Alcoholic fermentation

Fermentation apparatus comprising a rigid container having an open top, a liquid transfer inlet positioned adjacent the base of the container and a liquid transfer outlet positioned adjacent the top of the container, valve means to control flow of liquid in and out of the inlet and outlet, an air impervious plastic bag located within the container to hang from the open top, and configured to define a chamber between the exterior of the bag and the interior of the container, and means for sealing the top, said sealing means including a delivery outlet and filter means positioned across the top of the container wherein in preparing an alcoholic beverage a fermentation mixture is placed within the bag and the bag sealed, and by use of the valve means a temperature controlling medium is circulated into the chamber via the inlet and outlet to cause the bag to assume the volume of its contents and to control the temperature at which fermentation takes place, and when fermentation is complete, the chamber is pressurized to force the liquid within the bag to be expelled through the filter means and via the delivery outlet.