Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12G—WINE; PREPARATION THEREOF; ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; PREPARATION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES NOT PROVIDED FOR IN SUBCLASSES C12C OR C12H
  • C12G1/00—Preparation of wine or sparkling wine
  • C12G1/02—Preparation of must from grapes; Must treatment and fermentation
  • C12G1/0216—Preparation of must from grapes; Must treatment and fermentation with recirculation of the must for pomage extraction

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a fermentation system for vegetable substances, in particular for pressed grapes or must fermentation.
• devices are commonly known being apt to perform circulation of the product subject to maceration or fermentation, which utilize a pump to suck a portion of said product from the lower section of the container and transfer it to an upper tank located inside the container itself, which are intercommunicating by means of a large drain or recirculation valve; according to this system, the product or must will be sucked by a pump from the lower container and transferred into the upper tank; during this stage the above drain valve remains closed.
• the shutter of the above drain valve opens and the product contained in the upper tank will fall violently on the product contained in the lower section of the container; thus, the whole product is put into motion to avoid crusts and mildews production, ensuring extraction of colour, polyphenols, antocyans and all elements contained inside the grape berry.
• a first object of the present invention is to provide a system being apt to improve must distribution and mixing during the fermentation process.
• a second object of the present invention is to provide a system, which has a device being apt to perform even distribution of the must arriving from the lower section of a container on the surface of the must contained in said container.
• a third object of the present invention is to provide a system, which has a device being apt to reach a deep distribution of the must arriving from the lower section of a container into the must contained in said container.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, which has a device being apt to reduce fermentation times.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide a container without an upper tank for the downfall of the must contained in it on the surface of the must contained in said container, wherein a larger quantity of fermenting must and/or post-fermentation product can be stocked, at parity of size of the container.
• a further object of the present invention is to provide a system, which has a device being apt to be used for washing the inner part of a container suitable for must fermentation and for stocking the fermented product.
• FIG. 1 shows a partial lengthwise section of a system according to the present invention
• - Fig. 2 shows schematically a first side view of a distribution device for the must of the system according to the present invention
• - Fig. 3 shows schematically a second side view of a distribution device for the must of the system according to the present invention, rotated by 90° with reference to Fig. 2
• Fig. 4 shows schematically a first prospective view of the distribution device for the must of the system according to the present invention
• FIG. 5 shows schematically a second prospective view of the distribution device for the must of the system according to the present invention
• FIG. 6 shows schematically a distribution diagram of the must, according to the present invention.
• reference 1 indicates as a whole a fermentation system for vegetable substances, in particular for grapes; reference 2 indicates a container for containing the fermenting must, reference 3 indicates the must in the container 2 and reference 4 indicates a device for distributing a must jet on the surface S of the must 3 present in the container 2.
• Reference 5 indicates a suction duct for the must, communicating at one end with a pump 6 connected to the inner lower section of the container 2 and at the other end with the device 4.
• the pump 6 is provided for sucking the must from the lower section of the container 2 and transfer it to the device 4 through the duct 5.
• a filter is provided between the must sucking duct of the pump 6 and the container 2 to prevent solid particles being transferred to the device 4 and cause clogging problems of the ducts.
• T is indicated a compressed air source, e.g. a turbine, whose function is to introduce forced air in the must flowing through the duct 5 for its oxygenation.
• a compressed air source e.g. a turbine
• Must oxygenation during the fermentation process is useful for yeasts metabolism, since it facilitates fermentation start, favouring bacterial flora expansion and preventing premature fermentation stops, and to permit the condensation reactions between the tannins and antocyans with consequent formation of more complex molecules ensuring colour stability.
• C With C is indicated a container in communication with the duct 5 for containing suitable vinification additives, such as yeasts, which can be introduced in the must 3 through the must flowing in the duct 5, whenever considered useful ' for its fermentation.
• suitable vinification additives such as yeasts
• the device 4 is fastened to a frame 7, which is commonly fastened to the upper opening of the container 2.
• the frame 7, which is not described being manufactured with common components, such as profiles and/or steel tubes and/or other suitable material, has an appropriate size for its fastening to the top of the container 2, either when the latter presents a pipe-union as illustrated in Fig. 1 or the upper section of the container is completely open.
• the distance of the device 4 from the surface S of the must in the container is detected by a level sensor, which is a common sensor not represented here, during the filling of the container 2; upon reaching the preset must level in the container 2, the sensor stops the filling operation of the container.
• a level sensor which is a common sensor not represented here
• reference 4 indicates the device formed by two actuators 8 and 9, respectively, which are spaced from each other and located perpendicular to each other at different height.
• Both actuators 8 and 9, made each one from a boxed element, are indicated with 10 and 1 1, respectively; reference -12 indicates a tubular connector 12, bent at 90°, which connects both actuators 8 and 9 between them and determines the position of one with respect to the other.
• One end of the connector 12 is solidly fastened to the boxed element 10, whereas the other end is so connected to the boxed element 11 to allow alternate angular movements M (see Fig.
• Reference 13 indicates a tubular spout substantially bent at 90°, one end of which is fastened to the boxed element 10 of the actuator 8, on the same axis but on the opposite side where the connector 12, to which is solidly fastened and hydraulically connected.
• the other end of the spout 13 is free and is directed downwards.
• Hydraulic sealing between the connector 12 and the spout 13 is obtained by means of common means, such as o-ring gaskets.
• the end of the spout 13 is fastened to the boxed element 10 so as to perform alternate angular movements M' (see Fig. 3) around its horizontal axis.
• Reference 14 indicates a second tubular connector substantially bent at 90°, one end of which is solidly fastened to the boxed element 11 of the actuator 9, on the same axis, but on the opposite side to which the connector 12 to which is fastened and hydraulically connected.
• connection between the connector 12 and the second connector 14 is hydraulically sealed with common means.
• the other end of the second connector 14 is directed upwards and hydraulically connected to the duct 5.
• the must 3 is sucked from the lower section of the container 2 and transferred to the device 4; by means of the connector 14 connected to the duct 5, the must 3 is transferred to the spout 13 through the connector 12, wherefrom it will be expelled and fall down on the surface S of the must 3.
• the procedures for must flow distribution from the spout 13 on the surface S are further described in the following.
• References 15 and 16 indicate two electric motors, one of which is connected to the actuator 8 and the other to the actuator 9, respectively.
• the motor 15 by means of a gear reducer, ensures a continuous alternate angular movement M' of the spout 13 around its own horizontal axis.
• the motor 16 by means of a gear reducer, causes the tubular connector 12 to perform an alternate angular movement M around its horizontal axis. This angular movement is transmitted to the actuator 8 solidly connected to the connector 12.
• the alternate angular movement M' imparted by the motor 15 to the spout 13, causes the must flow arriving from the lower section of the container 2 and exiting the spout 13 to be distributed on the surface S along a straight line, whose ends are the walls of the container 2.
• the alternate angular movement M imparted by the motor 16 to the actuator 8 by means of the connector 12 causes the spout 13 to move along a substantially perpendicular line to the line resulting from the alternate angular movement M' imparted by the motor 15 to the spout 13.
• a diagram of the spout displacement 13 is represented in Fig. 6, where M indicates the axis of the alternate angular movement of the spout 13 imparted by the motor 15, whereas M' indicates the axis of the angular movement of the spout 13 imparted by the motor 16 to the actuator 8.
• the actuator 8 is simultaneously subject to the angular movement M imparted by the connector 12, which will let the spout 13 cause a substantially perpendicular translation to its angular movement; the result will be a set of distribution lines LI, L2, L3 ... L3', L2', LI ' of the must 3 on the surface S.
• the movement of the actuator 8 is inverted and the spout 13 will move in the opposite direction until it reaches the starting point, i.e. the line LI, wherefrom it will start again to reach the opposite end of the container, and so on for a preset number of cycles depending on the must type inside the container and the results to be obtained.
• a higher or lower number of cycles is usually performed according to the wine to be obtained, i.e. higher for long ageing wines and lower for the so called table wines.
• the speed of the angular movement M' of the spout 13 will gradually increase with the must jet exiting the spout 13 moving from the front wall to the container centre following the angular movement M of the connector 12, and decrease when moving from the centre to the opposite wall of the container 2, and vice-versa.
• the speed will be so adjusted to have the same time taken by the spout 13 for spraying the must surface S along each line L of its angular movement M' for each line L, independently from their length.
• Speed adjustment of the angular movement M' of the spout 13 will be adjusted by means of an electronic control system.
• This spraying procedure causes the must exiting from the spout 13 to wet the whole surface S evenly and sink into the must 3, thus obtaining an homogeneous mixing of both musts and avoid possible formation of bacterial colonies.
• a deeper penetration into the must 3 is also obtained by the pressure of the must exiting the spout 13, with a further improvement of their mixture.
• Reduction of fermentation time ensures treatment of larger quantities of must at the same time and a smaller number of containers employed for such an operation. Therefore, the container for stocking the fermented product can also be available in shorter times; moreover, the container without the upper tank can stock a greater quantity of fermented product.
• the system 1 is electrically and hydraulically connected to a programmable and/or pre-settable control system or electronic timer through commonly known procedures not represented, controlling all operations for the fermenting cycle.
• the mixing stage is then activated, i.e.:
• the actuator 8 is so positioned through the electronic control system to have the must jet from the spout 13 directed against the must surface adjacent to the container wall in front of the spout 13,
• the pump 6 is activated to suck the must from the container side 2 and transfer it to the device 4, so as to form a must jet exiting the spout 13,
• the motors 15 and 16 are activated to obtain both the angular movement M' of the spout 13 and angular movement M of the actuator 8 for spraying the surface S of the must 3 evenly.
• the electronic control system inverts operation of the pump 6 from suction pump to delivery pump for a period of time non exceeding the time required to discharge a portion of the contents of the duct 5 in the container 2, in order to release the filter from likely deposits of solid particles that may jeopardize the being sucked from the container; both motors 15 and 16 are disabled during the inversion of pump operation 6.
• the operation of the device 4 is not continuous for all the fermentation time of the must 3, but alternated to intervals predetermined by the electronic control system based on the type of the must in the container 2 and/or type of wine to be obtained. Moreover, if entered during the data programming stage, the electronic control system will provide for must oxygenation activating the turbine T and/or for introducing a certain amount of additives in the must activating their release from the container C.
• An implementation of the present invention may be the use of the device 4 for washing the container 2, when, after having emptied it of the fermenting must should be used for stocking fermented product.
• it will be enough to feed the device 4 with pressured water through the duct 5, and flood the container walls.
• This operation can be programmed through the electronic control system, which will provide for appropriate actuation of the device 4 according to the washing procedure of the container.
• spraying the must 3 with the jet exiting the spout 13 has quite surely a more homogeneous result than possibly obtainable with a must downfall from an upper tank.
• the number of spraying cycles and relevant actuation times, oxygenation and addition of fermenting media, as mentioned above, are associated to the type of must in the container 2, its organoleptic features, its fermentation state and final features to be obtained.
• the above description and the drawings refer to a tank with a circular section; however, this does not prevent the use of a tank with either a rectangular, square or similar section, since it will be enough to input the shape and dimensions, diameter, side and/or sides of the container in the electronic control system to enable it to determine the amplitude of the angular movements M and M'.
• the system comprises at least a device being apt for to perform an even continuous spraying of the must surface during the fermentation process; comprises at least a device being apt to ensure a continuous consistent spraying all over the surface of the must in the container; comprises at least a device being apt to obtain a continuous consistent mixing of the must in the container with the must from said device; - comprises at least a device being apt to obtain fermentation within shorter times; comprises at least a device being apt to perform washing of a container for stocking the fermented product;
• - comprises a container whose capacity for containing the fermenting must is not restricted by additional tanks;
• Another embodiment may be obtained with the addition of an air diffuser at the output of the spout 13 to increase the jet pattern; this would allow a lighter spraying for delicate grapes or grapes with a pale colour or weak maturation. It is obvious that many other changes are possible for the fermentation system of vegetable substances, in particular for grapes, according to the present invention, without departing from the novelty spirit of the innovative idea, and it is also clear that in practical actuation of the invention the various elements described above may be replaced by technical equivalent elements.

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• 2000
  • 2000-12-06 IT IT2000TO001137A patent/IT1320854B1/it active
• 2001
  • 2001-12-05 WO PCT/IB2001/002294 patent/WO2002046352A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-12-05 AU AU2002222321A patent/AU2002222321A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-12-05 EP EP01999629A patent/EP1339827A1/en not_active Withdrawn

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