is
normally made of either plastic or glass and has a small opening in order to
fit an air lock, allowing the
liquid to continue to ferment while not allowing exposure to oxygen, as now
oxygen is very detrimental
to wine as it will oxidize and darken the wine making it undrinkable.
The wine is now left to finish converting any residual sugar, that was not
consumed in the Primary, to
alcohol. This process usually lasts anywhere from 2-4 weeks, all depending on
the temperature and
strain of yeast used.
The completely fermented wine is now ready to be stabilized and clearing
agents added, but first the
Secondary must be lifted to a elevation in which the wine can be once again
siphoned off the dead yeast
"lees" into another clean Secondary vessel where the stabilizing and clearing
ingredients are added. The
air lock is again inserted into the small opening preventing any oxygen to
access the wine, and is left for
a week to clear.
The cleared wine is now ready to filter if one chooses and bottled, but once
again the vessel must be
lifted and then carefully siphoned off the settled lees before any filtering
or bottling is attempted.
Between all these steps the racking tubes, hoses, and vessels must be cleaned
and stored away for
future use.
DISCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention contains two (2) stainless steel vessels, both of which has a
hole in the sealed clamp down
lid that the rubber air lock can be inserted, and another hole in the bottom
of the vessel that contains a
pre-filter of stainless steel screen attached to a food grade hose at which
the extended end contains a
"closed" female quick disconnect coupling. When the coupling is opened the
liquid is allowed to flow
through.
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The stainless steel vessels sit in a cabinet and or enclosure that allows the
vessels to rest on a shelf
within the cabinet, the shelf has holes in the center below each vessel that
enables the hose and
coupling to fall below the shelf.
Mounted under the shelf is a small 12 volt food grade electric pump. This pump
has Two (2) hoses
connected to it. One hose is the intake and the other the outflow. At each
extended end of each hose is
an "open" male quick disconnect coupling.
The cabinet that houses the vessels has a lid that lifts up. The front or face
of the cabinet contains two
ports, one marked "clean" and the other "fill". The face of the cabinet also
has two power buttons, one
is constant and the other is intermittent. Also on the face of the cabinet
near the top is the filling spout.
Inside the cabinet with the two fermentation vessels rests two other small
containers, one is the filter
assembly, the other is the container that holds the cleaning solution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A "wine kit" or liquid that is being fermented is added to the Primary
Stainless vessel and initiated with
yeast, the lid is put in place without the air lock and allowed to ferment for
4 days after which the air
lock is inserted into the lid preventing any oxygen to access the fermenting
liquid.
The product is now left to finish fermenting which takes 2-4 weeks.
The product is now ready to have the stabilizing and clearing agents added.
First remove lids on both
vessels, and connect the intake hose from the pump to the female coupling of
the Primary. Now connect
the outflow hose of the pump to the female coupling of the Secondary.
Turn on the pump with the constant power switch. While the pump is
transferring the liquid from the
Primary to the Secondary the stabilizing and clearing ingredients are added to
the Secondary. When
complete which takes about 8 minutes, turn off the pump and attach the lid
with the air lock to the
Secondary. Disconnect the hoses from the vessels. Clean the Primary and if
wanted, one could now start
another batch.
The pump and hoses after each use need to be cleaned. To do this attach the
intake hose to the clean
port and attach the outflow hose to the fill port. Fill the cleaner container
inside the cabinet with
cleaning solution, which consists of water and a pinch of metabisulphite.
Place a capturing container
under the fill spout and depress the intermittent power switch, hold till all
cleaning solution is
dispensed, about 5 seconds. Disconnect the hoses.
After a week the product is now cleared and ready for filtering or one can go
straight to bottling. If
filtering simply hook up the filter unit between the filling spout and fill
port inside the cabinet. If direct
filling the hose from the fill port will go directly to the filling spout. To
fill, hook up the intake hose to the
Secondary and the outflow to the fill port. Place fill spout inside of bottle
and depress the intermittent
power switch until the desired level is reached. Repeat till done.
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Remove hoses. Clean pump and hoses as before.
Conclusion
With the present invention one can ferment, transfer, filter, and bottle
without much lifting, other than
the "kit" or initial liquid into the Primary.
The present invention adds protection from both oxygen and light, both of
which are detrimental to the
quality of the final product.
The entire unit takes up very little space and is easy to clean and keep
clean.
