CN211645158U

CN211645158U - Fermentation tank

Info

Publication number: CN211645158U
Application number: CN201921968076.8U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 欧阳港生; 王伯纶
Original assignee: Alishan Liquor Manufacture Co ltd
Current assignee: Alishan Liquor Manufacture Co ltd
Priority date: 2019-11-14
Filing date: 2019-11-14
Publication date: 2020-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-14

Abstract

The utility model discloses a fermentation tank, which comprises a containing groove, an air inlet channel and a ventilation layer. The containing groove forms a space which is concave towards the bottom and can contain objects. The outlet of the air inlet channel is arranged at the bottom of the containing groove. The ventilation layer is arranged on the concave surface of the containing groove in an attaching mode and covers the outlet of the air inlet channel. Compared with the prior art, the utility model discloses a fermentation tank is favorable to gaseous exchange in the glutinous rice because of having inlet channel and layer of ventilating, and can further set up a thermometer in the fermentation tank for the temperature condition of control fermentation makes the fermentation reaction normally go on, does not need the manual work to turn over the glutinous rice, can be according to the process of implementing automation for the quality and the flavor of every batch of product are more stable.

Description

Fermentation tank

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a fermentation tank, in particular to a fermentation tank which contains a ventilation structure and is used for assisting fermentation.

Background

Pure grain solid state fermentation is a common traditional wine brewing process. For example, the brewing process of kaoliang spirit is roughly divided into three major parts of yeast making, brewing and packaging, wherein the brewing process comprises soaking, cooking, cooling, yeast mixing, fermenting, distilling, cooling, yeast re-mixing, re-fermenting and re-distilling.

The fermentation of fermented wine is an important step, and is mainly characterized by that in the fermentation tank the proper proportion of yeast, raw material and water are added, and mixed to obtain fermented wine, after the fermented wine is made, the yeast ferment can hydrolyze starch to produce sugar, at the same time the yeast can convert the sugar into alcohol, and the fermented wine can be fermented at low temperature for several days to several tens of days.

Since the yeast converts sugar into alcohol, which is a microbial process, it involves complex biochemical changes, for example, carbon dioxide generated during fermentation increases the temperature of fermented grains, and when the fermentation temperature is too high, the yeast will die and stop fermenting, which affects the fermentation process and the final yield. Therefore, the slow temperature change in the fermentation process of the mash enables the fermentation effect of the yeast to be better, the fermentation temperature must be reasonably controlled, and the slow fermentation in a low-temperature environment enables the taste to be more delicate without foreign flavor.

The solid mash fermentation step generally requires manually digging out the fermented grains after the fermented grains are placed in a fermentation tank (or a fermentation cylinder/a fermentation tank car) at an interval of about 48 hours and then placing back the fermented grains, so that the fermentation strains can obtain enough oxygen and exert functions by ventilation, further the fermentation substrate can be uniformly and excellently fermented, and meanwhile, the temperature is controlled to ensure that the fermentation is continuously and normally carried out, and the action of digging out the fermented grains and then placing back the fermented grains is called 'mash overturning'. However, the design of the current brewery vats (or vats/carts), such as the common underground cellars, makes the mash turnover operation quite labor intensive.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of the many disadvantages of the prior art which need to be improved, the applicant of the present application has perceived the need to conceive a fermenter which has a permeable structure capable of replacing the action of manually turning over the mash in the prior art.

Therefore, the present invention is directed to a fermentation tank, which comprises a container, an air inlet channel and an air-permeable layer. Wherein, the containing groove forms a space which is concave towards the bottom and can contain objects. The outlet of the air inlet channel is arranged at the bottom of the containing groove. The ventilation layer is arranged on the concave surface of the containing groove in an attaching mode and covers the outlet of the air inlet channel.

Furthermore, the fermentation tank further comprises a cover body for covering the notch of the accommodating groove.

Furthermore, a gas check valve is disposed on the non-bottom side of the containing groove for one-way exhausting.

Furthermore, a temperature sensing device is disposed on a side of the containing groove other than the bottom.

Further, the accommodating groove is a U-shaped groove.

Further, the material of the receiving groove is selected from the group consisting of metal, wood, cast iron, earth, stone, reinforced concrete, brick, cement and ceramic.

Furthermore, the material of the containing groove is stainless steel.

Further, the ventilation layer is made of a breathable material.

Further, the ventilation layer is selected from one of the group consisting of porcelain, pumice, silica gel, glass fiber, porous metal, porous plastic, porous polymer, wood, carbon fiber, bamboo fiber, and combinations thereof.

Further, the ventilation layer is made of porcelain or pumice.

Further, the ventilation layer covers 1/4-2/3 of the vertical height of the containing groove.

Compared with the prior art, the utility model discloses a fermentation tank is favorable to gaseous exchange in the mash because of having inlet channel and layer of ventilating, can be in specific time interval (for example 48 hours) through inlet channel input gas to reach comprehensive, even ventilation effect through the layer of ventilating, and can stop gaseous input after the certain time, so can avoid artifical repetition to turn over the shortcoming in groove. On the other hand, the utility model discloses can further set up a thermometer in the fermentation vat for the temperature condition of control fermentation makes the fermentation reaction normally go on. Therefore, through inlet channel input oxygen, the bacterial can hyperplasia in the mash, through the utility model discloses can control time and the volume of ventilating well, judge the fermentation degree according to the temperature, control and close gas after the certain degree, consequently not only can produce like the manual work and turn over the effect of mash, still can be according to the process of carrying out automation for the quality and the flavor of every batch of product are more stable and more abundant.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the fermentation tank of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the fermentation tank of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals:

100 fermentation tank

10 storage tank

20 air intake channel

30 air permeable layer

201 outlet of air inlet channel

A cover body

B gas check valve

C temperature sensing means.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar function throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary only for explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

The utility model provides a fermentation tank, it contains: an accommodating groove, an air inlet channel and a ventilation layer. In a preferred embodiment, the fermentation tank further comprises a cover body for covering the opening of the containing groove.

The term "fermenter/fermenter vehicle" as used herein is intended to mean a tank suitable for use in various fermentation processes, and the field of application of the fermenter of the present invention is for example but not limited to: food industry (such as bread or wheaten food production, wine brewing process, tea making process, cheese agricultural product production, etc.), biological and chemical industry (such as pharmaceutical industry, biological medicine production, natural pesticide, bacterial fertilizer, microbial herbicide, etc.), etc. In a preferred embodiment, the fermentation tank of the present invention is used in the solid mash fermentation step in a wine making process.

The containing groove forms a space which is concave towards the bottom and can contain objects, for example, the containing groove is applied to mash fermentation, and the space which can contain the objects is used for containing yeast, raw materials and water, so that the yeast, the raw materials and the water are mixed to prepare the wine mash. The containing groove can be approximately a cuboid, a cube, a cylinder or a U-shaped groove body. In a preferred embodiment, the receiving groove is a U-shaped groove (as shown in fig. 1 and 2). In a preferred embodiment, a gas check valve is disposed on a non-bottom side of the containing groove for one-way exhausting. In a preferred embodiment, a temperature sensing device is disposed on a side of the receiving chamber other than the bottom. The material of the accommodating groove of the utility model can be selected from a group consisting of metal, wood, cast iron, earth, stone, reinforced concrete, brick, cement and ceramic; such as, but not limited to: oak, pine, chestnut, redwood, fir or zelkova, and the like, with oak being the most preferred. In a preferred embodiment, the material of the accommodating groove is stainless steel, which has the advantages of preventing bacteria, being convenient for cleaning, and not needing to use a cleaning agent.

The air inlet channel is arranged at the bottom of the containing groove and is used for inputting air into the fermentation tank from the outside of the fermentation tank. In a preferred embodiment, the outlet of the air inlet channel is arranged at the bottom of the accommodating groove; the outlet of the air inlet channel may be one or more hole-like structures, or a groove/groove-like structure, which is not limited by the present invention.

The ventilation layer is arranged on the concave surface of the containing groove in an attaching mode and covers the outlet of the air inlet channel. Herein, "gas permeable layer" means a layered structure through which gas molecules can pass; the layer may be a raw material, i.e. in a complete sheet shape, a plate shape, etc., or a layer formed by combining small molecules (e.g. particles). In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation layer covers the vertical height 1/4-2/3 of the receiving slot, for example: 1/4, 7/24, 1/3, 3/8, 5/12, 11/24, 1/2, 13/24, 7/12, 5/8, 2/3, etc., and the present invention is not limited thereto; the vertical height of the accommodating groove is the distance from the bottom to the top of the vertical shaft.

The breather layer is made of a material that facilitates the passage of gas molecules, particularly oxygen. In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation layer is made of a breathable material; the "air permeable material" as used herein means a material having good air permeability, being in the form of a complete sheet, plate or block, and being suitable for being laid on the bottom of a fermentation tank for brewing wine without abnormal deterioration of fermented grains after contact, preferably having a low water permeability or a waterproof property. Wherein the gas permeable material may comprise a porous material or a non-porous material. In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation layer is composed of a porous material. The ventilation layer of the utility model is made of a ventilation material, so that the gas can be permeable by the ventilation layer, and the gas condition required by fermentation reaction is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the material of the ventilation layer may be selected from one of the group consisting of celadon (meaning unsmoothed and unsmoothed product), pumice, silica gel, fiberglass, porous metal, porous plastic, porous polymer, wood, carbon fiber, bamboo fiber, and combinations thereof. In a more preferred embodiment, the material of the ventilation layer comprises porcelain and/or pumice.

Herein, the "porous metal" means a metal body formed by sintering minute spheroids at a high temperature, and the metal body is internally distributed with minute pores having a diameter of about 2 μm to 3mm, and has gas permeability, which is also called as gas permeable metal or porous gas permeable steel. With different design requirements on the holes, the holes can be of a foam type, a lotus root type or a honeycomb type. The porous metal material can be divided into two types of independent hole type and continuous hole type according to the shape of the holes, and the independent hole type material has the characteristics of small specific gravity, good rigidity and specific strength, good vibration absorption and sound absorption performance and the like; the continuous pore type material has the above characteristics, and has the characteristics of good permeability and air permeability, and the porous metal described herein is preferably a continuous pore type porous metal material.

As used herein, the term "cellular plastic" refers to a material having a fine pore, a "quincunx" structure and air permeability, which is formed by foaming a synthetic resin as a matrix with a foaming agent and other additives, and is also called a foam. Commonly used resins include polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate,Various thermoplastic materials having a wide range of properties, such as polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethyl vinyl acetate, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, polyamide-6, polyether ether ketone, polyether sulfone, and the like. Common foaming methods include physical foaming, chemical foaming, mechanical foaming, etc., and the formed bubble structure is divided into two types: one is independent bubbles, also called closed pore structure, each bubble is thin-walled independent; the other is to connect the air bubbles, also called as open pore structure, and all the air bubbles are connected with each other into a whole. The diameter of the bubbles is 50-500 μm, the thickness of the bubble film is l-10 μm, and the thickness is 1cm³The synthetic foam had 800-.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, a schematic perspective view of the appearance of the fermentation tank of the present invention and a cross-sectional view of the fermentation tank of the present invention are shown in the drawings:

the fermentation tank 100 of the present invention includes a storage tank 10, an air inlet channel 20 and an air permeable layer 30. The containing groove 10 forms a space which is concave towards the bottom and can contain objects, and is used for containing fermented grains. The outlet 201 of the air inlet channel 20 is disposed at the bottom of the accommodating groove 10. The ventilation layer 30 is attached to the concave surface of the receiving groove 10 and covers the outlet 201 of the air inlet channel 20.

Use the utility model discloses an in-process that fermentation tank 100 carries out the fermentation can be with this inlet channel 20 of a gas supply device's a gas transmission pipeline connection, and is gaseous by this inlet channel 20 input, through this inlet channel 20's export 201, and this layer 30 of ventilating of rethread gets into this storage tank 10 at last, and the supply fermentation bacterial makes the fermentation reaction go on smoothly. Wherein, the aeration time is preferably about 48 hours after the fermented grains are placed in the containing groove 10. In a preferred embodiment, the gas is air or oxygen. In a more preferred embodiment, the gas is oxygen.

When using a plurality of the utility model discloses a fermentation vat 100 carries out extensive fermented grain fermentation, connect this inlet channel 20 of each this fermentation vat 100 respectively with at least one gas supply line of an at least gas supply device, alright start-up and closing time, the gas supply volume of all gas supply devices who connect this fermentation vat 100 by operation personnel or automatic control system synchro control. When consistent fermentation conditions are provided for each fermented grain in the fermentation tank 100 or even each batch, products having stable quality and flavor can be thus produced.

The fermentation tank 100 of the present invention further comprises a cover a for covering the opening of the storage tank 10. Since the fermentation process is performed under anaerobic conditions, the cover A is used to cover the opening of the container 10 and seal the air inlet channel 20, so that the fermentation tank 100 can be sealed to prevent air from entering. Further, at least one gasket is disposed between the cover a and the receiving groove 10 for tightly fastening the cover a. In a preferred embodiment, the cover A includes at least one handle to facilitate access to the cover A.

The utility model discloses in, the side of the non-bottom of storage tank 10 be provided with a gaseous check valve B, this gaseous check valve B has one-way carminative function, can be under the state of not opening this lid A with the produced gas outgoing of fermentation in-process, prevent that this storage tank 10 internal pressure is too big, avoid simultaneously because of the air gets into this storage tank 10 inside and cause the fermentation failure. The gas check valve B is preferably disposed at a position close to the notch of the containing groove 10, i.e., higher than the fermented grains in the containing groove 10, so as to facilitate gas discharge.

The utility model discloses in, the side of the non-bottom of storage tank 10 be provided with a temperature sensing device C for the temperature of the wine unstrained spirits in this storage tank 10 of sensing. The temperature sensing device C is preferably disposed at a height that can directly or indirectly contact the fermented grains in the accommodating groove 10.

The utility model discloses in, storage tank 10 preferred be U type groove, be favorable to the smooth and easy circulation of gas along the arc cell wall of this storage tank 10 of input, avoid retardant in the bottom of this storage tank 10. In this embodiment, a foot stand may be further installed at the bottom of the outer side of the accommodating groove 10 to stably stand the fermentation tank 100 or a roller may be installed to make the fermentation tank 100 a conveniently movable fermentation vehicle, and the present invention is not limited to the manner of fixing or standing the fermentation tank 100.

The utility model discloses in, the material of storage tank 10 select from the group of compriseing metal, timber, cast iron, earth, stone, reinforced concrete, brick, cement and pottery. Wherein the wood can be oak, pine, chestnut, redwood, fir or zelkova, preferably oak. In a preferred embodiment, the material of the receiving groove 10 is stainless steel, which has the advantages of preventing bacteria, being easy to clean and requiring no detergent.

The present invention relates to a ventilation layer 30, and more particularly, to a ventilation layer 30 made of a material selected from the group consisting of porcelain, pumice, silica gel, glass fiber, porous metal, porous plastic, porous polymer, wood, carbon fiber, bamboo fiber, and combinations thereof. Wherein the wood can be phoenix tree, pine, fir or northeast China ash.

In the present invention, the ventilation layer 30 covers 1/4 to 2/3, such as 1/4, 7/24, 1/3, 3/8, 5/12, 11/24, 1/2, 13/24, 7/12, 5/8 or 2/3, which are vertical to the accommodating groove 10, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Specifically, the vertical height of the accommodating groove 10 refers to the vertical height from the position where the outlet 201 of the air inlet channel 20 is disposed at the bottom of the accommodating groove 10 (the lowest end point of the bottom of the U-shaped groove if the accommodating groove 10 is a U-shaped groove) to the notch of the accommodating groove 10. The ventilation layer 30 does not need to cover to the same height as the vertical height of the container 10, and the gas inputted from the outlet 201 of the gas inlet channel 20 can be transmitted to all positions in the container 10 along the ventilation layer 30 by reaching the vertical height 1/4 to 2/3 of the container 10.

To sum up, the fermentation tank of the present invention, with the air inlet channel and the ventilation layer, is easy to control the exchange of air and the temperature conditions, so that the fermentation reaction can be performed normally without manually turning over the mash, and an automated process can be performed to stabilize the quality and flavor of each batch of products.

The structure, features and effects of the present invention have been described in detail above according to the embodiment shown in the drawings, and the above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the implementation scope shown in the drawings, and all changes made according to the idea of the present invention or equivalent embodiments modified to the same changes should be considered within the protection scope of the present invention when not exceeding the spirit covered by the description and drawings.

Claims

1. A fermenter, comprising:

a containing groove which forms a space which is concave towards the bottom and can contain objects;

an air inlet channel, wherein an outlet of the air inlet channel is arranged at the bottom of the accommodating groove; and

and the ventilation layer is attached to the concave surface of the accommodating groove and covers the outlet of the air inlet channel.

2. The fermenter according to claim 1, further comprising a cover for covering the opening of the container.

3. The fermenter according to claim 1, wherein a gas check valve is disposed at a side of the container other than the bottom thereof for one-way exhausting.

4. The fermenter according to claim 1, wherein a temperature sensor is disposed at a side of the container other than the bottom.

5. The fermenter according to claim 1, wherein the container tank is a U-shaped tank.

6. The fermenter according to claim 1, wherein the material of the container is selected from the group consisting of metal, wood, cast iron, soil, stone, reinforced concrete, brick, cement, and ceramic.

7. The fermenter according to claim 6, wherein the material of the container tank is stainless steel.

8. A fermenter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the aeration layer is an air permeable material.

9. The fermenter of claim 8, wherein the aeration layer is a bisque or pumice.

10. The fermenter according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation layer covers a vertical height 1/4 to 2/3 of the container.