Beech shavings method

FRINGS generator

The principle of this method is to gradually drip the liquid to be acetified onto a pile of beech shavings at the bottom of large vats. These vats are designed exclusively for vinegar and are bound in a spiral fashion, slightly open with one rough side on the outside which serves as a base for the bacteria to adhere to.
The liquid to be acetified is poured into the bottom of the vat.
A turbine blows oxygen into the vat from bottom to top, this is essential for the bacterial to thrive. A pump at the bottom of the vat collects the liquid and pumps it to a sprinkler which constantly pours the alcohol to be transformed onto the pile of shavings until perfect acetification is achieved.
Three thermometers bent at angles monitor the temperature which should remain at 40°C.








When the desired degree of acidity is obtained, the liquid in the bottom of the vat is then extracted and the vinegar obtained is replaced with a new alcoholic dilution.
The shavings have a lifespan of almost forty years.
This manufacturing process is exclusively used for distilled vinegars, because the tannins in wine would deposit on the shavings, thus shortening their lifespan.
Rare examples of these types of vat still exist today, but very few installations continue to use them. Much of the alcohol is lost through evaopration using this method.