Staggered Wood Panel Refinement for Faster Beverage Aging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for refining alcoholic beverages in wooden barrels are costly, time-consuming, require specialized labor, and involve significant capital immobilization due to long maturation times, with wood losing effectiveness over time and requiring frequent replacement.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a container with staggered wooden elements that allow for rapid refinement by forced flow contact with both faces of the panels, reducing wood usage and eliminating the need for specialized labor, while maintaining quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alcoholic beverages are refined in traditional wooden barrels, then the beverage quality is improved through prolonged contact with wood and controlled micro-oxygenation, but the refinement process becomes extremely time-consuming and capital is immobilized for long periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hydraulic principles by forcing the alcoholic beverage to flow under pressure through channels formed between wooden panels, replacing the passive diffusion process in traditional barrels with an active forced circulation system that achieves rapid refinement in minutes rather than months
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous wooden panels with controlled porosity to enable micro-oxygenation and extraction of aromatic substances, replicating the function of traditional barrel wood while allowing for much shorter contact times due to the forced flow mechanism
2Reliability
If traditional wooden barrels are used for refinement, then controlled micro-oxygenation occurs through wood pores, but the wood loses effectiveness over time and requires frequent replacement involving specialized labor and high costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the wooden structure into separate, replaceable panels that can be individually substituted without replacing the entire container, simplifying maintenance and eliminating the need for specialized barrel-making labor while preserving the micro-oxygenation function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified wooden panel copies that replicate the essential micro-oxygenation and aromatic extraction properties of traditional barrel wood, using standard manufacturing processes instead of specialized craft techniques
3Productivity
If staggered wooden panels are used for rapid refinement, then the contact time is dramatically reduced and productivity increases, but the device complexity increases compared to traditional barrels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the container with removable lids and standardized panels that can be adapted for different refinement needs, making the device versatile and justifying the initial complexity through multiple uses and configurations
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
Enables quick and cost-effective refinement of alcoholic beverages with reduced wood consumption, facilitating easy management and transportation, and maintaining product quality without prolonged aging.
Implementation Method 1
the alcoholic beverage flows inside the device so as to follow a forced path inside the interspaces defined between the adjacent wooden panels
Implementation Method 2
the prolonged contact between beverage and wooden panels is such that the latter are able to release quickly to the beverage the substances contained in them
Implementation Method 3
during the time spent inside the barrels, the beverage is subject to a controlled release of oxygen, thereby avoiding violent oxygenation which would result in generalized uncontrolled oxidation of the beverage itself
Implementation Method 4
The oxygen passes in fact in a slow and continuous manner through the pores in the wood
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (1) for elevation of alcoholic beverages comprising a container (10) having an inlet (12) and an outlet (14) for the alcoholic beverage which is to undergo elevation. The container (10) defines a chamber (16) inside which a plurality of wooden elements (18) are arranged, these being spaced from each other and arranged perpendicularly with respect to a longitudinal axis (X) of the container (10). In accordance with the invention, adjacent wooden elements (18) of the plurality are placed in contact in an alternating manner against a top horizontal surface (20) or a bottom horizontal surface (22) of the container (10) so as to be staggered heightwise and define with the bottom surface (22) or the opposite top surface (20) a through-opening (24a, 24b) for allowing the flow of the alcoholic beverage undergoing elevation. The present invention relates, moreover, to a method for the elevation of alcoholic beverages using such a device (1).