CPC A24B 15/167 (2016.11) [A24B 7/00 (2013.01); A24B 15/243 (2013.01); A24B 15/26 (2013.01)] | 12 Claims |
1. A method of producing a liquid tobacco extract, the method comprising the steps of:
preparing a tobacco starting material comprising natural tobacco material, wherein in the step of preparing the tobacco starting material, the tobacco starting material is not subjected to an acid treatment or a base treatment;
heating the tobacco starting material in a non-sealed extraction chamber at an extraction temperature of between 125 degrees Celsius and 160 degrees Celsius for between 90 minutes and 270 minutes to release gaseous volatile compounds from the tobacco starting material, wherein the tobacco starting material is not in a liquid suspension during the heating step, wherein a flow of inert gas is passed through the tobacco starting material during the heating step in the non-sealed extraction chamber, and wherein the inert gas carries the gaseous volatile compounds released from the tobacco starting material during heating away from the non-sealed extraction chamber;
collecting the volatile compounds released and carried away from the tobacco starting material by the inert gas flow during the heating step; and
forming a liquid tobacco extract comprising the collected volatile compounds.
|