This application is for a device and article of manufacture for the purpose of drinking, tasting, sampling, and nosing and evaluating alcohol beverages without alcohol nose burn and numbing; a procedure or method to manipulate said vapors for the same purpose; and a process to separate and dissipate ethanol vapors to accomplish the same purpose. The device is one embodiment of a vessel which collects vapors in a chamber with curved sides and large surface area to promote evaporation, which chamber's top opening orifice concentrates same vapors prior to passing into an expansion chamber releasing and dissipating fast moving ethanol prior to nosing, providing improved aroma detection and enhancing nosing, tasting, and sampling experiences for all spirits, wines and liqueurs, distilled, fermented, and fortified.

This application is for a device and article of manufacture for the purpose of drinking, tasting, sampling, and nosing and evaluating alcohol beverages without alcohol nose burn and numbing; a procedure or method to manipulate said vapors for the same purpose; and a process to separate and dissipate ethanol vapors to accomplish the same purpose. The device is one embodiment of a vessel which collects vapors in a chamber with curved sides and large surface area to promote evaporation, which chamber's top opening orifice concentrates same vapors prior to passing into an expansion chamber releasing and dissipating fast moving ethanol prior to nosing, providing improved aroma detection and enhancing nosing, tasting, and sampling experiences for all spirits, wines and liqueurs, distilled, fermented, and fortified.

The invention relates to a self-cleaning homogeneous mixer-bleeder system composed of a set of screens and a bleed manifold (1), in particular for the production of must by pellicular maceration, of the type incorporated in a wine maceration tank (0) and having mainly: a. a bleed system (10) containing a bleed manifold (107) and a set of perforated side bleed screens (102); b. an inerting valve (11); c. a CO.sub.2 system (12).

Methods and systems are provided for gravity-assisted winemaking and other fermentation processes. In one example, a method may include using gravity to process grapes or a fermentate from a first upper location to a lower location and using a bridge crane to transfer the grapes or the fermentate to a second upper location to be further processed. In certain examples, the lower location may be located on a lower level of a building and the first and second upper locations may be located on an upper level of the building. In an additional or alternative example, the method may include using the bridge crane to translate a punch down device along orthogonal axes, including lowering the punch down device into a vessel containing a liquid on which a cap of solids floats. In certain examples, the vessel may be transferred between the upper and lower levels using the bridge crane.

Methods and systems are provided for gravity-assisted winemaking and other fermentation processes. In one example, a method may include using gravity to process grapes or a fermentate from a first upper location to a lower location and using a bridge crane to transfer the grapes or the fermentate to a second upper location to be further processed. In certain examples, the lower location may be located on a lower level of a building and the first and second upper locations may be located on an upper level of the building. In an additional or alternative example, the method may include using the bridge crane to translate a punch down device along orthogonal axes, including lowering the punch down device into a vessel containing a liquid on which a cap of solids floats. In certain examples, the vessel may be transferred between the upper and lower levels using the bridge crane.

The present invention relates to a punch down apparatus and rotating sprayer that is axially movable along its shaft through the supporting vat, also provided with an element for breaking the solid upper cover referred to as “cap” in the art.

A racking arm having a barrel arm, a tubular control valve mounted to a tank, a tubular barrel connected to the barrel arm and rotatably positioned in a valve body of the control valve and a handle attached to the barrel to rotate the barrel. Rotating the barrel rotates the barrel arm, the distal end of which is in the tank, to allow the user to selectively position an opening at the distal end of the barrel arm to place liquid in or take liquid out of the tank without disturbing solids at the bottom of the tank. Bearings and O-rings between the valve body and barrel allow sealed rotation of the barrel. The handle extends through a slot in the valve body. The slot defines the amount of allowed rotation. A pin through the valve body engages the barrel to position and hold the barrel inside the valve body.

A system and method for automatically aerating drinking products, particularly wine, suitable home, business and/or industrial use is described herein. The system of the present invention is specifically designed for aerating wine for human consumption and includes a multipurpose stirring, storing and serving vessel having a removable magnetic stirring impeller coupled thereto and a programmable magnetic stir plate adapted for use therewith.