Method for devatting the grape harvest and means for devatting a grape harvest

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for devatting the grape harvest comprising the following steps: providing a wine making tank (1) with at least one devatting diffuser (2), injector type, for the pressurised injection of air or other gases, located directly in the lower portion of the bottom of the tank, wherein a compressed air distribution circuit (16) that feeds the at least one devatting diffuser is located outside the tank, and wherein the air is supplied by a compressor (14) incorporating filters (15) in the outlet thereof and the compressed air distribution circuit includes a water intake (17) for cleaning the at least one diffuser (2) once the devatting of the grape harvest processed in the tank has been completed, performing pressurised injection of air continuously through the lower portion of the bottom of the tank for 10-20 minutes, homogenizing the liquid and solid phases before starting the extraction of the grape harvest from the tank through pumping, removing the grape harvest from the tank through a conventional opening (3) of the tank by means of extracting same through pumping, maintaining the pressurised injection of air, driving the grape harvest to a sieve (7), a conveyor with a bleeding grid, or a press with a bleeding grid, where the grape harvest is drained, sending a liquid portion to a storage area (8) and a drained solid portion to a storage or pressing area (10), and extracting the solid portion obtained in the press, in the sieve or in the conveyor. The method being controlled by means of a microprocessor of the PC type or PLC type, in which the time values are fixed or can be varied by the user of the pumping-over system. The invention also refers to a means for devatting a grape harvest via the pressurised injection of air or other gases in a controlled manner into self-emptying wine making vats or similar, for the purpose of emptying the grape harvest once the maceration thereof has been completed, after the homogenisation of the mixture, transferring the liquid portion to another tank and the crushed grape pulp to the press, thereby obtaining a solid phase (pomace) as a waste product which can be used to produce associated products. Devatting a wine tank can be a time intensive task and may often require manual intervention to ensure all pulp solids are removed from the tank. The invention provides a compressed air diffuser to homogenise the tank contents, ensuring all material may be pumped from the tank without manual intervention.

Description

[0001] PROCEDURE FOR THE DISCOVERY OF THE HARVEST AND DISCOVERER OF

[0002] VINTAGE

[0003] DESCRIPTION

[0004] Object of the invention.

[0005] The present invention relates to a procedure for the removal of the grape harvest and a grape harvester by means of the controlled injection of air or other gases under pressure into self-emptying winemaking tanks or similar in order to carry out the removal of the grape harvest once the maceration of the same has been completed.

[0006] In particular, the invention relates to the transfer of the liquid fraction to another tank and the crushed grape paste to the press using a procedure and a racking device based on the controlled injection of air or other gases under pressure into self-emptying winemaking tanks in order to homogenize the mixture before racking, facilitating this operation.

[0007] Description of the state of the art.

[0008] Maceration is the extraction process involving two phases: a solid phase and a liquid phase. The solid product contains a series of compounds, which are the ones to be extracted, that are soluble in the extracting liquid. In red wine production, the grape skins (solid product) contain polyphenolic and aromatic compounds (which are extracted to give the final product greater color intensity and aroma). During maceration, these compounds dissolve in the liquid (first the must and then the wine).

[0009] Once the maceration process is complete and the winemaker has reached the desired density, the self-emptying fermentation tank is emptied, an operation known as racking. The standard procedure involves first extracting the liquid fraction, a process generally referred to as bleeding off the grapes, and then removing all the dry solids. To do this, the tank is fitted with internal screens at the bottom that act as a sieve. These screens allow the liquid to pass through one of the openings, where a pipe is attached to the outside. This pipe directs the liquid to a portable winery pump, which then pumps it to a second tank for storage.

[0010] Once the liquid has been extracted, the solid phase, or dry paste, is removed. This is done by opening a larger door at the bottom of the tank, equipped with a guillotine and called the paste opening. The paste then falls by gravity into an open pipe fitted with a screw conveyor or, if necessary, into a settling tank. These elements allow the paste to be conveyed to the press where it undergoes a more thorough draining process.

[0011] It is common for not all the pulp to drain from the tank simply due to gravity, so an operator must enter the tank and push / pull the pulp to the drain opening for complete removal. This is a task the winery owner dislikes.

[0012] Using the usual procedure described, the racking of the grapes from a 100,000 liter tank takes approximately 4 hours.

[0013] A variation of this traditional procedure is described in patent application FR 2596768 A1, according to which the wort is drained through a filter located in the center of the tank, which, via perforations, connects to a wort drainage pipe. Once the wort has been drained, rotating paddles at the bottom of the tank transport the solid fraction to a drainage outlet. The geometry of the paddles does not cover the entire bottom of the tank, so not all the mash is removed by their action. Therefore, the intervention of an operator is again necessary; this operator must enter the tank and push / drag the mash to the mash outlet for complete removal.

[0014] To mitigate this problem to some extent, self-emptying tanks with agitators are commonly used to homogenize the liquid and solid phases of the grapes before racking. These agitators are cumbersome pieces of equipment that reduce tank capacity, require complex maintenance, and are expensive. While agitators facilitate the movement of solids toward the outlet or their mixing with the liquid phase, operator intervention is still necessary because the homogenization achieved is not complete. Some pulp remains, which must be removed by pushing or dragging it to the outlet for complete drainage.

[0015] The aforementioned problems are solved by a procedure and equipment according to the invention, for the racking of the grapes by means of the controlled injection of air or other gases into self-emptying winemaking tanks or similar in order to carry out the emptying of the grapes once the maceration of the same has been completed, in which the mixture is perfectly homogenized before racking by means of the injection of air pressure.

[0016] Description of the invention.

[0017] The present invention provides a procedure for racking the grapes and a grape racker by means of the controlled injection of air or other gases under pressure into self-emptying winemaking tanks or similar in order to carry out the emptying of the grapes once the maceration of the same has been completed, in which the mixture is perfectly homogenized before racking by means of the injection of air pressure.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to overcome the problems existing in the prior art.

[0019] Other objects and additional advantages of the present invention are derived from the description made below, taking into consideration the included figures and the preferred embodiments described by way of example but not limitation.

[0020] The injections can be of pressurized air or any other gas that is functionally equivalent and can be used alternatively. In particular, such injections can be of nitrogen or other inert gases.

[0021] The procedure for racking the grapes and using a racking device with pressurized air injection is based on injecting air into the bottom of the tank's truncated conical base. Once the maceration process is complete and the density value deemed appropriate by the winemaker has been reached, the self-emptying vinification tank is emptied. To homogenize the tank's contents, pressurized air is continuously injected for 10-20 minutes, depending on the volume of must generated in the tank, which is determined by the grape variety and its degree of ripeness.

[0022] After this time, the liquid and solid phases of the grapes are perfectly homogenized, so the grapes can be removed through one of the conventional openings of the tank, generally the lower opening, by pumping using portable or fixed racking pumps. During racking, and to further facilitate the homogenization of the mixture, air injections are maintained until completion. These air injections will last between 1 and 15 seconds and will be carried out at intervals of between 2 and 15 minutes.

[0023] The pumping system will propel the grapes to a sieve or screw conveyor where they are drained. The liquid portion is sent to storage, and the drained solid portion is sent to a press. There, a liquid fraction is recovered and sent back to storage, generally along with the liquid portion previously obtained during racking. A solid fraction (pomace) is also collected and sent to storage, which can be used to produce related products. Alternatively, the pumping system will propel the grapes to a press with a draining screen, where they are drained. The liquid portion is sent to storage, and the solid fraction (pomace) is obtained within the same press and used to produce related products.

[0024] Generally, the injection of air through the bottom of the truncated conical bottom of the tank is carried out through at least one diffuser or compressed air injector installed at the bottom of said tank.

[0025] Advantageously, the operating time of the racking system can be controlled by a microprocessor such as a PC, PLC or similar, in which the time values ​​are fixed or can be varied by the user of the racking system.

[0026] Furthermore, another additional feature of the process and equipment according to the invention is the inclusion of a cleaning system for the interior of at least one diffuser. Once the tank is emptied, this diffuser remains full of liquid and / or crushed grape pulp, which, under certain conditions, can degrade rapidly, leading to putrefaction and undesirable substances. To address this, the process includes an injection of water into the diffuser, which flushes out the winemaking residue and cleans the interior. Compressed air is then injected again, drying the diffuser and removing any remaining water. In a preferred embodiment, this water injection is carried out through the equipment's compressed air distribution circuit, and in an even more preferred embodiment, a water inlet is located on the compressed air line.

[0027] Advantageously, the draining system operates with a compressed air system pressure between 3 and 12 bar to ensure the effective functioning of the opening and closing valve that allows air to pass through, preferably between 6 and 8 bar. The draining system can operate with air at the pressure obtained directly from the compressed air system or via a pressure regulator.

[0028] The compressed air used in the racking system must be free of impurities such as moisture, oils and suspended particles, so purified air (food grade) can be used directly or the procedure according to the invention can include an air purification stage.

[0029] When using compressor-supplied gas, the equipment will include filters at the outlet of said compressor to remove moisture, oils, and suspended particles from the compressed air.

[0030] Both the procedure and the equipment according to the invention can be controlled through a microprocessor of PC, PLC or similar type, which performs all operations in an automated manner starting from values ​​preset or selected by the user.

[0031] The racking system according to the invention can be a standalone system as described above or can be integrated as a further stage in a procedure for the controlled injection of pressurized air or other gases into winemaking tanks or similar vessels in order to extract polyphenolic and aromatic compounds through the pump-over process during maceration. In this case, the equipment will include, along with the pump-over diffusers, at least one racking diffuser, which will be installed in the same compressed air distribution circuit and can be controlled via a common microprocessor.

[0032] Description of the figures

[0033] To complement the description being made and in order to aid in the perfect understanding of the present invention, a set of figures is included as an integral part of said description, where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

[0034] Figure 1 shows a general scheme of a grape decanter by means of air pressure injection according to the invention incorporating a bleeding sieve.

[0035] Figure 1B shows a general schematic of a grape decanter using air pressure injection according to the invention, incorporating a screw conveyor with a drain grid. Figure 1C shows a general schematic of a grape decanter using air pressure injection according to the invention, incorporating a press with a drain grid.

[0036] Figure 2 shows an elevation view of equipment for racking the grapes by means of air pressure injection according to the invention, installed together with equipment for air pressure injection for the process of pumping over the grapes during maceration.

[0037] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the tank, including a plan view of the equipment for racking the grapes by air pressure injection according to the invention, installed together with air pressure injection equipment for pumping over the grapes during maceration. Figure 4 shows a plan view of the grape racking system using air pressure injection according to the invention, in an alternative embodiment to that shown in Figure 3.

[0038] Preferred forms of realization.

[0039] To complete the description and to aid in a better understanding of its features, several specific embodiments of systems for the controlled injection of air or other gases into winemaking tanks according to the invention are included with this specification. These examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention covers all possible combinations of the particular and preferred embodiments indicated herein.

[0040] Figure 1 shows a general elevation view of equipment for racking grapes by injecting pressurized air or other gases in a controlled manner into self-emptying winemaking tanks or similar. Inside the winemaking tank (1), the grapes are in their separate liquid and solid phases. To begin the racking process, at least one diffuser (2) injects air into the tank for 10-20 minutes. After this time, the grapes are perfectly homogenized and can be removed through the tank opening (3). They are extracted from the tank by the racking pump (4) through the closed suction pipe (5), while pressurized air injection is maintained throughout the racking process.The same pump (4) propels the grapes through the closed conveying pipe (6) in which a sieve (7) is inserted, where the grapes drain, the resulting liquid part being pumped through the closed conveying pipe (6) by the pump (19) to a storage tank for processed wine (8) while the drained solid part flows through the paste pipe (9) to the press (10), where a new liquid fraction is recovered and sent by the pump (18) through the conveying pipe (11) to the storage tank for processed wine (8), and the solid fraction (12) is separated, which can be used to obtain related products.

[0041] Figure 1B shows a variant of the invention in which the pump (4) propels the grapes through the closed conveying pipe (6) in which there is an auger (7B), preferably screw-type, where the grapes drain, the resulting liquid part being pumped through the closed conveying pipe (6) by means of the pump (19) to a storage tank for processed wine (8) while the drained solid part runs through the paste pipe (9) to the press (10).

[0042] Figure 1C shows another variant of the invention incorporating a pump (4) that propels the grapes through the closed propulsion pipe (6) to a press with a bleeding grid (10) where the grapes are drained and transferred to the storage tank for the processed wine (8) and the solid part is separated (12).

[0043] Advantageously, the operating time of the descouring system can be controlled by a microprocessor such as a PC, PLC or similar (13), in which the values ​​of the air pressure injection times during descouring are fixed or can be varied by the user of the descouring system.

[0044] The air is supplied by the compressor (14) which incorporates at the outlet of said compressor the filters (15) to remove moisture, oils and suspended particles from the compressed air and the compressed air distribution circuit (16) includes a water inlet (17) for cleaning at least one diffuser (2) once the racking of the processed grapes in the tank (1) is finished.

[0045] Advantageously, the draining system operates with a compressed air system pressure between 3 and 12 bar to ensure the effective functioning of the opening and closing valve that allows air to pass through, preferably between 6 and 8 bar. The draining system can operate with air at the pressure obtained directly from the compressed air system or via a pressure regulator.

[0046] Both the procedure and the equipment according to the invention can be controlled through a common (13) or independent (not shown) PC, PLC or similar microprocessor, which performs all operations in an automated manner starting from preset or user-selected values.

[0047] Figure 2 shows a grape racking system using pressurized air injection according to the invention, installed together with equipment for pressurized air injection for the pump-over process of the grapes during maceration. The racking system includes, along with the pump-over diffusers (17), at least one racking diffuser (2) that is installed in the same compressed air distribution circuit (16) and is controlled by either a common microprocessor (13) or a separate one (not shown).

[0048] Figure 3 shows a plan view of the grape decanter using air pressure injection according to the invention, installed together with air pressure injection equipment for pumping over the grapes during maceration. As shown in the figure, the decanter includes, along with the pump-over diffusers (17), at least one decanting diffuser (2) which is installed in the same compressed air distribution circuit (16) and is controlled by either a common microprocessor (13) or a separate one (not shown). Figure 4 shows a plan view of the grape decanter using air pressure injection according to the invention, in an alternative embodiment to that of Figure 3 with respect to the compressed air distribution circuit (16).

[0049] Advantageously, at least one racking diffuser (2) is installed at a lower height than the pumping diffusers (17) with respect to the bottom of the winemaking tank (1) in order to perform homogenization more efficiently.

[0050] Logically, the present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and depicted, but the skilled worker will be able to contribute any variant or modification within the limits of the appended claims. In particular, the unloading system according to the invention can be installed in polygonal tanks of any number of sides.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Procedure for the racking of the grape harvest or similar, comprising the following stages: injection of pressurized air through the bottom of the tank continuously for 10-20 minutes, prior to the start of extraction by pumping. Removal of the grapes from the tank through one of the conventional openings of the tank by means of pumping, while maintaining the injection at air pressure The grapes are conveyed to a sieve, a screw conveyor with a draining grid, or a press with a draining grid, where the grapes are drained, sending the liquid part to storage and the drained solid part to storage or pressing, as appropriate. The solid fraction obtained in the press is then extracted.

2. Procedure for racking the grapes or similar according to claim 1 characterized by maintaining the air injections with a duration of between 1 and 15 seconds and intervals between 2 and 15 minutes until the end of the racking.

3. A method for racking grapes or similar materials according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by being controlled by a microprocessor of the PC, PLC, or similar type, in which the time values ​​are fixed or can be varied by the user of the pump-over system.

4. A method for racking grapes or similar materials according to any one of the preceding claims comprising an additional stage of cleaning the interior of the air injection medium.

5. A method for racking grapes or similar materials according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the additional cleaning step of the interior of the air injection medium consists of an injection of water into the interior of the air injection medium followed by an injection of compressed air that dries said medium.

6. Procedure for racking the grapes or similar according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the use of purified air (food grade) for the injection of pressurized air.

7. Procedure for racking the grape harvest or similar according to any one of claims 1 to 4 above comprising an additional stage of purifying the compressed air to be injected into the tank.

8. A grape or similar decanter comprising at least one decanting diffuser (2) for the controlled injection of air or other gases into winemaking tanks (1) located at the bottom of the tank.

9. A grape decanter or similar according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the operating time of at least one decanting diffuser (2) can be controlled by a microprocessor (13) of PC, PLC or similar type, in which the operating time values ​​are fixed or can be varied by the user of the decanting system.

10. A grape decanter or similar according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a compressor (14) which includes filters (15) at the outlet of said compressor to remove moisture, oils and suspended particles from the compressed air before its injection into the winemaking tank (1).

11. A grape decanter or similar device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the compressed air distribution circuit (16) includes a water inlet (17) for cleaning at least one decanting diffuser (2) after the decanting of the processed grapes in the winemaking tanks (1) is complete.

12. A grape decanter or similar device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that it comprises at least one decanting diffuser (2) that is installed together with the pump-over diffusers (17) in the same compressed air distribution circuit (16) and is controlled via the common microprocessor (13) or an independent one.

13. Harvesting decanter or similar according to the previous claim characterized in that the, at least one decanting diffuser (2), is installed at a lower height than the pumping diffusers (17) with respect to the bottom of the winemaking tank (1).

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