Miniature fermentation system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a miniature fermentation system and relates to the technical field of beer fermentation. Comprising a fermentation tank system, a refrigeration system, a CIP cleaning system, an oxygen supply system, a carbon dioxide system and a wine outlet system, the fermentation tank system comprises a plurality of independent fermentation tanks, the refrigeration system comprises a refrigeration compressor, a condenser, a refrigeration evaporator, a fan and an air pipe, the refrigeration compressor, the condenser and the refrigeration evaporator are connected through a circulating pipeline, the refrigeration evaporator is connected with the fan through the air pipe, and an outlet of the fan is aligned with the fermentation tanks. The miniature fermentation system disclosed by the utility model can provide fresh original beer with various flavors and flavors for consumers, and the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank is cooled by adopting a mode of directly cooling the tank body in an air-cooling manner, so that the consumption of a secondary refrigerant and water is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of beer fermentation technology, specifically to a micro fermentation system. Background Technology

[0002] The brewing machines on the market are basically equipped with two independent fermentation tanks, or at most 10 independent fermentation tanks, which cannot provide consumers with more choices of multi-flavor and multi-tone beers. The beer fermentation process involves the brewery providing wort, yeast, and hops (adjuncts). The wort is filled into the fermentation tank, and then the yeast and hops (adjuncts) are added to the fermentation tank for fermentation. After a fermentation cycle of 7-10 calendar days, the beer is dispensed through the fermentation tank's outlet valve and distributed using a special dispensing device to a special receiving container (using an isobaric filling method). The finished product containers (special receiving containers) have packaging capacities of 300ml, 500mL, or 1000mL.

[0003] Beer fermentation takes 7-10 days, and the effective volume of a single fermentation tank is generally 15L, which can easily lead to supply shortages of this particular flavor of beer when consumers are tasting it. Secondly, in existing technologies, the fermentation tank cools the fermentation liquid through a jacket and indirectly cools it using a refrigerant, resulting in significant consumption of refrigerant and water.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a micro-fermentation system to increase the number of fermentation tanks for each brewing machine and reduce the probability of supply disruption. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a micro fermentation system to overcome the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A micro fermentation system includes a fermentation tank system, a refrigeration system, a CIP cleaning system, an oxygen supply system, a carbon dioxide system, and an alcohol dispensing system;

[0008] The fermentation tank system includes multiple independent fermentation tanks, and the refrigeration system includes a refrigeration compressor, a condenser, a refrigeration evaporator, a fan, and ductwork. The refrigeration compressor, condenser, and refrigeration evaporator are connected through a circulation pipeline, and the refrigeration evaporator is connected to the fan through ductwork. The outlet of the fan is directed towards the fermentation tank.

[0009] Furthermore, the fermentation tank has a capacity of 15L, and there are 12 units in total. The material is PET or stainless steel, and the tank body is made of brown outer shell.

[0010] Furthermore, the refrigeration evaporator is equipped with a first heat tracing cable.

[0011] Furthermore, the CIP cleaning system includes a fine filter, a hot water tank, a hot water supply pump, a CIP circulation tank, and a CIP circulation pump. The inlet of the fine filter is connected to tap water, and the outlet of the fine filter is connected to the inlet of the hot water tank through a first cleaning pipeline. The outlet of the hot water tank is connected to the fermentation tank through a second cleaning pipeline. The hot water supply pump is installed on the second cleaning pipeline, and a hot water supply valve is provided at the end of the second cleaning pipeline near the fermentation tank. The fermentation tank is connected to the CIP circulation tank through a third cleaning pipeline, and the CIP circulation pump is installed on the third cleaning pipeline.

[0012] Furthermore, the oxygen supply system includes an air compressor and a filter. The filter is located at the inlet end of the air compressor, and the outlet end of the air compressor is connected to the fermenter through a first air supply pipeline for supplying clean oxygen to the fermenter. The first air supply pipeline is equipped with a compressed air supply valve.

[0013] Furthermore, the carbon dioxide system includes a carbon dioxide cylinder and a pressure reducing gauge. The pressure reducing gauge is located at the outlet end of the carbon dioxide cylinder. The outlet end of the carbon dioxide cylinder is connected to the fermenter via a second gas supply pipeline for supplying carbon dioxide gas to the fermenter. A carbon dioxide supply valve is provided on the second gas supply pipeline.

[0014] Furthermore, the wine dispensing system includes a weighing instrument, a dispensing valve, and an addition tank. The weighing instrument is located at the bottom of the fermentation tank, the dispensing valve is located at the top of the fermentation tank, and the addition tank is connected to the fermentation tank via a dispensing pipe.

[0015] Furthermore, a second heat tracing cable is provided between the bottom of the fermenter and the weighing instrument.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] Using 12 independent fermentation tanks can provide a variety of flavors and tastes of fresh unpasteurized beer, avoiding the possibility of supply shortages of a particular flavor of beer;

[0018] The fermentation tank is made of food-grade PET or stainless steel with a brown outer shell, which can effectively block ultraviolet rays and oxygen penetration, extend freshness, and the empty tank can be recycled and reused, which is environmentally friendly.

[0019] A separate fermenter refrigeration system is adopted, and a fan blows cold air to the fermenter to cool the fermentation liquid inside. This air-cooled direct cooling method of the tank body is different from the existing fermenter cooling method of cooling the fermentation liquid through a jacket, which reduces the consumption of refrigerant and water. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lower structure of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the upper structure of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fermenter of this utility model.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: Fermentation tank 1, Refrigeration compressor 21, Condenser 22, Refrigeration evaporator 23, Fan 24, Fine filter 31, Hot water tank 32, Hot water supply pump 33, CIP circulation pump 34, Air compressor 41, Filter 42, Carbon dioxide cylinder 51, Pressure gauge 52, Weighing instrument 61, Addition tank 62, Second heating tape 63. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0026] Combination Figures 1 to 4 This embodiment provides a micro fermentation system, including a fermentation tank system, a refrigeration system, a CIP cleaning system, an oxygen supply system, a carbon dioxide system, and an alcohol dispensing system;

[0027] The fermentation tank system includes multiple independent fermentation tanks 1. The refrigeration system includes a refrigeration compressor 21, a condenser 22, a refrigeration evaporator 23, a fan 24, and air ducts. The refrigeration compressor 21, condenser 22, and refrigeration evaporator 23 are connected through a circulation pipeline. The refrigeration evaporator 23 is connected to the fan 24 through an air duct. The outlet of the fan 24 is directed towards the fermentation tank 1.

[0028] In this embodiment, the fermentation tank 1 has a capacity of 15L, there are 12 units, the material is PET, and the tank body of the fermentation tank 1 has a brown outer shell.

[0029] The fermentation tank has been updated from the traditional stainless steel to food-grade PET material, and features a brown outer shell that effectively blocks ultraviolet rays and oxygen penetration, thus extending freshness.

[0030] In a further embodiment, the refrigeration evaporator 23 is equipped with a first heat tracing cable, which can heat the refrigeration evaporator 23 to prevent it from freezing in a low-temperature environment and ensure its normal operation.

[0031] Preferably, the CIP cleaning system includes a fine filter 31, a hot water tank 32, a hot water supply pump 33, a CIP circulation tank, and a CIP circulation pump 34. The inlet of the fine filter 31 is connected to tap water, and the outlet of the fine filter 31 is connected to the inlet of the hot water tank 32 via a first cleaning pipeline. The outlet of the hot water tank 32 is connected to the fermentation tank 1 via a second cleaning pipeline. The hot water supply pump 33 is installed on the second cleaning pipeline, and a hot water supply valve is installed at the end of the second cleaning pipeline near the fermentation tank 1. The fermentation tank 1 is connected to the CIP circulation tank via a third cleaning pipeline, and the CIP circulation pump 34 is installed on the third cleaning pipeline. This design enables independent, automatic, in-situ cleaning.

[0032] Preferably, the oxygen supply system includes an air compressor 41 and a filter 42. The filter 42 is located at the inlet end of the air compressor 41, and the outlet end of the air compressor 41 is connected to the fermenter 1 through a first air supply pipeline for supplying clean oxygen to the fermenter 1. A compressed air supply valve is provided on the first air supply pipeline.

[0033] The carbon dioxide system includes a carbon dioxide cylinder 51 and a pressure reducing gauge 52. The pressure reducing gauge 52 is located at the outlet end of the carbon dioxide cylinder 51. The outlet end of the carbon dioxide cylinder 51 is connected to the fermenter 1 via a second gas supply pipeline for supplying carbon dioxide gas to the fermenter 1. A carbon dioxide supply valve is installed on the second gas supply pipeline. This scheme enables independent and automatic carbon dioxide supply as well as compressed air supply.

[0034] Preferably, the wine dispensing system includes a weighing instrument 61, a wine dispensing valve, and an addition tank 62. The weighing instrument 61 is located at the bottom of the fermentation tank 1, the wine dispensing valve is located at the top of the fermentation tank 1, and the addition tank 62 is connected to the fermentation tank 1 through a wine dispensing pipe.

[0035] In a further embodiment, a second heat tracing cable 63 is provided between the bottom of the fermenter 1 and the weighing instrument 61.

[0036] The fermentation system of this invention involves pouring wort into individual fermentation tanks during production. After the pipelines are cleaned, yeast and hops are added to each independent fermentation tank through additional pipelines according to different process requirements. The fermentation process for each tank includes primary fermentation, sugar reduction, and temperature reduction. After fermentation, the wine is stored and inspected. Once the wine passes inspection, it is discharged. The amount of wine discharged depends on the packaging capacity selected by the customer.

[0037] The specific production process steps are as follows:

[0038] 1) Cleaning process (hot wash and cold wash):

[0039] 1.1 Hot Wash: Heat the hot water tank to the target temperature, open the hot water supply valve, open the hot water supply pump, open the circulation pump, open the multi-function valve of the corresponding fermentation tank door, and open the wine outlet valve of the corresponding fermentation tank door. The hot wash process time can be set, with a setting range of 2-5 minutes, in seconds.

[0040] 1.2 Hot Washing Process 1 is suitable for pipeline cleaning before adding yeast or hops (additives). It uses hot water (90℃) from two CIP circulation tanks / hot water tanks for circulation cleaning. The first tank of hot water is used for cleaning. At the beginning of cleaning, gas and water are discharged through the drain valve, then the drain valve is closed, and circulation continues for 1 minute. Then the drain valve is opened to drain the hot water from the CIP circulation tank and the cleaning pipeline. Once the hot water reaches 90℃, it enters the CIP circulation tank a second time and circulates directly for 5 minutes without opening the drain valve. After circulation is complete, the hot water from the CIP circulation tank and the cleaning pipeline is drained, and all pumps and valves are closed.

[0041] 1.3 Hot washing process 2 is suitable for cleaning pipelines after adding yeast or hops (auxiliaries). The pipelines are rinsed with hot water reaching 90℃. No circulation cleaning is required, and the water is directly discharged from the drain valve. The CIP circulation tank is only used as a temporary storage and transfer tank, but the hot water cannot fill the tank completely and will overflow.

[0042] 1.4 Hot washing process 3 is suitable for cleaning after wine production. It uses hot water reaching 90℃ to rinse the pipes, eliminating the need for circulation cleaning; the water is directly drained from the drain outlet. The CIP circulation tank serves only as a temporary storage tank, but hot water should not be allowed to overflow.

[0043] 1.5 Cold Wash: Cold washing uses room temperature water and cleaning agent for regular descaling and disinfection. For the wine dispenser – CIP circulation tank – manually add the cleaning solution (400ml), turn on the circulation pump, open the corresponding compartment door multi-function valve, and open the corresponding compartment door wine outlet valve. The cold wash process time is set within a 10-minute timeframe (in seconds).

[0044] 2) Yeast and hop addition process

[0045] 2.1 The Add Yeast command button will only be effective after the superheat cleaning process has been executed; otherwise, the Add Yeast button will not be enabled.

[0046] 2.2 Before adding yeast, remove the dispenser from the wall, disconnect the signal, and the weighing sensor detects the full liquid level. Close the container door and store the yeast in the addition tank at the dispensing position. Start the addition tank / dispensing process. First, open the CIP circulation pump in the corresponding container door, then open the multi-function valve and the dispensing valve. Note that the circulation pump and multi-function valve must be opened for 1-2 seconds before opening simultaneously. The yeast addition time must be 5 minutes. During the addition process, turn on the air compressor and simultaneously open the compressed air supply valve to fill the wort with clean oxygen. After 1-2 minutes, close the compressed air supply valve and then stop the air compressor. The yeast addition time can be set to 5 minutes, in seconds. If the pressure exceeds 100 kPa (0.1 MPa) during the addition process, stop the air compressor first. When the addition time is up, close the pump and valves as instructed.

[0047] 2.3 The hop (additive) add command button will only be effective after the overheat cleaning process is executed; otherwise, the hop (additive) add button cannot be enabled.

[0048] 2.4 Add hops 2 hours after adding yeast. Before adding, crush the hops slightly, seal them in a permeable bag, put them in the CIP circulation tank, add wort or warm water at 30-40 degrees Celsius and soak for 5 minutes, then circulate the wort from the fermentation tank for 5 minutes, and then press out the wort in the CIP circulation tank.

[0049] 2.5 Before adding hops (additives), the dispenser should be removed from the wall, the signal should be disconnected, the weighing sensor should detect the full beer level, the tank door should be closed, and the hops (additives) should be stored in the addition tank container at the beer outlet. Start the addition tank; the CIP circulation pump in the corresponding tank door should be turned on first, followed by the multi-function valve and the beer outlet valve. Note that the circulation pump and multi-function valve must be opened for 1-2 seconds before opening simultaneously. The hop (additive) addition time must be 5 minutes. During the addition process, the air compressor should be turned on, and the synchronous compressed air supply valve should be opened to pump the wort from the addition tank into the fermentation tank. After flushing for 1-2 minutes, the compressed air supply valve should be closed, and then the air compressor should be stopped. The addition time can be set to 5 minutes in seconds. If the pressure exceeds 100 kPa (0.1 MPa) during the addition process, the air compressor should be stopped first. When the addition time is up, follow the instructions to close the pump and valves.

[0050] 2.6 After adding hops (additives), flush the pipes with hot water: follow the hot cleaning procedure for pipes after adding yeast or hops (additives).

[0051] 3) Fermentation process of fermentation broth

[0052] 3.1 Beer brewing typically involves the following three brewing processes; different products will have different brewing processes.

[0053] 3.2 During fermentation, the yeast fermentation temperature is maintained at a maximum of 20℃. When the ambient temperature is between 19℃ and 22℃, neither the second heating tape nor the refrigeration compressor operates. When the ambient temperature exceeds 22℃, the compressor initiates the refrigeration process. When the temperature falls below 20℃, the second heating tape begins heating, maintaining the temperature at 20℃, within ±1℃ (the fermentation temperature varies depending on the product, but generally remains within the range of 14-20℃). This state is maintained for 3-7 days of fermentation, with the time set in hours. After the primary fermentation is complete, the temperature is gradually reduced by 5℃ every 12 hours, entering the storage stage.

[0054] 3.3 The temperature decreased in a stepwise manner, dropping to 15℃ after 12 hours, 10℃ after 12 hours, 5℃ after 12 hours, and 0-2℃ after 12 hours. The storage temperature was maintained at 2℃.

[0055] 3.4 Throughout the entire fermentation, cooling, and storage process, the "defrost" function should be automatically activated. It should be set to defrost for 3-5 minutes every 60-120 minutes.

[0056] 3.5 According to the product's process requirements, primary fermentation should be maintained for at least 7 days. Then, starting on the 8th day of fermentation, the temperature should be lowered by 5°C every 12 hours, finally reaching 0-2°C. See the fermentation process for each product for details. Once the temperature reaches 0-2°C, the beer is in the storage stage. The beer must remain in the storage stage for at least 2 days before it can be dispensed. The maximum storage time is tentatively set at 1 month. After 1 month, a "Stop dispensing" message should pop up on the interface.

[0057] 4) Wine extraction process

[0058] 4.1 Only wine that is in the storage stage can be used for winemaking.

[0059] 4.2 There are two options for dispensing wine: "single dispensing" and "continuous dispensing". You can choose the option when dispensing wine.

[0060] 4.3 When the user clicks the 300mL, 500mL, or 1000mL icon (fixed dispensing volume) on the interface, the dispensing valve opens, and the wine is poured from the fermentation tank into the bottle according to the set dispensing volume.

[0061] 4.4 In addition, a "sporadic dispensing" function needs to be added. Clicking "sporadic dispensing" will dispense wine for 1-2 seconds and then automatically close the dispensing valve. Alternatively, you can input the desired amount of wine, click the "sporadic dispensing" function key, dispense the desired amount of wine, and then automatically close the dispensing valve.

[0062] 4.5 After dispensing wine according to demand, there should be a notification message indicating "Dispensing complete".

[0063] 5) Clean after pouring wine

[0064] 5.1 After the user dispenses the wine, once the dispensing valve has been opened and the "single dispensing" or "continuous dispensing" is completed, after an interval of 5 minutes, rinse the dispensing pipe with 90℃ hot water for 1 to 1.5 seconds, and then drain the wine through the drain pipe.

[0065] 5.2 The equipment must be cleaned once a day, either before closing time in the evening or before opening time in the morning.

[0066] 5.3 Cleaning: The hot wash method described in section 3 applies to cleaning after the wine is finished being produced.

[0067] 6) Sparkling water

[0068] 6.1 When the user clicks "Water Outlet," the device opens the outlet valve, injecting water into the user's container. Then, the user enters the touchscreen interface and clicks "CO2 Control Valve," opening the CO2 control valve and injecting CO2 into the user's container. This process is manually operated by the user.

[0069] 7) Locking the machine

[0070] 7.1 After the wine in the wine tank is used up, the wine tank is first depressurized. After depressurization, the equipment enters the locked state. The user needs to scan the barcode of the new wine tank into the equipment through the barcode scanning device. Only after the equipment recognizes it as a new wine tank can it be unlocked and enter the cleaning process.

[0071] 8) Other

[0072] 8.1 An "Emergency Stop" button is provided. In an emergency, pressing this button will stop the machine and close all valves.

[0073] 8.2 Standby state: Used to check whether the back pressure of the fermenter reaches the required pressure before fermentation.

[0074] Check if the back pressure of the fermenter reaches 0.05 MPa, with a maximum of 0.09 MPa and a minimum of 0.044 MPa. If it exceeds this range, automatically release the pressure to 0.05 MPa, and the drain valve and multi-function valve should open and close in tandem. If it is below the range, pressurize the fermenter with compressed air to 0.05 MPa.

[0075] 8.3 Fermentation tank pressurization procedure control flow: First, the air compressor is started automatically, then the compressed air supply valve and the multi-function valve are opened to pressurize to the set pressure of 0.05 MPa, the multi-function valve and the compressed air valve are closed, and then the air compressor is turned off.

[0076] 8.4 During the device debugging process, the home screen must be locked, and a password must be entered to access the system for operation.

[0077] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not constitute any limitation on the technical scope of the present utility model. Therefore, any minor modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A micro-fermentation system, characterized in that, It includes a fermentation tank system, a refrigeration system (2), a CIP cleaning system, an oxygen supply system, a carbon dioxide system, and a wine dispensing system; The fermentation tank system includes multiple independent fermentation tanks (1), and the refrigeration system includes a refrigeration compressor (21), a condenser (22), a refrigeration evaporator (23), a fan (24), and air ducts. The refrigeration compressor (21), condenser (22), and refrigeration evaporator (23) are connected through a circulation pipeline. The refrigeration evaporator (23) is connected to the fan (24) through an air duct. The outlet of the fan (24) is directed toward the fermentation tank (1).

2. A micro-fermentation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The fermentation tank (1) has a capacity of 15L, and there are 12 units. The material is PET or stainless steel. The tank body of the fermentation tank (1) is made of brown shell.

3. A micro-fermentation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The refrigeration evaporator (23) is equipped with a first heat tracing cable.

4. The micro-fermentation system of claim 1, wherein, The CIP cleaning system includes a fine filter (31), a hot water tank (32), a hot water supply pump (33), a CIP circulation tank, and a CIP circulation pump (34). The inlet of the fine filter (31) is connected to tap water. The outlet of the fine filter (31) is connected to the inlet of the hot water tank (32) through a first cleaning pipeline. The outlet of the hot water tank (32) is connected to the fermentation tank (1) through a second cleaning pipeline. The hot water supply pump (33) is installed on the second cleaning pipeline. A hot water supply valve is provided at one end of the second cleaning pipeline near the fermentation tank (1). The fermentation tank (1) is connected to the CIP circulation tank through a third cleaning pipeline. The CIP circulation pump (34) is installed on the third cleaning pipeline.

5. The micro-fermentation system of claim 1, wherein, The oxygen supply system includes an air compressor (41) and a filter (42). The filter (42) is located at the inlet end of the air compressor (41). The outlet end of the air compressor (41) is connected to the fermenter (1) through a first air supply pipeline for supplying clean oxygen to the fermenter (1). A compressed air supply valve is provided on the first air supply pipeline.

6. A micro-fermentation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The carbon dioxide system includes a carbon dioxide cylinder (51) and a pressure reducing gauge (52). The pressure reducing gauge (52) is located at the outlet end of the carbon dioxide cylinder (51). The outlet end of the carbon dioxide cylinder (51) is connected to the fermenter (1) through a second gas supply pipeline for supplying carbon dioxide gas to the fermenter (1). A carbon dioxide supply valve is provided on the second gas supply pipeline.

7. A micro-fermentation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The wine dispensing system includes a weighing instrument (61), a wine dispensing valve, and an addition tank (62). The weighing instrument (61) is located at the bottom of the fermentation tank (1), the wine dispensing valve is located at the top of the fermentation tank (1), and the addition tank (62) is connected to the fermentation tank (1) through a wine dispensing pipe.

8. A micro-fermentation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein, A second heat tracing cable (63) is provided between the bottom of the fermenter (1) and the weighing instrument (61).

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