Production of low-ethanol beverage by membrane extraction
OwnerEric K. L. Lee, Vinay J. Kalyani +1inventors
InventorsEric K. L. Lee, Vinay J. Kalyani, Stephen L. Matson
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Abstract
Low-ethanol wines, beer, distilled spirits, and other alcoholic beverages are produced by treating ordinary alcoholic beverages with novel membrane extraction methods. Semipermeable membranes and gas-phase extraction fluids are employed to selectively extract ethanol into the gas-phase, while leaving substantially intact the complement of other organic constituents that contribute to the color, aroma, and taste of the beverage. Methods are provided for balancing the water activity of the gas-phase extraction fluid about equal to that in the beverage, so as to inhibit water transport across the membrane independent of the ethanol/water selectivity of the membrane.
Claims22
An apparatus for producing from a first alcoholic beverage a second beverage of reduced alcoholic content comprising:
- a membrane which is impermeable to a congener and permeable to alcohol;
- means for enabling alcohol which diffuses from a first alcoholic beverage through said membrane into a gas-phase extraction fluid comprising water vapor and alcohol on the second side of said membrane to produce a second alcoholic beverage on the second side of said membrane having reduced alcohol content, said means including,
- means for feeding a first alcoholic beverage across a first side of said membrane;
- means for providing a gas-phase extraction fluid to a second side of said membrane;
- and
- means for regulating the relative humidity of said gas-phase extraction fluid on said second side of said membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.