Apparatus and method for aging liquids

Abstract

A rectangular or cylindrical container made of stainless steel or another liquid-impervious material has a plurality of openings formed in the side wall(s). Wooden boards, made of white oak or other wood used for aging and flavoring beverages, are fitted over the openings and sealed so that their inside surfaces contact the liquid in the container. The inside surfaces have cross-grain cuts such as saw cuts or holes, which are used to enhance the infusion of beverage liquid into the wood to age the beverage rapidly and flavorfully. When one batch is finished, the used boards are removed and new ones are fitted into the openings and used to treat another batch. Instead of, or in addition to the boards over the side-wall openings, hollow wooden air boxes having external cross-grain cuts are positioned in the container.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A container for aging and storing beverages, said container comprising, in combination,
 (a) a liquid container comprising at least one side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall, each of said walls being made of liquid-impervious material, said top wall and said bottom wall being secured to said side wall at joints made of liquid-impervious material to form a liquid-tight container,   (b) at least one hollow wooden vessel positioned in said container to make contact between a a liquid in said container and the outside surface of said vessel,   (c) said vessel having a structure to retard entry of said liquid into said vessel when a gas is present in said hollow interior while said vessel is positioned in said container.   
     
     
         22 . A container as in  claim 21  in which said outside surface of said vessel has a plurality of cross-grain cuts in position to contact said liquid when said vessel and said liquid are in said container. 
     
     
         23 . A container as in  claim 21  in which said side wall, said bottom wall and said top wall form a container of rectilinear shape. 
     
     
         24 . A container as in  claim 21  which has a plurality of openings in said side wall, and a plurality of wooden panels, each covering one of said openings and having an inner surface positioned for contacting a liquid in said container. 
     
     
         25 . A container as in  claim 24  in which said inner surface of at least one of said panels has a plurality of cross-grain cuts. 
     
     
         26 . A container as in  claim 21  in which said vessel has an upper end and a lower end, said upper end having an opening, and a sealing device to selectively close said opening and prevent liquid from flowing into said hollow vessel. 
     
     
         27 . A container as in  claim 26  in which said upper end of said vessel extends above said top wall of said container, said sealing device comprising a cap releasably secured to said top wall to close said opening. 
     
     
         28 . A method of storing and aging a beverage in a container, comprising the steps of
 (A) providing a container having
 (a) at least one side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall, all of said walls being made of liquid-impervious material, said top wall and said bottom wall being secured to said side wall at joints made of liquid-impervious material to form a liquid-tight container, 
 (b) said side-wall having a plurality of spaced-apart openings, 
 (c) a plurality of wooden boards, each having a size and shape to cover one of said openings and being positioned to cover one of said openings and forming a liquid-tight seal with said side wall, 
 (d) a securing structure releasably holding said boards in liquid-tight sealing relationship to said side wall, 
 (e) each of said boards having an inside surface to contact a liquid in said container, and an outside surface exposed to the atmosphere when positioned to cover one of said openings, 
 (f) said boards being made of a wood selected according to the characteristics desired for the beverage to be stored in said container, and 
   (B) placing a beverage in said container and leaving it in the container until said beverage has achieved said desired characteristics.   
     
     
         29 . A method as in  claim 28  in which said inside surface of at least one of said boards has a plurality of cross-grain cuts exposed to a liquid when placed in said container, and the number of said cuts is selected to age said liquid at a desired rate. 
     
     
         30 . A method as in  claim 28  including the step of removing said boards from said container side wall after said container has been used to store and treat one batch of beverage and emptied, and replacing said boards with new ones, and filling said container with another beverage batch. 
     
     
         31 . A method as in  claim 28  in which said side wall comprises four flat panels secured together to form a container with a rectilinear cross-sectional shape, and stacking at least two of said containers atop one another for storage. 
     
     
         32 . A method of storing and aging a beverage in a container, comprising the steps of
 (A) providing a liquid container comprising
 (a) at least one side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall, each of said walls being made of a liquid-impervious material, said top wall and said bottom wall being secured to said side wall at joints made of liquid-impervious material to form a liquid-tight container, 
 (b) at least one hollow wooden vessel positioned in said liquid container, the wood of which said vessel is made being selected to impart desired characteristics to a liquid in said liquid container when in contact with said liquid, 
 (c) said vessel having a bottom wall and a side wall attached to said bottom wall to form a gas container, 
 (d) said vessel having a structure for protecting against the incursion of liquid from said container into said vessel when said vessel is in said container, 
 (e) said vessel having an inside surface in contact with a gas in said hollow vessel, and an outside surface in contact with a liquid when it is in said container, and 
   (B) placing a liquid in said liquid container and leaving said liquid in said liquid container until said liquid has said desired characteristics.   
     
     
         33 . A method as in  claim 32  in which said outside surface of said vessel has a plurality of cross-grain cuts in contact with said liquid when said liquid is in said liquid container. 
     
     
         34 . A method as in which said cross-grain cuts are selected to determine the length of time that said liquid is left to age in said liquid container. 
     
     
         35 . A method as in  claim 32  in which said liquid container is rectilinear in shape and is stacked for storage one atop the other with another liquid container of like shape. 
     
     
         36 . A method as in  claim 32  including the step of introducing oxygen-enhanced air into said hollow vessel.