ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONCENTRATE PROCESS
Methods and systems for forming a concentrate from an alcoholic beverage, such as a beverage made by fermentation processes. A membrane process may be used to reduce water and alcohol content, followed by freeze concentration to further reduce water content.
1 . A method of producing concentrates for an alcoholic beverage, comprising:
forming a retentate by removing alcohol from the alcoholic beverage;
reducing water content of the retentate; and
forming a beverage concentrate from the retentate having a solids concentration greater than a solids concentration of the alcoholic beverage, and having an alcohol concentration less than an alcohol concentration of the alcoholic beverage.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a permeate with the alcohol removed during the forming the retentate.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising producing a distilled alcohol solution from the permeate having an alcohol concentration greater than the alcoholic beverage.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising packaging the beverage concentrate and the distilled alcohol solution in the beverage container, the beverage container being adaptable for piercing by a beverage machine for producing a single-serve beverage.
5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising subjecting the alcoholic beverage to a membrane process wherein at least some water and alcohol pass through a membrane to form the permeate and other components of the alcoholic beverage do not pass through the membrane to form the retentate.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing comprises:
freezing water in the retentate to form ice; and
removing the ice from the retentate.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, subsequent to the operation of forming the beverage concentrate, reintroducing alcohol to the beverage concentrate.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the alcohol of the operation of reintroducing is configured to inhibit spoilage of the beverage concentrate.
9 . A method of producing concentrates for a beverage container using an alcoholic beverage, comprising:
forming a beverage concentrate from the alcoholic beverage by:
reducing an alcohol content of the alcoholic beverage; and
increasing a solids concentration of a reduced-alcohol concentration form of the alcoholic beverage; and
reintroducing concentrated alcohol or aroma materials removed during the operation of reducing to the beverage concentrate.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the concentrated alcohol or aroma materials are configured to inhibit spoilage of the beverage concentrate or enhance a flavor profile of the beverage concentrate.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising sealing the beverage concentrate and the concentrated alcohol or aroma materials in the beverage container.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the beverage container is adapted for piercing by a beverage machine for producing a beverage using contents of the beverage container; and
the operation of reintroducing occurs substantially during the production of the beverage.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein reducing the alcohol content comprises subjecting the alcoholic beverage to a membrane process by which at least some water and alcohol pass through a membrane to be part of a permeate and other components of the alcoholic beverage do not pass through the membrane to be part of a retentate.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein increasing the solids concentration comprises removing water from the reduced-alcohol concentration form of the alcoholic beverage using a freeze-concentration process.
15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the beverage concentrate exhibits an alcohol concentration of less than 5%.
16 . A method of producing concentrates for a beverage container using an alcoholic beverage, comprising:
separating the alcoholic beverage into a permeate and a retentate, the permeate having an increased alcohol content from the alcoholic beverage;
increasing a solids concentration of the retentate by removing water; and
sealing a beverage concentrate formed using at least one of the permeate or the retentate in the beverage container, the container being adaptable for piercing by a beverage machine for producing a single-serve beverage.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising, prior to the sealing, reintroducing concentrated alcohol or aroma materials to the retentate removed during the operation of separating.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein separating comprises subjecting the alcoholic beverage to a membrane process by which at least some water and alcohol pass through a membrane to be part of the permeate and other components of the alcoholic beverage do not pass through the membrane and are part of the retentate.
19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the alcoholic beverage has an alcohol concentration greater than an alcohol concentration of the beverage concentrate.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the alcohol concentration of the alcoholic beverage is 30% or less; and
the alcohol concentration of the beverage concentrate is 20% or less.