GB1251800A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,251,800. Alcoholic beverages; distillation of alcoholic liquors. IRISH DISTILLERS Ltd. and W. H. A. WEBB. 29 Jan., 1969 [23 Nov., 1967] No. 53429/67. Heading B1B. A self-flavoured spirit similar to whisky, brandy, rum or calvados is produced by continuously passing a fermented liquor of low alcohol content through a pot wherein it is heated for a determined time in order to develop desired flavours, and distilling the effluent stream from the pot in a fractionating column to separate a fraction of the required high alcohol content. The pot is preferably made of or lined with, copper. In an example, "Irish" whisky is produced from distillery wash, containing about 6% by weight of alcohol, by heat-treatment and distillation in the apparatus shown. The wash is pumped from tank 2 into pot 8, which is heated by steam coil 10, where the wash is boiled under reflux. After a residence time of 5 hours, the wash overflows from pot 8 and is pumped to plate-type distillation column 16. Steam is introduced into the base of column 18 through injector 18, and the spent wash is discharged from the base. Some of the condensate from reflux condenser 22 is pumped to pot 26 where the liquid is maintained at the boiling point by electrical heater 28. After a residence time of 95 minutes, the liquid overflows to column 32 (a glass tube with stainless steel rings) heated by electrical element 34. Spent lees are discharged from the base of column 32. Some of the overhead condensate from reflux condenser 38 is pumped to pot 42 where the liquid is maintained at the boiling point by electrical element 41. After a residence time of 185 minutes, the liquid overflows into distillation column 44 (a thermally insulated glass tube filled with stainless steel rings) which is heated by electrical element 46. Liquid withdrawn from the base of column 44 is returned to pot 26. Some of the overhead condensate from reflux condenser 48 is pumped to column 56 (of similar design to column 44). Some of the overhead condensate from reflux condenser 58 is returned to pot 42. The liquid withdrawn from the base of column 56, which is passed through cooler 62 and collected in receiver 64, is the required whisky product. It is necessary to operate the apparatus for some days before equilibrium is reached, and the characteristics of the various fractions are established. An apparatus suitable for the continuous production of "Scotch" whisky is described with Fig. 3 (not shown); this apparatus comprises two pots and associated columns. The liquid and vapour withdrawn from the head and base, respectively, of the first column are used to preheat the feed wash. The level of liquid in the pots and in the sumps of the columns is automatically controlled.