Patent
Methods for reducing soluble metal ions in diatomaceous earth filter aids
| العنوان: | Methods for reducing soluble metal ions in diatomaceous earth filter aids |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 9,005,687 |
| تاريخ النشر: | April 14, 2015 |
| Appl. No: | 12/724173 |
| Application Filed: | March 15, 2010 |
| مستخلص: | A method for reducing the amount of beverage soluble metal ions in a diatomaceous earth filter aid is disclosed. The beverage soluble metal ions can be copper and/or iron. In the method, the diatomaceous earth filter aid is contacted with a hop compound selected from iso-alpha-acids, dihydroiso-alpha-acids, tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, hexahydroiso-alpha-acids, alpha-acids, and beta-acids. The diatomaceous earth filter aid can also be contacted with and an acid other than the hop compound such as phosphoric acid. The iso-alpha-acids, dihydroiso-alpha-acids, tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, hexahydroiso-alpha-acids, alpha-acids, or beta-acids bind the copper and iron metal ions and/or change the form of copper and iron in diatomaceous earth so the copper and iron are rendered substantially insoluble in a beverage such as beer. A method for filtering a beverage using the treated diatomaceous earth filter aid is also disclosed. A method for increasing the flavor stability of a malt beverage filtered with a diatomaceous earth filter aid is also disclosed. |
| Inventors: | Ting, Patrick L. (Brookfield, WI, US); Saunders, Fran L. (Whitefish Bay, WI, US); Dannenberg, Rhonda M. (Port Washington, WI, US); Laumann, Jacqueline A. (Wales, WI, US); Eplett, III, John T. (Wauwatosa, WI, US); Casey, Gregory P. (Littleton, CO, US); Ryder, David S. (Mequon, WI, US) |
| Assignees: | MillerCoors LLC (Wilmington, DE, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A method for reducing the amount of beverage soluble metal ions in a diatomaceous earth filter aid, the method comprising: contacting the diatomaceous earth filter aid with a hop compound selected from iso-alpha-acids, dihydroiso-alpha-acids, tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, hexahydroiso-alpha-acids, alpha-acids, and beta-acids, wherein the beverage soluble metal ions are selected from copper, iron and mixtures thereof, and wherein the diatomaceous earth filter aid is dispersed in a slurry, and the hop compound is added to the slurry at 0.1 to 20 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the slurry, whereby the beverage soluble metal ions are confined on a matrix of the diatomaceous earth filter aid. |
| Claim: | 2. The method of claim 1 wherein: the slurry includes an acid other than the hop compound. |
| Claim: | 3. The method of claim 2 wherein: the acid is selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, tannic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, and mixtures thereof. |
| Claim: | 4. The method of claim 2 wherein: the hop compound is selected from tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, and the acid is phosphoric acid. |
| Claim: | 5. The method of claim 4 wherein: the slurry includes the hop compound at 0.1 to 20 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the slurry. |
| Claim: | 6. The method of claim 5 wherein: the slurry includes the phosphoric acid at 0.1 to 20 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the slurry. |
| Claim: | 7. The method of claim 1 wherein: the slurry includes the diatomaceous earth at 1 to 20 percent by weight of the slurry. |
| Claim: | 8. A method for filtering a beverage, the method comprising: contacting a filter element with a precoat slurry including diatomaceous earth and a hop compound selected from iso-alpha-acids, dihydroiso-alpha-acids, tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, hexahydroiso-alpha-acids, alpha-acids, and beta-acids thereby depositing a layer of diatomaceous earth on the filter element; and passing the beverage through the layer of diatomaceous earth on the filter element, wherein beverage soluble metal ions selected from copper, iron and mixtures thereof are removed from the beverage, and wherein the hop compound is included in the precoat slurry at 0.1 to 20 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the precoat slurry, whereby the beverage soluble metal ions are confined on a matrix of the diatomaceous earth filter aid. |
| Claim: | 9. The method of claim 8 wherein: the precoat slurry includes an acid other than the hop compound. |
| Claim: | 10. The method of claim 9 wherein: the acid is selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, tannic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, and mixtures thereof. |
| Claim: | 11. The method of claim 9 wherein: the hop compound is selected from tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, and the acid is phosphoric acid. |
| Claim: | 12. The method of claim 11 wherein: the precoat slurry includes the hop compound at 0.1 to 20 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the precoat slurry, and the precoat slurry includes the phosphoric acid at 0.1 to 20 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the precoat slurry. |
| Claim: | 13. The method of claim 12 wherein: the precoat slurry includes the diatomaceous earth at 1 to 20 percent by weight of the precoat slurry. |
| Claim: | 14. The method of claim 8 further comprising: adding a second slurry to the beverage before passing the beverage through the layer of diatomaceous earth on the filter element wherein the second slurry includes diatomaceous earth and a hop compound selected from iso-alpha-acids, dihydroiso-alpha-acids, tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, hexahydroiso-alpha-acids, alpha-acids, and beta-acids. |
| Claim: | 15. The method of claim 14 wherein: the diatomaceous earth in the precoat slurry has a first average particle size, and the diatomaceous earth in the second slurry has a second average particle size smaller than the first average particle size. |
| Claim: | 16. The method of claim 14 wherein: the hop compound is included in the second slurry at 0.1 to 10 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the second slurry. |
| Claim: | 17. The method of claim 8 wherein: the beverage is a malt beverage. |
| Claim: | 18. A method for increasing the flavor stability of a malt beverage wherein the malt beverage is filtered with a diatomaceous earth filter aid, the method comprising: contacting the diatomaceous earth filter aid with a hop compound selected from iso-alpha-acids, dihydroiso-alpha-acids, tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, hexahydroiso-alpha-acids, alpha-acids, and beta-acids thereby preventing release of at least some beverage soluble metal ions into the beverage, wherein the beverage soluble metal ions are selected from copper, iron and mixtures thereof, and wherein the diatomaceous earth filter aid is contacted with the hop compound in a slurry of the diatomaceous earth filter aid, and wherein the slurry includes the hop compound at 0.1 to 20 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the slurry, whereby the beverage soluble metal ions are confined on a matrix of the diatomaceous earth filter aid. |
| Claim: | 19. The method of claim 18 wherein: the diatomaceous earth filter aid is contacted with the hop compound and an acid other than the hop compound in a slurry of the diatomaceous earth filter aid. |
| Claim: | 20. The method of claim 19 wherein: the hop compound is selected from tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids, and the acid is phosphoric acid. |
| Claim: | 21. The method of claim 20 wherein: the slurry includes the phosphoric acid at 0.1 to 20 percent by weight of the diatomaceous earth in the slurry. |
| Claim: | 22. The method of claim 14 wherein: the second slurry is added to the beverage at 0.1 to 5 percent by volume of the beverage. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 426/423 |
| Patent References Cited: | 665652 January 1901 Enzinger 1992547 May 1932 Schuetz et al. 2701240 February 1955 Bregar 4134857 January 1979 Bradley et al. 4142968 March 1979 Nielsen et al. 4187174 February 1980 Nielsen et al. 4201670 May 1980 Baur 4202910 May 1980 Bradley et al. 4965084 October 1990 Austin et al. 5009906 April 1991 Smith 5478580 December 1995 Foster, II 5767319 June 1998 Ting et al. 6020019 February 2000 Ting et al. 6589430 July 2003 Pecar et al. 2001/0023233 September 2001 Shiuh et al. 2003/0170361 September 2003 Hu et al. 2009/0264287 October 2009 Wang et al. 1468683 March 1977 11-554 June 1999 00/66705 November 2000 2008024952 February 2008 |
| Other References: | Briggs, et al., “Brewing Science and Practice” Woodhead Publishing Limited and CRC Press LLC (2004). cited by examiner “Beer Filtration—Powder Filter Aids”. Available online at www.beer-brewing.com on Oct. 23, 2008. cited by examiner Hughes and Baxter “Beer Quality, Safety and Nutritinoal Aspects”. Royal Society of Chemistry (2001) pp. 14-39. cited by examiner Divergan HM—Polymer for Heavy Metal Reduction—BASF pamphlet. cited by applicant Abstract for JP 11-554. cited by applicant |
| Assistant Examiner: | Zilbering, Assaf |
| Primary Examiner: | Dye, Rena L |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Quarles & Brady LLP |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.09005687 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |