TWM591988U - Fermenter - Google Patents

Abstract

This creation provides a fermentation tank, which includes an accommodating tank, an air inlet channel and an aeration layer. The accommodating groove forms a space that is concave toward the bottom and can accommodate objects. The outlet of the air inlet channel is arranged at the bottom of the accommodating groove. The ventilation layer is provided on the concave surface of the accommodating groove and covers the outlet of the air intake channel. Compared with the conventional technology, the fermentation tank of the present invention has an air inlet channel and an aeration layer, which is conducive to the exchange of gas in the mash, and a thermometer can be further provided in the fermentation tank to monitor the temperature conditions of the fermentation to make the fermentation The reaction proceeds normally, without the need to manually turn the mash, and an automated process can be carried out to make the quality and flavor of each batch of products more stable.

Description

Fermentation tank

This creation is about a fermentation tank, especially a fermentation tank that contains a breathable structure to assist fermentation.

Pure grain solid state fermentation is a common traditional brewing process. For example, the brewing process of sorghum wine is roughly divided into three parts: koji making, wine making and packaging. The wine making process includes soaking, cooking, cooling, mixing koji, fermentation, distillation, cooling, remixing koji, refermenting and redistilling. .

Whether brewing alcohol or distilling alcohol, the fermentation of mash is an important step. It is mainly to put an appropriate proportion of koji, raw materials and water in the fermentation tank to make it into a mash. After the mash is made, the enzyme will starch Hydrolysis produces sugar, while yeast converts sugar into alcohol, and the wine mash is fermented at low temperature for about several days to several tens of days.

The conversion of sugar into alcohol by the aforementioned yeast is a microbial process, which involves complex biochemical changes. For example, the carbon dioxide generated during the fermentation process will increase the temperature of the fermented wine. When the fermentation temperature is too high, the yeast will die. Stopping fermentation affects the fermentation process and the final wine yield. Therefore, the slow temperature change during the mash fermentation process can make the yeast fermentation effect better, and the fermentation temperature must be reasonably controlled. Slow fermentation in a low temperature environment can make the taste more delicate and free from unpleasant taste.

The steps of solid mash fermentation generally need to be manually put into the fermentation tank (or fermentation tank/fermentation tank/fermentation tank car) after the liquor is dug out about 48 hours, then the liquor is dug out and then put back, so as to exchange air to make the fermentation strain Obtaining sufficient oxygen and functioning, so that the fermentation substrate can be fermented uniformly and at high quality, while controlling the temperature to ensure that the fermentation continues normally. This kind of action of digging out and returning the wine is called "turning the mash." However, current fermentation tanks (or fermentation tanks/fermentation tanks/fermentation tank cars) for winemaking, such as the common underground wine cellar tanks, are designed to make the mashing movement quite laborious.

In view of the shortcomings of the conventional technology that need to be improved, the author of this case believes that it is necessary to conceive a fermentation tank, which has a breathable structure, which can replace the artificial mashing action in the conventional fermentation technology.

Therefore, the purpose of this creation is to provide a fermentation tank, which includes an accommodating tank, an air inlet channel and an aeration layer. Wherein, the accommodating groove forms a space recessed toward the bottom to accommodate objects. The outlet of the air inlet channel is arranged at the bottom of the accommodating groove. The ventilation layer is provided on the concave surface of the accommodating groove and covers the outlet of the air intake channel.

Further, the fermentation tank further includes a cover for covering the slot of the accommodating tank.

Further, the non-bottom side of the accommodating groove is provided with a gas check valve for unidirectional exhaust.

Further, a temperature sensing device is provided on the non-bottom side of the accommodating groove.

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

Further, the material of the accommodating tank is selected from the group consisting of metal, wood, cast iron, soil, stone, reinforced concrete, brick, cement and ceramic.

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

Further, the ventilation layer is a breathable material.

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

Further, the aeration layer is bisque or pumice.

Further, the ventilation layer is covered to 1/4 to 2/3 of the vertical height of the accommodating groove.

Compared with the conventional technology, the fermentation tank of the present invention has an air inlet channel and an aeration layer, which is conducive to the exchange of gas in the mash. The gas can be input through the air inlet channel at a specific time interval (such as 48 hours), and the ventilation The layer achieves a comprehensive and uniform ventilation effect, and the gas input can be stopped after a certain time, so it can avoid the disadvantage of manual re-turning of the groove. On the other hand, the author can further set up a thermometer in the fermentation tank to monitor the temperature conditions of fermentation, so that the fermentation reaction can proceed normally. Therefore, by feeding oxygen through the air intake channel, the bacteria in the mash will proliferate. Through this creation, the time and amount of aeration can be well controlled, the degree of fermentation can be judged according to the temperature, and the gas can be turned off after being controlled to a certain degree. The effect of manual mashing can also be carried out based on the automated process, making the quality and flavor of each batch of products more stable and richer.

The detailed description and technical content of this creation are explained below in conjunction with the drawings. In addition, the drawings in this creation are not necessarily drawn according to actual proportions for the convenience of explanation. These drawings and their proportions are not intended to limit the scope of this creation, and are described here first.

The terms "a" and "a" in this text represent that there are one or more than one grammatical objects (ie at least one) in the text.

This creation provides a fermentation tank, which includes: a containing tank, an air inlet channel and an aeration layer. In a preferred embodiment, the fermentation tank further includes a cover for covering the opening of the containing tank.

"Fermentation tank/fermentation tank car" mentioned in this article means a tank suitable for various fermentation procedures. The application fields of this fermentation tank are for example but not limited to: food industry (such as bread or pasta making, wine making process, tea making process) , The production of dairy products, etc.), the biological and chemical industries (such as the pharmaceutical industry, the manufacture of biological medicines, natural pesticides, bacterial fertilizers and microbial herbicides and other agricultural production, etc.), etc. In a preferred embodiment, the fermentation tank of the present invention is used in the solid mash fermentation step in the wine making process.

The accommodating trough forms a space in which the bottom can be recessed to accommodate objects. Taking the application of mash fermentation as an example, the aforementioned space for accommodating objects is used for accommodating koji, raw materials and water to make them mixed Liquor. The accommodating groove may be approximately rectangular parallelepiped, square, cylindrical, or U-shaped groove. In a preferred embodiment, the accommodating groove is a U-shaped groove (that is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). In a preferred embodiment, the non-bottom side of the accommodating groove is provided with a gas check valve for unidirectional exhaust. In a preferred embodiment, a temperature sensing device is provided on the non-bottom side of the accommodating groove. The material of the holding tank in this creation can be selected from the group consisting of metal, wood, cast iron, earth, stone, reinforced concrete, brick, cement and ceramic; the aforementioned wood is, for example but not limited to: oak, pine, chestnut, mahogany, Fir or beech wood, especially oak is the best. In a preferred embodiment, the material of the accommodating tank is stainless steel. Stainless steel has the advantages of preventing bacteria, facilitating cleaning, and eliminating the need for detergent.

The air inlet channel is provided at the bottom of the accommodating tank, and is used to input gas from the outside of the fermentation tank into the fermentation tank. In a preferred embodiment, the outlet of the air intake channel is provided at the bottom of the accommodating groove; the outlet of the air intake channel may be one or more hole-shaped structures, or a groove/groove structure, This creation is not limited.

The ventilation layer is provided on the concave surface of the accommodating groove and covers the outlet of the air intake channel. In this article, "aeration layer" means a layered structure through which gas molecules can pass; where "layer" can be the original material, that is, a complete sheet, plate, etc., or it can be a small molecule (for example: particles) Layered by means of bonding. In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation layer is covered to 1/4 to 2/3 of the vertical height of the accommodating groove, for example: 1/4, 7/24, 1/3, 3/8, 5 /12, 11/24, 1/2, 13/24, 7/12, 5/8 or 2/3, etc., and this creation is not limited to this; the vertical height of the accommodating groove mentioned above is the vertical axis from the bottom On the distance.

The ventilation layer is made of a material that facilitates the passage of gas molecules (especially oxygen). In a preferred embodiment, the breathable layer is a breathable material; "breathable material" as used herein means a sheet, plate or block with good breathability, suitable for laying in fermentation tanks for brewing The substance in the bottom of the tank that does not cause abnormal deterioration after contact with alcohol is preferably low water permeability or waterproof. Wherein, the breathable material may include porous materials or non-porous materials. In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation layer is mainly composed of porous material. The aeration layer of this creation is composed of a breathable material, so that the gas can be permeated by the aeration layer to provide the gas conditions required for fermentation reaction. In a preferred embodiment, the material of the vent layer can be selected from bisque (referred to as a sintered unfired tire product), pumice, silicone, glass fiber, porous metal, porous plastic, porous polymer, One of the group consisting of wood, carbon fiber, bamboo fiber, and combinations thereof. In a more preferred embodiment, the material of the ventilation layer includes bisque and/or pumice.

In this article, "porous metal" means that the metal body is formed by sintering tiny spherical bodies at high temperature, and the inside of the metal is covered with tiny pores with a diameter of about 2 μm to 3 mm. It is breathable and is also called breathable metal or porous breathable steel. . As the design requirements for the holes are different, the holes can be foam type, lotus shape or honeycomb type. Porous metal materials can be divided into two categories: independent hole type and continuous hole type according to the shape of the hole. The independent hole type material has the characteristics of small specific gravity, good rigidity, specific strength, good vibration absorption and sound absorption performance; continuous hole type material In addition to the above characteristics, it also has the characteristics of permeability and good air permeability. The porous metal described herein is preferably a continuous hole type porous metal material.

In this article, "porous plastic" means a synthetic resin as a matrix, adding a foaming agent and other additives, formed by foaming, which has a fine-pore plum-like structure and is breathable, also known as foam plastic. Commonly used resins include polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethyl vinyl acetate, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, poly Acetylamine-6, polyether ether ketone, polyether satin and other thermoplastic materials with a wide range of properties. Commonly used foaming methods include physical foaming method, chemical foaming method and mechanical foaming method. The resulting bubble structure is divided into two types: one is an independent bubble, also known as a closed-cell structure, and each bubble becomes thin The wall is independent; the second is connected bubbles, also known as an open-cell structure, and each bubble is connected to one another. Generally, the diameter of the bubbles is between 50-500 μm, the thickness of the bubble film is between 1-10 μm, and there are 8-8 million bubbles in a 1 cm ³ synthetic foam.

Please refer to Figures 1 and 2, which are a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the appearance of the fermentation tank of this creation and a cross-sectional view of the fermentation tank of this creation, as shown in the figure:

The fermentation tank 100 of the present creation includes an accommodating tank 10, an air inlet channel 20, and an aeration layer 30. The accommodating groove 10 forms a space that can be recessed toward the bottom to accommodate objects for accommodating wine. The outlet 201 of the intake passage 20 is disposed at the bottom of the accommodating groove 10. The ventilation layer 30 is attached to the concave surface of the accommodating groove 10 and covers the outlet 201 of the air intake channel 20.

During the fermentation process using the fermentation tank 100 of the present invention, a gas supply line of a gas supply device can be connected to the air inlet channel 20, and the gas is input from the air inlet channel 20 and passes through the outlet 201 of the air inlet channel 20. After passing through the aeration layer 30, it finally enters the accommodating tank 10 to supply fermentation strains to make the fermentation reaction proceed smoothly. Wherein, the time for ventilating is preferably about 48 hours after the wine is put into the accommodating tank 10, the gas is input. In a preferred embodiment, the input gas system is air or oxygen. In a more preferred embodiment, the input gas system oxygen.

When using a plurality of original fermentation tanks 100 for large-scale wine fermentation, connect at least one gas supply line of at least one gas supply device to the air inlet channel 20 of each fermentation tank 100, which can be operated by an operator or automatically The control system synchronously controls the start-up and shut-off time and gas supply amount of all gas supply devices connected to the fermentation tank 100. When consistent fermentation conditions are provided for each of the fermentation tanks in the fermentation tank 100 or even each batch, products with stable quality and flavor can be produced accordingly.

The fermentation tank 100 of the present invention further includes a cover A for covering the opening of the accommodating tank 10. Since the fermentation involves a stage that needs to be performed under anaerobic conditions, the lid A is used to cover the opening of the accommodating tank 10, and at the same time seal the air inlet channel 20, the fermentation tank 100 can be sealed to prevent air from entering. Further, at least one gasket is provided between the cover A and the accommodating groove 10 for fastening the cover A. In a preferred embodiment, the cover A includes at least one handle, so that the cover A can be easily handled.

In this creation, a gas check valve B is provided on the non-bottom side of the accommodating tank 10, and the gas check valve B has a one-way exhaust function, which can ferment without opening the cover A The gas generated during the process is discharged to prevent the internal pressure of the containing tank 10 from being excessively high, and at the same time avoid the fermentation failure caused by the air entering the inside of the containing tank 10. Wherein, the gas check valve B is preferably disposed near the notch of the accommodating tank 10, that is, higher than the liquor in the accommodating tank 10, so as to facilitate gas discharge.

In this creation, a temperature sensing device C is provided on the non-bottom side of the containing tank 10 to sense the temperature of the wine in the containing tank 10. Wherein, the temperature sensing device C is preferably disposed at a height that can directly or indirectly contact the liquor in the accommodating tank 10.

In this creation, the accommodating groove 10 is preferably a U-shaped groove, which is conducive to the smooth flow of the gas input into the accommodating groove 10 along the arc-shaped groove wall and avoids being blocked at the bottom of the accommodating groove 10. In this embodiment, a foot stand can be further installed on the bottom of the outer side of the accommodating tank 10 to stably stand up the fermentation tank 100 or a roller to make the fermentation tank 100 a fermentable vehicle that can be easily moved. There is no limitation on the method of fixing or erecting the fermentation tank 100.

In this creation, the material of the receiving tank 10 is selected from the group consisting of metal, wood, cast iron, earth, stone, reinforced concrete, brick, cement, and ceramic. Among them, the wood may be oak, pine, chestnut, mahogany, fir, or beech, especially oak. In a more preferred embodiment, the material of the accommodating tank 10 is stainless steel. The stainless steel has the advantages of preventing bacteria, facilitating cleaning, and eliminating the need for cleaning agents.

In this creation, the ventilation layer 30 is a breathable material. Specifically, the ventilation layer 30 is selected from bisque, pumice, silicone, glass fiber, porous metal, porous plastic, porous polymer, wood, carbon fiber, bamboo fiber , And one of its groups. Wherein, the wood can be sycamore wood, pine wood, Chinese fir or ash sapwood.

In this creation, the aeration layer 30 is covered to 1/4 to 2/3 of the vertical height of the accommodating groove 10, 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, etc., and this creation is not limited to this. Specifically, the vertical height of the accommodating groove 10 refers to the position where the outlet 201 of the intake passage 20 is provided from the bottom of the accommodating groove 10 (if the accommodating groove 10 is a U-shaped groove, it refers to the bottom of the U-shaped groove The lowest end of the) to the vertical height of the slot of the accommodating slot 10. The ventilation layer 30 does not need to be covered to the same height as the vertical height of the accommodating groove 10, reaching 1/4 to 2/3 of the vertical height of the accommodating groove 10 to allow the outlet 201 of the air intake passage 20 The input gas is transmitted along the vent layer 30 to various places in the accommodating tank 10.

In summary, the fermentation tank of this creation has an air inlet channel and aeration layer, which is easy to control the gas exchange and temperature conditions, so that the fermentation reaction can be carried out normally without manual mashing, and an automated process can be implemented according to it. Make the quality and flavor of each batch of products more stable.

The above has made a detailed description of this creation, but the above is only one of the preferred embodiments of this creation, but it cannot be used to limit the scope of the implementation of this creation, that is, all equals to the patent application of this creation Changes and modifications should still fall within the scope of this patent.

100: fermentation tank 10: accommodating slot 20: Intake passage 30: aeration layer 201: the outlet of the air intake channel A: Cover B: Gas check valve C: temperature sensing device

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of creating a fermentation tank.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the fermentation tank.

100: fermentation tank

10: accommodating slot

20: Intake passage

30: aeration layer

201: the outlet of the air intake channel

A: Cover

B: Gas check valve

C: temperature sensing device

Claims (11)

A fermentation tank, comprising: An accommodating groove, which forms a space which can be recessed towards the bottom to accommodate objects; An air intake passage, the outlet of the air intake passage is provided at the bottom of the accommodating groove; and A ventilation layer, the ventilation layer is fitly arranged on the concave surface of the accommodating groove and covers the outlet of the air inlet channel. The fermentation tank as described in item 1 of the patent application scope further includes a cover body for covering the opening of the accommodating tank. The fermentation tank as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the non-bottom side of the containing tank is provided with a gas check valve for unidirectional exhaust. The fermentation tank as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein a temperature sensing device is provided on the non-bottom side of the containing tank. The fermentation tank as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the accommodating tank is a U-shaped tank. The fermentation tank as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the material of the containing tank is selected from the group consisting of metal, wood, cast iron, earth, stone, reinforced concrete, brick, cement and ceramic. The fermentation tank as described in item 6 of the patent application scope, wherein the material of the containing tank is stainless steel. The fermentation tank according to any one of items 1 to 7 of the patent application range, wherein the aeration layer is a breathable material. The fermentation tank as described in item 8 of the patent application scope, wherein the aeration layer is selected from bisque, pumice, silicone, glass fiber, porous metal, porous plastic, porous polymer, wood, carbon fiber, bamboo fiber, and combinations thereof One of the groups formed. The fermentation tank as described in item 9 of the patent application scope, wherein the aeration layer is bisque or pumice. The fermentation tank as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the aeration layer covers 1/4 to 2/3 of the vertical height of the containing tank.

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