DISTILLING APPARATUS AND METHODS OF USING SAME

Abstract

A method and apparatus for distilling alcohol or spirits where the distillation occurs, at least in part, in a glass or glass lined vessel. Surface reactions between copper or stainless steel, on one hand, and glass linings, on the other hand, are different. Distillation using glass or glass-lined vessels and condensers avoid the exposure to metals during the distillation and condensation, thus providing for an improved flavor in the resulting spirits.

Claims

1. A method of making a distilled spirit, comprising: a. creating a mash; b. creating a wort from the mash; c. fermenting the wort; and d. distilling the fermented wort in a vessel having an inner surface of glass.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing a vapor phase from the distillate and condensing the vapor phase in a condenser having an inner surface of glass.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the distilling step the fermented wort does not contact metal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein in the condensing step the vapor phase produced from the fermented wort does not contact metal.

5. A method of making a distilled spirit, comprising: a. creating a mash; b. creating a wort from the mash; c. fermenting the wort; and d. distilling the fermented wort in the absence of Lewis acid induced catalytic actions.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing the distillation step in a vessel having an inner surface made of glass.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising producing a vapor phase from the distillate and condensing the vapor phase in a condenser having an inner surface of glass.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the distilling step produces a distillate, further comprising producing from the distillate a distilled spirit.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the distilled spirit comprises at least one of whiskey, bourbon, rum, gin, vodka, cognac, corn spirits and brandy.

10. A vessel used for the distillation of spirits comprising, a container having an inner surface made of glass.

11. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the container comprises an outer surface made of metal.

12. The vessel of claim 10, further comprising a condenser in vapor communication with the container, wherein the condenser has an inner surface made of glass.

13. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the glass comprising the inner surface of the container has a thickness between 0.5 and 4 mm.

14. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the glass comprising the inner surface of the condenser has a thickness between 0.5 and 4 mm.

15. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the glass comprising the inner surface of the condenser comprises at least 100% by volume/mass fused quartz, sodium borosilicate glass or aluminosilicate glass, or 100% of a combination of the three types.

16. The vessel of claim 10, wherein the shape of the container comprises at least one of the following: cylindrical, cylindrical with a domed top, cylindrical with a domed top and bottom, spherical, onion-shaped, cylindrical with a frusto-conical top, cone shaped, inverted frusto-conical with a domed top

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these inventions.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a graph of annual gross revenue from U.S. sales of distilled spirits for the years 2006 to 2016.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a typical distillation process.

[0024] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Current practice involves the use of copper or stainless steel stills, based in part on the belief that these metals remove or avoid unwanted chemicals from the process, especially sulfur-containing compounds. It is believed this is not the case, and that an improved product would result from the use of glass or glass-lined equipment during the distillation and condensation phase of the process.

[0026] The process and equipment involved in the mashing of grains, fermentation and distillation of spirits is generally represented in FIG. 2. As illustrated, the equipment may include a hot liquor tank 10, a mash tun 12, a lauter tun 14, a boil kettle 16, a fermenter 18, a still 20, a condenser 22 and a distillate collection tank 24. The process starts when hot water (referred to as hot liquor) is taken from the hot liquor tank 10 and added to crushed grains 26 in the mash tun 12. Temperature and volume are controlled within the mash tun 12 to allow the enzymes in the grain to reduce the polysaccharides in the grain to simple sugars, and proteins to its basic amino acids, which the yeast require as nutrients during fermentation. Once this conversion is complete, the resulting mash may be transferred to the lauter tun 14. In the lauter tun 14 the solubilized sugars and amino acids, referred to as wort, is separated for the spent grain husks. The wort is transferred to the boil kettle 16. The spent grain husks are rinsed with hot liquor, a process known as sparging. After boiling the wort and cooling it in the boiling kettle 16, the wort is transferred to a fermenter 18 and yeast 28 is added. The wort is then allowed to ferment for a suitable period. To this point in the process, equipment standard to the industry may be used.

[0027] Once fermentation is complete, the fermented wort is transferred to a still 20 and distilled. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the still has an inner surface that is glass. The distillate is cooled to liquid form in a condenser 22 that also has an inner surface made of glass. The cooled condensate is collected in a stainless steel tank 24. The still and condenser may take any shape and configuration desired by those of skill in the art. What is critical is that the inner surface of the still and/or the condenser, as well as any equipment used to connect the still and the condenser, be glass. The glass may be any thickness or chemical composition to be optimized for the type of spirit being distilled. The still and condenser may be glass-lined with an outer shell of copper or other metal.

[0028] Once a sufficient volume of distillate is collected in the collection tank 24, the distillate is removed and kegged for aging purposes or bottled for distribution and sale, depending upon the type of spirit being distilled. The waste or bottoms remaining in the still is removed. All of the equipment is cleaned and the process may be repeated. However, the cleaning of the still 20 and condenser 22 is less critical compared to cleaning metal stills and condensers. In the later, sulfur containing compounds bind to the metal surface and remain in the still and condenser after the contents are emptied. Incomplete or inconsistent cleaning of the metal still and condenser leaves such compounds on the inner surfaces and likely results in flavor variations or inconsistencies from batch to batch. Such inconsistencies are difficult to control or eliminate even with standardized cleaning processes. However, a glass surface is not subject to the same variables. No compounds bind to the glass surface. As a result, cleaning the glass surface is easier and the glass surface is consistent from batch to batch, eliminating variability in flavors or taste that is inherent in with metal stills and condensers.

[0029] By utilizing a still and condenser with an inner glass surface, the chemical reactions associated with metal stills and condensers is eliminated. The catalytic actions and metal leaching associated with metal stills cannot occur.

[0030] By using a glass-lined still/condenser, the levels of specific compounds that can affect the flavor of the spirit may be altered, such as but not limited to mercaptans and thiols hydrogen sulfide (H.sub.2S) and ethanethiol (CH.sub.3SH), esters ethyl hexanoate (C.sub.8H.sub.16O.sub.2) and isoamyl acetate (C.sub.7H.sub.14O.sub.2), ketones diacetal (C.sub.4H.sub.6O.sub.2) and -dimascenone (C.sub.13H.sub.18O), or alcohols phenethyl alcohol (C.sub.8H.sub.10O). This is because the still/condenser, at a minimum, has an inner surface made of glass and the distillate is not exposed to or does not come in contact with metal.

[0031] While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure, as set forth in the following claims. Other modifications or uses for the concepts and embodiments set forth in the present disclosure will also occur to those of skill in the art after reading the present disclosure. Such modifications or uses are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.