# US 11,299,695 B2 · Beer making machine with direct steam injection

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- Number: US 11,299,695 B2
- Document ID: US11299695B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/022,172
- Filed: 2018-06-28
- Published: 2018-10-25
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-23
- Assignees: PB Funding Group, LLC
- Applicants: PicoBrew, LLC
- Inventors: James B. Mitchell; Avi R. Geiger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299695B2

## CPC

- C12C 7/20: Boiling the beerwort (brew kettles C12C13/02)
- C12C 7/06: Mashing apparatus
- F04B 23/02: having reservoirs
- F04B 49/065: {and making use of computers}
- F04B 2205/11: Outlet temperature
- C12C: BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION (ageing or ripening by storing C12H1/22; methods for reducing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H3/00; methods for increasing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H6/00; venting devices for casks, barrels or the like C12L9/00); PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)

## Abstract

A beer making system may use direct steam injection during wort manufacturing. Steam may be added directly to the wort, and may be part of a recirculating mash system. The steam may be the primary mechanism for adding heat to the system, and may eliminate many problems that often occur when using conventional heating systems. A water reservoir may feed a stream generator, which may inject steam into wort during mashing or boiling steps. A controller may monitor temperature and other parameters, and may calculate the dilution of wort based on the water added through the steam injection and allow a brewing system to compensate for said dilution and still produce desired results.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a water input;
a pump having an electrical input;
a heater;
a steam injector, said steam injector having a liquid connection configured to inject steam into a processed liquid;
a connection from said steam injector to a reservoir that contains said processed liquid;
plumbing connecting said water input, said pump, said heater, and said steam injector in sequence;
a controller having:
a temperature sensor input;
a temperature set point input for said processed liquid; and
a pump output connected to said electrical input of said pump.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising a check valve.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, said check valve being located between said heater and said steam injector.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, said check valve being located between said pump and said heater.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, said water source being a water reservoir.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, said pump being one of a group composed of:
a peristaltic pump;
a diaphragm pump; and
a positive displacement pump.

### Claim 7

A controller comprising:
a set point input for a processed liquid stored in a reservoir;
a temperature measurement input;
a pump output;
a heater output;
said controller being configured to:
determine a target temperature from said set point input;
determine a current temperature of a processed liquid from said temperature measurement input;
determine that said current temperature is below said target temperature; and
activate said pump output and said heater output to cause steam to be generated and injected into said processed liquid.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The controller of claim 7 being further configured to:
determine an amount of water added to said processed liquid over a period of time, said amount of water being added primarily as steam.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The controller of claim 8 being further configured to:
determine a second amount of water to be added as liquid; and
activate said pump output to cause said water to be added as liquid to said processed liquid.