Volatile organic compound recovery system and method

A process for the recovery of volatile organic compounds present in the headspace of a batch-type fermentation vessel as a distilled alcoholic liquid condensate in which a starting material in the fermentation vessel is subject to a yeast-based metabolic processing cycle to yield a fermented beverage where quantities of CO2 and EtOH vapor are produced therein during which increasing quantities of CO2 and EtOH vapor are produced during an initial part of the processing cycle and decreasing quantities of CO2 and EtOH vapor are produced during a latter part of the processing cycle, any pressure increase or decrease within the headspace of the fermentation vessel substantially related to the increase or decrease in the quantities of the CO2 and the EtOH vapor produced therein during the yeast-based metabolic processing cycle, comprising the steps of:

• connecting a flow pathway between the headspace of the fermentation vessel and a controllable variable-capacity condensation device for flowing at least a portion of the CO2 and the EtOH vapor from the headspace therethrough and into the condensation device, the condensation device having a condensing capacity sufficient to condense at least 35% of the EtOH vapor passing therethrough into a liquid, the flow rate of the CO2 and the EtOH vapor from the headspace of the fermentation vessel through the vapor flow pathway being responsive to the quantity of at least the CO2 produced during the yeast-based metabolic processing cycle in the fermentation vessel, the aggregate flow restriction of the flow path and the condensation device insufficient to cause no more than about a 0.50 psi rise in the pressure within the fermentation vessel, the variable-capacity condensation device controlled by a stored-program controlled processor in response a sensor responsive to the flow rate in the flow pathway,
• supplying heat sufficient to raise the temperature of the major portion of the surfaces of the flow pathway in contact with the CO2 and the EtOH vapor flowing therethrough to a temperature at least four to six degrees F. greater than the temperature of the flow therein;
• condensing at least a portion the EtOH vapor into an alcoholic liquid condensate,
• increasing the condensing capacity of the condensation device in incremental steps as a function of an increasing quantity of the CO2 and the EtOH vapor produced during the yeast-based metabolic processing cycle,
• decreasing the condensing capacity of the condensation device in decremental steps as a function of a decreasing quantity of the CO2 and the EtOH vapor produced during the yeast-based metabolic processing cycle, and
• recovering the alcoholic liquid condensate in a condensate recovery vessel.