Field of the Invention

The invention relates to brewing apparatuses, particularly containers for adding substances (e.g. hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar, yeast) to a brewing vessel.

Background of the Invention

Many people enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages, such as beer, in their own homes. Often, consumers will purchase these beverages from shops or, alternatively, order them for delivery to their homes. Both ways of purchasing alcoholic beverages have their drawbacks. When purchasing from a shop, unless the amount purchased is very small, containers for alcoholic beverages are generally large, heavy and difficult to transport. When ordering alcoholic beverages for home delivery to remove this problem, the customer will need to make sure that they are at home when the delivery is made because the containers are generally large, which is restrictive and inflexible. Unlike soft drinks, which can be provided in concentrated form (e.g. fruit squash or cordial), alcoholic beverages require individual packaging, meaning that a large quantity of alcoholic beverage bottles and cans go to landfill. Additionally, alcoholic beverages purchased by either method (shop-bought or home delivery) are often provided in packaging that is environmentally unfriendly (e.g. using plastic to hold cans together) and duty must be paid on the alcoholic beverages, which drastically inflates the purchase price for consumers.

As a result of these problems, and also as a hobby, many people now choose to brew their own beer, or other alcoholic beverages, at home. Consequently, domestic brewing kits have become popular. Usually, in such kits, yeast is added to a mixture of sugary malt extract known as wort (which may be pre-hopped) and water in a brewing vessel and the vessel is sealed. The yeast ferments the sugars in the malt extract to produce ethyl alcohol and release carbon dioxide (CO2).

It is desirable to maintain the pressure inside the brewing vessel to prevent the beverage from going flat. However, it can also be desirable to inject fresh hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar or yeast into the brewing vessel during fermentation and existing methods of doing this risk losing pressure from the fermentation container (e.g. by opening a valve).

There is therefore a need for solutions to the aforementioned problems. Summary of the Invention

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a container for removable attachment to a brewing vessel, the container comprising a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to engage an aperture in a wall of a brewing vessel, wherein the container is configured to seal the aperture as the container is attached to the brewing vessel, and wherein attaching the container to the brewing vessel allows fluid communication between the container and the brewing vessel. The container of the invention is designed to be attached to a brewing vessel, predominantly to deliver ingredients, such as hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar or yeast to the brewing vessel, whilst brewing is taking place. The container therefore advantageously seals the aperture whilst it is being attached and after it has been attached and therefore prevents bacteria from entering the brewing vessel and/or maintains the pressure within the brewing vessel (e.g. maintains the same pressure, substantially the same pressure, or a pressure above a predetermined threshold that means that the beverage in the vessel does not go flat).

The container may be configured to seal the aperture as the container is detached from the brewing vessel. Again, the container therefore advantageously seals the aperture whilst it is being detached and after it has been attached and therefore prevents bacteria from entering the brewing vessel and/or maintains the pressure within the brewing vessel (e.g. maintains the same pressure, substantially the same pressure, or a pressure above a predetermined threshold that means that the beverage in the vessel does not go flat).

The container may comprise a screw thread on an external surface of the container that may be configured to engage a complimentary screw thread on a brewing vessel, wherein the screw thread of the container may be located between the first end and the second end. There may be a gap between the first end and the screw thread of the container. The screw thread is designed to be a sufficient length and/or a sufficient distance from the first end of the container that the first end of the container can be screwed sufficiently far into an aperture. The skilled person will understand that other suitable means for attaching the container could equally be used (e.g. snap fit, magnets).

The first end may comprise a breakable seal, such as a foil seal (e.g. aluminium), that may be configured to seal the container until the container is attached to a brewing vessel but may be broken when the container is attached to a brewing vessel to allow fluid communication between the container and the brewing vessel. In this way, the container remains sealed and sterile until the contents of the container are to be emptied into a brewing vessel. The seal also prevents oxygen from entering the container, which lengthens the shelf life of the substance in the container. The container may comprise an O-ring surrounding the first end configured to maintain a pressure- tight seal with a brewing vessel when the container is attached to a brewing vessel. In some embodiments, the O-ring is positioned so that it establishes a pressure tight seal before an aperture of a brewing vessel is opened and before the contents of the container are to be emptied into a brewing vessel. Again, the O-ring therefore advantageously maintains the pressure within the brewing vessel (e.g. maintains the same pressure, substantially the same pressure, or a pressure above a predetermined threshold that means that the beverage in the vessel does not go flat). It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage.

The second end may comprise a flat outer surface configured to allow the container to stand on its second end. This is advantageous for storage and transport and also makes it easier to fill the container. The second end may comprise a curved inner surface configured to optimise pressure within the container. As noted above, maintaining suitable pressures is fundamental in brewing so the curved inner surface is highly advantageous.

The container may be at least partially transparent or translucent, or entirely transparent or translucent. In other words, all or part of the container may be transparent or all or part of the container may be translucent. This allows a user to see easily whether the entire contents of the container are emptied. The container may be made from PET, which is advantageous as it is widely recycled and can be made from recycled materials.

The container may be configured to add a substance, such as hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar or yeast, to a brewing vessel when the container is attached to a brewing vessel.

There is also provided a fermentation apparatus comprising a brewing vessel comprising an aperture in a wall of the brewing vessel, and a plunger positioned within the aperture, wherein the plunger comprises a first end that points into the brewing vessel and a second end that points away from the brewing vessel, wherein the plunger is movable between a closed position in which the plunger forms a pressure tight seal with the brewing vessel and an open position in which the plunger allows fluid communication through the aperture. The plunger therefore advantageously maintains the pressure within the brewing vessel (e.g. maintains the same pressure, substantially the same pressure, or a pressure above a predetermined threshold that means that the beverage in the vessel does not go flat) but can also be opened if desired, for example to add ingredients such as hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar or yeast through the aperture.

The plunger may be movable between its closed position and its open position axially. Alternatively or additionally, the plunger may be movable between its closed position and its open position by rotating the plunger. In particular, the plunger and the aperture may comprise ramped surfaces that are configured to engage each other to permit the plunger to move between its closed position and its open position by rotating the plunger. Providing a plunger that can be moved between its open and closed positions both axially and rotationally is particularly advantageous as it means that the movement can be achieved in different ways by interacting with different components, thereby increasing the flexibility and robustness of the apparatus.

The first end of the plunger may comprise a stopper configured to seal the brewing vessel when the plunger is in its closed position. The plunger therefore advantageously maintains the pressure within the brewing vessel (e.g. maintains the same pressure, substantially the same pressure, or a pressure above a predetermined threshold that means that the beverage in the vessel does not go flat). The second end of the plunger may comprise a sharp component, such as a cone shape with a sharp tip or a ridged cone shape with a sharp tip, configured to break a breakable seal of a container inserted into the aperture and release contents of a container into the aperture. This means that the fermentation apparatus of the invention can be used with a container having a breakable seal (e.g. foil) so that the contents of a container automatically empty into the brewing vessel when the plunger engages such a container.

The fermentation apparatus may further comprise a dial that may be insertable into the aperture and may be configured to switch the brewing vessel between different modes of functionality, such as dosing, brewing and/or cleaning, by moving the dial between different positions corresponding to each mode. The dial may be configured to key with the plunger when the dial is positioned in the aperture so that moving the dial to its cleaning position rotates the plunger to its open position to allow cleaning. Alternatively or additionally, the dial may be configured to key with the plunger when the dial is positioned in the aperture so that moving the dial to its brewing position rotates the plunger to its closed position. The dial may be removable from the aperture when the dial is in its dosing position to allow a container containing a substance to be added into the brewing vessel to be inserted into the aperture. The dial of the invention therefore means that many different modes can be used whilst still advantageously maintaining a pressure within the brewing vessel when necessary (e.g. maintains the same pressure, substantially the same pressure, or a pressure above a predetermined threshold that means that the beverage in the vessel does not go flat). It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage.

The dial may comprise a spring configured to bias the plunger towards its open position when the dial engages the plunger. The plunger may further comprise a spring configured to bias the plunger towards its closed position. The strength of the spring of the dial and the strength of the spring of the plunger may be configured so that when the dial engages the plunger, the plunger is biased towards its open position if the fermentation apparatus is in its cleaning mode, and the plunger is biased towards its closed position if the fermentation apparatus is in its brewing mode. In other words, when there is little or no pressure in the brewing vessel (e.g. when the vessel is in its cleaning mode), the plunger is biased to its open position to allow cleaning fluid to pass through the aperture. However, when the pressure within the brewing vessel is higher (e.g. when the vessel is in its cleaning mode), the combined force of the pressure within the vessel and the spring of the plunger is stronger than the spring of the dial and the plunger is in its closed position. This also acts as a safety feature in case a user accidentally rotates the dial to cleaning mode during brewing

There may also be provided a kit comprising any of the containers described herein and any of the fermentation apparatuses described herein. In this sense, it should still be understood that the containers and fermentation apparatuses can be provided separately and have their own special features independently of each other, as described herein. Nevertheless, the kits described herein also have special features.

The second end of the plunger may be configured to break the breakable seal of the container when the container is attached to the brewing vessel. This means that the contents of the container (e.g. hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar, yeast) automatically drop into the brewing vessel when the container engages the plunger.

The first end of the container may be configured to engage the plunger when the container is attached to the brewing vessel to move the plunger axially from its closed position to its open position. This means that the container and plunger advantageously (by virtue of their own special features) maintain a pressure within the brewing vessel (e.g. maintain the same pressure, substantially the same pressure, or a pressure above a predetermined threshold that means that the beverage in the vessel does not go flat). It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage.

There is also provided a method for adding a substance, such as hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar or yeast, to a brewing vessel comprising: providing any of the kits described here with the substance contained within the container; attaching the container to the aperture of the brewing vessel, which causes: the first end of the container to engage the plunger to move the plunger from its closed position to its open position to allow fluid communication between the container and the brewing vessel whilst maintaining a pressure within the brewing vessel; and the second end of the plunger to break the seal of the container to allow the substance contained within the container to exit the container and enter the brewing vessel whilst maintaining a pressure within the brewing vessel.

Again, whilst this method employs both the container and the fermentation apparatus, it should still be understood that the containers and fermentation apparatuses can be provided separately and have their own special features independently of each other, as described herein. Nevertheless, the method also has special features.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows front and perspective views of a container according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a cross-section view of the container of Figure 1 engaging an aperture;

Figure 3 shows a plunger according to the invention;

Figure 4 shows cross sectional views of the plunger of Figure 3 in different positions;

Figure 5 shows another plunger of the invention engaging an aperture;

Figure 6 shows a rear view of a fermentation apparatus according to the invention with a dial installed; and

Figure 7 shows cross-sectional views of a dial according to the invention in different positions.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows front and perspective views of a container 100 in accordance with the present invention. The container 100 is designed for removable attachment to a brewing vessel for the delivery of ingredients (e.g. hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar, yeast) to a brewing vessel, for example whilst brewing is taking place at pressure. It also seals the vessel which prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage. The container comprises a first end 102 and a second end 104, the first end 102 being configured to be inserted into and engage an aperture in a wall of a brewing vessel.

The container 100 is designed so that attaching the container 100 to a brewing vessel automatically allows fluid communication between the container 100 and the brewing vessel (this action will be described in further detail below) so that ingredients, such as hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar or yeast, can be delivered to the brewing vessel whilst the aperture and therefore the vessel remain sealed. This means, for example, that hops, hop oils/derivatives, flavourings, finings, sugar or yeast can be added whilst brewing is taking place and whilst also maintaining the pressure within the brewing vessel whilst the ingredients are being delivered. It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage. The container 100 can continue to maintain a pressure within the brewing vessel and seal the vessel as the container is detached from the brewing vessel (again, this action will be described in further detail below).

As shown in Figure 1 , the container 100 comprises a screw thread 106 on an external surface of the container 100 that is designed to engage a complimentary screw thread on a brewing vessel. It can be seen from Figure 1 that the screw thread 106 of the container 100 is located between the first end 102 and the second end 104 with a gap or distance between the first end 102 and the screw thread 106 of the container 100. The reason that the container 100 is designed so that the screw thread 106 is of a sufficient length and a sufficient distance from the first end 102 is that this means that the first end 102 of the container 100 can be screwed sufficiently far into an aperture of a brewing vessel to ensure advantageous results such as maintaining pressure and reliable delivery of ingredients from the container 100. It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage.

The first end 102 of the container 100 comprises a breakable foil seal 108 that is configured to seal the container 100 until the container is attached to a brewing vessel and then is designed to be broken when the container 100 is attached to a brewing vessel to allow fluid communication between the container 100 and the brewing vessel. In this way, the container 100 remains sealed and sterile until the contents of the container 100 are to be emptied into a brewing vessel.

The container 100 shown in Figure 1 also comprises an O-ring 110 surrounding the first end 102 configured to maintain a pressure-tight seal with a brewing vessel when the container 100 is attached to a brewing vessel. The O-ring 110 is ideally positioned so that it establishes a pressure tight seal before an aperture of a brewing vessel is opened and before the contents of the container are to be emptied into a brewing vessel. The O-ring 110 also serves to lock the container 100 in place in an aperture into which it has been inserted. It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage.

It can be seen that the second end 104 comprises a flat or substantially flat outer surface configured to allow the container 100 to stand upright on its second end 104. This is advantageous for storage and transport. In contrast, an inner surface of the second end 104 is curved or substantially curved to optimise pressure within the container 100.

It can also be seen from Figure 1 that the container 100 is constructed from a transparent or translucent material, which allows a user to see easily whether the entire contents of the container 100 are emptied. The container 100 may be made from PET.

There is also provided herein a fermentation apparatus comprising a brewing vessel with an aperture in a wall of the brewing vessel. Figure 2 depicts a container 100 as described previously engaged with an aperture 200 of a brewing vessel. It can be seen from Figure 2 that the container 100 has been screwed into the aperture 200 with the screw thread 106 of the container 100 has been screwed onto a complimentary screw thread 206 of the aperture 200. The O-ring 110 of the container 100 provides a seal as described previously to maintain the pressure within the brewing vessel. It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage.

It can also be seen from Figure 2 that there is a plunger 300 positioned within the aperture 200. The plunger 300 is shown in more detail in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows that the plunger 300 comprises a first end 302 and a second end 304. The first end 302 of the plunger 300 comprises a stopper 305 configured to seal a brewing vessel when the plunger is in a closed position, as will be described below, to advantageously maintain the pressure within the brewing vessel. It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage. The second end 304 of the plunger 300 comprises a sharp component 306, depicted as a cone shape with a sharp tip, configured to break the breakable seal of a container such as the one described previously with reference to Figure 1. This means that the contents of a container automatically empty into the brewing vessel when the plunger 300 engages such a container. The plunger 300 also comprises a ramped surface 308 whose function will be explained below.

Returning to Figure 2, it can be seen that the container 100 has engaged the plunger 300 to move the plunger 300 from a closed position, in which the stopper 305 of the plunger 300 seals the aperture 200, to an open position, in which fluid communication through the aperture 200 is permitted. As well as this, the sharp component 306 of the plunger 300 has broken or pierced the breakable seal 108 of the container 100 to allow the contents of the container (e.g. hops or flavourings) to enter the brewing vessel through the aperture 200. However, as the container 100 (and particularly the O-ring 110) seals the aperture 200, the automatic breaking of the breakable seal 108 by the plunger 300 and the delivery of ingredients to the brewing vessel all take place whilst maintaining the pressure in the brewing vessel. It also prevents bacteria or other contaminants from entering the vessel which could spoil the beverage.

Referring now to Figures 4, and as mentioned previously, the plunger 300 is movable between closed and open positions. Figure 4a depicts the closed position of the plunger 300 described previously and Figures 4b and 4c depict two different open positions that are responsible for two different modes or functionalities of the fermentation apparatus. In fact, the plunger 300 is movable between its closed and open positions both by axial movement (i.e. translational into the brewing vessel) and by rotating the plunger 300. The axial movement between the closed and open positions of the plunger 300 has already been described with respect to Figure 2 and is also shown in Figure 4b, whereby the container 100 (or another suitable component) engages the plunger 300 and moves it to allow for the contents of the container 100 to pass through the aperture 200 into the brewing vessel. In the rotational movement of the plunger 300, shown in Figure 4c, the plunger 300 and the aperture 200 both comprise ramped surfaces 208, 308 that are configured to engage each other to permit the plunger 300 to move between its closed position and its open position by rotating the plunger 300. Providing a plunger 300 that can be moved between its open and closed positions both axially and rotationally is particularly advantageous as it means that the movement can be achieved in different ways by interacting with different components, thereby increasing the flexibility and robustness of the apparatus, and it also means that the fermentation apparatus is capable of carrying out a number of different functionalities in different modes, as will be described below.

Figure 5 shows another plunger 350 of the invention in another aperture 250 of a brewing vessel. This plunger 350 can be moved between open and closed as described previously when engaged, for example, by a container (not shown in Figure 5) of the invention, but is only configured to move axially. Instead of comprising a ramped surface (like plunger 300), plunger 350 is shaped to move axially along a rib 251 in the aperture 250. For example, the plunger 350 comprises a protrusion 351 that is configured to engage the rib 251 to permit the plunger 350 to move axially between its open and closed positions whilst being supported by the rib 251. Of course, the plunger 350 could alternatively or additionally comprise a recess to engage the rib 251 .

The plunger 350 comprises a sharp component 356 as described with respect to plunger 300. However, the sharp component 356 of the plunger 350 shown in Figure 5 comprises a cone having a plurality of ridges on the cone surface, extending radially from the tip of the cone to the edge of the cone, which has been found to break a breakable seal of a container according to the invention cleanly e.g. without leaving shards. Of course, the plunger 300 described previously could also have a sharp component taking this shape.

It has been found that keeping the axial position of the plunger the same at all times also results in clean breaking of a breakable seal of a container e.g. without leaving shards as the container rotates against the sharp component 356.

As shown in Figure 6, the fermentation apparatus 1 further comprises a dial 500 that is insertable into the aperture 200 and is configured to switch the fermentation apparatus 1 and/or brewing vessel between different modes of functionality, particularly dosing, brewing and cleaning (although other modes and combinations of modes may be contemplated), by rotating the dial 500 between different positions corresponding to each mode. The dial 500 is configured to key with a plunger such as plunger 200 (not shown in Figure 6) when the dial is positioned in the aperture 200 so that moving the dial 500 to its cleaning position rotates the plunger to its open position to allow cleaning through the aperture 200. Similarly, the dial 500 is configured to key with the plunger (not shown in Figure 6) when the dial 500 is positioned in the aperture 200 so that moving the dial 500 to its brewing position rotates the plunger (not shown in Figure 6) to its closed position to seal the brewing vessel for fermentation to take place under pressure. For the dosing mode, the dial 500 is removable from the aperture when the dial 500 is in its dosing position to allow a container (such as container 100) containing a substance to be added into the brewing vessel to be inserted into the aperture 200. The dial of the invention therefore means that many different modes can be used whilst still advantageously maintaining a pressure within the brewing vessel when necessary.

Figures 7a and 7b show another dial 700 of the invention that is insertable into the aperture 250 and is configured to switch the fermentation apparatus 1 and/or brewing vessel between different modes of functionality, particularly dosing, brewing and cleaning (although other modes and combinations of modes may be contemplated), by rotating the dial 700 between different positions corresponding to each mode. In the arrangements shown in Figures 7a and 7b, the dial 700 is configured to be screwed into the aperture 250 to engage the plunger 350 and move it axially between its open and closed positions. Figure 7a shows the plunger 350 in a cleaning (i.e. open) position where cleaning fluid can be passed through the aperture 250. Figure 7b shows the plunger 350 in a brewing positon where the plunger 350 seals the aperture 250. However, Figure 7b can also show a situation where the dial 700 has been rotated accidentally to a cleaning position during brewing (i.e. when the brewing vessel is pressurised). In this case, the plunger 350 remains in its closed position as a safety feature and to seal the brewing vessel (e.g. to maintain pressure and/or protect contaminants from entering the brewing vessel). As described previously, the dial 700 can be rotated to a position corresponding to dosing mode where it can be removed and a container 100 can be inserted. To achieve the functionality shown in Figures 7a and 7b, the dial 700 is formed of two pieces separated by a compression spring 800 configured to exert a force on the plunger 350. The plunger 350 comprises a tension spring 900 configured to bias the plunger 350 towards its closed position. The compression spring 800 of the dial 700 is stronger than the tension spring 900 of the plunger 350. This means that, when there is little or no pressure in the brewing vessel (e.g. when the vessel is in its cleaning mode), the compression spring 800 of the dial biases the plunger 350 to its open position to allow cleaning fluid to pass through the aperture 250. However, when the pressure within the brewing vessel is higher (e.g. when the vessel is in its cleaning mode), the combined force of the pressure within the vessel and the tension spring 900 of the plunger is stronger than the compression spring 800 of the dial and the plunger 350 is in its closed position. This also acts as a safety feature in case a user accidentally rotates the dial 700 to cleaning mode during brewing.

The container and fermentation apparatus can be provided separately or as a kit. However, it should be understood that the containers and fermentation apparatuses have their own special features independently of each other, as described herein.

The present invention has been described above in exemplary form with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent a single embodiment of the invention. It will be understood that many different embodiments of the invention exist, and that these embodiments all fall within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.