CA1046963A - Wine making process - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure Wine is produced by fermenting the juice from the fruit in the presence of activated charcoal. When Labrusca grapes, such as those grown in the Niagara region, are used as the starting material, the activated charcoal serves to eliminate or reduce the characteristic unpleasant"foxy" flavour of the wine.

Description

WINE MAKING PROCESS

This invention relates to processe3 for makiny wine.

In normal wine-making pxocesses, harvested fruit, e.g.
grapes, is crushed, normally in hydraulic presses to obtain the fruit juice. The fruit juice is then fermented by addition of yeast. Fermen~ation initia~ly proceeds very rapidly, with fast evolution of carbon dioxide as ~he sugars in the grape juice are chemically converted to alcohol. This period of rapid fermenta-tion lasts approximately 24 - 48 hours. Then the fermentation continues for approximately another 7 days. As the yeasts expire, they drop to the bottom of the'fermentating wine as sediment~ -Settling aids such as bentonite'clay may be added during the later fermentation stages to assist the sedimentation process.
Then the wine is aged, prior to consumption. The characteristic flavour of the w:ine is conferred to a large extent by the nature of the fruit from which the juice is obtained.
Grapes are grown in the Niagara region of Canada and the United Sta~es, and us~ld for the'makin"g of wine. Such grapes are ~ ~ v I t~ S LQbr~scc~
S ~J normally of the type ~ } tQ~ ', one of the basic native ~orth Ame~ican non-hybridized types of grape. ~owever, these Lab rl~scQ
b~6~'grapes do not yield wine of high quality, owing to the fact that they confer on the wine a characteristic, and to many ` palates unpleasant, 1avour. This is known colloquially as the ~ ' "foxy" flavour of wineO Investigations have shown that the foxy flavour of the wine derives from the grapes themselves, and is ' not due to the type of aoil~ water, etc. of the region where the grapes are grown. ~owever~ the precise substance or mixture of substances responsible'for the oxy flavour has not been .: .
identified~

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' 6q~63 From an agricul-tural point of view, the L,abrusca grapes offer many attractive features. The plants are hardy under adverse growing conditions, and the Pruit is resistant to insect attack, and to mold.
It has now been discovered that wine free from or substantially reduced in foxy flavour and aroma can be prepared from Labrusca ~rapes by fermenting in the presence of activated charcoal.
Thus according to -the invention, there is provided a process of making table wine from Labrusca grapes which comprises fermenting Labrusca grape juice with yeast in the presence of from about 1/2 ounce to about 6 ounces per 15 gallons of Labrusca grape juice, of activated charcoal selected from linden activated charcoal and vegetable activated charcoal, the activated charcoal being present in contact with the fermenting grape juice at least during the initial period of rapid fermentation.
In the preferred process according to this invention, ~ fermentation of the wine takes pLace in stationary containers, in ; the normal way, with the activated charcoal being added to such containers so that it is distributed through and suspended in the fermenting liquor. The activated charcoal is suitably added to the fxuit juice around the time of commencement of the fermentation, for example along with the yeast culture. For best efficiency in removin~ the foxy taste and aroma from wine produced from Labrusca grapes, the activated charcoal should be present in the liquid at least during the initial period of rapid fermentation and preferably throughout the major portion of the fermentation period.
~- The type of activated charcoal which is used should preferably be one which is substantially free from inherent taste-conferring residues. It should be free from ashes which give an alkaline reaction, or there is a risk that some of the fermentation causing yeast will be prematurely deactivated thereby. It should preferably be free from acids. On this account, oak charcoals are .; .

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less prefe~red, since oak charcoal, if improperly burn-t, may contain tannin which is likely to discolour and/or de-flavour the wine. Preferably also, the activated charcoal u~ed should be free from tars. Thus softwood charcoals are less preferred for use in the present invention, because of the likelihood that they may contain tars or resins which will confer an undesirable taste on the wineO As is well known, activated charcoal is of very fine particle size, so that in the process of the present invention, dispersion of the charcoal in the fermenting wine is readily achieved for the necessary intimate contact of the liquid and the activated charcoal.
The preferred types of activated charcoal for use in the present invention are linden wood charcoal, and vegetable charcoals, e.g. bread charcoal. Such charcoals are substantially ~ free from acids~ resins, tars and alkali ashes.
i The amount of activated charcoal used should be from about 1/2 oz. to 6 ozs. per 15 gallons of fruit juice, assuming use of fruit harvested substantially at peak ripeness. If less than about 1/2 oz. is used, insufficient reduction in the foxy taste and aroma is achieved. More than 6 ozs. per 15 gallons tends to remove other desirable flavours from the wine, and alSo to remove the natural colour from the wine. An amount of activa-~ ted charcoal in the range 1 - 201/2 ozs. per 15 gallons of juice ~y ~ is preferred, with the most preferred amount being about 1.1/2 ozs.
per 15 gallons juice. Slight variations may be found necessary if the fruit used was not harvested at peak ripeness, but still within the ranges stated above.
I~ the process o~ the invention, other normal procedures in the making of wine are substantially unaffected. Thus the activated charcoal t which as pxeviously mentioned can be added ~; to the juice along with the yeast culturet eventually sediments .: .

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~4~eg63 with the expired yeast, so that no special proc~-dures have to be adopted for it~ subsequent separation Prom the wine. The action of the activated charcoal is not siynificantl~ affected by the addition to the wine of other :ingredients commonly added in normal wine making processes, such as added sugar, special yeast preparations etc. at the start of fermentation, or settling aids such as bentonite clay at the end of fermentation.
Its action is substantially unaffected by the presence in the fermenting juice of grape skins, seeds or pulp, presence of which 10 is commonplace in making red wine~ Of course, in the process of the invention, settling aids should not be present for the substantial part of the fermentation process, or premature settling out of the activated charcoal will result. No additional agitation is necessary in the invention, since sufficient mixing of the activated charcoal and the fermenting liquid is achieved by the evolution of the carbon dioxide gas in the liquid during 1 fermentation. However, additional mechanical agitation can be provided if desired. Pasteurization oE the wine can be under-taken if desired, in accordance with normal practice, e.g. where ~ -the alcohol content of the wine is low. The fermentation accord-ing to the invention should be conducted under lock, i.e. in a closed system which prevents contact of the fermenting liquid with ~ fresh atmospheric oxygen during fermentation, for best results.
; This avoids risk of having the undesirable flavour characteris~ics ` return to the wine due to the action of atmospheric oxygen.
Similarly, the temperatures of fermentation are sub-stantially unaffected by the presence of the charcoal. Temp-eratures are chosen according to the normal criteria adopted in wine manufacture, ~o ensure fast multiplication of the yeast and the desired rate of fermentation. With the aforementioned L~br~scR
~X~=N~ grape juice from the Niagara region grapes, it has been ` found most desirable to start the fermentation at 80F. The ~ 4 ~

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;3 temperature rises a lit-tle, to about 85F, when ferrnentation starts. Such fermentation temperatures of 80F or above should be maintained for the first 24 hours or so, during the rapid fermentation period. As mentioned, it is duriny this initial rapid fermentation period that the presence of the activated charcoal according to the invention is particularly effective.
; Further, the yeast cultures which are used in the process of the present invention can be the same as normally adopted for the type of fruit being processed. The yeasts are sub-stantially unaffected by the activated charcoal. In one preferred procedure, a yeast culture preparation is made from 1 gallon of grape juice at 100F, to which is added 1 oz. of a special wine fermentation prepared dry yeast. Fermentation starts immediately. Then this fermenting mixture is added to 15 gallons of grape juice, along with the activated charcoal, the temperature of the grape juice being about 80F.

A feature of the process of the present invention ~j is that the activated charcoal, when used as described, appears to remove only the ingredients of the wine or fruit juice startin~ ma~erial responsible for the foxy taste and aroma, a~ Labrusca, when used with juice from }r~b}~ff~ grapes. Other natural and desirable flavours derived from the fruit are left substantially intact in the final wine.
A preferred embodiment of the process of the invention is described in the following specific example and with reference to the accompanying Figure~ which is a diagrammatic cross-section of an apparatus suitable for carrying out the process of the invention.
~ In the Figure, 10 represents a large vessel of about 18 gallons capacity. The neck of the container is provided with ,:

, ~6~i3 a stopper 11, and contains fermenting wine 12 and sediment 13. A
long tube 14 enters the vessel 10 through stopper 11 and reaches to a point close to the bottom o~ vessel 10, so that during fermentation it reaches into the layer of sediment 13. Long tube 14 is provided with a stopcock 15. There is also provided a short ~ube 16 which enters through stopper 11, and terminates above the surface of the fermenting wine 12. Short tube 16 is also provided with a stopcock 17, and then leads to a water containing trap 18, the tube 16 terminating below the surface of the water 10 19 in the trap 18.
;~ Example A white wine was prepared from Niagara grapes, according to the procedure of the present invention, and using an apparatus as illustrated in the accompanying Figure.
A yeast culture was initially prepared, using 1/2 gallon of juice from Niagara white grapes. To this juice, at 100F, was added 1 oz. of special wine fermentation dry yeast preparation, in a 2 gallon vessel. There was also added 1/8 oz. of linden : - . .
activated charcoal. Fermentation started immediately.

This yeast culture preparation was then added to 15 gallons of pressed grape juice from Niagara white grapes, contained in vessel 10. There was also added an additional 1.1/2 ozs. of linden activated charcoal. Fermentation proceeded violently, with rapid evolution of carbon dioxide gas, for about 24 hours. Sediment 13 gradually formed as the fermentation proceeded. The initial temperature of 80F of the 15 gallons of , fruit juice rose rapidly to 85F on the commencement of ferment-ation. The rapid fermentation and evolution of carbon dioxide in the illustrated apparatus ~akes place with stopcock 17 open, so that the air from above the leveI o~ fermenting wine 12 is pushed out o short tube 16 by the carbon dioxide. Thus the fermentation proceeded under substantia:Lly anaerobic conditions. As fermentation ~9L6~3 continued, carbon dioxide was continuously expelled through short tube 16 via trap 18. The water 19 in trap 18 ~erved to prevent atmospheric oxygen from entering vessel lO via tube 16 in the event of a drop in pressure in the vessel 10, 50 that the anaerobic fermentation conditions in the vessel were maintained.
Sediment was extracted and tested by opening stopcock 15 in long tube 14, and closing stopcock 17, so that the pressure of the carbon dioxide evolved pushed sediment through stopcock 15 for testing. During the initial ~ermentation stages, the presence of the ~oxy flavour could be det~cted in the initially formed portion of the sediment.
Fermentation proceeded for a total of 8 days, in this manner, in the apparatus illustrated. The wine so formed was then separated from the sediment~ and tasted. The resulting wine was substantially free from the foxy taste or aroma normally characteristic of wines produced from such grapes.
Similar results have been obtained by substantially repeating the above described process using juice from Concord ZO grapes, another variety of the aforementioned Labruska grapes, and which normally yields a wine with a marked foxy taste.
Whilst the invention has been par~icularly described --~ L OL ~ SC{~_ i ' ~ with reference to preparing wine from ~rb~Ya~-grapPs, it is not limited to such preparation. Indeed, the process can be used to advantage in making alcoholic beverages from many different types of fruit. For example, in making wine or the like by fermentation of juice from apples or pears which are diseased it is common to ~- -pasteurize the wine to destroy harmful bacteria, and then revital-ize it. Use of activated charcoal during fermentation in accordance with the pxesent invention, ser~es to eliminate or reduce undesirable flavour characteristics deriving from the diseased fruit.

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Claims (4)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A process of making table wine from Labrusca gapes which comprises fermenting Labrusca grape juice with yeast in the presence of from about 1/2 ounce to about 6 ounces per 15 gallons of Labrusca grape juice, of activated charcoal selected from linden activated charcoal and vegetable activated charcoal, the activated charcoal being present in contact with the fermenting grape juice at least during the initial period of rapid fermentation.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of charcoal is from about 1 ounce to about 2-1/2 ounces per 15 gallons of grape juice.

3. The process of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the fermentation is conducted under anaerobic conditions.

4. A process for making wine from Labrusca grape juice which comprises fermenting the grape juice under anaerobic conditions with yeast and, during the initial period of rapid fermentation, in the presence from about 1/2 ounce to about 6 ounces per 15 gallons of grape juice, of activated charcoal selected from linden activated charcoal and vegetable activated charcoal, and, during said initial period, in the substantial absence of bentonite clay settling aid.