Wine Fermentation CO2 Recovery for Aroma and Color Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wine fermentation methods face challenges in stable fixation of aromas and colorants, often leading to the generation of lees and increased energy and economic costs due to the use of external gases, which also result in a significant carbon footprint.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilizes CO2 from the fermentation process to capture and fix volatile substances, avoiding skin breakage and lees formation, while ensuring efficient extraction and fixation of aromas and colorants in wines, using controlled CO2 injection at specific flows and pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If external gases (compressed air, oxygen, CO2) are used to extract color and aromas from wine cap, then extraction efficiency is improved, but energy cost and economic cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses CO2 naturally produced during fermentation to extract color and aromas from the cap, eliminating the need for external gas sources. The fermentation process itself provides the extraction medium, making the system self-sufficient and reducing external resource requirements and associated costs.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of releasing CO2 produced during fermentation into the atmosphere, the system captures and reuses it for extracting color and aromas from the cap. This transforms a waste product into a valuable resource, reducing both energy costs and environmental impact.
2Quantity of substance
If high pressure is used to break the cap and extract color, then extraction efficiency is improved, but skin breakage occurs generating large amounts of lees
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses controlled CO2 injection at optimized pressure and flow parameters to extract color and aromas without applying sufficient pressure to break the skins. By carefully adjusting these parameters, effective extraction is achieved while avoiding skin damage and subsequent lees formation.
3Quantity of substance
If CO2 from fermentation is captured and reused for extraction, then carbon footprint is reduced and extraction efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The CO2 produced during fermentation serves dual purposes: it is both a byproduct of the fermentation process and the extraction medium for color and aromas. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall system by eliminating the need for separate extraction gas systems while achieving both fermentation and extraction goals.
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
Achieves high-quality wines with stable aroma and color fixation, reduces energy and cost, and decreases the carbon footprint by reusing CO2 for other winery tasks.
Implementation Method 1
the recovery method has the particularity of taking advantage of the solvent power of CO2 and allowing the capture of the volatile substances released during the alcoholic fermentation of the must
Implementation Method 2
the extraction and fixation of colourants in the case of red wines
Data Source
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AI summary
Method and system of maceration of wines in fermentation with recovery of substances released into the atmosphere, which includes a first stage of pre-fermentative cold maceration, which is carried out on crushed grapes and stored in a fermentation tank and where there is an injection of CO2, in order to boost the dissolution of the aromas belonging to the fruity part of the grape; and a second stage where fermentation begins of the grape and the generation of CO2 that carries aromas and alcohol; these substances are sucked out as they are generated; and, subsequently, they are injected back into the must contained in the fermentation tank and it is a system with which it manages to carry out a method of substance recovery in the fermentation of wines; and the stable and structured fixation of aromas in white wine and also colour in red wines.