Patent ID: 6793826
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: C12F,G01N

Abstract:
A method for recovery of tartrate-containing, insoluble solids from an essentially settled grape-based mixture, the mixture housed in a container, the container having a sidewall, a bottom, a vertical axis, a valved gutter port capable of providing access to container contents through the bottom, and a plurality of valved access ports capable of providing access to container contents through the sidewall, the access ports disposed upon the sidewall at heights defined as distances from the bottom measured along the vertical axis, the method comprising:choosing a siphoning port from among the plurality of valved access ports; attaching a first pumping system to the siphoning port; opening a siphoning port valve to provide fluid communication between container contents resident essentially above a siphoning height and the first pumping system through the sidewall; activating the first pumping system; extracting a first container contents portion resident essentially above the siphoning height; attaching a second pumping system to the valved gutter port, the second pumping system comprising: a conduit permitting samples of an extracted second container contents portion to be analyzed outside of the container; opening a gutter port valve to provide fluid communication between container contents and the second pumping system through the bottom; activating the second pumping system; generating data over time regarding the extracted second container contents portion being collected; ascertaining when to begin recovery, when to begin recovery determined to be when data generated indicates that the extracted second container contents portion is, essentially, tartrate-containing material; and recovering tartrate-containing insoluble solids.