Claims
- 1. A fermentation apparatus comprising:
- a fermentation vat;
- a must pumping column which is connected to a top of the vat and which extends above the vat for allowing carbon dioxide from must transferred from the vat to the column to expand and exert a mammoth pumping action on the must in the column for pumping the fermented must through the column;
- a back pressure valve connecting the vat and pumping column for compressing and inhibiting expansion of carbon dioxide evolved from fermenting must in the vat and controlling a flow rate of must pumped in the column;
- a must degassing device connected to the pumping column at a position above the top of the vat for removing carbon dioxide from must pumped through the column;
- a must return pipe connected to the degassing device and to a bottom portion of the vat for conveying must from the degassing device to the vat in a turbulent flow;
- a gas injection device connected to an upper portion of the return pipe for introducing gas into the flow of must in the return pipe; and
- a hydraulic stirring device positioned within the vat in the bottom portion of the vat for receiving gasified must from the return pipe for stirring must in the vat.
- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a decanter connected to the return pipe at a position beneath the gas injection device for collecting gasified must from the return pipe and for collecting alcohol from collected gasified must.
- 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a device positioned in the return pipe at a position beneath the gas injection device and above the connection between the return pipe and decanter for cooling the gasified must.
- 4. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising recycle piping connected to the decanter and to the pumping column for recycling decanted yeast from the decanter to the pumping column.
- 5. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a device for heating a top portion of the pumping column for heating the must pumped in the column.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a device for heating a top portion of the pumping column for heating the must pumped in the column.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a device positioned in the return pipe at a position beneath the gas injection device and above the connection between the return pipe and decanter for cooling the gasified must.
- 8. An apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising recycle piping connected to the decanter and to the pumping column for recycling decanted yeast from the decanter to the pumping column.
- 9. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising piping connected to a lower portion of the return pipe for introducing fresh must into the return pipe for introducing fresh must into the vat.
- 10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein baffles are positioned with the return pipe for creating turbulence.
- 11. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the degassing device is a cyclone device.
- 12. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the hydraulic stirring device is a Venturi device.
- 13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the return pipe has a mouth located above a bottom of the vat which is directed toward the bottom of the vat and wherein the Venturi device is a tube which surrounds the mouth of the return pipe coaxially and flares away from the mouth of the return pipe.
- 14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the bottom of the vat has a semi-spherical shape.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2514/82 |
Apr 1982 |
CHX |
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 07/384,860 filed Jul. 21, 1989 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,370 which was a continuation application of application Ser. No. 06/774,184, filed on Sep. 9, 1985, now abandoned, which in turn was a continuation application of application Ser. No. 06/483,130, filed Apr. 8, 1983, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
384860 |
Jul 1989 |
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Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
774184 |
Sep 1985 |
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Parent |
483130 |
Apr 1983 |
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