GB2204027A

GB2204027A - Containers for beverages

Info

Publication number: GB2204027A
Application number: GB08806634A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David L Cox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-03-20
Filing date: 1988-03-21
Publication date: 1988-11-02
Also published as: GB8706658D0; GB8806634D0

Abstract

A container for fermented beverages comprises a generally tubular side wall 12 and longitudinally spaced end walls, 3, 11, one end wall 3 having a beverage discharge opening on or adjacent a central longitudinal axis of the container, and a beverage extractor tube 4 extending from the discharge opening to adjacent the other end wall 11 of the container. The extractor tube 4 extends laterally away from said container axis throughout all or part of its length so that the end of the extractor tube is offset from said axis and is located close to the container side wall 12. This allows the same sort of cask to be used for cask conditioned beers as is commonly used for brewery conditioned beers. The casks used for brewery conditioned beers lend themselves more readily to automated processing. <IMAGE>

Description

Containers For Beverages This invention relates to containers for fermented beverages, in particular beer.

There are two general types of beer, namely the cask conditioned and brewery conditioned varieties.

In the case of cask conditioned beer, the final part of the fermentation or maturation process takes place in the container in which the beer is ultimately supplied to the retailer. Traditionally such beer has been supplied in so-called casks which have two openings, namely a lower outlet opening adjacent the periphery of an end wall of the cask which is adapted to receive a tap for delivery of the beer, and an upper, vent opening in the side wall of the cask which is usually sealed by means of a so-called vent peg adapted to be loosened or removed to admit air when beer is being drawn from the cask. After fermentation of the beer in the cask has taken place or is near completion, finings are traditionally introduced via the vent opening to assist the yeast sediment in settling in the bottom part of the cask, below the outlet opening thereof.To ensure that all of the clear beer above the sediment layer is drawn from a cask before it is returned to the brewery for cleaning and refilling, it is usual for the retailer to tilt or "stoop" the cask gradually towards its outlet opening when it is nearly empty so that the sediment layer is displaced towards the lower end region of the cask below the outlet opening.

Traditional casks have certain disadvantages, particularly as regards the cleaning process which needs to be carried out before an empty cask can be refilled. The vent and outlet openings via which access may be gained to the interior of the cask do not lend themselves readily to automated cleaning processes, and in addition to cleaning out a sludge of yeast sediment and residual beer there is also usually the need to remove plugs in the form of "tuts" and "keystones" which are commonly used initially to seal respectively the vent and outlet openings and which have to be knocked into the interior of the cask before beer can be dispensed therefrom. With traditional casks the cleaning process is therefore labour intensive and messy.

Brewery conditioned or "keg" beer differs from the cask conditioned variety in that it is introduced into the container in which it is ultimately supplied to the retailer in a fully fermented, filtered and pasturised condition. There is therefore no need to fine such beer in the container and no yeast sediment settles out in the base of the container. Such beer is supplied in kegs, which are containers having a centrally located inlet/outlet opening in an upper end wall thereof. The opening mounts a valve means which is adapted to communicate the head space above the beer with a source of gas, usually CO2, under pressure effective to force the beer out of the keg via an extractor tube extending downwardly from the valve means to a region closely adjacent base of the keg.Such kegs are traditionally filled at the brewery with the keg vertical via the extractor tube with the keg inverted or not, and cleaning may be carried out e.g. by steam and water introduced under pressure via the extractor tube and/or the pressure gas inlet of the valve means.

The filling and cleaning processes may be readily automated with kegs of this sort, and it has therefore been proposed to adapt such kegs so that they are suitable also for use with cask conditioned beer e.g. by modifying the inlet/outlet valve means to permit the controlled release of gases owing to secondary fermentation taking place in the keg. However, problems arise owing to the sedimentary layer of yeast associated with cask conditioned beer which forms at the container base.

When filling of such kegs takes place via the extractor tube with the keg inverted it is important that the tube terminates as close as possible to the keg base; otherwise near complete filling of the keg cannot be achieved by this method. In any case it is desirable for the tube to terminate near the base so that substantially all the beverage can be drawn off thereby. Consequently a sediment layer at the bottom of the keg may often extend above the lower end of the extractor tube in which case the beer drawn from the keg will be cloudy.

If, on the other hand, the sedimentary layer is initially below the lower end of the extractor tube, although clouding of the beer is avoided, there will usually be a residual volume of clear beer left in a near empty keg between the top of the sediment layer and the lower end of the tube.

In known kegs these problems cannot readily be overcome by tilting or stooping the keg within acceptable limits.

Viewed from one aspect the invention provides a container for fermented beverages comprising a generally tubular side wall and longitudinally spaced end walls, one end wall having a beverage discharge opening on or adjacent a central longitudinal axis of the container, a beverage extractor tube extending from the discharge opening to adjacent the other end wall of the container, wherein the extractor tube extends laterally away from said container axis throughout all or part of its length so that the end of the extractor tube is offset from said axis and is located close to the container side wall.

With a container in accordance with the invention the container may be so orientated that the free end of the extractor tube is located in a lower side or end region of the container i.e. in a position similer to that which would normally be occupied by the inner end of an outlet tap provided in a sidewall or endwall of a container such as a traditional cask. The problems discussed above associated with the layer of sediment forming at the bottom of the container in the case of cask conditioned beer may therefore be avoided by tilting or "stooping" the container within acceptible limits either away from or towards the side or end of the container where the end of the tube is located, as appropriate depending on the thickness of the sedimentary layer.However, since the extractor tube communicates with a discharge opening located on the end wall on or adjacent the container axis, containers in accordance with the invention may pe readily cleaned and/or filled by means of automated processes normally associated with kegs intended for brewery conditioned beer.

In one embodiment a container in accordance with the invention may be adapted to be laid on its side when used to dispense a beverage, in which case there is preferably provided a valve in the side wall of the container suitably positioned to permit the ingress of air as the liquid level falls and preferably also adapted to permit the release of gas during any secondary fermentation in the container.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the container is however adapted to dispense the beverage when standing on the end wall thereof remote from the end wall having the discharge opening.

In this case, valve means are preferably associated with the discharge opening of a type similar to the valve means normally provided in a traditional keg. Such valve means is adapted to be releasably coupled to an external connector in such a way as to communicate the extractor tube with a beverage supply line and to communicate the head space above the beverage in the container either with the atmosphere for the release or inlet of air or with a pressure gas supply of e.g. CO2 if it is desired to charge the headspace to provide the beverage with extra sparkle.One such valve means includes concentric radially spaced valve seats and closure members for sealing respectively the extractor tube and the gas inlet/outlet of the valve when not coupled to a standard external connecter and for enabling the container to be used with existing automated cleaning, filling and handling equipment of the sort normally used with traditional kegs. Other known valve means of this type include non-concentric valve members.

According to a preferred feature applicable to all embodiments a flow deflector plate is coupled to the end of the extractor tube and the inlet to the extractor tube comprises at least one aperture in the side wall of the extractor tube adjacent the flow deflector plate. This feature helps minimise the ingress of sediment as beverage is drawn from the container. The inlet may be formed by one or more apertures. The flow deflector plate can have a number of shapes which would meet the requirements but a dish-shaped flow deflector plate is preferred. Another preferred feature which enhances the performance of the flow deflector plate is that the inlet to the extractor tube does not extend along the extractor tube beyond the level of the rim of the deflector plate along the extractor tube.A further preferred feature which helps to avoid fast flowing currents disturbing the sediment is that the area of the inlet to the extractor tube is at least as large as the cross-sectional area of the extractor tube.

Viewed from a second aspect the invention provides a method of preparing a beverage which includes at least partly fermenting/maturing the beverage in a container in accordance with the first aspect of the invention.

Viewed from a further aspect the invention provides a method of dispensing a beverage from a container in acordance with the first aspect of the invention, which method comprises orientating the container either on its side wall or on the end wall thereof remote from the discharge opening in such a way that the free end of said extractor tube is located in a lower region of the container and to one side or end thereof, tilting said container so that said one side or end is initially raised relative to the other side or end if necessary to ensure that the end of said tube is clear from sediment collected in the lower part of the container, drawing beverage from the container via the extractor tube, and tilting the container so that said one side or end thereof is lowered, relative to the other side or end, from its initial condition when the container is nearly empty to assist in removing any residual beverage above the layer of sediment via the extractor tube.

Viewed from a still further aspect the invention provides a valve assembly adapted for mounting in an inlet/outlet opening of a beverage container, such assembly comprising a valve for permitting release of beverage from the container, said valve communicating with a beverage extractor tube which when said assembly is mounted in a container opening extends into the container, wherein said tube extends laterally along all or part of the length thereof in such a way that in use the free end of the tube remote from the valve assembly is laterally offset from the axis of said container opening.

Preferably such a valve assembly includes a second valve for the ingress and egress of gas to or from the container head space respectively during fermentation of the beverage therein and during emptying of the container.

Certain embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-section illustrating the details of the inlet/outlet valve assembly; Figures 2-5 illustrate schematically in vertical cross-section a first embodiment of container in accordance with the invention, showing different degrees of tilting for differing volumes of yeast sediment; and Figure 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 illustrates the end of the extractor tube with a flow deflector plate in position.

Referring first to Figure 1, an embodiment of valve assembly is illustrated having concentric openings. It will be appreciated by those skilled in this art that similar valve assemblies are available with non-concentric openings.

As shown in Figure 1, the valve assembly 1 is adapted to be threadedly engaged with an inlet/outlet opening 2 formed centrally in one end wall 3 of a beverage container, as is traditional in kegs for brewery conditioned beer. The valve assembly 1 mounts an extractor tube 4 which extends almost the length of the container and terminates close to the other end wall. A first valve seat 5 and spring biased closure member 6 are arranged for sealing the outlet of the extractor tube as shown in the condition in Figure 1.

The valve assembly further includes a cuplike housing 7 sealed at its upper end by a second valve seat 8 co-operating with a second closure member 9 formed on the upper part of the extractor tube, which is spring biased upwardly into the closed condition shown in the drawing. as is traditional, such a valve assembly is adapted to be coupled to a separate male connector (not shown) whereupon the extractor tube 4 and thus the closure member 9 and also the inner closure member 6 are both urged downwardly away from their respective valve seats.In such a condition, the extractor tube communicates with a supply line (not shown) for the delivery of beverage from the container, and furthermore the housing 7, and thus the head space in the container via housing ports 10, are connected to atmosphere or to a source of C02 to permit the ingress of gas as the beverage level in the container falls. Where secondary fermentation/maturation is to take place in such a container the head space may also be communicated via the valve assembly with an outlet adapted to permit the controlled release of gas from the container.

As shown in Figures 2 to 5 with a container in accordance with the invention the extractor tube extends laterally throughout the major part of its length so that its free end is off-set from the central axis of the container and terminates in a position adjacent the other end wall 11 of the container and close to the tubular side wall 12 thereof. As shown schematically in the drawings the tube is shown to extend laterally over most of its length, although it will be appreciated that other tube shapes could be used.

The free end of the extractor tube is thus positioned in a lower side region of the container, and the container may readily be tilted or stooped as appropriate to avoid sediment entering the tube and to draw off the last remaining volume of clear beer, in a manner similar to a traditional cask.

It will be appreciated that this improvement is applicable to different forms of valve assembly.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 a layer 13 of yeast sediment is shown, which in the horizontal position of the container would extend above the lower end of the extractor tube 4. With this amount of sediment it is therefore necessary for the container to be initially tilted through a suitable angle el so that the side thereof where the end of the extractor tube is located is raised. In this way, the sediment layer can settle in the opposite lower side of the container, away from the end of the tube. When however the container is nearly empty, it is possible for the retailer to gradually reduce the angle of tilting to the angle e2 as shown in Figure 3 where the sediment layer finally envelops the end of the tube. In this way, by careful manipulation of the container it is possible to draw off the last remaining clear beverage above the sediment layer.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the situatation where the sediment layer is insufficiently thick initially to reach the lower end of the tube when the container stands on a horizontal surface.

In this case it will be appreciated that beverage can be initially drawn off with the container resting on the horizontal until the level of the clear beverage falls to the lower end of the extractor tube. It is then possible for the retailer to gradually tilt the container so that the side thereof where the end of the tube is located is lowered relative to the other side from its initial position until the angle e3 where the sediment envelops the end of the tube. It is again therefore possible for the retailer to draw-off the last remaining volume of clear beverage.

Figure 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment wherein dispensation is achieved with the container resting on its side wall 12. As shown in the drawing, the retailer so orientates the container that the end of the extractor tube 4 is positioned in a lower end region thereof. It is then possible for the retailer to tilt or stoop the container as appropriate depending on the thickness of the sediment layer, as described above. As shown in Figure 6, in order to adapt the container for use in this configuration it is necessary to provide a further air or gas inlet valve 13 in the container side wall, since an inlet valve associated with the valve assembly 1 will be below the level of beverage when the container is over half full.

It will be appreciated that the container shown in Figure 6 will be tilted or stooped in a manner similar to a traditional cask, although in the opposite sense to the extent that as the container is emptied the gradual tilting is away rather than towards the end wall having the beverage outlet.

Figure 7 illustrates a flow deflector plate 14 attached to the end of extractor tube 4. This feature is applicable to all the embodiments of the invention although the end of the extractor tube 4 in Figure 6 would require modifying so as to be perpendicular to the surface of the liquid.

The flow deflector plate 14 is dish-shaped with the extractor tube being welded to the centre of its concave surface. The inlet to the extractor tube comprises an aperture in the side wall of the extractor tube adjacent the flow deflector plate.

The inlet could also comprise a number of separate apertures adjacent the flow deflector plate although this is not shown in Figure 7. The purpose of the flow deflector plate is to minimise the ingress of sediment as the beverage is drawn from the container.

The diameter of the flow deflector plate should be less when the diameter of the inlet/outlet opening 2 to allow the extractor tube- assembly to pass through the container inlet/outlet opening 2.

The area of the inlet to the extractor tube 15 should be at least as large as the cross-sectional area of the extractor tube to avoid fast flowing currents disturbing the sediment. For enhanced performance the rim of the flow deflector plate 14 should be level with or above the inlet to the extractor tube 15 as is shown in Figure 7.

As discussed above a container in accordance with the invention is particularly suitable for cask conditioned beer, but is adapted to be filled and/or cleaned via the valve assembly 1 by means of automated equipment similar to that normally associated with keg beer. The beer is thus pumped into the container via the extractor tube 4 with the container upright or inverted; if inverted i.e. with the end wall 3 lowermost, it is important that the extractor tube terminates closely adjacent the other end wall 11 so that near complete filling can be achieved.It is traditional for such containers to include dome shaped end walls to resist the effect of internal pressure, and it will therefore be appreciated that by displacing the end of the extractor tube to a position close to the side wall 12 there will inevitably be a slightly greater overall space above the end of the tube if the container is inverted for filling. One option is to fill the inverted container in an inclined plane with the end of the tube at the highest point to minimise this space. However, in the case of cask conditioned beer it is usual to add the finings after the beer has undergone secondary fermentation/maturation, and such finings may conveniently take up part of the free volume left after the filling process when adding finings with the container upright.Water may be added with such finings, and therefore in practice the container can be finally completely filled by injection of water via the extractor tube with the container upright.

It will be appreciated that containers in accordance with the invention should have some external marking to identify the position of the end of the tube 4 so that the retailer knows how to orientate and tilt the container in the manner shown in the drawings. Since the valve assembly and tube are removable, a suitable means should also be provided to ensure correct location of the tube 4 within the container. This may be achieved e.g. through the provision of a stop in a lower side part of the container adapted to co-operate and restrain the end of the tube 4 as the valve assembly is screwed into the opening 2, or alternatively a suitable coupling may be provided between the tube and the threaded part of the valve assembly so that when the valve assembly is fully engaged with the opening 2 the end of the tube will always be in its desired location.

A further modification would be the use of an internal impervious bag to separate the beverage from the cask. In such a modification, the need for the additional valve 13 in the Figure 6 embodiment could be avoided.

Modifications to the apparatus and method described and illustrated herein may be apparent to those of relevant skill which retain one or more of the advantages envisaged. The disclosure hereof is intended to cover such modifications regardless of whether any particular feature or features presently described are omitted.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A container for fermented beverages comprising a generally tubular side wall and longitudinally spaced end walls, one end wall having a beverage discharge opening on or adjacent a central longitudinal axis of the container, a beverage extractor tube extending from the discharge opening to adjacent the other end wall of the container, wherein the extractor tube extends laterally away from said container axis throughout all or part of its length so that the end of the extractor tube is offset from said axis and is located close to the container side wall.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 which is adapted to be laid on its side when used to dispense a beverage.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a valve means in the side wall of the container suitably positioned to permit the ingress of air as the liquid level falls.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3 wherein the valve means is also adapted to permit the release of gas during any secondary fermentation in the container.

5. A container as claimed in claim 1 which is adapted to dispense the beverage when standing on the end wall thereof remote from the end wall having the discharge opening.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a valve means associated with the discharge opening.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6 wherein the valve means is adapted to be releasably coupled to an external connector in such a way as to communicate the extractor tube with a beverage supply line and to communicate the head space above the beverage in the container either with the atmosphere for the release or inlet of air or with a pressure gas supply.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the valve means includes concentric radially spaced valve seats and closure members for sealing respectively the extractor tube and the gas inlet/outlet of the valve when not coupled to a standard external connecter and for enabling the container to be used with existing automated cleaning, filling and handling equipment.

9. A container as claimed in claim 7 wherein the valve means includes non-concentric valve members.

10. A container as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a flow deflector plate is coupled to the end of the extractor tube and the inlet to the extractor tube comprises at least one aperture in the side wall of the extractor tube adjacent the flow deflector plate.

11. A container as claimed in claim 10 wherein the flow deflector plate is dish-shaped.

12. A container as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein the inlet to the extractor tube does not extend along the extractor tube beyond the level of the rim of the deflector plate along the extractor tube.

13. A container as claimed in claim 10,11 or 12 wherein the area of the inlet to the extractor tube is at least as large as the cross-sectional area of the extractor tube.

14. A method of preparing a beverage which includes at least partly fermenting/maturing the beverage in a container as claimed in any preceding claim.

15. A method of dispensing a beverage from a container as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13 comprising orientating the container either on its side wall or on the end wall thereof remote from the discharge opening in such a way that the free end of said extractor tube is located in a lower region of the container and to one side or end thereof, tilting said container so that said one side or end is initially raised relative to the other side or end if necessary to ensure that the end of said tube is clear from sediment collected in the lower part of the container, drawing beverage from the container via the extractor tube, and tilting the container so that said one side or end thereof is lowered, relative to the other side or end, from its initial condition when the container is nearly empty to assist in removing any residual beverage above the layer of sediment via the extractor tube.

16. A valve assembly adapted for mounting in an inlet/outlet opening of a beverage container, such assembly comprising a valve for permitting release of beverage from the container, said valve communicating with a beverage extractor tube which when said assembly is mounted in a container opening extends into the container, wherein said tube extends laterally along all or part of the length thereof in such a way that in use the free end of the extractor tube remote from the valve assembly is laterally offset from the axis of said container opening.

17. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 16 having a second valve for the ingress and egress of gas to or from the container head space respectively during fermentation of the beverage therein and during emptying of the container.

18. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A method of preparing a beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of dispensing a beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference Figures 1,2 to 5 and 7 or Figures 1,6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A valve assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.