DE102019107037A1 - Fermentation process initiation device, fermentation system, method for fermentation process initiation and use of a fermentation tube - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a fermentation process initiation device (1) with at least one electrical device (2) which has a cable which, in the position of use, runs out of a fermentation chamber (17) via a pressure relief valve (4).

Description

The invention relates to a device for initiating the fermentation process with at least one electrical device which is supplied with power via a power cable.

In the production of wine or must by fermenting sugar using yeasts, it is necessary that the yeasts used for fermentation find optimal growth conditions in order to be able to produce alcohol. As a rule, fermentation barrels, such as wooden barrique barrels, are used as fermentation tanks, in which grape juice or apple juice is kept ready as the medium to be fermented. In order to be able to initiate fermentation, the medium must be brought to a certain target temperature, which depends on which type of yeast is used. Often, however, the fermentation tanks do not have suitable access in order to be able to introduce a power cable into the interior of the fermentation tanks.

Since it is also necessary during the fermentation process that the medium to be fermented is stored airtight within the fermentation container, it is difficult, however, to introduce electrical heating devices into the fermentation container and at the same time to set up an airtight seal for the fermentation container. In particular with wooden barrels, which usually only have an opening designed as a bunghole, it is difficult to use electrical heating devices that are supplied with power via a power cable leading from the outside into the fermentation tank and at the same time to use airtight storage of the medium during the entire process To ensure fermentation process.

On the other hand, one also wants to avoid excessive local heating of the medium by a heating device arranged, for example, on a wall of the fermentation vessel, since it has been shown that optimal heating of the medium can be achieved if the heating device is as centrally as possible in a fermentation chamber Fermentation tank is arranged.

The object is therefore to provide a fermentation process initiation device by means of which the aforementioned disadvantages are eliminated.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device for initiating the fermentation process having the features according to independent claim 1.

In particular, a fermentation process initiation device of the type mentioned at the beginning is proposed according to the invention to achieve the object, the power cable being passed through at least one pressure relief valve. This has the advantage that, in addition to a bunghole on which the pressure relief valve is usually arranged in the position of use, there is no need to have any further opening on the fermentation vessel through which the power cable of the electrical device is led into the fermentation chamber. Rather, an already existing access to a fermentation vessel can be used by the fermentation process initiation device according to the invention in order to introduce the power cable into the fermentation vessel. At the same time, the overpressure valve ensures that fermentation gas released by the fermentation process, such as mainly carbon dioxide, can escape from the fermentation chamber via the overpressure valve, but that no gas, in particular air or oxygen, can enter the fermentation container from outside through the overpressure valve is. Thus, by using the fermentation process initiation device, it is possible to use a heating device with a conventional fermentation vessel, such as fermentation barrels, in particular wooden barrels, without the fermentation containers requiring a further opening or having to be retrofitted. Therefore, existing fermentation tanks with the fermentation process initiation device can continue to be used.

Advantageous refinements of the invention are described below which, alone or in combination with the features of other refinements, can optionally be combined with the features according to claim 1.

According to an advantageous development, it can be provided that the fermentation process initiation device comprises a sealing plug which has a through-channel in which the at least one pressure relief valve is at least partially inserted. The sealing plug preferably has exactly one through channel. It is thus possible to seal a fermentation vessel from the outside by means of the fermentation process initiation device and at the same time to set up a cable feed-through through an opening in the fermentation vessel, for example through the bunghole, in that the sealing plug is inserted into the opening of the fermentation vessel and the pressure relief valve is inserted in the sealing plug.

In order to be able to set a desired setpoint temperature of a medium to be fermented, the at least one electrical device can be designed as a heating device, in particular as a heating rod. This has the advantage that the heating device can be introduced into the fermentation chamber through a narrow opening in the fermentation vessel, such as the bunghole. For this purpose, the heating device can have a cylindrical and / or elongated shape. A maximum outside diameter of the heating device can in particular be designed to be smaller than a diameter of the opening of the fermentation vessel. The at least one electrical device can alternatively or In addition, it can also be designed as a wired thermometer or other sensor.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the fermentation process initiation device, the power cable can be arranged movably relative to the pressure relief valve. In particular, the power cable can be designed to be movable in such a way that a valve passage channel has a larger diameter than a maximum outer diameter of the power cable. This has the advantage that a heating device introduced into a fermentation vessel is arranged to be movable relative to the fermentation vessel. Thus, for example, a distance between the heating device and an opening of the fermentation container can be varied by pulling out the power cable or pushing it in further. The power cable is thus movably guided through the pressure relief valve. It is thus possible to use the fermentation process initiation device with fermentation tanks of different sizes, since by setting the distance between the opening of the fermentation tank and the heating device, the heating device can always be optimally arranged, in particular in the middle, within the fermentation chamber or in the position of use.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the pressure relief valve can be designed as a hydrostatic valve. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the pressure relief valve can be designed as a fermentation tube. The pressure relief valve can have at least one U-shaped curved section, a liquid, such as water, being arranged within the U-shaped section of the pressure relief valve. A relatively simple hermetic sealing of the fermentation chamber can thus be achieved, since the liquid-filled U-shaped section prevents gas from penetrating into the fermentation chamber from outside. At the same time, fermentation gases can get out of the fermentation vessel through the liquid in the U-shaped section of the channel of the pressure relief valve, so that an overpressure is prevented from developing inside the fermentation vessel. The power cable of the electrical device can also be guided through the channel of the pressure relief valve and thus through the U-shaped section. It can be particularly useful if the pressure relief valve is transparent, so that foam formation within the fermentation chamber can be detected when the foam is pressed into the pressure relief valve due to the fermentation gas escaping from the fermentation chamber. This makes it possible to check whether the fermentation is proceeding properly.

According to an advantageous development, the electrical device can have a heating resistor, in particular a heating coil. Alternatively or in addition, it can be provided according to a further advantageous development that an outside contact surface formed by a wall, which comes into contact with a medium in the position of use, is made of glass, preferably with a gap, in particular, between the wall and the heating resistor an air gap is formed. It is thus better possible to prevent hotspots from forming on the contact surface of the heating device, since more homogeneous heating of the wall is possible through the gap between the wall and the heating resistor. This has the advantage that a desired target temperature of the medium can be set even more precisely in the use position of the fermentation process initiating device.

The invention also relates to a fermentation system with a fermentation process initiation device, as described and claimed herein, and a fermentation container in which the electrical device is arranged or can be arranged, the fermentation container having a bunghole, the pressure relief valve being arranged at the bunghole and the power cable is passed or can be passed through the pressure relief valve through the bunghole. As already described in relation to the fermentation process initiation device, there is also the advantage here that the fermentation system according to the invention enables particularly good, in particular homogeneous, heating of a medium to be fermented held in the fermentation container, with an existing opening in the fermentation container for fermentation gas discharge and for cable ducting Power cable of an electrical device can be used in the fermentation tank.

According to an advantageous development of the fermentation system, the fermentation tank can be hermetically sealed or closed by a sealing plug and / or the pressure relief valve in the use position while the electrical device inside the fermentation tank is in operation. This has the advantage that the fermentation process is not adversely affected by the penetration of oxygen.

The invention also relates to a fermentation tube made of a transparent material, a tube section, in particular a liquid column section, of the fermentation tube having a scale for displaying the pressure prevailing in a fermentation container during use of the fermentation tube. This has the advantage that improved process monitoring of the fermentation process taking place inside the fermentation vessel is possible. For example, it can be checked whether there is a desired pressure setpoint in the fermentation tank. During the fermentation process, fermentation gases are generated, which lead to overpressure and a liquid contained in the fermentation tube is displaced by the prevailing pressure. The level of the liquid rises in a liquid column section downstream of a bend in the pressure direction, the level dropping in a tube section upstream of the bend. The height of the liquid column in the liquid column section determines the setpoint value of the pressure. Here, the rough guideline can be used that one meter of liquid column, in particular water column, is around 0.1 bar. If the pressure in the fermentation tank exceeds the setpoint set by the liquid column, the gas escapes until the setpoint is reached. The prevailing pressure can be read off the scale.

According to an advantageous development it can be provided that one or the liquid column section, in particular from a bend to a pressure relief space, has a length (L ) of at least 10 cm, in particular of at least 20 cm, in particular of at least 50 cm, in particular of at least 75 cm, in particular of at least 100 cm, in particular of at least 150 cm, in particular of at least 200 cm, in particular of at least 250 cm, in particular of at least 300 cm, in particular a maximum of 350 cm, in particular a maximum of 400 cm, in particular a maximum of 500 cm. The unusually long design of the liquid column section makes it possible to set higher pressures in the fermentation tank. Conventional fermentation tubes generally have significantly shorter liquid column sections of a few centimeters, so that there is hardly any leeway here for setting the pressure in the fermentation tank. A longer liquid column section allows a larger volume of liquid to be poured into the fermentation tube, whereby the relief pressure (setpoint), from which gas can escape via the fermentation tube, can be increased or reduced by removing liquid as required.

The invention also relates to a method for initiating the fermentation process, wherein a desired setpoint temperature, in particular depending on a yeast selected for fermentation, of a medium held ready in a fermentation vessel for initiating the fermentation process is set by an electrical heating device, the fermentation vessel being hermetically sealed so that no gas exchange from the outside to the inside is possible, with a power cable of the electrical heating device being led into the interior of the fermentation container via a pressure relief valve through a bunghole in the fermentation container. Preferably, a fermentation process initiation device, as it is described and claimed herein, and / or a fermentation system, as it is described and claimed herein, is used to carry out the method. It is thus possible to set a desired target temperature by means of a heating device introduced into a medium to be fermented.

In order to be able to use the fermentation system to initiate different fermentation processes, in particular carried out by different yeasts, a heating power of the electrical heating device can be varied. In particular, a target temperature of the medium can be set from 12 ° C to 30 ° C, in particular from 12 ° C to 25 ° C, in particular from 12 ° C to 20 ° C, preferably a target temperature of 18 ° C.

The invention also relates to a use of a fermentation tube, in particular as described and claimed herein, as a pressure relief valve arranged at a bunghole of a fermentation container and as a cable feedthrough into the interior of the fermentation container. This has the advantage that existing utensils, which are usually used for the production of wines or musts, are used, with these taking on a second function for cable feedthrough in addition to their known function. In this way, a medium to be fermented can be heated better by a heating device without the need for further access to the fermentation chamber of the fermentation vessel.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a use of a fermentation tube, in particular as described and claimed herein, for setting a desired pressure in a fermentation vessel, with an amount of liquid in a U-shaped section of the fermentation tube being changed to change a pressure setpoint. It is thus possible to set a specific pressure in the fermentation tank in order to provide optimal growth conditions for the yeasts used.

The invention will now be described in more detail using an exemplary embodiment, but is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. Further exemplary embodiments result from the combination of the features of individual or multiple claims with one another and / or with individual or multiple features of the exemplary embodiments.

• 1 eine vereinfachte Gesamtübersicht einer möglichen Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Gärsystems mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Gärprozessinitiierungsvorrichtung, wobei das Überdruckventil als Gärröhrchen ausgebildet ist,
• 2. eine vereinfachte Gesamtübersicht einer weiteren möglichen Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Gärsystems mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Gärprozessinitiierungsvorrichtung, wobei das Überdruckventil als Gärröhrchen ausgebildet ist.

It shows:

• 1 a simplified overall overview of a possible embodiment a fermentation system according to the invention with a fermentation process initiation device according to the invention, wherein the pressure relief valve is designed as a fermentation tube,
• 2 . a simplified overall overview of a further possible embodiment of a fermentation system according to the invention with a fermentation process initiation device according to the invention, wherein the pressure relief valve is designed as a fermentation tube.

In the 1 and 2 a fermentation process initiation device designated as a whole by 1 is shown in a simplified schematic manner. The fermentation initiation device 1 is part of a fermentation system that is designated as 100 as a whole.

The fermentation initiation device 1 has at least one electrical device 2 on that during operation in the position of use via a fermentation room from the outside 17th leading power cable 3 is powered.

The power cord 3 is thereby through a pressure relief valve 4th passed through. This enables the pressure relief valve 4th on the one hand in its usual function to use one in the fermentation room 17th to reduce the overpressure and on the other hand the overpressure valve 4th to give a new function. The pressure relief valve 4th also serves as a grommet for the power cable 3 through an opening, for example a bunghole 15th , a fermentation tank 14th .

The fermentation initiation device 1 points for better sealing of the fermentation tank 14th a sealing plug 5 on that in the bunghole 15th is inserted in the position of use and the bunghole is sealed to the outside. The sealing plug 5 can for example be made of an elastic material, in particular rubber or silicone.

The sealing plug 5 has a through channel 6th in which the at least one pressure relief valve 4th is at least partially used. The passage channel 6th is through the pressure relief valve 4th hermetically sealed.

The electrical facility 2 is in the embodiment shown as a heating device 7th designed. To the heater 7th into a relatively narrow bunghole 15th to use is the heating device 7th designed as an elongated heating rod. A maximum outside diameter of the heating rod is smaller than a diameter of the bunghole 15th . This has the advantage that the heating device 7th from the fermentation room 17th can be removed, for example to be cleaned and / or repaired.

The pressure relief valve 4th is in the variant shown as a hydrostatic valve 9 in the form of a fermentation tube 10 educated. Thus, the pressure relief valve 4th a U-shaped pipe section 20th on that by a liquid 19th is hermetically sealed. Inside the U-shaped pipe section 20th is the liquid 19th the same height and closes the pipe section. Fermentation gas released during the fermentation process can indeed escape from the fermentation tank 14th via the pressure relief valve 4th escape, but air or oxygen cannot penetrate from the outside. This prevents the must or mash from oxidizing to vinegar.

In order to be able to achieve homogeneous heating of the medium to be fermented, the electrical device 2 a heating resistor 11 on. The heating resistor 11 is in one of at least one wall 12th Enclosed housing formed. In the position of use of the heating device 7th is the heating resistor 11 thus not in direct contact with the medium. Rather, the wall forms 12th a contact surface on the outside which comes into contact with the medium in the position of use.

Between the wall 12th and the heating resistor 11 is a crack 13 and thus an air space is formed. By commissioning the heating resistor 11 is first the air space and then the wall 12th particularly evenly heated so that no hotspots arise. The formation of hotspots should be avoided in particular because the yeasts can be killed by excessively high temperatures.

The wall 12th can for example be made of glass or another food-neutral material.

In 2 is a special design of a pressure relief valve 4th as a fermentation tube 10 made of a transparent material such as glass. In particular, the fermentation tube can be hand-blown.

The fermentation tube 10 points to a liquid column section 24 a scale 22nd for displaying a fermentation process in a fermentation room 17th a fermentation tank 14th prevailing pressure. By overpressure within the fermentation room 17th a liquid contained in the fermentation tube is displaced in the direction of pressure. As a result, a level of the liquid in the liquid column section rises 24 , using the scale 22nd and the level of the liquid a prevailing pressure can be read off. The difference in height between the two levels of the liquid provides information about the level in the fermentation tank 14th pressure possible.

By changing the amount of liquid in the fermentation tube 10 can be a length L. a liquid column within the liquid column section 24 can be changed, whereby a setting of a setpoint value of the pressure is possible. The higher the liquid column, the higher the setpoint, from which gas escapes.

The design variant of the fermentation tube 10 out 2 has a particularly long liquid column section 24 in the direction of pressure of a bend 23 of the U-shaped section 20th is downstream. The two at the bend 23 attached tube sections each have a pressure relief space 21st up to which the liquid column rises, with a further rise through the pressure relief space 21st is slowed down.

The liquid column section 24 points between the bend 23 and the pressure relief space 21st a length L. of at least 10 centimeters. In theory, the length can L. however, they can be increased as required in order to also create particularly high pressures. In particular, a length L. of at least 20 cm, in particular of at least 50 cm, in particular of at least 75 cm, in particular of at least 100 cm, in particular of at least 150 cm, in particular of at least 200 cm, in particular of at least 250 cm, in particular of at least 300 cm, in particular of a maximum 350 cm, in particular a maximum of 400 cm, in particular a maximum of 500 cm, can be provided.

The fermentation system 100 also has a fermentation tank 14th on in which the electrical device 2 is arranged or can be arranged. The power cord 3 is via the pressure relief valve 4th through the bunghole 4th of the fermentation tank 14th passed through.

The invention thus relates in particular to a device for initiating fermentation processes 1 with at least one electrical device 2 , which has a cable that in the use position from a fermentation room 17th via a pressure relief valve 4th runs outside.

List of reference symbols

1

Fermentation initiation device

2

electrical facility

3

Power cord

4th

Pressure relief valve

5

Sealing plugs

6th

Through channel

7th

Heating device

8th

Valve passage

9

hydrostatic valve

10

Fermentation tube

11

Heating resistor

12

Wall

13

gap

14th

Fermentation tank

15th

Bunghole

16

Distance between pressure relief valve and heater

17th

Fermentation room

18th

plug

19th

Pressure relief valve fluid

20th

U-shaped section

21st

Pressure relief space

22nd

Scale

23

Bend

24

Liquid column section

L.

Length of the liquid column section; maximum height of the liquid column

Claims (14)

Fermentation process initiation device (1) with at least one electrical device (2) which is supplied with power via a power cable (3), characterized in that the power cable (3) is passed through at least one pressure relief valve (4). Fermentation initiation device (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the fermentation process initiation device (1) comprises a sealing plug (5) which has a through-channel (6) in which the at least one pressure relief valve (4) is at least partially inserted. Fermentation initiation device (1) after Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the at least one electrical device (2) is designed as a heating device (7), in particular as a heating rod. Fermentation process initiation device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the power cable (3) is arranged movably relative to the pressure relief valve (4), in particular such that a valve passage channel (8) has a larger diameter than a maximum outer diameter of the power cable ( 3). Fermentation process initiation device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure relief valve (4) is designed as a hydrostatic valve (9), in particular as a fermentation tube (10). Fermentation process initiation device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electrical device (2) has a heating resistor (11), in particular a heating coil, and / or that an outside contact surface formed by a wall (12) which is connected to a Medium comes into contact in the position of use, is made of glass, preferably with a gap (13), in particular an air gap, being formed between the wall (12) and the heating resistor (11). Fermentation system (100) with a fermentation process initiation device (1) according to one of the preceding claims and a fermentation tank (14) in which the electrical device (2) is arranged or can be arranged, the fermentation tank (14) having a bunghole (15), the Overpressure valve (4) is arranged on the bunghole (15) and wherein the power cable (3) is guided or can be guided through the overpressure valve (4) through the bunghole (15). Fermentation system (100) Claim 7 , characterized in that the fermentation vessel (14) can be hermetically sealed by a sealing plug (5) and / or the pressure relief valve (4) in the position of use, while the electrical device (2) inside the fermentation vessel (14) is in operation. Fermentation tube (10) made of a transparent material, a tube section, in particular a liquid column section (24), of the fermentation tube (10) having a scale (22) for displaying the pressure prevailing in a fermentation container (14) during use of the fermentation tube. Fermentation tube (10) Claim 9 , characterized in that one or the liquid column section (24), in particular from a bend (23) to a pressure relief space (21), has a length (L) of at least 10 cm, in particular of at least 20 cm, in particular of at least 50 cm, in particular of at least 75 cm, in particular of at least 100 cm, in particular of at least 150 cm, in particular of at least 200 cm, in particular of at least 250 cm, in particular of at least 300 cm, in particular of a maximum of 350 cm, in particular of a maximum of 400 cm, in particular of a maximum of 500 cm. Method for initiating fermentation process, in particular using a fermentation process initiation device (1) according to one of the preceding claims and / or a fermentation system (100) according to one of the preceding claims, with a desired setpoint temperature in a fermentation vessel, in particular depending on a yeast selected for fermentation (14) held ready medium for initiating the fermentation process is set by an electrical heating device (7), the fermentation container (14) being hermetically sealed so that no gas exchange from the outside to the inside is possible, with a power cable (3) of the electrical heating device (7) is guided via a pressure relief valve (4) through a bunghole (15) of the fermentation vessel (14) into the interior of the fermentation vessel (14). Procedure according to Claim 11 , characterized in that a heating output of the electrical heating device (7) can be varied, in particular with a target temperature of the medium of 12 ° C to 30 ° C, preferably 18 ° C, being set. Use of a fermentation tube (10), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, as an overpressure valve (4) arranged at a bunghole (15) of a fermentation container (14) and as a cable feedthrough into the interior of the fermentation container (14). Use, especially after Claim 13 , a fermentation tube (10), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, for setting a desired pressure in a fermentation vessel (14), wherein a quantity of liquid in a U-shaped section (20) of the fermentation tube (10) is changed to change a pressure setpoint becomes.

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