Process and Apparatus for Maturing or Treating Wines and Spirits.
Year: 1898

page_text: I, JAMES EDMUND CARROLL, of 395, Oxford Street, in the City and County of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a method of and means for maturing wines and
spirits.
It consists of heating the liquid to be treated in a closed vessel or receptacle,
in which there is no provision for the formation of vapour, the liquid being
heated from the normal temperature or having been previously cooled.
The liquid having been so heated as to avoid evaporation and approximately
to 300 F. or more, is allowed to cool slowly after which it will be found to have
become mellowed and improved in flavour. This process may be repeated for
any desired number of times.
Instead of heating and treating the liquid itself I may arrange to treat the
vapour before distillation, by super-heating it to about the before mentioned tem-
perature and allowing it also to cool slowly.
The apparatus which I prefer to employ for this purpose consists of a cylindrical
vessel closed at either end and fitted with inlet and outlet cocks and, if desired
with a temperature gauge.
This vessel is completely filled with the whiskey or other liquid to be treated
and is heated by being laced over a suitable furnace or by being placed in the
steam space of a suitable boiler. In this latter case the vessel may consist of a
number of pipes extending longitudinally through the steam space of the boiler,
communicating one with another by U-shaped or other connections outside the
boiler, the whole being furnished with suitable cocks and a gauge as before
mentioned As a modification the vessel may consist of a coiled pipe, or a grid-
shaped arrangement of pipes, situated in the steam space of a boiler und be
furnished with means for admitting and drawing off the liquid.
The superheating of the spirit vapour may take place in any ordinary apparatus
in addition to the one above described, the cooling taking place in an ordinary
slow condensing apparatus when desired.
004
1
1909
Process and Apparatus for Maturing or Treating Wines and Spirits.
I, JAMES EDMUND CARROLL, of 395, Oxford Street, in the City and County of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
Price S./1

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a novel method of and means for treating and maturing
wines and spirits.
My invention has for its object, the provision of a novel method for rapidly pro-
ducing in wines and spirits the same or an equivalent change as is now produced
by time, and known as ageing or maturing.
My invention consists in heating the liquid to be treated, in a closed vessel or
receptacle, the liquid being heated from the normal temperature, to a temperature
higher than its boiling point.
The liquid having been heated under pressure, is allowed to cool slowly, after
which it will be found to have become mellowed and improved in flavour. This
1rocess may be repeated any desired number of times.
Instead of heating and treating the liquid itself, I may arrange to treat the
vapour before condensation, by heating it to the required temperature and allowing
it also to cool slowly.
By heating the spirit or wine, or the vapour of spirits, to a higher temperature
than the boiling point, the same or substantially the same, or a similar chemical
change will take place, as is now produced only by time, and causes the maturing
of wines and spirits, that is, the atomic particles will assume the same or similar
conditions, immediately, and produce the same mellow effect in wines and spirits,
as is now produced by ageing in the ordinary way through lapse of time.
The apparatus which I prefer to employ for the purpose consists of a cylindrical
vessel, closed at both ends, and enclosing a coil or other form of receptacle, both
being fitted with inlet and outlet cocks, and with pressure and temperature gauges.
The spirit receptacle or coil is charged with the whisky, spirit or other liquid to
be treated, and the outer vessel having been charged with water, is heated in any
desired manner, and to such a degree as will raise the temperature of the spirit in
the spirit vessel to above its boiling point. This elevation of the temperature
of the spirit or other liquid is maintained for as long a time as may be found
necessary, and the spirit is then allowed to cool, when it will be found to have
assumed substantially the same conditions as to taste and odour, as spirit which has
been aged by time.
If desired, the spirit or other liquid which is being treated, may, after having
been raised to a temperature above its boiling point, be drawn off and condensed
in a worm or other condensing apparatus instead of allowing it to cool in the spirit
vessel or coil. The spirit vessel or coil can, if desired, be heated directly over a
fire, or it may be heated in the steam space of a boiler or in a separate chamber to
which steam is conveyed from a boiler. Where the spirit vessel or coil is in
the steam space of a boiler, it may consist of a number of pipes connected one
with another by U-shaped or other couplings inside or outside the boiler, the
whole being furnished with suitable cocks and gauges.
Where my apparatus is to be applied to existing distilling plants, it may be
located either between the still and the worm, so as to treat the vapour, or it may
be located at or beyond the delivery end of the worm, so as to treat the liquid,
and as, of course, it is desirable that the operation of distillation should be con-
tinuous, it will be necessary to pump the vapour from the still, or the liquid from
the worm into the spirit-coil or receptacle of my apparatus, owing to the fact that
the 1ressure of the highly heated spirit or vapour will necessarily be greater than
on the still or worm, since under usual conditions the process of distillation is
effected without setting up any appreciable pressure.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation
of a distilling plant, with my improvement applied thereto, in such a position as
to act upon the va; our of the liquid to be treated as it comes from the still, and
before it enters the worm, and Fig. 2 is a similar view of another arrangement,
the apparatus for heating the liquid under pressure being located beyond the exit

page_text: end of the worm and a supplementary worm being provided for the purpose of con-
densing the vapour from the reheating coil, and wherein Figure 3 is à more detailed
view of the coil-chambers and connections between the same, for treating the
vapour of a spirit,-A designates a still of the ordinary construction, which is
mounted over a furnace by means of which the still is heated to the required
temperature. The still A communicates by a pipe K with a vapour-pump B,
which in turn communicates with the reheating apparatus by means of a
pipe B and through a check-valve G, located at any convenient point between
the pump and the reheating apparatus. The reheating apparatus which I prefer
to employ, consists, as shewn, of a boiler D having a furnace 1) and suitable
pressure and water gauges and the other ordinary ap; liances of such boilers.
Within the boiler 1) I arrange a coil of pipe F, the inlet end of such coil being at
or near the bottom of the boiler, and being connected with the pipe B leading from
pump B. The exit end of the coil F, is at or near the top of the boiler, and at
said exit end are arranged thermometer G, and pressure gauge H, by means of
which the temperature and the pressure of the vapour in coil F, may be observed.
A check-valve I is located beyond the gauge H and a pipe J connects the reheating
coil with the worm M, which is of the usual construction and is contained in a
vessel L. All joints and pipe-connections belonging to the reheating ap; aratua
must be specially and carefully made, to prevent the spirit or vapour exuding
therethrough and, in short, to withstand the very high pressure employed.
The operation of the above-described apparatus is as follows. The still being
charged and operated in the usual manner, the vapour of the spirit passes over
and through the pipe K to the jump B, by means of which it is forced through
the cheek-valve C into the coil F. The water and steam in boiler 1) are maintained
at a high temperature, and the coil F which is located partly in the water space
and partly in the steam space of the boiler, is thereby heated to such a degree
as will heat the vapour of the liquid being treated, to a much higher point than
the boiling point of the particular liquid being distilled and treated. This eleva-
tion of temperature of the vapour results in the establishment of a high pressure
in the coil, and both the temperature and pressure are maintained at such point
and for so long a time as may be necessary to accomplish the objects of my
invention.
After the vapour has been held under pressure for the required length of time
it passes through the cock I, and pipe J to the worm M, where it is condensed
and drawn off in the usual manner.
In the modified form of apparatus shewn in Figure 2, the same appliances are
used, but are arranged in a different manner, the still being connected directly with
a worm and the reheating coil being connected with the exit end of the worm,
so that the condensed liquid is reheated instead of the vapour in the apparatus
shewn in Figure 1, and a supplementary worm N is provided for condensing the
vapour after it leaves the reheating coil F. Where it is desired to treat wine,
spirit or other liquid which has been previously distilled, the apparatus shewn
in Figure 2 may be employed, without the still and worm M, the liquid being fed
to the pump B from a tank or other receptacle.
In the modification shewn on Figure 3 the liquor to be treated is delivered by
means of a pump through the check velve into the coil whence it issues
through the loaded valve X in the form of vapour to the condenser N. During
the passage of the liquor through the coil F it is heated to any desired extent
by meanse of steam admitted into the cylinder or chamber ) through the inlet d
The issuing liquor lifts the loaded valve X and escapes in the form of vapour to
the condenser N where it is cooled as desired. Should any liquor faints pass
through the valve X they are deposited in the separator S whence they can be
drawn off from time to time through the valve's.
At the bottom of the vessel I) is a drainripe P communicating with a steam
trap for the purpose of drawing off the condensed steam. The upper portion of
this vessel or coil-chamber 1 may be furnished with a pressure-gauge R and the

page_text: loaded valve X may have a thermometer G and pressure gauge H also, if desired.
The arrangement illustrated by Figure 3 is the best form of apparatus constructed
in accordance with my invention, which is at present known to me, but it would
be possible, where—for instance-initial outlay is a consideration, to construct the
apparatus in a simpler form.
The coil-chamber L serving to condense the vapour in the pipe N, may if desired,
be provided with a constant flow of cold water therethrough, or the water can
be removed from time to time in any ordinary manner.
After the wine or spirit or its vapour has passed through the condenser and
has been drawn off, the resulting liquid may be filtered or strained and any
sediment therein may be allowed to settle while the liquid stands. Any other
suitable means, however, for filtering or clearing the liquor after treatment accord-
ing to my invention, may be employed.
As a modification of the method hereinbefore described I suggest that oxygen
or other suitable gas be injected into the vapour or spirit during or before the
stage at which it is subjected to heat and pressure (but I make no claim to the use
of oxygen or such other gas as part of my invention), and I wish it also to be
understood that the heat generated by the compression of the vapour by pumping
may be sufficient for the effective carrying out of my process without the necessity
of heating the vapour by extraneous means.
I have found the following to be suitable temperatures and pressures, but I do
not restrict myself to such limits; these are only given by way of examples.
When treating the va our of a spirit. (whisky, brandy etc.) I may raise the tem-
perature thereof to about 300 or 400 F. and upwards, at about 100 to 400 lbs
pressure or more. In treating previously distilled spirit I may raise the tem-
perature of the same to substantially above boiling-point, at 400 lbs. pressure
and upwards. In the case of wine I may raise its temperature to from boiling-
point upwards, at comparatively a very low pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
(1). A method of treating alcoholic liquids to produce the effect of ageing,
consisting essentially in heating under pressure and beyond the boiling-point of
such liquid, the vanour of the liquid which is being treated, condensing the
vapour so heated, and afterwards filtering or otherwise clearing the resultant
liquid.
(2). A modification of the invention claimed in 1, consisting in treating the
alcoholic liquid by heating it under pressure and to beyond its boiling point, cooling
and condensing the liquid so heated, and subsequently filtering or otherwise
clearing the resulting liquid.
(3). An apparatus for carrying out the processes claimed in 1 and 2, comprising
a pump communicating with closed reheating apparatus, by means of which the
vapour or the liquid to be treated is forced into the reheating apparatus where
it is heated under pressure, and beyond the boiling-point of the liquid, the com-
munication pipes to and from the reheating a paratus being fitted with back-
valves, a condensing worn where the heated vapour is condensed, and a filter or
clearing or settling-apparatus fer clarifying the resultant liquid, substantially
as described.
Dated this 28th day of March 1899.