IP Library Granted Patent US 12,668,761
Granted Patent B2
US 12,668,761 · App. 18/015,069 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Process for the recovery of at least one fractional substance from vapours during alcohol reduction of a beverage, and fractional substance recovery device

Inventors: Karlheinz Sautner (Angelbachtal, DE); Christoph Gueltlinger (Bretten, DE)
Assignee: API SCHMIDT-BRETTEN GMBH & CO. KG
C12H3/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,668,761
App. No.
18/015,069
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Process for recovering at least one fractional substance from vapours during the alcohol reduction of a beverage, and fractional substance recovery device for carrying out the process, in which an alcoholic beverage to be reduced in alcohol content is supplied to a degasser of a fractional substance recovery device, in which vapours are removed from the degasser and the alcoholic beverage passed through the degasser is supplied to a device for alcohol reduction, in which the vapours are fed to a plurality of fractional condensation stages which follow one another in series and in which at least one fractional substance is separated from the vapours under pressure and/or temperature, and in which the fractional substances separated in the respective fractional condensation stage are collected in a collecting container or are fed to an inoculation station, through which the separated fractional substances are fed in metered quantities to an alcohol-reduced drink.

Claims (17)

1 . Process for recovering at least one fractional substances from vapours during the alcohol reduction of a beverage,

in which an alcoholic beverage is supplied to a degasser of a fractional substance recovery apparatus,

in which vapours are removed from the degasser and the alcoholic beverage passed through the degasser is fed to a device for reducing alcohol,

in which the vapours are fed to a plurality of fractional condensation stages which follow one another in series and in which at least one fractional substance is separated from the vapours under pressure and/or temperature, and

in which the fractional substances separated in the respective fractional condensation stage are collected in a collecting container or fed to a inoculation station, through which one or several separated fractional substances are fed in dosed form to a reduced-alcohol beverage.

2 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein in the fractional condensation stage the supplied vapours are pressurized via a pump, preferably vacuum pump, and subsequently cooled with at least one cooler, in particular heat exchanger, and subsequently at least one fractional substance is separated via a separator.

3 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the vapours are pressurized with increasing pressure in the fractional condensation stages following one another in series.

4 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein in a first fractional condensation stage the vapours are compressed from 100 mbar to 1.5 to 2 bar.

5 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein in a second fractional condensation stage, which is connected downstream of the first condensation stage, the remaining vapours are compressed from 1.5 to 2 bar to an increased pressure of 3 to 5 bar.

6 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein in a third fractional condensation stage the remaining vapours of 3 to 5 bar are compressed to an increased pressure.

7 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein before the alcohol reduction of the alcoholic beverage, the vapours of the alcoholic beverage are removed.

8 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein the fractional substances separated by the fractional condensation stages are fed through the inoculation station to an alcohol-reduced beverage which is finished by the alcohol reduction apparatus and has been discharged from the alcohol reduction process.

9 . Process according to claim 1 , wherein in the inoculation station the amount of the separated fractional substances from the fractional substance recovery device, which are supplied to the finished alcohol-reduced beverage, are selected and adjusted.

10 . Process according to claim 3 , wherein vapours are pressurized with increasing pressure in the fractional condensation stages following one another in series and are cooled to a constant temperature range of the fractional condensation stages before leaving the respective condensation stage.

11 . Process according to claim 4 , wherein in the first fractional condensation stage the vapours are cooled to a temperature of 40° C. to 50° C.

12 . Process according to claim 5 , wherein in the second fractional condensation stage, which is connected downstream of the first condensation stage, the remaining vapours are cooled to a temperature of 5° C. to 10° C.

13 . Process according to claim 6 , wherein in the third fractional condensation stage the remaining vapours are cooled to a temperature of 5° C. to 10° C.