A highly purified diatomite composition may include greater than or equal to 90% silica, from about 0.5% to about 5% of a calcium-containing compound, and less than or equal to about 2% total of aluminum-containing oxides and iron-containing oxides. A method of making a highly purified diatomite composition may include providing a diatomite comprising at least 5% of a calcium-containing compound, calcining the diatomite, and acid washing the calcined diatomite. The calcined, acid-washed diatomite may include less than or equal to about 1% total of extractable aluminum-containing oxides and iron-containing oxides, and less than or equal to about 5% of the calcium-containing compound. The acid washing may include an acid selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid (H.sub.2SO.sub.4), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and nitric acid (HNO.sub.3). The method may not include a flotation step.

A method for improving liquor such as gin, vodka, or rum. A liquor is combined with activated charcoal at between 0.5% and 2.5% on a weight per volume basis of the liquor to form a mixture. The activated charcoal is bottled with the liquor to improve flavor and change the color of the liquor. The activated charcoal may sequester impurities so the consumer does not taste the impurities. Additionally, activated charcoal may prevent the consumer from digesting impurities that would otherwise cause the hangover effect. The liquor and activated charcoal combination may be bottled in a manner that agitating the bottle causes resuspension of the colorant to increase the contract of a partially transparent label.

A composite filter aid may include a first mineral selected from diatomaceous earth and natural glass. The filter aid may also include a second mineral having and aspect ratio greater than about 2:1, and a binder. The filter aid may have a permeability ranging from 0.2 to 20 darcys. A method for making a composite filter aid may include blending a first mineral, a second mineral, and a binder, wherein the first mineral comprises at least one of diatomaceous earth and natural glass, and the second mineral has an aspect ratio greater than about 2:1. The method may further include agglomerating the first mineral and second mineral in the presence of the binder to form the composite filter aid. A method for filtering a beverage may include using the composite filter aid.

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.

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.