US-12618030-B2 - Sonic infusion of alcohol

Abstract

A system to treat spirits with sound waves including a wooden barrel configured to hold the spirits, and at least one speaker disposed outside of the barrel, the speaker being configured to play a repeated pattern of sound into the spirits inside the barrel, the repeated pattern of sound being configured to encourage the spirits to interact with the wood of the barrel.

Inventors

• Chris Bishop
• Randy Carlson
• James Greco

Assignees

• American Metal Whiskey LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20220720

Claims (19)

1. 1 . A system to treat spirits with sound waves, the system comprising: a wooden barrel configured to hold the spirits, the barrel comprising a barrel wall including a hole; and at least one speaker disposed in an enclosure attached to the barrel wall, the enclosure being disposed outside of the barrel and configured to form an airtight seal around the hole, the speaker being configured to play a repeated pattern of sound into the spirits inside the barrel through the hole in the barrel wall, the repeated pattern of sound being configured to encourage the spirits to interact with the wood of the barrel.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is formed of the same wood as the barrel.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional speaker disposed inside the barrel, the at least one additional speaker being configured to play the repeated pattern of sound into the spirits.
4. 4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one speaker is configured to be waterproof.
5. 5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the repeated pattern of sound has a frequency ranging between about 60 Hz and about 4 KHz.
6. 6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the repeated pattern of sound is provided from a playback device in communication with the at least one speaker.
7. 7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the playback device is configured to receive a command to change qualities of the repeated pattern of sound.
8. 8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the qualities of the repeated pattern of sound include at least one of frequency, volume, and duration.
9. 9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the repeated pattern of sound is configured to cause the spirits to move in and out of the wood of the barrel wall.
10. 10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises a soundproof seal configured to contain the repeated pattern of sound in an area of the spirits.
11. 11 . A system to treat spirits with sound waves, the system comprising: a wooden barrel configured to hold the spirits; a wooden anchor point removably disposed inside of the barrel, a first end of the anchor point being removably affixed to one wall of the barrel, and a second end of the anchor point extending from one end of the barrel towards a middle of the barrel and being unaffixed to the barrel, the barrel being sealed against an outside environment while the anchor point is disposed inside the barrel; at least one speaker disposed on and supported by the anchor point, the at least one speaker being configured to play a repeated pattern of sound into the spirits inside the barrel, the repeated pattern of sound being configured to encourage the spirits to interact with the wood of the barrel; and a cable connected to the at least one speaker.
12. 12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the anchor point is formed of the same wood as the barrel.
13. 13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the anchor point is removably inserted into the barrel through an opening disposed in the wall of the barrel.
14. 14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the cable connecting to the at least one speaker passes through a hole in the barrel wall, the hole being sealed airtight while the anchor point is disposed inside the barrel.
15. 15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one speaker is immersed in the spirits while the anchor point is disposed inside the barrel.
16. 16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one speaker is disposed on the second end of the anchor point.
17. 17 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising an opening in the wall of the barrel to which the first end of the anchor point is affixed; wherein the anchor point is inserted into the barrel through the opening in the wall of the barrel.
18. 18 . A method of treating spirits in a wooden barrel, the method comprising: disposing at least one speaker in an enclosure attached to a wall of the barrel, the enclosure being disposed outside of the barrel and configured to form an airtight seal around a hole in the wall of the barrel; and playing a repeated pattern of sound through the speaker and into the spirits inside the barrel through the hole in the wall of the barrel, the repeated pattern of sound being configured to encourage the spirits to interact with the wood of the barrel.
19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising providing a soundproof seal in the enclosure, the soundproof seal being configured to contain the repeated pattern of sound in an area of the spirits.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/223,757, filed on Jul. 20, 2021, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. BACKGROUND Conventional processes to age alcoholic spirits involve storing the spirits in wooden barrels, otherwise known as “barrel aging.” Since wood is naturally porous, over time the liquid spirits stored in the barrels moves in and out of the wood of the barrels, gaining particular color and flavor attributes therefrom. Different producers and different spirits use different wood and different aging times. For example, many American whiskeys are aged in charred oak barrels. Some whiskies, such as scotch, have a required minimum aging time before they are deemed fit for consumption. Conventionally in barrel aging, the barrels and the spirits are left stationary with occasional hydration by misting or hosing water onto the barrels. The spirits are allowed to age naturally using time, temperature, and humidity to cause the spirits to move in and out of the wood of the barrel. There may be occasional movement of the barrels as they are moved from one part of a storage facility to another, either to rotate stock or to control the temperature and humidity the spirits stored in the barrels are exposed to. However, this movement is infrequent, and traditional methods of barrel aging rely primarily on static processes, i.e., allowing the spirits to sit undisturbed for an extended time. A significant factor in barrel aging is the amount of interaction between the spirits and the wood of the barrel. Conventional methods of barrel aging increase this interaction by increasing the amount of surface area of the wood that is exposed to the spirits. For example, wood pieces may be added to the spirits in the barrel, or a batch of spirits may be stored in multiple small barrels instead of one large barrel. However, aside from increasing surface area, there is no conventional method to increase the interaction between the wood and the spirits. Conventional methods of barrel aging have multiple drawbacks. First, it takes a significant amount of time for the spirits to interact sufficiently with the wood of the barrel to be properly aged-anywhere from weeks to years, depending on the spirit. During this time, some portion of the spirits is lost to evaporation-a portion known in the industry as the “angel's share.” Furthermore, different climates lead to different results. For example, whiskey being aged in a hot and humid climate such as Kentucky will lose spirits to evaporation faster than whiskey being aged in a moderate or cold and dry environment such as Vermont. As a result, spirits have different characteristics depending on where they were barrel-aged. As such, there is a need for a way to better control the barrel-aging process. This would allow distillers to account for the different environments the spirits are aging in and give better control over the spirits produced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept provide systems, methods, and devices which may generate movement of the spirits in a barrel to encourage the changes typically resulting from aging. Specifically, according to exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept, systems, methods, and devices use sound waves to encourage interaction between the spirits and the wood of the barrel. Additional features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept. The foregoing and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing a system to treat spirits with sound waves, the system including a wooden barrel configured to hold the spirits, and at least one speaker disposed outside of the barrel, the speaker being configured to play a repeated pattern of sound into the spirits inside the barrel, the repeated pattern of sound being configured to encourage the spirits to interact with the wood of the barrel. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one speaker may be configured to play the repeated pattern of sound into the spirits through a wall of the barrel. In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one speaker may be configured to play the repeated pattern of sound into the spirits through a hole in wall of the barrel. In an exemplary embodiment, the system may further include an enclosure around the at least one speaker. In an exemplary embodiment, the enclosure may be formed of a type of wood similar to the wood of the barrel. In an exemplary embodiment, the system may further include at least one additional speaker disposed inside the barrel, the at least one additional speak