Patent Application
20200093314
It has long been known to add flavorings, colorings, and other additives to liquids by infusing the additive in the liquid using a reusable or disposable filter device. For example, disposable “tea bags” are commonly used to neatly and quickly prepare an infused beverage. One problem that can arise with the use of tea bags and other disposable filter devices is that the buoyancy of the additive, the surface tension of the filter material, or a combination of the two, can cause the filter device to float on the surface of the beverage, resulting in less than complete infusion of the additive in the liquid.
Buoyancy is a particular problem encountered when infusing a finished beer beverage with fresh or dry hops immediately prior to consuming (“dry-hopping”). Dry-hopping allows the consumer to add hop cones, leaves, pellets, or powder to their beer, just prior to consumption, for flavoring and other beneficial effects. It is known to use a tea bag, filter bag, or natural or synthetic straining cloth to dry-hop beer, but these filtering devices tend to float due to the buoyancy of the hops. An additional problem encountered when using known filtering devices for dry hopping is the tendency of the beer to become de-carbonated during the process.
The present invention addresses the above problems by providing a submersible filter assembly for infusing an additive in a liquid. The filter assembly comprises an elongated filter bag that is rigidly reinforced along its vertical length and removably securable to the side of the vessel containing the liquid, to prevent flotation of the filter assembly and its contents. In an embodiment, the lower portion of the elongated filter bag is pre-loaded with an additive and closed off to retain the additive in the lower portion. The invention further includes a method of dry-hopping beer using the disclosed filter assembly.
The filter assembly 10 generally comprises a filter bag, stays, and a hanging frame. One or more stays are affixed to a side of the filter bag to provide rigidity and prevent the filter bag from floating up during use due to surface tension or buoyancy of an additive A. The hanger is also affixed to a side of the filter bag. The hanger suspends the filter bag on the rim R of a vessel V containing a liquid L as shown in
A filter bag 20 is adapted to hold an additive A to be infused into a liquid L. The additive can be a flavoring or coloring additive; plant material such as tea, herbs, or hops; or any other desired additive. For the purposes of this invention, a hop additive may take the form of fresh or dried hops; hop bracts; hop powder; hop pellets; hop flavoring agents; effervescent medium infused with a hop-based flavoring agent; or any other solid form of fresh or processed hops.
The filter bag 20 has a front side 22 and an opposing back side 24, and is elongated to allow sufficient space and surface area for the additive A to be at least partially, and preferably fully, submerged in liquid L when the filter assembly 10 is in use. The filter bag has a top edge 26, bottom edge 28, and opposing side edges 30 and 32, and is constructed of filter material having a porosity selected to allow the passage of the liquid but not the additive.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the filter bag 20 is pre-filled as shown in
One or more stays 38 are affixed to the back side 24 of the filter bag 20 to provide rigidity to the filter bag, conform the filter bag to a vessel V, and prevent the filter bag from floating in the liquid L. Elongated, substantially vertical stays 40 and 42 extend from the near the top edge 26 to near the bottom edge 28 of the filter bag. The rigidity of the vertical stays is sufficient to resist the buoyant force of the liquid on an additive A, and any surface tension on the filter bag. When the filter bag contains an additive that will float, the rigid vertical stays retain the filter bag in a vertical orientation and prevent it from floating up.
One or more optional horizontal stays may be affixed to the back side 24 of the filter bag 20 to provide structure and conformability to the top edge 26 and the bottom edge 28 of the filter bag. As shown in
In an embodiment, vertical stays 40 and 42 and horizontal stays 44 and 46 form a first frame which, when adhered to the back side 24 of the filter bag 20, provides the requisite rigidity and conformability. The first frame defines a first open space 48.
The hanging frame 50 is adapted to suspend the filter bag 20 on the rim R of a vessel V as shown in
A tongue 62, comprising an upper portion 64 and a lower portion 66, is formed within the second open space 60 formed by the hanging frame 50 and is contiguous with the hanging frame upper member 56, extending downwardly therefrom, as shown in
In use, a notch 68 formed between the vertical hanging frame members 52 and 54 and the tongue upper portion rests on the vessel rim R to suspend the filter assembly, with the filter bag on the inside of the vessel V, and the hanging frame on the outside of the vessel. The notch is closed until the vertical hanging frame members are gently pulled away from the tongue upper portion 64. Due to the rigidity of the sheet material, the vertical hanging frame members tend to spring back, such that the notch becomes a “clamp” that grips the rim of the vessel and keeps the filter assembly 10 from floating. The unattached tongue upper portion is conformable to the shape and thickness of the vessel rim.
The stays 38, hanging frame 50, and tongue 62 of the filter assembly 10 disclosed herein are preferably cut in a single piece of thin and rigid but bendable sheet material, as shown in
The present invention further comprises a method for dry-hopping beer, using a filter assembly 10 as described herein. Preferably the filter bag 20 is pre-filled with a selected additive A. In an alternate embodiment of the method of the invention, a user fills the filter bag with a hop additive and, if desired, seals the hop additive in the lower portion 34 of the filter using a closure 36. The filter assembly is suspended on the rim of a vessel V by extending the hanging frame 50 away from the filter bag, positioning the filter bag and stays 38 on the inside of the vessel, and positioning the hanging frame on the outside of the vessel. In an embodiment of the method, the horizontal stays 44 and 46, the hanging frame upper member 56, and the tongue upper portion 64 are gently shaped or bent by the user to conform them to the shape and thickness of vessel rim R. The notch 68 forms a “clamp” that grips the rim R and prevents the filter assembly from floating in the liquid L, as shown in
Minimized decarbonation of beer is an unexpected result of the present invention. This is believed to be the result of the non-mechanical infusion process, the preparation of the hop additive used, and the reduced number of nucleation sites as compared to known methods.
In compliance with the statutes, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features and process steps. While this invention can be embodied in different forms, the specification describes and illustrates preferred embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that this disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other embodiments and variations of the invention, which employ the same inventive concepts as the invention, are possible. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited except by the following claims.
