A New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Rapidly and Economically Ageing or Maturing Alcoholic Beverages.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1897-Accepted, Eth Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Process and Apparatus for Rapidly and
Economically Ageing or Maturing Alcoholic Beverages.
1 FLORE CATHERINE HAECK of No. 131 Boulevard Militaire Brussels in the
Kingdom of Belgium Widow do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention consists in a process and apparatus by means of which effects are
produced artificially and in a comparatively short time in alcoholic beverages such as
wines beer liqueurs and the like analogous to those heretofore obtained by allowing
such beverages to mature often for many years.
To this end the process consists first in submitting the unmatured or raw beverages
to a gentle progressive and methodic heating in a suitable apparatus. The effects
of this heating are,
a. To disaggregate the various vegetable agglomerations in suspension in the
liquid.
b. To dissolve the aromatic substances agreeable to the taste which proceed from
these disaggregated agglomerations and to evaporate condense and remove the
noxious substances more volatile than ethylic alcohol (aldehydes and ethers) contained
in all raw alcoholic beverages.
:
c. To cause ascending and descending motion in the liquid the effect being to
bring to the surface the noxious elements less volatile than ethylic alcohol but of
less specific gravity than the liquid (propylic butylic and amylic alcohols) also to
precipitate to the bottom of the receptacle the heavy vegetable substances proper
which are set at liberty by the disaggregation and the density or specific gravity. of
which is greater than that of the said liquid and finally to establish an intimate and
homogeneous mixture of all the constituent elements of the beverage.
When the heating has produced its full effect the said liquid is allowed to rest in
the apparatus for a given time after which it is drawn off into casks the supernatant
layer of noxious elements and the heavy matters deposited at the bottom of the
apparatus being separately removed.
The casks containing the liquid are then placed for several weeks in a locality
where the temperature is kept as low and as constant as possible.
The liquid is subsequently filtered or clarified by known means and then bottled
or placed in casks or receptacles which are liquid and airtight and will not act on
the said liquid the object being to produce the "bouquet" which is rapidly developed
by a moderate and constant temperature.
To effect the heating which constitutes the first part of the process I employ by
preference an apparatus constructed as represented in the accompanying drawing iu
which
Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus without the cover.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same the front wall being removed.
Figure 3 is a plan of underside of the cover.
In the said figures a is the receiver into which the liquid to be treated is introduced.
through the pipe furnished with a stopcock. At the bottom of this receiver are
laid cylinders or tubes of large diameter ccc into which water at the desired tem-
perature is introduced through a pipe d proceeding from a boiler. This water

page_text: circulates in the cylinders c and returns to the boiler by the pipe e. The pipes d
and e are respectively provided with stopcocks d' and e¹. f is a pipe provided with
a stopcock for withdrawing the liquid from the apparatus after treatment.
The mouth of this pipe is arranged slightly above the bottom of the apparatus
so as to leave sufficient space for the dregs or heavy matters which precipitate during
the process.
g is a pipe with a stopcock gl for the drawing off of the dregs and deposits and
for the cleaning of the apparatus. To this pipe is connected an indicator tube for
showing the level of the liquid in the apparatus which tube extends nearly to the
top of the apparatus. The mouth of the pipe g is on a level with the bottom of the
apparatus.
h is a thermometer.
i is the lid or cover of the apparatus which fits on the top thereof as tightly as
possible. The central part of this cover has a bowl shaped depression formed in it
which is indicated in broken lines at j in Figure 2 and is designed to receive cold
water for accelerating condensation of the vapours given off by the liquid while it is
being heated. Below the lid i and its depressed part is fixed a large funnel marked k
in Figure 3 pierced with a number of small holes and furnished with a discharge
pipe m. The holes are formed preferably of two small slots making an angle
towards the bottom of the funnel k the pointed piece of metal between the two slots
being slightly bent inwardly.
Immediately below the pipe m is arranged a small funnel o fixed to one end of a
pipe of the other end of which passes through the side of the apparatus and terminates
in a collector or test tube
p.
The apparatus acts as follows
The cylinders c c c are first filled with cold water. The liquid to be treated is then
introduced into the apparatus which is filled up nearly to the level of the pipe o¹ so
as to leave as little air therein as possible. The cocks d' and e¹ of the pipes & and e
are then opened. The water passing from the boiler enters the cylinders
c c and
gradually replaces the cold water contained therein and returns to the boiler by the
pipe e.
By gradually raising the temperature of the water proceeding from the boiler and
maintaining the circulation through the pipes d the cylinders c and the pipes e the
temperature of the liquid in the apparatus is slowly raised to the desired degree
(from 40 to 55 degrees Centigrade) according to the nature of the liquid subjected to
treatment.
This heating produces vaporization of the volatile matters aldehydes and ethers
which ascend to the top of the apparatus pass through the holes 1 of the funnel k and
become condensed by contact with the cover i subsequently falling in the form of
drops down the inner walls of the funnel k and passing thence by the pipe o' into the
test tube or collector p.
The heating of the liquid should be continued until a sample taken from the test
is found to be free from noxious elements.
tube
The cocks d¹ and e' are then closed and the liquid is allowed to rest.
After a rest the duration of which depends on the nature of the liquid under
treatment but should preferably never be under 48 hours the said liquid is drawn off
into hermetically closed barrels or casks through the pipe through which is
afterwards withdrawn the supernatant layer of noxious substances of less specific
gravity than the liquid. The deposit of heavy matters which forms at the bottom of
the apparatus during treatment of the liquid therein may then be discharged through
the pipe g.
The liquid in the casks is then subjected for about 30 days to final treatment by the
action of cold as.herein before stated.
It is obvious that the apparatus described and represented may be modified in most
of its parts without departing from the essence of my invention thus for example the
cylinders c and pipes d and e may be replaced by a coil.

page_text: 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 1 claim :-
First. The process of ageing or maturing alcoholic beverages which consists in
first subjecting the liquid to be treated to a progressive gentle methodical and
prolonged heating in a suitable apparatus for freeing it from noxious substances which
are more volatile and of greater density or specific gravity or less density or specific
gravity than the said liquid then subjecting it to the action of cold for several weeks
after which it is filtered or clarified and bottled or put into liquid tight casks or
receptacles.
Secondly. For the carrying out of the process set out in the foregoing claim the
use of an apparatus for the heating of the liquid characterized by pipes cylinders or
other like arrangements situated at the bottom of the apparatus and in which
circulation of heated water may be established a cover furnished with means for
collecting the volatile matters which evaporate from the liquid under treatment means
for causing outflow of the said volatile matters from the apparatus and discharge
orifices permitting of separate withdrawal from the apparatus of the treated liquid the
noxious matters of less density or specific gravity than the liquid and the deposit of
dregs and heavy matters which forms at the bottom of the apparatus.
Dated this Fifteenth day of January 1897.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.