In a method of carbonating a beverage using a carbon dioxide diffusing stone, temperature is measured in a flow of that beverage immediately before the flow changes from laminar to effervescent, thereby obtaining a true temperature at which carbon dioxide is diffused into the beverage. In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable controller having connectors joinable to a gas pressure regulator of a gas cylinder and to any one of several beverage carbonation containers. The portable controller has instruments therein for controlling a flow of carbon dioxide gas to the beverage in any one of the containers and for controlling a pressure gradient of the carbon dioxide gas in the beverage over a period of time. There is also provided an elongated carbon dioxide diffusing stone assembly having an elongated temperature probe well extending parallel to and immediately below a diffusing stone.

The present invention describes methods, systems, and appliances that allow a user to prepare a wide array of different types of customizable beverages using various combinations of base liquids and ingredients. These methods, systems and appliances allow users to design and prepare various types of beverages, both carbonated and non-carbonated, that incorporate various ingredients. These methods, systems, and appliances allow for such beverages to be prepared at varying pressures and temperatures, allowing users to custom-design individual servings of beverages such as beers, wines, ciders, and spirits.

An adapter for an airtight connection to a container and for airtight dispensing of the container's contents, the adapter having: a gate valve, a tube extending from the gate valve to a female coupling, the female coupling being configured for insertion in a mouth of the container, the female coupling having a dispensing valve for opening when dispensing the container's contents and closing when dispensing is finished as needed, such that air is prevented from entering the container, and an airtight connector for connecting the adapter to the container.

A self-propelling container having: a top; a bottom; a plurality of vertical walls extending between the bottom and the top; an inner bag for holding contents to be dispensed; a female coupling configured to receive and establish a friction seal with a male coupling of an external device for inserting or extracting the contents to or from the container after the friction seal is established between the female and male couplings; and at least one independent panel positioned inside the container; a compressible element associated with the at least one independent panel wherein during filling of the inner bag the compressible element is compressed, thus causing the at least one independent panel to exercise pressure onto the inner bag, and thus, helping to empty the inner bag.

In a method of carbonating a beverage using a carbon dioxide diffusing stone, temperature is measured in a flow of that beverage immediately before the flow changes from laminar to effervescent, thereby obtaining a true temperature at which carbon dioxide is diffused into the beverage. In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable controller having connectors joinable to a gas pressure regulator of a gas cylinder and to any one of several beverage carbonation containers. The portable controller has instruments therein for controlling a flow of carbon dioxide gas to the beverage in any one of the containers and for controlling a pressure gradient of the carbon dioxide gas in the beverage over a period of time. There is also provided an elongated carbon dioxide diffusing stone assembly having an elongated temperature probe well extending parallel to and immediately below a diffusing stone.

A food processing apparatus includes: a reaction tank that contains a reaction liquid including a food ingredient; a reaction pipe that is disposed in the reaction tank and on whose outer surface a photocatalyst (included in a thin film layer) is provided; a light source that irradiates the photocatalyst with light from inside of the reaction pipe; a dissolved oxygen concentration measurer (dissolved oxygen meter) that measures a dissolved oxygen concentration in the reaction liquid; and a controller that stops light irradiation from the light source if a measured dissolved oxygen concentration exceeds a preset first dissolved oxygen concentration.

Carbonation is the process of dissolving carbon dioxide into beverages like beer, sparkling wine, and seltzer water. To speed up the carbonation process, a still liquid is atomized into droplets as it is added to a container pressurized with carbon dioxide. The gas in the container will adsorb into the droplets more quickly than for traditional carbonation methods because of the large surface area-to-volume ratio of the droplets. The carbonated droplets will collect as pooled liquid in the bottom of the container from which it is sent to a storage vessel carbonated to the desired level. The system and process allows for carbonation of liquid at a rate of several gallons per minute, which is a significant increase over current processes.

There is provided an infusion septum for a beverage container and more specifically, an infusion septum that is integrated within a beverage can end or a container cap and a method of infusion.

A process for preparing a hop extract emulsion, at least comprising the steps of: Providing a hop extract, mixing the hop extract with water, wherein the mass ratio of water to hop extract is from 40:60 to 95:5 (water:hop extract), and homogenizing the resulting mixture using ultrasound, resulting in the hop extract emulsion; and the hop extract emulsion prepared according to the invention, beverages and foodstuffs prepared thereby, and corresponding uses.