Processes for controlling the strength of an extractable beverage

1. A process for controlling strength of an extracted beverage comprising:

providing a pseudo packed bed of an extractable beverage material;

selecting a depth of at least one liquid extraction stream to obtain at least one zone of minimum extraction and at least one zone of maximum extraction in the pseudo packed bed of extractable beverage material; and

contacting at least one liquid extraction stream with the pseudo packed bed of extractable beverage material at the selected depth;

wherein as the depth at which the liquid extraction stream contacts the pseudo packed bed increases, the zone of minimum extraction increases and the zone of maximum extraction decreases.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the extractable beverage material is roast and ground coffee.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein as size and number of zones of maximum extraction increases, overall strength of the extracted beverage increases.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein the extractable beverage material is contained within an article selected from the group consisting of pods, cartridges and pouches.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein when the extracted beverage has a strong strength, the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 0.01% to about 16% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 84% to about 99.9% of the pseudo packed bed.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein when the extracted beverage has an average strength, the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 17% to about 47% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 53% to about 83% of the pseudo packed bed.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein when the extracted beverage has a mild strength, the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 48% to about 70% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 30% to about 52% of the pseudo packed bed.

8. A process for controlling strength of an extractable beverage comprising:

providing a pseudo packed bed of an extractable beverage material;

selecting coverage area of at least one lie uid extraction stream to obtain at least one zone of minimum extraction and at least one zone of maximum extraction in the pseudo packed bed of extractable beverage material; and

contacting at least one liquid extraction stream having the selected coverage area with the pseudo packed bed of extractable beverage material;

wherein as the coverage area of the liquid extraction stream increases, the zone of minimum extraction decreases and the zone of maximum extraction increases.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the extractable beverage material is contained within an article selected from the group consisting of pods, cartridges and pouches.

10. The process of claim 8 wherein as size and number of zones of maximum extraction increases, overall strength of the extracted beverage increases.

11. The process of claim 8 wherein when the extracted beverage has a strong strength, a ratio of the zone of minimum extraction to the zone of maximum extraction is from about 0.19:1 to about 0.01:1.

12. The process of claim 8 wherein when the extracted beverage has an average strength, a ratio of the zone of minimum extraction to the zone of maximum extraction is from about 0.2:1 to about 0.89:1.

13. The process of claim 8 wherein when the extracted beverage has a mild strength, a ratio of the zone of minimum extraction to the zone of maximum extraction is from about 0.90:1 to about 2.3:1.

14. The process of claim 8 comprising at least two liquid extraction streams.

15. A process for controlling strength of an extractable beverage comprising:

providing a pseudo packed bed of an extractable beverage material;

selecting a coverage area of at least one liquid extraction stream;

selecting a depth of the at least one liquid extraction stream having the selected coverage area to obtain at least one zone of minimum extraction and at least one zone of maximum extraction in the pseudo packed bed of extractable beverage material; and

contacting at least one liquid extraction stream having the selected coverage area with the pseudo packed bed of extractable beverage material at the selected depth;

wherein as the coverage area of the liquid extraction stream increases, the zone of minimum extraction decreases and the zone of maximum extraction increases and wherein as the depth at which the liquid extraction stream contacts the pseudo packed bed increases, the zone of minimum extraction increases and the zone of maximum extraction decreases.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the extractable beverage material is roast and ground coffee.

17. The process of claim 15 wherein as size and number of zones of maximum extraction increases, overall strength of the extracted beverage increases.

18. The process of claim 16 wherein the extractable beverage material is contained within an article selected from the group consisting of pods, cartridges and pouches.

19. The process of claim 18 wherein the extracted beverage has a user-selected strength selected from among (a) a strong strength and the extracted beverage comprises from about 0.76% to about 0.95% brew solids, (b) an average strength and the extracted beverage comprises about 0.50% to about 0.75% brew solids and (c) a mild strength and the extracted beverage comprises less than about 0.50% brew solids.

20. The process of claim 15 wherein selecting the coverage area of at least one liquid extraction stream comprises selecting the coverage area of the at least one liquid extraction stream corresponding to a user-selected strength of the extracted beverage and wherein selecting the depth of the at least one liquid extraction stream comprises selecting the depth of the at least one liquid extraction stream corresponding to the user-selected strength of the extracted beverage.

21. The process of claim 20 wherein the user-selected strength is selected from among (a) a strong strength and the extracted beverage comprises from about 0.76% to about 0.95% brew solids, (b) an average strength and the extracted beverage comprises about 0.50% to about 0.75% brew solids, and (c) a mild strength and the extracted beverage comprises less than about 0.50% brew solids.

22. The process of claim 21 wherein the user-selected strength is selected from among (a) the strong strength, and the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 0.01% to about 16% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 84% to about 99.9% of the pseudo packed bed; (b) the average strength, and the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 17% to about 47% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 53% to about 83% of the pseudo packed bed; and (c) the mild strength, the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 48% to about 70% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 30% to about 52% of the pseudo packed bed.

23. The process of claim 1 wherein selecting the depth of the at least one liquid extraction stream comprises selecting the depth of the at least one liquid extraction stream corresponding to a user-selected strength of the extracted beverage.

24. The process of claim 23 wherein the user-selected strength is selected from among (a) a strong strength and the extracted beverage comprises from about 0.76% to about 0.95% brew solids, (b) an average strength and the extracted beverage comprises about 0.50% to about 0.75% brew solids, and (c) a mild strength and the extracted beverage comprises less than about 0.50% brew solids.

25. The process of claim 23 wherein the user-selected strength is selected from among (a) a strong strength, and the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 0.01% to about 16% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 84% to about 99.9% of the pseudo packed bed; (b) an average strength, and the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 17% to about 47% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 53% to about 83% of the pseudo packed bed; and (c) a mild strength, and the zone of minimum extraction accounts for from about 48% to about 70% of the pseudo packed bed, and the zone of maximum extraction accounts for from about 30% to about 52% of the pseudo packed bed.

26. The process of claim 8 wherein selecting the coverage area of at least one liquid extraction stream comprises selecting the coverage area of the at least one liquid extraction stream corresponding to a user-selected strength of the extracted beverage.

27. The process of claim 26 wherein the user-selected strength is selected from among (a) a strong strength and a ratio of the zone of minimum extraction to the zone of maximum extraction is from about 0.19:1 to about 0.01:1, (b) an average strength and a ratio of the zone of minimum extraction to the zone of maximum extraction is from about 0.2:1 to about 0.89:1, and (c) a mild strength and a ratio of the zone of minimum extraction to the zone of maximum extraction is from about 0.90:1 to about 2.3:1.

28. The process of claim 26 wherein the user-selected strength is selected from among (a) a strong strength and the extracted beverage comprises from about 0.76% to about 0.95% brew solids, (b) an average strength and the extracted beverage comprises about 0.50% to about 0.75% brew solids, and (c) a mild strength and the extracted beverage comprises less than about 0.50% brew solids.

29. A process for controlling a strength of an extracted beverage comprising:

(a) providing particles of an extractable beverage material in the form of a pseudo packed bed within an article;

(b) selecting a depth at which at least one liquid extraction stream contacts the pseudo packed bed to thereby divide the pseudo packed bed into at least one zone of minimum extraction and at least one zone of maximum extraction,

wherein as the depth at which the at least one liquid extraction stream contacts the pseudo packed bed increases, the zone of minimum extraction increases and the zone of maximum extraction decreases, and

wherein as the zone of minimum extraction increases and the zone of maximum extraction decreases, the strength of the extracted beverage produced from the pseudo packed bed decreases; and

(c) contacting the pseudo packed bed with the at least one liquid extraction stream at the selected depth to produce the extracted beverage at controlled strength.

30. A process for controlling a strength of an extracted beverage comprising:

(a) providing particles of an extractable beverage material in the form of a pseudo packed bed within an article;

(b) selecting a depth at which at least one liquid extraction stream contacts the pseudo packed bed, wherein the depth at which the at least one liquid extraction stream contacts the pseudo packed bed dictates the strength of the extracted beverage produced from the pseudo packed bed; and

(c) contacting the pseudo packed bed with the at least one liquid extraction stream at the selected depth to produce the extracted beverage at controlled strength.