New alcohol aging technique - years worth of aging in days?

[Burquebrewer]

Interesting read:

http://www.ibtimes.com/how-age-liqu...-just-days-compared-years-study-shows-2490093

Think this would work on mead or wine?

 

[frostdragon]

"ultrasound waves can help extract chemicals from plant tissues. Ultrasounds are pressure waves with frequencies between 20 kHz and 10 MHz that accelerate extraction processes by causing tissue rupture and improving the extraction of intracellular substances into the solvent by cavitation forces."

On pure mead stored in glass or plastic container, probably not. Honey / glass / plastic doesn't have any cells or tissue to rupture, but it might speed up the interaction between ingredients. Wooden casks are another story.

The process being used during fermentation might as cause yeast to die.

You could take advantage of the process before adding yeast, and get more out of any berries or whatever you've added to a mix, and add the yeast afterwards. There could be issues with mold or other growths though.

 

[bernardsmith]

But I think the use of the ultrasound frequencies are on liqueurs after they have been distilled (and long after fermentation) so it is not about extracting juice from fruit but about combining the oak and the alcohol so that the alcohol has the characteristics of being oaked for years and not simply days... At least that's my reading

 

[Burquebrewer]

According to the article, they are trying the technique on wine next.

 

[Drewed]

Could be a good way to kill off the yeast prior to back sweeting.

 

[theDREWery]

There's an article like this every few years. I think the last one was fluctuating air pressure. While it may speed up oak extraction it will not affect micro oxygenation or the softening of acids and tannins over time.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

This fellow https://www.lostspiritstech.net/ has a machine that ages rum and whiskey to an 18 year old profile in six to eight days using photocatalytic light to break down wood polymers into precursors to flavor molecules. A reactor binds those molecules with unaged alcohol to form medium-to-long carbon-chain esters. http://marketwatchmag.com/lost-spirits-distillery-july-2016/