Pressurized beverage concentrates and appliances and methods for producing beverages therefrom

Abstract

The present invention describes methods and devices in which concentrated beverage products, each packaged in a pressurized container, can be combined with liquids and/or other ingredients to produce one or more servings of a beverage. These products provide users with a convenient way to prepare both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (including carbonated beverages) in various serving sizes and quantities by combining the pressurized beverage concentrate with (possibly carbonated) liquids and other ingredients.

Claims

1. An appliance, comprising: a first receptacle for intake of a single container containing a concentrated beverage and a pressurized gas; a first liquid intake for intake of a liquid; a first mixing element for mixing the concentrated beverage and the pressurized gas with the liquid to produce a beverage; a second liquid intake for intake of a carbonated liquid; a second mixing element for mixing the beverage output from the first mixing element with the carbonated liquid; and a beverage outlet to dispense the beverage.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the first mixing element is a static mixer.

3. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the static mixer is an in-line mixer.

4. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the in-line mixer is a venturi.

5. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the static mixer is a mixing chamber.

6. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the mixing chamber is a disposable mixing chamber composed of a plastic material.

7. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the carbonated liquid is carbonated water.

8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the carbonated water is hypercarbonated water.

9. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the second mixing element is a disposable mixing chamber composed of a plastic material.

10. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the second mixing element comprises one of a carbonation chamber and a static mixer.

11. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a second receptacle for intake of an ingredient.

12. The appliance of claim 11, wherein the ingredient is a flavor ingredient selected from the group consisting of a spice flavor, a fruit flavor, an herb flavor, a hop flavor, a malt flavor, a nut flavor, a smoke flavor, a coffee flavor, a chocolate flavor, and mixtures thereof.

13. The appliance of claim 11, wherein the ingredient is a solid or liquid concentrated ingredient selected from the group consisting of hop concentrates, fruit concentrates, sweeteners, bittering additives, concentrated spices, foaming promoters, concentrated malt-based liquids, concentrated fermented liquids, concentrated beer, alcohols, flavor additives, colorants and mixtures thereof.

14. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized to approximately 9.4 bar above atmospheric.

15. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized to approximately 20 bar above atmospheric.

16. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized to approximately 15 bar above atmospheric.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is an exemplary appliance for preparing a beverage from a pressurized beverage concentrate.

(2) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary appliance for preparing a beverage with receptacles for intake of other ingredients.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) As described above, the present invention is directed to devices and methods for delivering pressurized, concentrated beverages, as well as devices and methods for producing one or more beverages from such pressurized beverage concentrates. Embodiments of the present invention comprise devices for delivering a pressurized beverage concentrate and methods of manufacturing such devices, methods of producing one or more beverages from a pressurized beverage concentrate, as well as devices for producing one or more beverages from a pressurized beverage concentrate.

(4) In preferred embodiments of the invention, a device for delivering a pressurized beverage concentrate comprises three elements: a concentrated beverage, a pressurized gas, and a container in which the concentrated beverage and pressurized gas are sealed. One of skill in the art will recognize that this container can take many different forms: in various embodiments of the present invention, the container can be any one of a pod, a pack, a capsule, a bottle, a cylinder, a cartridge, or equivalents thereof.

(5) Similarly, those of skill in the art will also recognize that the container in which the concentrated beverage and pressurized gas are sealed can be composed of one or more of a variety of different materials. The container may be manufactured from plastics (including, but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or high-density polyethylene), metals such as steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, or other materials such as glass, ceramic, composites, or other polymers.

(6) In some embodiments, the container is designed to withstand high levels of pressure from the pressurized gas contained within the container. In certain embodiments, the container is capable of withstanding a gas pressure of at least 20 bar above atmospheric (i.e., ambient) pressure; in further preferred embodiments, of at least 30 bar above atmospheric pressure; in even further preferred embodiments, of at least 40 bar above atmospheric pressure; and in still further preferred embodiments, of at least 50 bar above atmospheric pressure.

(7) Those of ordinary skill will be familiar with suitable container designs for containing gasses at the levels of pressure discussed above. One such design is the nitrous oxide “charger” used for producing whipped cream (also known as a “whip-it”)—a recyclable steel cylinder, capped with metal (i.e., steel or aluminum), that contains nitrous oxide at high pressure (for example, crimped closure Article Nos. 0080, 0084, 0085, 0087, 0088, 30601, and 30602). In certain embodiments of the present invention, similar containers may be used to package the concentrated beverage and the pressurized gas.

(8) In certain embodiments of the invention, the container is disposable. For example, the container can be composed of a disposable or recyclable plastic, and can be thrown away or recycled after use. In other embodiments, the container is reusable. In some cases, the container can be cleaned and refilled with additional beverage concentrate and pressurized gas. In other cases, the container can be used to produce more than one serving of a beverage, and can be reused until the supply of concentrated beverage contained therein is exhausted.

(9) In various embodiments of the invention, the ingredient container may have properties intended to preserve the concentrated beverage stored within the container. In some embodiments, the container may comprise oxygen scavengers or oxygen absorbers, such as ferrous carbonate, ascorbate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, and citrus, which reduce the level of oxygen in the package, preventing at least some oxidation reactions from occurring and helping to preserve the concentrated beverage in the container. In some embodiments of the invention, the container may be a gas barrier, an oxygen barrier, and/or a light barrier. For example, the exterior of the container may be coated with an inorganic oxide, which helps prevent gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide from entering or exiting the container, and a light blocking colorant, to help prevent light (including ultraviolet light) that can cause chemical reactions with the concentrated beverage from entering the container.

(10) Those of skill in the art will recognize that various beverages can be concentrated, pressurized, and packaged in the containers of the present invention. For example, the concentrated beverage of the present invention can be a beer (including ales and lagers), a cider, a wine, a malt-based beverage, a fermented beverage, a cider-based beverage, a spirit, a juice, a syrup, a carbonated or non-carbonated soft drink, a coffee, or a tea.

(11) For the purposes of the present invention, the term “beer” is defined as a beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of a starch source in water using yeast. Suitable starch sources include, but are not limited to, grains such as barley, wheat, corn, rice, sorghum, and millet. Other starch sources, such as cassava, sugarcane, and potato, can also be used as a starch source to produce a beer. Similarly, various strains of yeast may be used to ferment a “beer,” including but not limited to ale yeast strains (“top-fermenting” yeast) and lager yeast strains (“bottom-fermenting” yeast).

(12) For the purposes of the present invention, the term “beer” includes but is not limited to a particular subset of beverages defined as a “beer” under a particular state's laws, regulations, or standards. For example, the German Reinheitsgebot states that a beverage having ingredients other than water, barley-malt, and hops cannot be considered a “beer”—but for the purposes of the present invention, the term “beer” has no such ingredient restrictions. Similarly, for the purposes of the present invention, the term “beer” does not import or imply a restriction on the alcoholic content of a beverage.

(13) In a preferred embodiment, the concentrated beverage is a concentrated beer produced from a high-gravity beer. As those of skill in the art are aware, the “gravity” or “specific gravity” of an alcohol beverage refers to the relative density of the wort (or must, if the beverage is wine) in comparison to water during the fermentation process. The “original gravity” refers to the density of the wort (the sugar-containing liquid extracted from the grain during the mashing process) before yeast is added (or “pitched”) to the wort to begin the fermentation process, where the yeast consumes the sugar in the wort, producing carbon dioxide and alcohol.

(14) For the purposes of the present invention, a “high-gravity” beer refers to a beer having an original gravity of at least 1.070. A higher original gravity indicates that the wort from which the beer is brewed contains a relativity high concentration of sugar and flavor-enhancing ingredients. A higher concentration of sugar provides the yeast more food, from which additional alcohol can be produced, and a high-gravity beer therefore tends to have a higher alcohol content than a beer having a lower original gravity. As those of skill in the art will recognize, different strains of yeast have different tolerances for alcohol, and certain strains may be able to survive at higher alcohol levels than others. In these preferred embodiments, the high gravity beer has an alcohol concentration of at least 8 alcohol by volume (ABV), more preferably at least 12 ABV, and most preferably at least 16 ABV.

(15) As those of skill in the art will recognize, the concentrated beverage produced by and for use in various embodiments of the present invention can be produced by a number of different processes, including nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, microfiltration, reverse osmosis, distillation, fractionation, carbon filtration, or frame filtration. The concentration process(es) can be performed with a semi-permeable membrane composed of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate, polysulfone, polyamide, polypropylene, polylactide, polyethylene terephthalate, zeolites, aluminum, and ceramics.

(16) The processes utilized to produce the concentrated beverage of the present invention can involve one or more concentration steps. In certain embodiments, for example, the beverage may be subjected to a first concentration step (for example, nanofiltration) to obtain a primary beer concentrate (the retentate) and a permeate. The retentate is composed of solids such as carbohydrates, proteins, and divalent and multivalent salts, and the permeate is made up of water, alcohol, and volatile flavor components. The permeate can then be subjected to one or more further concentration steps (for example, distillation or reverse osmosis) to obtain a permeate enriched in alcohol and other volatile flavor components, such as aromas. The retentate from the original step can then be combined with this concentrated permeate to produce a concentrated beer to be packaged in accordance with the methods and devices of the present invention.

(17) In certain embodiments of the invention, the resulting concentrated beverage has a sugar content of between about 30 degrees Brix and about 80 degrees Brix, and in further embodiments, a sugar content of between about 50 degrees Brix and about 70 degrees Brix. In other embodiments of the invention, the concentrated base liquid has a sugar content of between 10 and between 30 degrees Brix. In these embodiments, the concentrated beverage may have an alcohol content of between about 2 ABV to about 12 ABV, between about 10 ABV to about 14 ABV, or between about 50 ABV to about 70 ABV.

(18) In addition to the concentrated beverage itself, the container also contains pressurized gas. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the gas is injected into the container under pressure, and then the container is sealed. As those of skill in the art will recognize, the container can be sealed using a number of known methods, such as the crimping metal seal used to seal the “whip-it” gas chargers described above.

(19) Various types of gases can be used to pressurize the concentrated beverages of the present invention, including but not limited to one or more of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrous oxide. In these embodiments, the pressurized gas dissolves into the concentrated beverage. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the pressurized gas is carbon dioxide, and the dissolution of the carbon dioxide into the concentrated beverage results in a carbonated beverage.

(20) For purposes of the present invention, a “hypercarbonated” beverage is defined as a beverage that contains a greater amount of dissolved carbon dioxide than the level of carbon dioxide typically found in a carbonated beverage. As a result, a hypercarbonated beverage can be diluted by adding one or more liquids (for example, still water), and result in a beverage having an acceptable level of carbonation. Exemplary embodiments of hypercarbonated beverages include a beer (having a typical carbonation level of 2-6 g/L of carbon dioxide when carbonated) carbonated to a level greater than 6 grams of carbon dioxide per liter, or a water or soft drink (having a typical carbonation level of 4-7 g/L when carbonated) carbonated to a level greater than 7 grams of carbon dioxide per liter. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the concentrated beverage is hypercarbonated by pressurized carbon dioxide in the container.

(21) Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the pressurized gas can be injected into the concentrated beverage's container at varying levels of pressure. In some embodiments, the gas in the container is pressurized at a level between about 20 bar above atmospheric pressure and about 40 bar above atmospheric pressure. In other embodiments, the pressurized gas, at 23 degrees Celsius, has a gas pressure of between approximately 5 bar above atmospheric pressure and about 15 bar above atmospheric pressure. In one exemplary embodiment, the pressurized gas has a gas pressure of approximately 9.4 bar above atmospheric pressure at 23 degrees Celsius. In another exemplary embodiment, the pressurized gas has a gas pressure of between about 34 bar above atmospheric pressure to above 50 bar above atmospheric pressure at 23 degrees Celsius.

(22) Embodiments of the present invention do not merely encompass the manufacture and production of the concentrated beverage product, but its use as well. In preferred embodiments of the invention, to produce one or more servings of a beverage from the concentrated beverage product, the container is unsealed (by puncturing the metal cap on the container or by other techniques well-known to those skilled in the art), and one or more liquids is added to the concentrated beverage sealed in that container to produce a resulting beverage.

(23) In certain exemplary embodiments of the invention, water is added to the concentrated beverage to produce a beverage suitable for consumption. In some embodiments, the water is carbonated water, and in some exemplary embodiments, the water is hypercarbonated water. In other exemplary embodiments, the beverage produced by mixing the concentrated beverage with water is carbonated or hypercarbonated by dissolving (through sparging or equivalent processes known to those of skill in the art) additional carbon dioxide into the beverage.

(24) In some preferred embodiments, the concentrated beverage is a concentrated high-gravity beer to which water is added, which dilutes the beer and produces a beverage. In these embodiments, the addition of water results in a beer having a sugar content of about 1 degrees Brix to about 30 degrees Brix and an alcohol content of about 2 ABV to about 16 ABV. In an exemplary embodiment, the resulting beer has a sugar content of between 4 and 7 degrees Brix and an alcohol content of between 2 ABV and 8 ABV. In another exemplary embodiment, the resulting beer has a sugar content of about 17 degrees Brix and an alcohol content of between 8 ABV and 12 ABV. In various embodiments, the resulting beer has an alcohol content of between 2-4 ABV, between 4-6 ABV, between 6-8 ABV, between 8-10 ABV, or between 10-12 ABV.

(25) While the above-described embodiments discuss diluting the concentrated beverage with liquid, those of skill in the art will readily recognize that other liquids besides water can be added to the concentrated beverage to produce a beverage, including a beer (including ales and lagers), a cider, a wine, a malt-based beverage, a fermented beverage, a cider-based beverage, a spirit, a juice, a syrup, a carbonated or non-carbonated soft drink, a coffee, or a tea.

(26) In certain embodiments of the present invention, one or more flavor ingredients can be added to the concentrated beverage to produce a final beverage. Examples of suitable flavor ingredients include (but are not limited to) a spice flavor, a fruit flavor, a hop flavor, a malt flavor, a nut flavor, a smoke flavor, other suitable flavors (such as a coffee flavor or a chocolate flavor), and mixtures of such flavors.

(27) Moreover, other concentrated ingredients can be added or combined with the concentrated beverage to produce a final beverage, including but not limited to other concentrated beverages. These concentrated ingredients can be, for example, solid or liquid ingredients such as hop concentrates, fruit concentrates, sweeteners, bittering additives, concentrated spices, foaming promoters, concentrated malt-based liquids, concentrated fermented liquids, concentrated beer, colorants, flavoring additives, and mixtures thereof. In some cases, the concentrated ingredients (for example, concentrated beers) may be alcoholic concentrated ingredients.

(28) In some embodiments of the present invention, the quantity of concentrated beverage packaged in the container is measured so that precisely a single serving of a beverage can be prepared from the concentrated beverage in the container. In other embodiments of the present invention, the concentrated beverage is packaged in a quantity suitable for producing multiple servings of a beverage. In some of these embodiments, the multiple servings of the beverage are produced simultaneously in a single mixing step. In other embodiments, the concentrated beverage can be repeatedly mixed with liquid to prepare successive single servings of the beverage.

(29) In various embodiments of the invention, the serving size of the beverage produced can be 6 ounces, 8 ounces, 10 ounces, 12 ounces, 14 ounces, 16 ounces, 18 ounces, 20 ounces, 22 ounces, or 24 ounces. In certain further embodiments of the invention, half of the serving size of the beverage comprises the concentrated beverage, and half of the serving size of the beverage comprises the liquid with which the concentrated beverage is diluted. In other further embodiments of the invention, one-third of the serving size of the beverage comprises the concentrated beverage, and two-thirds of the serving size of the beverage comprises the liquid with which the concentrated beverage is diluted.

(30) In some embodiments of the invention, the concentrated beverage is deionized to remove anions or cations from the concentrated beverage. This deionization step may occur before (or after) packaging, and/or before or after the concentrated beverage is diluted with one or more liquids to produce a beverage.

(31) In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, such as that shown in FIG. 1, an appliance 1 for preparing a beverage from a pressurized beverage concentrate is provided. The appliance 1 comprises a receptacle 2 for intake of containers 3 in which the pressurized beverage concentrates are packaged, at least one liquid intake 4 for the intake of water (and equivalent liquids), at least one mixing element 6 in which the pressurized beverage concentrate is mixed with the water (or other liquid) to produce a beverage, and an outlet 8 from which the resulting beverage is dispensed.

(32) In exemplary embodiments of the appliance described above, the mixing element 6 is a static mixer without moving parts that utilizes turbulence to mix liquids and produce a beverage. The static mixer can be composed of various materials, including stainless steel, polypropylene, Teflon, PDVF, PVC, CPVC, and polyacetal, and can be a plate-type static mixer or a helical-type static mixer. In some embodiments of the invention, the mixing element 6 is a disposable plastic mixer chamber which can be disposed of and replaced for sanitary/hygienic reasons.

(33) In certain embodiments of the present invention, the static mixer is an in-line mixer. In some embodiments of the invention, this mixing element 6 is a venturi (a constricted, narrow diameter section of a pipe or line, which causes liquid passing through that section to increase in velocity but decrease in pressure—a phenomenon known as the “venturi effect”). As liquid flows through the venturi, the venturi effect creates a vacuum which causes turbulence, causing mixing of the liquid(s) and other ingredients to occur.

(34) In certain embodiments of the invention, the appliance also comprises a second mixing element 7 into which the beverage passes before it is dispensed from the appliance. In some embodiments of the invention, this second mixing element is a carbonation chamber, where pressurized gas is dissolved into the beverage to carbonate or hypercarbonate the beverage. In other embodiments, this chamber is a second static mixing chamber connected to a second liquid intake 5 for carbonated water (or another carbonated or hypercarbonated liquid) which is mixed with the beverage. Like the first mixing chamber described above, this second mixing chamber can be a disposable plastic component.

(35) In certain embodiments of this appliance for preparing a beverage, as shown in FIG. 2, the appliance 10 comprises additional receptacles 2a for intake of other ingredients 3b. These ingredients can be solid or liquid ingredients, including additional concentrated beverages for mixing with the first concentrated beverage. Various types of suitable flavor ingredients and concentrated ingredients known to those in the art are discussed above.

Examples

(36) The following prophetic examples describe potential embodiments of the present invention:

(37) Example 1: A concentrated, carbonated beer, having three times the sugar and alcohol by volume (ABV) levels of the high-gravity beer from which the concentrated beer is derived, is packaged and sealed in a plastic pod with carbon dioxide pressurized to 9.4 bar above atmospheric pressure at 23° C. The concentrated, pressurized beer is diluted with carbonated water to form a beverage having an alcohol content of about 8-10 ABV.

(38) Example 2: A concentrated beer, having two times the sugar and alcohol by volume (ABV) levels of the beer from which the concentrated beer is derived, is packaged and sealed in a steel cartridge with nitrous oxide pressurized to 20 bar above atmospheric pressure at 23° C. The concentrated. pressurized beer is diluted with hypercarbonated water to form a beverage having an alcohol content of about 4-6 ABV, and the beverage can be dispensed.

(39) Example 3: A concentrated, hypercarbonated beer, having an alcohol content of between 12 and 16 alcohol by volume (ABV), is packaged and sealed in a capsule containing carbon dioxide pressurized to 15 bar above atmospheric pressure at 23° C. The concentrated, hypercarbonated beer is diluted with water to produce multiple servings of a beverage having an alcohol content of between 6-8 ABV, and concentrated flavors are added to the servings of the beverage before it is dispensed.

(40) Example 4: A concentrated, hypercarbonated beer having an alcohol content a sugar content of about 17 degrees Brix and an alcohol content of between 8 ABV and 12 ABV is packaged in a pod containing pressurized carbon dioxide. The concentrated, hypercarbonated beer is diluted with water to produce at least one serving of a beverage having an alcohol content of between 2-8 ABV. At least one flavoring and additional alcohol are added to the at least one serving of the beverage before the beverage is dispensed.

(41) Embodiments and prophetic examples of the present invention have been described for the purpose of illustration. Persons skilled in the art will recognize from this description that the described embodiments and prophetic examples are not limiting, and may be practiced with modifications and alterations limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are intended to cover such modifications and alterations, so as to afford broad protection to the various embodiments of the invention and their equivalents.