The use of a material in the production of a beverage, wherein the material particles are added in the course of the production process to a starting material or an intermediate product of the beverage and are then separated off again prior to finishing of the beverage, wherein the particles of the material are characterized in that they at least partially comprise a silicate, wherein the silicate particles with respect to the total weight of the particles have a proportion of at least one metal ion in the range of between 1.5 and 30% by weight, wherein the at least one metal ion is selected from a metal ion of the elements La, Ce, Cu, Ag, Zn, Sn, Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn.

The metal-supported zeolite for alcoholic beverages of the present invention is a zeolite that carries a metal component, wherein the metal component is silver, and the zeolite is at least one selected from a beta-type one and a Y-type one. The metal-supported zeolite is for removing unwanted components contained in alcoholic beverages.

A sealing disc for a closure cap for containers, especially bottle closures for liquids fermented with yeast, consists of a plurality of layers (1, 2, 3, 4). One of these layers (4) comprises an active especially metallic substance in layered or particulate form which binds sulphur compounds in order to reduce the formation of sulphide odours after the bottle has been filled.

Method of production of a new kind of alcoholic drink, named Airag Vodka. Airag Vodka is made purely from fermented horse milk called kurnis. The production process includes distillation and two-stage filtering. The production process entails no use of outside water to the raw material. Airag Vodka is original. It is uniquely distinct both from the traditional kumis moonshines and from traditional kinds of vodka made from vegetable material.

A filter aid may include acid-washed diatomaceous earth having high purity, and perlite. A method of making a high purity filter aid may include acid washing diatomaceous earth to reduce the h in the diatomaceous earth, and combining the acid-washed diatomaceous earth with high purity perlite to obtain to obtain a high purity filter aid. A method of reducing extractable metals from diatomaceous earth may include washing the diatomaceous earth in a first acid, rinsing the diatomaceous earth, and washing the diatomaceous earth in a second acid. The first acid may include an inorganic acid having a first strength, and the second acid may include an organic acid having a second strength different than the first strength. A method of filtering a beverage may include passing the beverage through a filter including a filter aid including acid-washed diatomaceous earth having high purity, and perlite.

A process is shown for reducing the alcohol content and/or the sugar content of a beverage. The process includes wetting a predetermined amount of a particulate solid material with a predetermined amount of water, and contacting the beverage with the pre-wetted solid adsorbent material. The material selectively adsorbs alcohol, sugar, or alcohol and sugar from the beverage. The process can be carried out at a small scale and does not require any sophisticated equipment.

This disclosure includes regenerated inorganic fermented beverage stabilization and/or clarification media and a process for such regeneration. Inorganic stabilization and clarification media (for processing beer or the like) may include expanded perlite or other expanded natural glasses, diatomaceous earth, silica gel or other precipitated silicas and compositions that incorporate these materials. Such media may be regenerated individually, together in a mixture or together as part of a composite product. The regenerated media meet the requirements for physical and chemical properties for re-use and replacement of the majority of particulate inorganic filtration media, and inorganic stabilization media consumed in stabilization and clarification processes, and the related regeneration process provides for substantial benefits to brewers through a reduction of costs to purchase and transport stabilization and clarification media, to dispose of spent cake and/or membrane retentate, while providing for substantial reductions in the introduction of soluble impurities into the fermented beverage.

A method for purifying distilled spirits includes cooling a distilled spirit to a temperature at which contaminants in the selected distilled spirit crystallize. The cooled, selected distilled spirit is passed through a first hollow fiber permeable membrane having openings smaller than a size of the crystallized contaminants.

A chill-proofing composite filter aid may include a filtration component and an adsorption component including precipitated silica at least partially coating the filtration component. The composite filter aid may have a pore volume of at least about 0.15 cm.sup.3/gram at an average pore size between 3 nanometers and 15 nanometers. A method for removing particles from a fluid may include providing a chill-proofing composite filter aid, pre-coating a filter element with the composite filter aid, and passing a fluid containing particles to be adsorbed through the coated filter element. A method of making a chill-proofing composite filter aid may include providing a filtration component, and at least partially coating the filtration component with an adsorption component including precipitated silica. The composite filter aid may have a pore volume of at least about 0.15 cm.sup.3/gram at an average pore size between 3 nanometers and 15 nanometers.

A composite filter aid may include acid-washed diatomaceous earth and a low extractable metal mineral. A method for making a composite material may include blending an acid-washed diatomaceous earth and a low extractable metal mineral, adding a binder to the blended diatomaceous earth and low extractable metal mineral, and forming the composite material from the acid-washed diatomaceous earth, the low extractable metal mineral, and the binder. A method for filtering a liquid may include providing a liquid for filtering and filtering the liquid through a composite filter aid that includes an acid-washed diatomaceous earth and a low extractable metal mineral.