Foaming pressurized beverage
11678676 · 2023-06-20
Assignee
Inventors
- Todd Carmichael (Gladwyne, PA, US)
- Patrick Libois (Philadelphia, PA, US)
- Edward Green (Philadelphia, PA, US)
Cpc classification
A23V2002/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B65B31/06
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A23G1/56
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A23V2002/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B65B31/04
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65B2220/14
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D81/2053
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A23C9/154
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A23F5/243
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B65D85/72
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
A23C2270/10
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A23C9/1524
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
A23C9/154
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A23F5/24
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A23G1/56
HUMAN NECESSITIES
B65B31/04
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65B31/06
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B65D81/20
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A method of making a pressurized packaged liquid beverage including filling a container including a one-way valve with a liquid mixture including a base liquid and a gum; sealing the container; introducing a volume of gas through the one-way valve after sealing the container; and agitating the container. When the container is opened, the liquid mixture increases in volume and separates into a liquid phase and a drinkable foam phase, which may persist for an extended period of time. The base liquid includes milk, coffee, fruit juice, or mixtures thereof.
Claims
1. A container adapted to hold a pressurized liquid beverage product, the container comprising: a sidewall connected to a base at one end and a top at the opposite end, the base sidewall and top, the container having a single internal chamber, the single internal chamber adapted to hold the pressurized liquid beverage comprising a base liquid and a gum, and be agitated; a one-way valve adapted to allow a gas to enter the internal chamber but not exit; and wherein the pressurized liquid mixture is adapted to be saturated with a volume of gas and the container is adapted to be pressurized at a pressure ranging from approximately 20 pounds per square inch, to approximately 60 pounds per square inch.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the base liquid includes milk, coffee, fruit juice, or mixtures thereof.
3. The container of claim 2, wherein the base liquid includes a mixture of milk and coffee.
4. The container of claim 3, wherein the base liquid further includes chocolate.
5. The container of claim 1, wherein the gum includes acacia gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, pectin, xanthan gum, or mixtures thereof.
6. The container of claim 1, wherein the volume of gas includes nitrous oxide.
7. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is a can, bottle, or keg.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1) The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawing are not to scale. On the contrary, the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Included in the drawing are the following figures:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(12) Embodiments of the present invention include beverages packaged in a sealed, pressurized container that, when opened, expand in volume before separating into a liquid beverage phase and a stable textured phase above the beverage phase. The beverage may include milk or a milk substitute, and may also include coffee. Embodiments further include a method of packaging the beverage to achieve the result described above.
(13) Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout the various figures that comprise the drawing,
(14) Referring now to
(15) The liquid mixture 12 includes at least a base liquid and a gum. In a exemplary embodiment, the gum is acacia gum (also referred to as gum arabic), guar gum (also referred to as guaran), locust bean gum (also known as carob gum), pectin, xanthan gum, or mixtures thereof. Other gums are also suitable, such as carrageenan. Carrageenan is suspected to be a possible carcinogen, however, and although it will be understood to produce the desired effect in embodiments of the present invention, it is not preferred. The gum may be added to the liquid mixture 12 in a concentration ranging from approximately 0.1 wt. % to approximately 0.5 wt. %. As described in more detail below, the gum is added as a popping inhibitor which allow bubbles to form and grow into a stable drinkable foam when the first container 10 is opened. The preferred amount of gum will depend on the base liquid as well as the desired foam characteristics. Base liquids which are naturally more viscous will require less gum in order to achieve the same effect.
(16) In an exemplary embodiment, the base liquid of the liquid mixture 12 is milk. In some embodiments, “milk” refers to an animal milk including both milk proteins and milk fat, preferably cow's milk. In other embodiments, the milk may be a reconstituted mixture of milk proteins and milk fat. In still other embodiments, the liquid may include one or more milk substitutes such as almond milk, soy milk, etc. These milk substitutes preferable have fat and protein concentrations similar to animal milk. In still other embodiments, the liquid may include other dairy products such as yogurt. The milk used in the liquid mixture 12 may initially have any concentration of fat including approximately 1 wt. % or approximately 2 wt. % (e.g. reduced fat milks), approximately 3.25 wt. % (e.g., whole milk), approximately 10.5 wt. % to approximately 18 wt. % (e.g., “half and half”), or greater than approximately 18 wt. % (e.g., cream).
(17) Non-dairy liquids are also suitable as the base liquid of the liquid mixture 12, such as water, coffee, or fruit juices (e.g., orange juice). The liquid mixture 12 mixture may further include other compounds such as sweeteners (e.g., sugar, honey, artificial, non-saccharide sweeteners, etc.)) and artificial or natural flavoring agents (e.g., mint, cinnamon, caramel, hazelnut, chocolate, etc.).
(18) In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid mixture 12 is a mixture of milk or milk substitute and coffee in any suitable ratio. The coffee may be brewed using any suitable method known to one of ordinary skill in the art, including, but not limited to, espresso, drip brewing, or cold brewing. In a preferred embodiment, the coffee is cold brewed with a brew strength, measured as the percentage of total dissolved solids ranging of approximately 7 parts per million (ppm) The cold brewed coffee is preferably mixed with whole milk at a milk to coffee weight ratio ranging from approximately 4:1 to approximately 5:1. In other words, the liquid mixture 12 preferably includes approximately 15 wt. % to approximately 25 wt. % of coffee and approximately 80 wt. % to approximately 90 wt. % milk or milk substitute. It will be understood that the sum of the weight percentages for each component of the liquid mixture 12 will not exceed 100%.
(19) The liquid mixture 12 may be prepared by slowly mixing the gum and the base liquid until the gum is well dissolved. The base liquid and gum are preferably mixed at rate low enough to avoid dissolving air into the mixture. Where the base liquid is a mixture of liquids, the gum may be dissolved into a first liquid before a second liquid is added to the mixture. For example, for a mixture of coffee and milk, the gum may first be dissolved in the coffee. The milk is then added to the coffee-gum mixture and again slowly mixed to incorporate without dissolving air in the mixture. In other embodiments, the liquid mixture may be mixed any other order, including first mixing together the milk and the coffee and then adding the gum. In some embodiments, the liquid mixture 12 may be ultrasonicated to remove any dissolved air before or after filling the first container 10, but before sealing the first container 10.
(20) Referring now to
(21) Referring now to
(22) Referring now to
(23) Because the amount of the gas 30 which can be dissolved in the liquid mixture 12 is dependent on the temperature of the liquid mixture 12, steps 130 and 140 preferably occur at the temperature at which the product will be stored and served to prevent too little or too much of the gas 30 being dissolved in the liquid mixture 12 during packaging. More preferably, the liquid mixture 12 has a temperature ranging from approximately 32° F. to approximately 40° F. during filling and pressurizing.
(24) At the fifth step 150 of the method 100, the first container 10 containing the pressurized liquid mixture 12 is refrigerated until it is ready to be served. As stated above, the storage temperature preferably ranges from approximately 32° F. to approximately 40° F. In some embodiments, the first container 10 containing the pressurized liquid mixture 12 may be pasteurized prior to storage to prevent spoilage. If pasteurized, refrigeration may not be required provided that the liquid mixture 12 is cooled to approximately 32° F. to approximately 40° F. prior to serving.
(25) Referring now to
(26) Referring now to
(27) Referring now to
EXAMPLES
(28) In the following examples, various beverages were produced by filling a 9 fluid ounce can including a one-way valve with a base liquid. In some examples, various amounts of two gums were added to the base liquid and fully mixed using a homogenizer from IKA Works, Inc. and a blender from Vita-Mix Corporation. The first gum, referred to below as “Gum A”, contains acacia gum and is commercially available from Tic Gums, Inc. as Gum Arabic Spray Dry Powder. The second gum, referred to below as “Gum B” contains a mixture of acacia and xanthan gums and is also commercially available from Tic Gums, Inc. as Ticaloid 210 S Powder. Once the can is filled and sealed, a volume of nitrous oxide gas was introduced into the can through the one-way valve while agitating the can at a frequency of 9 Hz with a gasser-shaker from Gerstung Aerosol, Inc. The gassed can was then refrigerated for at least 15 minutes. The can was then opened and the contents were poured in a streamline flow into a narrow 500 mL beaker. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase were then measured over time. Measurements were taken at 0 seconds (i.e., immediately after the beverage is poured into the beaker), 20 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, it is expected that the beverage would have been consumed and therefore no additional measurements were taken after that time. The viscosity of the liquid phase was measured using a viscometer from Brookfield Engineering Laboratories, Inc. The diameter of the most widespread bubble size was also measured. The maximum volume of “stretch,” as described above, was measured as the difference between the volume of liquid added to the can and the greatest combined volumes of the liquid phase and the foam phase.
(29) The above experiment was conducted using six different base liquids: water (Examples 1-7), coffee (Examples 8-14), whole milk (Examples 15-21), latte (i.e., a mixture of coffee and milk) (Examples 22-28), mocha (i.e., a mixture of coffee, milk, cocoa, and sugar) (Examples 29-36), and orange juice (Examples 37-43). For each base liquid, seven different beverages were prepared. The first example for each base liquid had medium levels of gum, pressure, and agitation time. The second and third examples for each base liquid had no gum and increased gum, respectively, but were otherwise identical to the first example. The fourth and fifth examples for each base liquid had decreased and increased pressure, respectively, but were also otherwise identical to the first example. The sixth and seventh examples for each base liquid had decreased and increased agitation times, respectively, but were also otherwise identical to the first example. Additionally, two commercially available packaged coffee beverages were tested. The first commercially available canned coffee beverage, Starbucks Frappuccino (Example 44), is packaged in a glass bottle and contains no dissolved gas. The second, Java Monster from Monster Energy (Example 45), is packaged in a can and is lightly carbonated.
Example 1
(30) In Example 1, 265.5 g of water was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating at 9 Hz for 15 seconds. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 50 pounds per square inch (psi). The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which over time dissolved into the liquid phase. The foam phase persisted for 13 minutes before fully disappearing. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 1.
(31) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Foam Duration of Example 1 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 150 150 210 240 250 250 270 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 260 250 165 130 70 30 0 0
Example 2
(32) In Example 2, 270.0 g of water was added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above without the addition of any of Gum A or Gum B. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 50 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. No foam phase formed in the beaker, and no amount of stretch was discernible to the naked eye. The volume of the liquid phase over time is indicated below in Table 2.
(33) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Foam Duration of Example 2 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Example 3
(34) In Example 3, 261.0 g of water was mixed with 1.0 g of Gum A and 8.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 50 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 3.
(35) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Foam Duration of Example 3 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 0 20 100 115 120 190 200 220 (mL) Foam (mL) 425 405 300 285 270 190 175 100
Example 4
(36) In Example 4, 265.5 g of water was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 20 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 3 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 4.
(37) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Foam Duration of Example 4 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 200 240 250 260 270 270 270 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 150 80 60 20 0 0 0 0
Example 5
(38) In Example 5, 265.5 g of water was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 70 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 16 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 5.
(39) TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Foam Duration of Example 5 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 100 210 230 250 250 260 265 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 250 150 95 60 30 15 5 0
Example 6
(40) In Example 6, 265.5 g of water was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 2 seconds. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 50 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. No foam phase formed in the beaker. The volume of the liquid phase over time is indicated below in Table 6.
(41) TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Foam Duration of Example 6 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Example 7
(42) In Example 7, 265.5 g of water was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 30 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 50 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 18 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 7.
(43) TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Foam Duration of Example 7 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 150 150 210 230 250 250 260 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 280 270 160 130 70 30 10 0
Example 8
(44) In Example 8, 265.5 g of coffee was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for more than 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 8.
(45) TABLE-US-00008 TABLE 8 Foam Duration of Example 8 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 0 10 25 110 150 180 210 220 (mL) Foam (mL) 350 340 325 240 190 150 110 100
Example 9
(46) In Example 9, 270.0 g of coffee was added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above without the addition of any of Gum A or Gum B. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for only 2 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 9.
(47) TABLE-US-00009 TABLE 9 Foam Duration of Example 9 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 250 260 265 270 270 270 270 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 20 10 5 0 0 0 0 0
Example 10
(48) In Example 10, 261.0 g of coffee was mixed with 1.0 g of Gum A and 8.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 10.
(49) TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 10 Foam Duration of Example 10 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 0 0 0 0 0 100 150 150 (mL) Foam (mL) 350 360 340 340 340 225 170 170
Example 11
(50) In Example 11, 265.5 g of coffee was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 20 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for only 1 minute. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 11.
(51) TABLE-US-00011 TABLE 11 Foam Duration of Example 11 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 250 250 270 270 270 270 270 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 25 20 5 0 0 0 0 0
Example 12
(52) In Example 12, 265.5 g of coffee was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 65 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 12.
(53) TABLE-US-00012 TABLE 12 Foam Duration of Example 12 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 0 0 10 20 50 120 160 240 (mL) Foam (mL) 420 420 380 350 290 210 160 70
Example 13
(54) In Example 13, 265.5 g of coffee was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 2 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for only 1 minute. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 13.
(55) TABLE-US-00013 TABLE 13 Foam Duration of Example 13 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 270 260 260 270 270 270 270 270 (mL) Foam (mL) 10 20 10 0 0 0 0 0
Example 14
(56) In Example 14, 265.5 g of coffee was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 30 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 14.
(57) TABLE-US-00014 TABLE 14 Foam Duration of Example 14 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid 0 10 25 110 150 180 210 220 (mL) Foam (mL) 350 340 325 240 190 150 110 100
Example 15
(58) In Example 15, 266.6 g of whole milk was mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 23 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 15.
(59) TABLE-US-00015 TABLE 15 Foam Duration of Example 15 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 0 0 40 200 250 260 260 Foam (mL) 300 390 375 310 125 25 5 0
Example 16
(60) In Example 16, 270.0 g of whole milk was added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above without the addition of any of Gum A or Gum B. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 6 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 16.
(61) TABLE-US-00016 TABLE 16 Foam Duration of Example 16 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 0 200 240 250 260 260 260 Foam (mL) 350 420 160 110 10 0 0 0
Example 17
(62) In Example 17, 263.2 g of whole milk was mixed with 0.8 g of Gum A and 6.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 17.
(63) TABLE-US-00017 TABLE 17 Foam Duration of Example 17 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 0 0 0 0 180 200 230 Foam (mL) 300 330 340 340 340 150 100 40
Example 18
(64) In Example 18, 266.6 g of whole milk was mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 10 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. No foam phase formed in the beaker, and no amount of stretch was discernible to the naked eye. The volume of the liquid phase over time is indicated below in Table 18.
(65) TABLE-US-00018 TABLE 18 Foam Duration of Example 18 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 260 260 260 260 260 260 260 260 Foam (mL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Example 19
(66) In Example 19, 266.6 g of whole milk was mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 60 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 21 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 19.
(67) TABLE-US-00019 TABLE 19 Foam Duration of Example 19 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 0 0 110 190 240 250 260 Foam (mL) 350 500 475 360 210 30 10 0
Example 20
(68) In Example 20, 266.6 g of whole milk was mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 2 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. No foam phase formed in the beaker, and no amount of stretch was discernible to the naked eye. The volume of the liquid phase over time is indicated below in Table 20.
(69) TABLE-US-00020 TABLE 20 Foam Duration of Example 20 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 Foam (mL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Example 21
(70) In Example 21, 266.6 g of whole milk was mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 30 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 22 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 21.
(71) TABLE-US-00021 TABLE 21 Foam Duration of Example 21 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 0 0 100 200 250 260 260 Foam (mL) 480 450 440 270 125 25 5 0
Example 22
(72) In Example 22, 230.6 g of whole milk and 36.0 g of coffee were mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 14 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 22.
(73) TABLE-US-00022 TABLE 22 Foam Duration of Example 22 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 300 200 210 215 230 250 260 260 Foam (mL) 0 150 140 130 80 20 0 0
Example 23
(74) In Example 23, 233.0 g of whole milk and 37.0 g of coffee were added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above without the addition of any of Gum A or Gum B. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for only 3 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 23.
(75) TABLE-US-00023 TABLE 23 Foam Duration of Example 23 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 250 250 250 260 260 260 260 260 Foam (mL) 50 70 40 5 0 0 0 0
Example 24
(76) In Example 24, 228.2 g of whole milk and 35.0 g of coffee were mixed with 0.8 g of Gum A and 6.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 24.
(77) TABLE-US-00024 TABLE 24 Foam Duration of Example 24 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 0 0 110 130 160 180 210 Foam (mL) 300 330 340 230 210 170 140 70
Example 25
(78) In Example 25, 230.6 g of whole milk and 36.0 g of coffee were mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 20 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 13 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 25.
(79) TABLE-US-00025 TABLE 25 Foam Duration of Example 25 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 260 250 250 250 260 260 270 270 Foam (mL) 10 30 30 20 10 10 0 0
Example 26
(80) In Example 26, 230.6 g of whole milk and 36.0 g of coffee were mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 60 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 26.
(81) TABLE-US-00026 TABLE 26 Foam Duration of Example 26 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 0 100 100 130 200 260 260 Foam (mL) 360 550 350 350 270 120 10 10
Example 27
(82) In Example 27, 230.6 g of whole milk and 36.0 g of coffee were mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 2 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. No foam phase formed in the beaker, and no amount of stretch was discernible to the naked eye. The volume of the liquid phase over time is indicated below in Table 27.
(83) TABLE-US-00027 TABLE 27 Foam Duration of Example 27 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 Foam (mL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Example 28
(84) In Example 28, 230.6 g of whole milk and 36.0 g of coffee were mixed with 0.4 g of Gum A and 3.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 30 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 11 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 28.
(85) TABLE-US-00028 TABLE 28 Foam Duration of Example 28 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 140 160 190 220 260 270 270 Foam (mL) 400 310 270 220 150 20 0 0
Example 29
(86) In Example 29, 212.0 g of whole milk, 47.3 g of coffee, and 7.0 g of cocoa and sugar were mixed with 0.3 g of Gum A and 3.4 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 22 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 29.
(87) TABLE-US-00029 TABLE 29 Foam Duration of Example 29 Time 0 sec 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min Liquid (mL) 0 160 180 190 220 250 250 260 Foam (mL) 275 180 170 160 110 50 20 0
Example 30
(88) In Example 30, 214.0 g of whole milk, 48.0 g of coffee, and 8.0 g of cocoa and sugar were mixed and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above without the addition of any of Gum A or Gum B. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 12 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 30.
(89) TABLE-US-00030 TABLE 30 Foam Duration of Example 30 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 140 210 240 260 260 270 270 Foam (mL) 320 220 150 90 30 10 0 0
Example 31
(90) In Example 31, 210.0 g of whole milk, 46.6 g of coffee, and 6.0 g of cocoa and sugar were mixed with 0.6 g of Gum A and 6.8 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 26 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 31.
(91) TABLE-US-00031 TABLE 31 Foam Duration of Example 31 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 0 200 220 240 250 250 260 Foam (mL) 260 290 90 60 40 20 20 0
Example 32
(92) In Example 32, 212.0 g of whole milk, 47.3 g of coffee, and 7.0 g of cocoa and sugar were mixed with 0.3 g of Gum A and 3.4 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 10 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for only 3 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 32.
(93) TABLE-US-00032 TABLE 32 Foam Duration of Example 32 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 260 260 260 265 270 270 270 270 Foam (mL) 10 10 10 5 0 0 0 0
Example 33
(94) In Example 33, 212.0 g of whole milk, 47.3 g of coffee, and 7.0 g of cocoa and sugar were mixed with 0.3 g of Gum A and 3.4 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 60 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 14 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 33.
(95) TABLE-US-00033 TABLE 33 Foam Duration of Example 33 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 90 100 120 160 230 270 270 Foam (mL) 300 380 360 340 280 80 0 0
Example 34
(96) In Example 34, 212.0 g of whole milk, 47.3 g of coffee, and 7.0 g of cocoa and sugar were mixed with 0.3 g of Gum A and 3.4 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 2 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. No foam phase formed in the beaker, and no amount of stretch was discernible to the naked eye. The volume of the liquid over time is indicated below in Table 34.
(97) TABLE-US-00034 TABLE 34 Foam Duration of Example 34 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 Foam (mL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Example 35
(98) In Example 35, 212.0 g of whole milk, 47.3 g of coffee, and 7.0 g of cocoa and sugar were mixed with 0.3 g of Gum A and 3.4 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 30 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 25 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 35.
(99) TABLE-US-00035 TABLE 35 Foam Duration of Example 35 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 140 180 190 220 250 250 260 Foam (mL) 360 230 190 170 120 60 60 0
Example 36
(100) In Example 36, a number of additional beverages were produced with a mocha base having added levels of gum (i.e., mixtures of whole milk, coffee, chocolate, and sugar). As shown below in table 36, beverages were produced with 0 g, 3.0 g, 4.2 g, 5.8 g, 6.8 g, and 7.4 grams of added gum. The beverages were added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the cans while agitating for 15 second at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the cans the final pressure inside the cans was 40 psi. Each can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The volume of foam after 1 minute was measured for each beverage.
(101) TABLE-US-00036 TABLE 36 Foam Volumes of Example 36 Added Gum (g) Foam Volume after 1 minute (mL) 0 150 3 150 4.2 210 5.8 385 6.8 300 7.4 90
Example 37
(102) In Example 37, 265.5 g of orange juice was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for more than 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 37.
(103) TABLE-US-00037 TABLE 37 Foam Duration of Example 37 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 0 40 50 100 140 160 200 Foam (mL) 500 500 460 440 390 340 290 150
Example 38
(104) In Example 38, 270.0 g of orange juice was added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above without the addition of any of Gum A or Gum B. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for 6 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 38.
(105) TABLE-US-00038 TABLE 38 Foam Duration of Example 38 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 220 250 250 250 260 270 270 270 Foam (mL) 160 120 110 80 20 0 0 0
Example 39
(106) In Example 39, 261.0 g of orange juice was mixed with 1.0 g of Gum A and 8.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 39.
(107) TABLE-US-00039 TABLE 38 Foam Duration of Example 39 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 0 40 70 75 90 120 Foam (mL) 400 400 390 340 300 295 280 240
Example 40
(108) In Example 40, 265.5 g of orange juice was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 20 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 40.
(109) TABLE-US-00040 TABLE 39 Foam Duration of Example 40 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 0 210 210 215 220 220 215 Foam (mL) 300 290 80 70 65 60 60 55
Example 41
(110) In Example 41, 265.5 g of orange juice was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 15 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 60 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 42.
(111) TABLE-US-00041 TABLE 40 Foam Duration of Example 41 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 0 0 30 50 90 100 120 Foam (mL) 400 400 400 360 330 285 260 230
Example 42
(112) In Example 42, 265.5 g of orange juice was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 2 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 42.
(113) TABLE-US-00042 TABLE 42 Foam Duration of Example 42 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 270 270 230 235 240 245 250 255 Foam (mL) 0 5 55 50 45 35 30 15
Example 43
(114) In Example 43, 265.5 g of orange juice was mixed with 0.5 g of Gum A and 4.0 g of Gum B and added to a 9 fl. oz. can as described above. Nitrous oxide was added to the can while agitating for 30 seconds at 9 Hz. After gassing and agitating the can, the final pressure inside the can was 40 psi. The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. The beverage separated into a liquid phase and a foam phase, which persisted for over 30 minutes. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 43.
(115) TABLE-US-00043 TABLE 43 Foam Duration of Example 43 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 0 20 30 40 90 100 125 150 Foam (mL) 410 390 370 360 300 280 245 200
Example 44
(116) In Example 44, a Starbucks Frappuccino was opened and poured into a 500 mL beaker. The product was flat with no dissolved gas, and produced no foam when poured into the beaker. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 44.
(117) TABLE-US-00044 TABLE 44 Foam Duration of Example 44 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 280 Foam (mL) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Example 45
(118) In Example 45, a Java Monster from Monster Energy The can was then opened and the beverage poured into the 500 mL beaker. Java Monster is a lightly carbonated product. A thin layer of foam appeared on the surface of the liquid two minutes after being poured into the beaker and rapidly disappeared. The volume of the liquid phase and the foam phase over time is indicated below in Table 45.
(119) TABLE-US-00045 TABLE 45 Foam Duration of Example 45 Time 0 20 sec 1 min 2 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 30 min sec Liquid (mL) 450 450 450 449 450 450 450 450 Foam (mL) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
CONCLUSIONS
(120) As observed from the above examples, the combination of gum, pressurization, and agitation is necessary to create a substantial amount of durable foam. All tests which included no gum (Examples 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and 38), reduced pressure (Examples 4, 11, 18, 25, 32, and 40), or reduced agitation (Examples 6, 13, 20, 27, 34, and 42) showed a reduced amount of foam or foam duration when compared to the respective baseline test (Examples 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and 37). Further, it is apparent that the method described herein will work with any liquid base. None of the test beverages (water (Examples 1-7), coffee (Examples 8-14), whole milk (Examples 15-21), latte (i.e., a mixture of coffee and milk) (Examples 22-28), mocha (i.e., a mixture of coffee, milk, cocoa, and sugar) (Examples 29-35), and orange juice (Examples 37-43)) failed to foam for at least one combination of variables.
(121) The addition of gum to the base liquid serves at least three purposes. First, it thickens the base liquid in a way that may be more pleasing to drink. Second, once the container is opened, the gum traps the gas that exits the base liquid and forms bubbles. Although some of the test base liquids were sufficiently viscous to foam without the addition of gum, the foam phase duration was greatly increased by the gum. The gum further serves as a limiter on bubble size by forming a stronger, thicker bubble wall which resists stretching by the trapped gas. This results in finer bubbles which are perceived as silkier and creamier than foams with large bubbles.
(122) Increasing the pressure inside the can produces more foam which persists for a longer period of time by increasing the volume of gas dissolved in the base liquid and available to produce bubbles. However, simply adding more gas alone is not sufficient to cause the gas to dissolve. As can be seen from the above examples, increasing the agitation time results in large increases in foam volume by causing a substantial increase in the volume of dissolved gas. Absent agitation, the gas injected into the container simply collects in the headspace and escapes the container once opened. Headspace gas cannot be trapped by the gum-supported bubbles and therefore does not result in foaming. In other words, the amount of dissolved gas in the liquid mixture is dependent on both the pressure inside the container and the degree of agitation. Low pressure, low agitation, or both will result in low amounts of dissolved gas. Increasing the pressure, agitation, or both will increase the amount of dissolved gas until the liquid mixture is saturated.
(123) Accordingly, the production of foam is based on two factors: amount of gum and volume of dissolved gas. Each bubble can be considered a balloon which is inflated by the dissolved gas, but becomes harder to inflate as the balloon wall becomes thicker as a result of increased gum. Low amounts of dissolved gas results in a lack of foam because there is little gas to be trapped and the liquid lacks the ability to trap whatever gas is available. Low amounts of dissolved gas and high amounts gum leads to a slow cascading effect, but a low stretch and a weak microfoam. High amounts of dissolved gas and low amounts of gum leads to a dry foam which quickly stretches to large volumes. High amounts of dissolved gas and high amounts of gum lead to a medium stretch and a cascading effect which results in a strong and durable microfoam. However, there are levels beyond which additional gum is not beneficial, as illustrated by Example 36. Too much gum results in bubble walls which are too thick to be expanded by the dissolved gas, resulting in an overall decrease in the amount of gum. Optimal amounts of gum and dissolved gas will depend on the desired foam properties and the characteristics of the underlying base liquid. For example, base liquids which are more viscous will require lower amounts of gum in order to achieve the same effect.
(124) The foregoing description of exemplary embodiments of the invention should be taken as illustrating, rather than as limiting, the present invention as defined by the claims. As will be readily appreciated, numerous variations and combinations of the features set forth above can be utilized without departing from the present invention as set forth in the claims. Such variations are not regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such variations are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.