Apparatus for and method of removing impurities from highly volatile gas

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF REMOVING IMPURITIES INCLUDING WATER AND ALCOHOL FROM EVOLVED FERMENTATION GASES IN A BREWERY PRIOR TO THE REINTRODUCTION OF SAID GASES INTO THE BEER, THE STEPS OF COLLECTING THE FERMENTATION GASES N A BREWERY THEIR WATER AND ALCOHOL VAPORS, PASSING THE COLLECTED GAS UPWARDLY THROUGH A FRACTIONATING ZONE HAVING SUPERIMPOSED POOLS WHICH CONTAIN ALCOHOL IN SOLUTION TO THEREBY ENRICH THE ALCOHOLIC CONTENT OF THE CONDENSIBLE PORTION OF THE FERMENTATION GASES, DISCHARGING SAID GASES FROM THE FRACTIONATING ZONE, THEREAFTER COOLING SAID GASES TO A LOW TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN 32*F. AND CONDENSING AN AQUEOUS CONDENSATE INCLUDING A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF ALCOHOL WHILE MAINTAINING SAID COOLING TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE FREEZING POINT OF THE CONDENSATE TO PREVENT ICE FORMATION, AND CONTAINUOUSLY REFLUXING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID CONDENSATE TO AN UPPER POOL OF THE FRACTIONATING ZONE, THEREBY AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINING THE ALCOHOLIC CONTENT IN THE FRACTIONATING ZONE, REMOVING THE GAS FROM THE PROCESS IN DRY FORM, REDUCING SAID DRIED GAS TO A LIQUID STATE AND STORING IN SAID STATE, RETURNING SAID STORED LIQUID TO A GASEOUS STATE, AND REINTRODUCING THE LATTER INTO THE BEER.