AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FROM GRAPES OR OTHER FRUITS
Year: 1884

page_text: I AGATHA COLOMBA LAURA WEIGEL of Brighton in the County of Sussex,
Gentlewoman married do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN
IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FROM GRAPES OR OTHER
FRUITS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture, from grapes or other fruits of
beverages containing all the constituents and having all the properties of good,
genuine fermented wine, with the sole exception of the alcohol.
For this purpose, I take ripe grapes, by preference of such kinds as are used for
the manufacture of Champagne and other sparkling wines. The grapes are
crushed and pressed in the usual way, and the juice is subjected to the first stage
of fermentation until its cloudiness has disappeared. The liquor is then drawn off
from the sediment and fined with isinglass or by any other known means, and
the clear fluid is pumped into a vacuum pan, where it is subjected to a gentle heat
for the purpose of evaporating all the alcohol froin it. The evaporation may also
be effected without a vacuum, but, as the heat in this case would have to be increased,
the product might have an objectionable flavor, whereas by the use of a vacuum
pan, the heat need not exceed 150° to 160° Fahr., and the product would therefore
retain its freshness of taste without having its flavour altered by heating.
During the evaporation the ethers are first distilled off and collected in a separate
vessel, and then the alcohol which is condensed by worms such as are used with
ordinary stills. This alcobol, from which the ethers may be completely separated
by fractional distillation, being of a very pure character, is valuable for medicinal
and chemical purposes.
After the liquor has thus been liberated from every vestige of alcohol, it is run
off by a cock or valve at the bottom of the pan, into a set of worms kept cool by
a continuous stream of cold water. The liquor thus cooled is passed through a
filtering apparatus so constructed as to exclude air into an air-tight reservoir
embedded in ice or placed in a refrigerating chamber, so as to keep the temperature
in it just above freezing point. After the liquor has entered this reservoir, the
ethers evaporated from it during distillation are added to it along with a certain
proportion of unfermented condensed grape or fruit juice, specially prepared for
this purpose in the following manner:-Fresh ripe grapes are crushed and the

page_text: crushed mass is subjected to the action of a filter-press. The juice that runs off is,
if necessary, strained through a filter until quite clear, and is as soon as possible
boiled down to a consistence of a thick syrup or jelly. In this state, the juice
may be kept in a close vessel in a cool atmosphere until it is wanted for the
purpose described. The proportion of this condensed juice to be added to the fluid
in the reservoir varies according as a dry or a sweet beverage is desired, and also
according to the sweetness of the must condensed. After the addition of the
condensed must with the ethers as above mentioned, the liquor is stirred by a
revolving agitator, worked from the outside, so that no air enters the reservoir.
The liquor thus prepared can be bottled as a "still" beverage.
For the purpose of manufacturing an aërated or sparkling beverage the juice is
drawn off from the reservoir into an apparatus such as is employed for aërating
liquors, and, being impregnated with carefully prepared carbonic acid gas, it is
bottled in the usual way.
The whole operation and apparatus above described are so arranged that the
juice, from the moment it is placed in the vacuum pan, until it is bottled, is
entirely excluded from contact with the air, so that no atmospheric germs can
contaminate it or create fermentation.
Instead of grape juice as above described, I may employ juices of other fruits,
such as apples, pears, currants etc., or of dried fruits, such as raisins, or dates or
the like; I may employ ready made wine, cider etc., and evaporate the alcohol
therefrom and treat the liquor as above described.
The condensed must or fruit juice, used for sweetening, may be flavoured by
addition of aromatic or sweetening substances or essences.
For the purpose of manufacturing a "topic" or "medicinal" beverage, the grape
or fruit juice may have added to it infusions or extracts or vegetable alkaloids or
other preparations as desired.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.

page_text: I, AGATHA COLOMBA LAURA WEIGEL of Brighton in the County of Sussex,
Gentlewoman Married do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN
IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES FROM GRAPES OR OTHER
FRUITS " and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture, from grapes or other fruits, of
beverages containing the constituents and having the properties of good, genuine,
fermented wine, with the exception of the alcohol.
For this purpose, I take ripe grapes, by preference of such kinds as are used
for the manufacture of Champagne and other sparkling wines. The grapes are
crushed and pressed in the usual way, and the juice is subjected to the first stage*
of fermentation until its cloudiness has disappeared. The liquor is then drawn
off from the sediment, and fined with isinglass or by any other known means,
and the clear fluid is pumped into a vacuum pan, where it is subjected to a gentle
heat for the purpose of evaporating all the alcohol from it. The evaporation may
also be effected without a vacuum, but, as the heat in this case would have to be
increased, the product might have an objectionable flavour, whereas by the use of
a vacuum pan, the heat need not exceed 150° to 160° Fahr., and the product would
therefore retain its freshness of taste without having its flavour altered by heating.
During the evaporation, the ethers are first distilled off and collected in a separate
vessel, and then the alcohol, which is condensed by worms such as are used with
ordinary stills. This alcohol, from which the ethers may be completely separated
by fractional distillation, being of a very pure character, is valuable for medicinal
and chemical purposes.
After the liquor has thus been liberated from every vestige of alcohol, it is run
off by a cock or valve at the bottom of the pan, into a set of worms kept cool by
a continuous stream of cold water. The liquor thus cooled is passed through a
filtering apparatus, so constructed as to exclude air, into an air-tight reservoir
embedded in ice or placed in a refrigerating chamber, so as to keep the temperature
in it just above freezing point. After the liquor has entered this reservoir, the
ethers evaporated from it during distillation are added to it along with a certain
proportion of unfermented condensed grape or fruit juice, specially prepared for
this purpose in the following manner;-Fresh ripe grapes are crushed and the
crushed mass subjected to the action of a filter-press. The juice that runs off is,
if necessary, strained through a filter until quite clear, and is, as soon as possible,
boiled down to a consistence of a thick syrup or jelly. In this state, the juice
may be kept in a close vessel in a cool atmosphere until it is wanted for the
purpose described. The proportion of this condensed juice to be added to the fluid
in the reservoir varies according as a dry or a sweet beverage is desired, and also
according to the sweetness of the must condensed. After the addition of the
condensed must with the ethers as above mentioned, the liquor is stirred by a
revolving agitator, worked from the outside, so that no air enters the reservoir.
The liquor thus prepared can be bottled as a "still" beverage.
For the purpose of manufacturing an aërated or sparkling beverage, the juice
is drawn off from the reservoir into an apparatus such as is employed for aërating
liquors, and, being impregnated with carefully prepared carbonic acid gas, is bottled
in the usual way.
The whole operation and apparatus above described are so arranged that the
juice, from the moment it is placed in the vacuum-pan, until it is bottled, is

page_text: entirely excluded from contact with the air, so that no atmospheric germs can
contaminate it or create fermentation.
Instead of grape juice as above described, I may employ juices of other fruits,
such as apples, pears, currants etc; or of dried fruits, such as raisins, or dates or
the like; or I may employ ready made wine, cider etc., and evaporate the alcohol
therefrom and treat the liquor as above described.
The condensed must or fruit juice, used for sweetening, may be flavoured by
addition of aromatic or sweetening substances or essences.
"
For the purpose of manufacturing a " tonic or "medicinal" beverage, the grape
or fruit juice may have added to it infusions or extracts, or vegetable alkaloids or
other preparations as desired.
.
Although I have herein described what I consider to be the best process for
carrying out my invention, it may be readily understood that when great excellence
of product is not required, certain parts of the process may be simplified. For
example the products of distillation may be allowed to escape or may be all
collected together, the careful filtering and cooling of the liquor may be dispensed
with, and also the precautions for exclusion of air, without materially affecting the
quality of the product..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
The manufacture of non-alcoholic beverages by fermenting juice of grapes or
other fruits, distilling the spirit therefrom, and mingling fruit juices and flavouring
ingredients with the resulting liquor, substantially as herein described.
Dated this Zora day of October 100T.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.