Apparatus and method for preserving the aroma of a fermentable beverage

A method for preserving the aroma of a fermentable beverage in a fermentation apparatus, the method comprising:

• fermenting the beverage in a fermentation container thereby producing a gaseous headspace mixture, the gaseous headspace mixture including carbon dioxide gas and aromatic fluid in a headspace located above the beverage contained in the fermentation container, the gaseous headspace mixture having a first concentration of aromatic fluid;
• moving the gaseous headspace mixture into an upstream portion of a flow passage into contact with a feed side of a rubbery membrane, the rubbery membrane stripping at least a portion of the aromatic fluid from the gaseous headspace mixture thereby reducing a concentration of the aromatic fluid in the gaseous headspace mixture in the upstream portion of the flow passage;
• discharging a first portion of the gaseous headspace mixture from the fermentation apparatus, the first portion having a second concentration of aromatic fluid less than the first concentration;
• diffusing carbon dioxide gas from a second portion of the gaseous headspace mixture through the rubbery membrane, the diffused carbon dioxide gas entraining the aromatic fluid at a permeate side of the rubbery membrane;
• and
• moving a concentrated gaseous mixture comprising (i) the diffused carbon dioxide gas and (ii) the aromatic fluid entrained at the permeate side of the rubbery membrane, through a downstream portion of the flow passage out of the flow passage and into the headspace of the fermentation container, the concentrated gaseous mixture having a third concentration of aromatic fluid greater than the first concentration.