Cold brewing system and method
A method of making a nitrogenized cold brew beverage at a low temperature and using a process that avoids the negative attributes associated with traditional cold brewing steeping methods.
1. A method of making a nitrogenized cold brew beverage, comprising:
a) cooling a flavoring agent;
b) supplying water at a supply flowrate to a beverage percolation system ( 200 ) having a percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), wherein the percolation system ( 200 ) contains the flavoring agent
c) percolating the water by gravity through the flavoring agent to form a beverage ( 280 );
d) controlling a discharge flowrate of the beverage ( 280 ) from the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) with a percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), thereby establishing (i) a brewing period as the amount of time elapsed from when the water enters the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) to the time that the beverage ( 280 ) leaves the percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), and (ii) a contact time as the amount of time in which the water is moving through the flavoring agent, wherein the brewing period is 45-120 minutes per pound of the flavoring agent;
e) collecting the beverage ( 280 ) in a beverage storage system ( 300 ) and maintaining the beverage ( 280 ) therein;
f) discharging nitrogen into the beverage in the beverage storage system ( 300 ) to create the nitrogenized cold brew beverage, wherein the nitrogen is discharged at least six inches from a surface of the beverage in the beverage storage system ( 300 );
g) wherein the supply water, the flavoring agent, and the beverage do not exceed 44 degrees Fahrenheit throughout steps a-f.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of discharging the nitrogen at least six inches from a surface of the beverage in the beverage storage system ( 300 ), produces a bubble size of no more than 2 microns through a nitrogen fill dispensing stone ( 326 ) located within the beverage and at least six inches from a surface of the beverage, and the nitrogen fill dispensing stone ( 326 ) has a porosity of 2 micron or less.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact time is at least 25% of the brewing period.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supply flowrate is greater than the discharge flowrate.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) includes a beverage percolation system container ( 210 ) having a bottom surface, and at least a portion of the flavoring agent is elevated from the bottom surface to define a non-pressurized percolated beverage reservoir ( 260 ), wherein a difference between the supply flowrate and the discharge flowrate produces a non-pressurized outlet pool having an outlet pool depth ( 282 ) within the percolated beverage reservoir ( 260 ).
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein all of the flavoring agent is elevated from the bottom surface by a flavoring agent stand-off distance ( 295 ), and during at least 15% of the brewing period the outlet pool depth ( 282 ) is less than flavoring agent stand-off ( 295 ) so the outlet pool does not contact the flavoring agent.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein during no more than 75% of the brewing period the outlet pool depth ( 282 ) is equal to, or greater than, the flavoring agent stand-off ( 295 ).
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein during the entire brewing period the outlet pool depth ( 282 ) is less than flavoring agent stand-off ( 295 ) so the outlet pool does not contact the flavoring agent during the entire brewing period.
9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the supply flowrate is at least 5-40% greater than the discharge flowrate.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) contains 0.3-0.5 pounds of flavoring agent per gallon of the beverage.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) has a percolation system volume that is 125-325 cubic inches per pound of flavoring agent.
12. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of dispensing the nitrogenized cold brew beverage through a dispensing tap ( 630 ) having a faucet restrictor plate to liberate dissolved gases from the nitrogenized cold brew beverage.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the dispensing tap ( 630 ) includes a flow straightener, and the faucet restrictor plate restricts a discharge flowrate to less than one gpm at a nitrogenized cold brew beverage pressure of less than 50 psig.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the faucet restrictor plate contains at least two flow apertures having a diameter of less than 0.08 inches.
15. The method of claim 1 , further including a step of heating the nitrogenized cold brew beverage at a rate of no more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit per second in a closed environment while under pressure.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the nitrogenized cold brew beverage is heated at a rate of at least 4 degrees Fahrenheit per second.
17. A method of making a nitrogenized cold brew beverage, comprising:
a) cooling a flavoring agent;
b) supplying water at a supply flowrate to a beverage percolation system ( 200 ) having a percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), wherein the percolation system ( 200 ) contains the flavoring agent;
c) percolating the water through the flavoring agent to form a beverage ( 280 );
d) controlling a discharge flowrate of the beverage ( 280 ) from the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) with a percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), thereby establishing
(i) a brewing period as the amount of time elapsed from when the water enters the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) to the time that the beverage ( 280 ) leaves the percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), and
(ii) a contact time as the amount of time in which the water is moving through the flavoring agent, wherein the brewing period is 45-120 minutes per pound of the flavoring agent;
e) collecting the beverage ( 280 ) in a beverage storage system ( 300 ) and maintaining the beverage ( 280 ) therein;
f) discharging nitrogen through a nitrogen fill dispensing stone ( 326 ) into the beverage in the beverage storage system ( 300 ) to create the nitrogenized cold brew beverage, wherein the nitrogen fill dispensing stone ( 326 ) is located at least six inches from a surface of the beverage in the beverage storage system ( 300 ), and the nitrogen fill dispensing stone ( 326 ) has a porosity of 2 micron or less; and
g) wherein the supply water, the flavoring agent, and the beverage do not exceed 44 degrees Fahrenheit throughout steps a-f.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) includes a beverage percolation system container ( 210 ) having a bottom surface, and at least a portion of the flavoring agent is elevated from the bottom surface to define a percolated beverage reservoir ( 260 ), wherein a difference between the supply flowrate and the discharge flowrate produces an outlet pool having an outlet pool depth ( 282 ) within the percolated beverage reservoir ( 260 ), all of the flavoring agent is elevated from the bottom surface by a flavoring agent stand-off distance ( 295 ), and during at least 15% of the brewing period the outlet pool depth ( 282 ) is less than flavoring agent stand-off ( 295 ) so the outlet pool does not contact the flavoring agent.
19. A method of making a nitrogenized cold brew beverage, comprising:
a) cooling a flavoring agent;
b) supplying water at a supply flowrate to a beverage percolation system ( 200 ) having a percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), wherein the percolation system ( 200 ) contains the flavoring agent;
c) percolating the water through the flavoring agent to form a beverage ( 280 );
d) controlling a discharge flowrate of the beverage ( 280 ) from the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) with a percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), thereby establishing
(i) a brewing period as the amount of time elapsed from when the water enters the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) to the time that the beverage ( 280 ) leaves the percolation system discharge control system ( 270 ), and
(ii) a contact time as the amount of time in which the water is moving through the flavoring agent, wherein the brewing period is 45-120 minutes per pound of the flavoring agent;
e) collecting the beverage ( 280 ) in a beverage storage system ( 300 ) and maintaining the beverage ( 280 ) therein;
f) discharging nitrogen into the beverage in the beverage storage system ( 300 ) to create the nitrogenized cold brew beverage, wherein the nitrogen is discharged at least six inches from a surface of the beverage in the beverage storage system ( 300 );
g) wherein the beverage percolation system ( 200 ) includes a beverage percolation system container ( 210 ) having a bottom surface, and at least a portion of the flavoring agent is elevated from the bottom surface to define a percolated beverage reservoir ( 260 ), wherein a difference between the supply flowrate and the discharge flowrate produces an outlet pool having an outlet pool depth ( 282 ) within the percolated beverage reservoir ( 260 ), all of the flavoring agent is elevated from the bottom surface by a flavoring agent stand-off distance ( 295 ), and during at least 15% of the brewing period the outlet pool depth ( 282 ) is less than flavoring agent stand-off ( 295 ) so the outlet pool does not contact the flavoring agent; and
h) wherein the supply water, the flavoring agent, and the beverage do not exceed 44 degrees Fahrenheit throughout steps a-f.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein during the entire brewing period the outlet pool depth ( 282 ) is less than flavoring agent stand-off ( 295 ) so the outlet pool does not contact the flavoring agent during the entire brewing period.