Production of low-ethanol beverages by membrane extraction

A method for producing a beverage of reduced volume percent alcohol content comprising the steps of:

• feeding the beverage whose volume percent alcohol content is to be reduced and water across opposite sides of a bi-membrane assembly comprising an immobilized liquid membrane in intimate apposition to a perselective membrane,
• which immobilized liquid membrane is charged with an organic solvent that is alcohol-absorbing but substantially not water-absorbing, and
• which permselective membrane is alcohol-pemeable and perselective against permeation by at least some component of the organic solvent and which is in contact with the beverage whose volume percent alcohol content is to be reduced,
• whereby alcohol diffuses from the beverage through the bi-membrane assembly into the water to produce a beverage of reduced volume percent alcohol content and alcohol-enriched water and
• separately collecting the beverage of reduced volume percent alcohol content and said alcohol-enriched water.

A method for producing a beverage of reduced volume percent alcohol content comprising the steps of:

• feeding a beverage whose volume percent alcohol content is to be reduced and an aqueous solution of an osmotic agent said osmotic agent being a low-molecular-weight water-soluble solute, across oposite sides of a membrane,
• which membrane is alcohol-permeable and permselective against permeation by the osmotic agent,
• whereby alcohol diffuses from the beverage through the membrane and into the aqueous solution to produce a second beverage of reduced volume percent alcohol content and an alcohol-enriched aqueous solution and
• separately collecting the second beverage of reduced volume percent alcohol content and the alcohol-enriched aqueous solution.

A method for producing from a first alcoholic beverage a second beverage of reduced volume percent alcohol content comprising the steps of:

• providing a membrane which is alcohol-permeable,
• feeding said first beverage across a first side of said membrane,
• feeding an extraction fluid across a second side of said membrane said extraction fluid being an aqueous solution of an osmotic agent said osmotic agent being a low-molecular weight water-soluble solute
• said membrane also permselective against said osmotic agent thereby preventing contamination of the alcoholic beverage on said first side of the membrane by the extraction fluid,
• whereby alcohol diffuses from the first beverage through the membrane into the extraction fluid to produce said second beverage on the first side of the membrane and an alcohol-enriched extraction fluid on said second side of the membrane.

A method for producing from a first alcoholic beverage a second beverage of reduced volume percent alcohol content comprising the steps of:

• providing a bi-membrane assembly which is alcohol-permeable comprising an immobilized liquid membrane and a permselective membrane, which immobolized liquid membrane is charged with an organic solvent that is alcohol-absorbing but substantially not water-absorbing and which permselective membrane is alcohol permeable and permselective against at least a component of said organic solvent,
• feeding said first beverage across said permselective membrane of said bi-membrane assembly,
• feeding an extraction fluid across said immobolized liquid membrane side of said bi-membrane assembly, said extraction fluid being alcohol-absorbing but substantially not water-absorbing,
• said bi-membrane assembly preventing contamination of the alcoholic beverage on said permselective side of the bi-membrane assembly by the extraction fluid,
• whereby alcohol diffuses from the first beverage through the bi-membrane assembly into the extraction fluid to produce said second beverage on the first side of the bi-membrane assembly and an alcohol-enriched extraction fluid on said second side of the bi-membrane assembly.