Patent Application
20160326471
The present device generally relates to an appliance for brewing beer. In particular, the appliance includes a modular assembly of a brewing unit and a fermenting unit.
The beer-brewing process generally includes two phases: a wort brewing phase and a fermenting phase. The brewing phase involves steeping malted grain (typically barley) and, optionally, various cereal adjuncts and other additives with heated water, before bringing the resulting liquid to a boil or near-boil (e.g. about 207° F.) and, subsequently, adding hops and other additives in a timed application. The brewing process may take between two and three hours. The fermenting phase involves quickly cooling the hopped wort and adding yeast thereto before retaining the fermenting liquid at a desired temperature (which may vary depending on whether the beer is an ale or lager). Further additives may be steeped with the fermenting liquid, which may include “dry hopping” or the like. The fermenting process may take between one and three weeks depending on the desired characteristics of the finished beer.
Automated units exist for controlling the temperatures and durations of both the brewing and fermenting stages, along with the intermediate stages thereof. However, such units require that any components used only for the brewing stage remain unused during the much longer fermenting stage. Accordingly, further advances may be desired.
In at least one aspect, an appliance for brewing beer includes a brewing unit including a heating unit, a recirculation pump, a first steeping chamber having an inlet and a flow-controlled outlet, a supply line in fluid communication with the inlet, and a collector in fluid communication with the outlet. The recirculation pump has a draw line in fluid communication with the collector. The appliance further includes a fermenting unit physically separate from the brewing unit and having a vessel adjacent a temperature control assembly. The fermenting unit is selectively fluidically coupleable with the brewing unit for transfer of fluid from the brewing unit to the fermenting unit and fluidically decouplable from the brewing unit.
In at least another aspect, a beer-brewing system includes a brewing unit including a steeping assembly having a draw line in fluid communication therewith the collector and a supply line in fluid communication with the inlet and a brewer mounting unit coupled with the brewing unit and supporting the brewing unit at a first height. The system further includes a first fermenting unit including a vessel. The first fermenting unit is selectively fluidically coupleable with the brewing unit for transfer of fluid from the brewing unit to the fermenting unit is also fluidically decouplable from the brewing unit. A first fermenter mounting unit is coupled with the first fermenting unit and supports the first fermenting unit at a second height below the first height. The first fermenter mounting is being engageable with the brewer mounting unit to retain the brewing unit above and in an engaged position with the first fermenting unit.
In at least another aspect, a method for brewing beer includes fluidically coupling a brewing unit of a modular brewing appliance with a first fermenting unit thereof. The method further includes initiating a first automated brewing process of the brewing appliance that includes the brewing unit recirculating fluid from a vessel of the first fermenting unit through a heater and at least one of a plurality of steeping vessels of the brewing unit to make a first wort and the first fermenting unit cooling the first wort and initiating a first fermenting process. The method further includes fluidically decoupling the brewing unit from the first fermenting unit.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present device will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
In the drawings:
For purposes of description herein the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the device as oriented in
Referring to the embodiment illustrated in
As shown in
As further shown, vessel 32 may contain a fluid bag 46 therein that may be shaped so as to substantially match an inner profile of vessel wall 36 such that fluid bag 46 can contain an amount of fluid generally matching the inner volume of vessel 32. Further, bag 46 may be generally flexible such that bag 46 can collapse when a volume of fluid contained therein is less than a volume of vessel 32 this may allow for generally even pressure control of an interior of bag 46, including any fluid therein, as well as a reduction of ambient air within bag 46 adjacent to any fluid therein. Further, bag 46 may be removable from vessel 32 such that a particular bag 46 may be disposed of after use and replaced with a further bag 46 to facilitate clean-up of fermenting unit 30 between uses.
As further shown in
As also shown in
Continuing with respect to
Similarly, additive chambers 74 can be configured to retain hops or other comparable ingredients therein for additional steeping with fluid heated by heating unit 14 and provided by supply line 24 for a predetermined amount of time, as provided by the flow such fluid through outlets 78. As discussed above, the fluid flowing out from chamber 18, as well as additive chambers 74a, 74b, 74c, 74d collects in collector 26 and is drawn out of collector 26 through draw line 28 by a recirculation pump 16. As further shown in
As further shown in
The above-described components of
The above heating cycle repeats until the recirculating water reaches a desired temperature for mashing, at which point the supply valve 84 associated with first steeping chamber 18 is opened, allowing the flow of water thereinto. The supply of water into first steeping chamber 18 continues, with a portion thereof returning to collector 26 for further recirculation, as described above, which may include recirculation back into first steeping chamber 18 until the desired time for mashing, which in an example may be about an hour, has taken place. Subsequently, the temperature of the wort may be raised to about 170° F. for sparging or final rinsing.
Subsequent to mashing, the resulting “wort” is further recirculated, such as through bypass line 86, if necessary, until the wort reaches a boiling or near-boiling (e.g., about 200° F. to about 207° F.) temperature thereof. At this point, the heated wort is selectively provided via supply valves 84, to desired ones of the additive chambers 74a, 74b, 74c, and 74d. As discussed above, additive chamber 74a, 74b, 74c, and 74d may contain hops or other various ingredients, including different varieties of hops, for example. Such ingredients may be infused with the wort at different times or for different durations, as desired according to the particular recipe being used. It is noted that all additive chambers 74a, 74b, 74c, and 74d do not have to be used in such a cycle, and that with particular recipes only one such chamber 74a may be used for example.
After a desired period of time, the hoped wort is then moved completely into vessel 32, by recirculation pump 16. This may be done with fermenter pump 52 continuing to move the fluid through first line portion 48, but with redirect valve 58 positioned so as to circulate the fluid through inlet 60 and back into vessel 32. At this point temperature control assembly 34 is used to rapidly cool the wort within vessel 32 to a temperature at which yeast can safely be added thereto. Further, a fermenter thermistor 92 may be included along a portion of second line portion 58 to monitor the temperature of the fluid circulating therethrough. In a further example, fermenter pump 52 may be used continuously or periodically during fermentation to circulate the fermenting wort. In an alternative arrangement, the wort may be cooled while stagnant in vessel 32 (i.e. with fermenter pump 52 in an off state). In such an arrangement thermistor 92 may be repositioned to be within vessel 32 or an additional thermistor may be included in such a location.
Once the wort has been appropriately cooled, yeast add valve 64 may be opened, allowing all or a portion of the wort to pass through yeast vessel 62, thereby adding the yeast contained therein to the wort and, thusly, beginning the fermentation process. Once the yeast from yeast vessel 62 has been flushed into the wort and a desired amount of circulation for temperature homogenization and yeast dispersion has been achieved, fermenter pump 52 may be deactivated, allowing the fermenting wort to be retained completely within vessel 32, such as within bag 46 contained therein, for fermentation at a controlled temperature via appropriate use of temperature control assembly 34. Additional ingredients can be added at this stage as well, including the addition of more hops (i.e. for “dry hopping”). As further shown in
Fermenting may be allowed to continue until the resulting the beer has developed the desired flavor characteristics and specific gravity (i.e. alcohol content, by volume). This fermenting stage can take for example, between one and three weeks, which is significantly longer than the above-described brewing process, which may take between one and three hours. Accordingly, while fermenting unit 30 is involved in the brewing process, brewing unit 12 is not involved in the fermenting process and, accordingly may go otherwise unused if coupled with fermenting unit 30 during the fermentation process. Accordingly, as described above, fermenting unit 30 may be fluidically decoupled from brewing unit 12, such as by decoupling of both first and second line portions 48 and 68 from the respective supply line 24 and draw line 28. As further described above, fermenting unit 30 and brewing unit 12 may be physically separate units such that brewing unit may be physically separated from fermenting unit 30 during the fermentation process. As further shown in
As shown in
As further shown in
As illustrated, fermenter mounting unit 102 may be structured so as to engage with brewing mounting unit for positioning of fermenting unit 30 in a location relative to brewing unit 12 for easy attachment of brewing unit 12 with fermenting unit 30. Such engagement may include positioning of fermenter base 110 above brewer base 106 and contact of fermenter stand 108 with at least a portion of brewer stand 104. In an example, such engagement may include fitting of a portion of fermenter stand 108 within a portion of brewer stand 104, or vice versa. Such an arrangement may facilitate attachment of brewing unit 12 with fermenting unit 30 by vertical movement of brewing unit 12 along brewer stand 104, which may include a track along with a counterweight, pneumatic elements, or the like to sufficiently maintain a desired vertical position of brewing unit 12 along brewer stand 104.
In this manner, brewing unit 12 and fermenting unit 30 may be assembled together by positioning of fermenting mounting unit 102 in an engaged relationship with brewer mounting unit 100 and, subsequent downward movement of brewing unit 12 along brewer stand 104 for engagement of brewing unit with fermenting unit 30, thereby achieving physical attachment therebetween and appropriate fluidic coupling of fermenting unit 30 with brewing unit 12. When thusly assembled, appliance 10 can be used for the brewing of a hopped wort, as described above. Further, when the brewing process is complete, brewing unit 12 can be moved upwardly along brewer stand 104, thereby detaching and fluidically decoupling brewing unit 12 from fermenting unit 30, at which point fermenter mounting unit 102 can be disengaged from brewer mounting unit 100, thereby allowing fermenting unit 30 to be moved away from brewing unit 12 during and subsequent to the above-described fermentation process.
As shown in
After completion of the above-described single or multiple fermentation processes using one or more fermenting units 30, the lower valve 114 on the outlet assembly 54 can be placed into an open condition, thereby allowing the sediment that collects to the bottom of vessel 32 to flow into trub jar 116 for removal from the finished beer. At this point, the finished beer may be transferred from out of vessel 32 and into a separate keg or container (such as a growler or one or more bottles, for example), such as through the coupling 50 of first line portion 48. Alternatively, fermenting unit 30 may be used as a dispensing unit such as by the connection of a carbon dioxide tank 118 (
The appliance 10 shown in the Figures for the modular assembly of brewing unit 12 and fermenting unit 30 is merely an example of an arrangement for the arrangement depicted in
In an embodiment of appliance 10, the above-described brewing and fermentation processes may be implemented and controlled by respective controllers 124 and 126 (
It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described device and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the device disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the device as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied, the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present device. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.
It is also to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structures and methods without departing from the concepts of the present device, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
The above description is considered that of the illustrated embodiments only. Modifications of the device will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the device. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above is merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the device, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the Doctrine of Equivalents.
