A method for producing a beer or a beer-like beverage with a pure and mild hop aroma having a slight raw hop odor, which includes maintaining a hop-mixed liquid in a tank, which liquid contains a hop and a solvent, at a temperature less than the boiling point of the solvent, wherein at least a part of the hop-mixed liquid is withdrawn from the tank, and the liquid is supplied to an empty portion of the tank, again, to circulate the hop-mixed liquid through the tank. Also disclosed is an apparatus for producing the beer or beer-like beverage.

A user interface for a beer recipe creator may have a series of icons that may represent ingredients. A user may drag and drop or otherwise add the icons to containers on a display screen to add or remove ingredients to the recipe. With each added or removed ingredient, a set of descriptors may be updated. The descriptors may include numerical values of beer parameters as well as textual descriptions and visual descriptions. The system may allow a user to start with a desired beer style, and the parameters may show variances from the selected style. The system may generate an ingredients list, as well as a brewing recipe that may be transferred to a controller for a beer making machine. The system may adjust certain parameters that are controllable by the beer making machine to make flavor and other adjustments selected by a user.

A user interface for a beer recipe creator may have a series of icons that may represent ingredients. A user may drag and drop or otherwise add the icons to containers on a display screen to add or remove ingredients to the recipe. With each added or removed ingredient, a set of descriptors may be updated. The descriptors may include numerical values of beer parameters as well as textual descriptions and visual descriptions. The system may allow a user to start with a desired beer style, and the parameters may show variances from the selected style. The system may generate an ingredients list, as well as a brewing recipe that may be transferred to a controller for a beer making machine. The system may adjust certain parameters that are controllable by the beer making machine to make flavor and other adjustments selected by a user.

A beer making system may modify a beer ingredient/process recipe to adjust sensory characteristics of a desired beer. With a given ingredient list and starting recipe, a performance model of a brewing system may be used to generate an updated recipe when given a set of desired sensory characteristics of a desired beer. A user interface may permit a user to adjust characteristics such as thin/thick mouthfeel, dryness/maltiness, hops bitterness, hops flavor, hops aroma, and other characteristics. An updated recipe may change mashing schedules, boiling schedules, or other programmatically controlled aspects of a brewing system. The performance model may include heuristics as well as performance metrics derived from observing previous brewing sessions on one or multiple devices.

A beer making system may modify a beer ingredient/process recipe to adjust sensory characteristics of a desired beer. With a given ingredient list and starting recipe, a performance model of a brewing system may be used to generate an updated recipe when given a set of desired sensory characteristics of a desired beer. A user interface may permit a user to adjust characteristics such as thin/thick mouthfeel, dryness/maltiness, hops bitterness, hops flavor, hops aroma, and other characteristics. An updated recipe may change mashing schedules, boiling schedules, or other programmatically controlled aspects of a brewing system. The performance model may include heuristics as well as performance metrics derived from observing previous brewing sessions on one or multiple devices.

A tank outlet (1) of a tank (100) comprising a tube fitting body (10), with an inlet region (11), which can be mounted on an outlet region (111) of a tank (100), a vortex breaker (20), which is mounted solely on the tube fitting body (10), wherein the vortex breaker (20) extends into the tank (100) through the inlet region (11) and does not touch the tank (100). Moreover, a method for mounting a corresponding vortex breaker (20) on a tank outlet (1) of a tank (100) is claimed.

A tank outlet (1) of a tank (100) comprising a tube fitting body (10), with an inlet region (11), which can be mounted on an outlet region (111) of a tank (100), a vortex breaker (20), which is mounted solely on the tube fitting body (10), wherein the vortex breaker (20) extends into the tank (100) through the inlet region (11) and does not touch the tank (100). Moreover, a method for mounting a corresponding vortex breaker (20) on a tank outlet (1) of a tank (100) is claimed.

A foam reducing device may impart a mechanical shear flow to a foam and may dispense an anti-foam agent. The device may reduce highly aerated foam into a dense foam or a liquid, and may significantly reduce the volume of material. One version of the device may have an inlet tube with a nominal diameter or dimension, where the inlet tube transitions to a pair of surfaces that are close together. The foam passes through the pair of surfaces causing flow with a high a mechanical shear. A mesh material may be present between the surfaces, and the mesh material may be treated with an anti-foam agent, such as silicone, which may further reduce the volume of foam. A catch basin may collect the reduced foam for disposal. The pair of surfaces may be configured with a weight or spring to move with respect to each other during periods of high flow.

A foam reducing device may impart a mechanical shear flow to a foam and may dispense an anti-foam agent. The device may reduce highly aerated foam into a dense foam or a liquid, and may significantly reduce the volume of material. One version of the device may have an inlet tube with a nominal diameter or dimension, where the inlet tube transitions to a pair of surfaces that are close together. The foam passes through the pair of surfaces causing flow with a high a mechanical shear. A mesh material may be present between the surfaces, and the mesh material may be treated with an anti-foam agent, such as silicone, which may further reduce the volume of foam. A catch basin may collect the reduced foam for disposal. The pair of surfaces may be configured with a weight or spring to move with respect to each other during periods of high flow.

An automated or semi-automated beer brewing system may adjust a brewing session based on data collected during the brewing session. The adjustments may attempt to achieve a set of desired taste characteristics, even though a brewing session may then deviate from an intended recipe. A performance model of the brewing system may include taste characteristic effects and operational aspects of an automated brewing system, and may be used to calculate changes to various brewing steps. A control system may analyze various measured parameters to determine deviation from an intended recipe, and may use the performance model to calculate updated brewing steps that may attempt to achieve the desired result. When such measured parameters indicate a malfunction, a brewing session may be paused or terminated.