Pressurized Botanical Infusion for Rapid Whiskey Flavor Maturation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional whiskey-making methods require lengthy aging in wood barrels, which are costly and lead to significant evaporation loss, and younger generations prefer natural, intense flavors that mimic aged spirits but without the lengthy aging process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a closed system where a distilled spirit is subjected to varying pressures between 5 psi and 150 psi, with suspended botanicals and optionally charred or toasted wood chips, to impart sensory characteristics in a shorter time frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional wood barrel aging is used, then the spirit develops smoothness and refined flavor, but the process takes 3 to 50 or more years and causes significant evaporation loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-treating wood chips through charring, toasting, or steaming before introducing them to the spirit. This pre-preparation of the wood material accelerates the flavor transfer process, allowing the spirit to acquire aged characteristics in hours rather than years, directly resolving the time contradiction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/physical aging process (years of contact in barrels) with a chemical extraction process using solvents, enzymes, or pressurized systems to transfer flavor compounds from pre-treated wood chips to the spirit rapidly, eliminating the need for long-term physical aging
2Reliability
If traditional wood barrels are used, then the spirit interacts with wood to develop flavor, but wood barrels are increasingly expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive traditional wood barrels with disposable or reusable wood chips that can be introduced in controlled amounts to extraction vessels. This substitution dramatically reduces material costs while achieving the same flavor infusion goals, directly addressing the cost contradiction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential flavor-compound-containing components from wood chips through chemical solvents, enzymatic processes, or pressurized extraction, separating the desired sensory characteristics from the expensive barrel structure itself, thereby reducing manufacturing costs
3Productivity
If high pressure (200 psi to 5000 psi) is applied for accelerated aging, then the aging process is accelerated, but the equipment cost becomes highly expensive and not achievable in most production facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from extreme high pressure (200-5000 psi) to moderate pressure (5-150 psi) ranges, making the equipment accessible to typical production facilities while still achieving accelerated aging through the combination of moderate pressure with pre-treated wood chips and extended contact time
4Loss of time
If young spirit is produced without aging, then production time is reduced, but the spirit is harsh and rough on the palate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-treating wood chips through charring, toasting, or steaming before introducing them to the young spirit. This pre-preparation creates highly active flavor carriers that rapidly transfer smoothness and refined flavor characteristics to the young spirit in hours, resolving the contradiction between production time and palate quality
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively imparts flavor, texture, and smoothness to distilled spirits, appealing to younger consumers, while reducing production time to under a day and using lower pressures.
Implementation Method 1
The vapor passes through the botanicals and a portion of the vapor is absorbed by the botanicals while a portion of the vapor passes through the botanicals
Implementation Method 2
imparting the sensory characteristics of a matured distilled spirit to a younger distilled spirit
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is an alcoholic beverage having the sensory characteristics of a flavored distilled spirit. The method for making the alcoholic beverage includes suspending botanicals above a distilled spirit in a closed container and applying pressure to create interaction between the botanicals and distilled spirit.