Accelerated aging of alcohol drinks
View Patent ↗Devices and methods are described that enable controlled, repeatable and accelerated aging and infusion of alcohol containing beverages. The devices include newly reaction canisters in a computer controlled environment of valves, pumps, interconnecting plumbing, sensors and mixing and dispersing manifolds. Embodiments include devices and infusing materials. The infusing materials include traditional aging/infusing materials such as oaks traditionally used to make barrels for aging and infusion as well as other woods and a variety of non-wood infusion materials such as citrus, beans and seeds. The combination of controls, sensor and computer interface allows for repeatable preparation of aged/infused drinks and for development of new aged/infused drinks.
1. An aging and infusing device for treating a fluid that is used to make alcohol containing drinks, said device comprising:
a) an entrance port for introduction of the fluid into the aging and infusing device,
b) a reaction canister, the reaction canister having an interior and comprising:
i) a cylindrical body, having inside and outside walls, and including a reaction canister entrance port and a reaction canister exit port, and,
c) the reaction canister containing a plurality of wooden pieces, and,
d) a circulating pump for circulating the fluid through the reaction canister, thereby producing a flow, and,
e) a heater for heating the fluid, and,
f) a first valve for controlling entrance of the fluid into the reaction canister through the reaction canister entrance port, and, a second valve for controlling exit of the fluid from the reaction canister through the reaction canister exit port, and,
g) a temperature sensor that provides electronic temperature data, and,
h) at least one electronic compositional sensor, the compositional sensor selected from: a pH sensor, a visible light colorimeter, a polarimeter, a near infrared sensor, and, an oxidation-reduction potential probe,
i) wherein the first valve, the second valve, the heater, the temperature sensor, the circulating pump, and, the at least one electronic compositional sensor are all interconnected by piping, such that by controlling the first valve, the second valve, and, the circulating pump, the fluid is repeatedly circulated through the reaction canister, the heater, and the at least one compositional sensor, and,
j) wherein the first valve, the second valve, the heater, the temperature sensor, the circulating pump, and the at least one compositional sensor are all electronically connected to and controlled by a computing device, the computing device programmed to:
i) open the first valve to introduce the fluid into the reaction canister, and,
ii) start the circulating pump to circulate the fluid through the reaction canister, the heater, the temperature sensor the at least one electronic compositional sensor, and,
iii) receive the electronic temperature data from the temperature sensor, and, control the temperature of the fluid by turning the heater on and off based upon the electronic temperature data, and,
iv) receive electronic compositional data from the at least one electronic compositional sensor, and,
v) open the second valve, to remove the fluid from the reaction canister after either: a preselected time or receiving a preselected electronic data value from the at least one electronic compositional sensor.
2. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of wooden pieces are wooden staves that line the inside walls of the reaction canister.
3. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 further including:
a) a central cylindrical shaft located within the reaction canister, the shaft having a diameter and a length, and,
b) interchangeable cylindrical sleeves, the interchangeable cylindrical sleeves having a diameter and a length, the diameter of the interchangeable cylindrical sleeves selected such that the interchangeable cylindrical sleeves removably fit, concentrically, over the shaft thereby creating stops and spacers for items that fit within the reaction canister, and, that are drilled with a hole larger than the diameter of the shaft, but smaller than the diameter of the interchangeable cylindrical sleeves.
4. The aging and infusion device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of wooden pieces include flat wooden disks, each wooden disk having a top surface and a bottom surface, and, each sized and shaped to fit the inside walls of the reaction canister, and, each of the wooden disks including a hole drilled in the center of each disk surface penetrating from the top surface to the bottom surface, the hole sized larger than the diameter of the shaft and smaller than the diameter of the interchangeable cylindrical sleeves, and, the shaft penetrating the hole in the center of each disk, and, the disks separated and held apart from one another by the interchangeable cylindrical sleeves.
5. The aging and infusion device of claim 4 , further including a plurality of perforated baskets, the baskets sized and shaped to fit the interior of the reaction canister, and, the baskets including a central hole sized larger than the diameter of the shaft and smaller than the diameter of the interchangeable cylindrical sleeves, and, the plurality of the perforated baskets are removably placed in the reaction canister with their central hole over the central shaft and spaced each from the other by the interchangeable cylindrical sleeves.
6. The aging and infusion device of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of wooden pieces include wooden pieces cut into a shape selected from: cubes, staves, trapezoidal blocks, dowels, and orbs.
7. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 further including a porous wooden plug located at the reaction canister exit port, and, positioned such that the fluid passes through the porous wooden plug as it exits the reaction canister.
8. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 , further including a cylindrical central shaft, the cylindrical central shaft having a diameter and a length, and, including a plurality of indentations along its length, each of the said indentations acting as support locations for disks placed within the reaction canister, and, the central shaft further including holes along its length, said holes acting as a distribution manifold as the fluid flows through the reaction canister.
9. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 , further including an electronic memory device connected to the computing device that can uniquely identify the reaction canister.
10. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 , further including at least one item located within the reaction canister the at least one item selected from: the heater, a cooler, and an air infusion disk.
11. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electronic compositional sensor is located in the interior of the reaction canister.
12. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 , further including a plurality of the reaction canisters, each connected by the tubing to a distribution manifold and a mixing manifold, the distribution manifold including a plurality of valves, and, each valve in the distribution manifold electronically connected to and controlled by the computing device, such that an amount of flow through each of the plurality of reaction canisters is controlled by the computing device.
13. The aging and infusion device of claim 12 , wherein the amount of flow through each of the plurality of reaction canisters is set by the computing device based upon a signal from the electronic compositional sensor.
14. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 , further including a vacuum pump for controllably reducing an air pressure within the device, thereby removing a controlled amount of volatile compounds from the fluid, said vacuum pump electronically connected to, and turned on and off, by the computing device, and, the vacuum pump is turned on and off by the computing device based upon a signal from the electronic compositional sensor.
15. The aging and infusion device of claim 1 further including an air infuser, said air infuser electronically connected to and controlled by the computing device, and, the air infuser is turned on and off by the computing device based upon a signal from the electronic compositional sensor.