The present invention provides an apparatus for producing a sparkling fruit liquor raw material, including: a sealed fermentation container for receiving a stock liquid in which a fruit juice-containing fruit raw material and yeast are mixed; and an extraction pipe having an extraction inlet disposed in the fermentation container and an extraction outlet disposed outside the fermentation container. The sparkling fruit liquor raw material is produced by undergoing a sparkling fruit liquor raw material production state St1 configured such that a stock liquid is charged in the fermentation container so that a top surface of the stock liquid is positioned higher than the extraction inlet, and a pressure of carbon dioxide gas generated as fermentation of the stock liquid proceeds is then used to continuously extract, from the fermentation container via the extraction pipe, the sparkling fruit liquor raw material produced as the stock liquid is fermented.

There is provided a method for the treatment of wood particles for use in the production of alcoholic beverages, comprising the steps of: (a) washing the wood particles with water under agitation at a temperature of at least 60° C.; wherein the wood particles may optionally already be toasted; (b) removing the water from the wood particles; (c) thermally drying the wood particles; (d) toasting the wood particles to obtain wood particles according to the invention; (e) optionally, incubating the wood particles according to the invention with an aroma-bearing liquid, the subsequent removal of any overlying aroma-bearing liquid, and, optionally, the subsequent drying the wood particles according to the invention to obtain aromatised wood particles according to the invention.

There is provided a method for the treatment of wood particles for use in the production of alcoholic beverages, comprising the steps of: (a) washing the wood particles with water under agitation at a temperature of at least 60° C.; wherein the wood particles may optionally already be toasted; (b) removing the water from the wood particles; (c) thermally drying the wood particles; (d) toasting the wood particles to obtain wood particles according to the invention; (e) optionally, incubating the wood particles according to the invention with an aroma-bearing liquid, the subsequent removal of any overlying aroma-bearing liquid, and, optionally, the subsequent drying the wood particles according to the invention to obtain aromatised wood particles according to the invention.

A method for reducing beverage loss during loading of beverage into an ethanol concentration system having a set of reverse osmosis pressure vessels, each pressure vessel having a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet. The method includes feeding deaerated water into the feed inlet of a first pressure vessel, feeding the beverage into the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel, monitoring an alcohol percentage at the retentate outlet of a second pressure vessel, the second pressure vessel coupled directly or indirectly to the first pressure vessel, and coupling a retentate from the retentate outlet of the second pressure vessel to a feed tank coupled to the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel when the alcohol percentage is within a first target range of 0.5 to 18% alcohol-by-volume (ABV).

A method for reducing beverage loss during loading of beverage into an ethanol concentration system having a set of reverse osmosis pressure vessels, each pressure vessel having a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet. The method includes feeding deaerated water into the feed inlet of a first pressure vessel, feeding the beverage into the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel, monitoring an alcohol percentage at the retentate outlet of a second pressure vessel, the second pressure vessel coupled directly or indirectly to the first pressure vessel, and coupling a retentate from the retentate outlet of the second pressure vessel to a feed tank coupled to the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel when the alcohol percentage is within a first target range of 0.5 to 18% alcohol-by-volume (ABV).

A liquid storage vessel having a base with a bottom and an interior floor; a continuous side extending vertically from the base and having an interior surface, the bottom and continuous side each including an internal layer and an external layer separated by a material barrier and configured such that the interior layers form an inner containment liner, and the external layers form a continuous exterior structural shell enclosing the inner containment liner. A top is affixed to the continuous side and has an interior ceiling. Access to the tank interior is provided by one or more manways. Mounting and connecting structures enable the tanks to be stacked directly atop one another and then structurally connected. The exterior structural shell is fabricated from high performance fiber reinforced concrete, and the inner containment liner is fabricated from a geopolymer concrete blend.

A liquid storage vessel having a base with a bottom and an interior floor; a continuous side extending vertically from the base and having an interior surface, the bottom and continuous side each including an internal layer and an external layer separated by a material barrier and configured such that the interior layers form an inner containment liner, and the external layers form a continuous exterior structural shell enclosing the inner containment liner. A top is affixed to the continuous side and has an interior ceiling. Access to the tank interior is provided by one or more manways. Mounting and connecting structures enable the tanks to be stacked directly atop one another and then structurally connected. The exterior structural shell is fabricated from high performance fiber reinforced concrete, and the inner containment liner is fabricated from a geopolymer concrete blend.

An apparatus includes a body having a length extending from a first end to a second end. The body defines a bore extending through the entirety of the body and at least one of a plurality of grooves or holes around the bore. The body has a length that is dimensioned to be received entirely within a neck of a container.

An apparatus includes a body having a length extending from a first end to a second end. The body defines a bore extending through the entirety of the body and at least one of a plurality of grooves or holes around the bore. The body has a length that is dimensioned to be received entirely within a neck of a container.

Provided are Cas9 enzymes that have mutations that enhance their properties, relative to un-mutated Cas9. The altered Cas9 enzymes exhibit i) an increased rate of spacer acquisition, or ii) increased cleavage efficiency of targets with NAG PAMs, or a combination of i) and ii). The altered Cas9 enzymes comprise an amino acid substitution of 1473 and K500 in a Streptococcus pyogenes or similar Cas9 enzyme. Also provided are polynucleotides, including expression vectors that encode the Cas9 enzymes, cells that contain the polynucleotides, and methods of making and using such cells. The disclosure includes tagging, or labelling bacteria, and for enhancing phage acquired immunity in bacteria, such as those used in industrial processes, including the food and beverage industry, such as the dairy industry. The food products are also included.