Beverage chiller and associated systems and methods

A method of chilling a hot beverage, comprising:

• providing a beverage chiller, the beverage chiller including (i) a beverage collection section configured to receive a beverage in a hot state, (ii) a heat exchanger section configured to chill the beverage from the hot state to a predetermined chilled temperature, the heat exchanger section including an outer housing defining a chamber therein, the heat exchanger section including coiled tubing through which the beverage passes, the coiled tubing extending in a helical manner from a first end at or near a top surface of the heat exchanger section to a second end at or near a bottom surface of the heat exchanger section, (iii) a tube vertically disposed within the heat exchanger section for draining overflow of a cooling medium disposed in the heat exchanger section, (iv) a dispensing section disposed directly below the heat exchanger section for dispensing the beverage at or near the predetermined chilled temperature, the dispensing section including a base defining a bottom surface of the beverage chiller, the dispensing section including a dispenser housing with a wall defining a cylindrical configuration and having a cutout forming an opening extending into the dispenser housing, and the dispensing section including a spout disposed within the dispenser housing and fluidically connected to the second end of the coiled tubing, (v) a platform disposed within the opening extending into the dispenser housing and configured to receive a container through the opening for receiving the beverage dispensed at or near the predetermined chilled temperature from the spout of the dispensing section, and (vi) a drain fitting fluidically coupled to the tube disposed in the heat exchanger section, the drain fitting extending from the bottom surface of the base of the dispensing section, the drain fitting permitting automatic draining of the cooling medium from the heat exchanger section, the beverage collection section, the heat exchanger section and the dispensing section are fluidically connected and vertically stacked in a stacking direction relative to each other,
• introducing the beverage in the hot state into the beverage collection section,
• passing the beverage through the coiled tubing of the heat exchanger section, the beverage being chilled from the hot state to the predetermined chilled temperature during passage through the heat exchanger section, and
• dispensing the beverage at or near the predetermined chilled temperature at the dispensing section.

A beverage chiller system for chilling a hot beverage, comprising:

• a brewer for brewing a beverage,
• a beverage collection section configured to receive the beverage in a hot state,
• a heat exchanger section configured to chill the beverage from the hot state to a predetermined chilled temperature, the heat exchanger section including an outer housing defining a chamber therein, the heat exchanger section including coiled tubing through which the beverage passes, the coiled tubing extending in a helical manner from a first end at or near a top surface of the heat exchanger section to a second end at or near a bottom surface of the heat exchanger section,
• a tube vertically disposed within the heat exchanger section for draining overflow of a cooling medium disposed in the heat exchanger section,
• a dispensing section disposed directly below the heat exchanger section for dispensing the beverage at or near the predetermined chilled temperature, the dispensing section including a base defining a bottom surface of the beverage chiller, the dispensing section including a dispenser housing with a wall defining a cylindrical configuration and having a cutout forming an opening extending into the dispenser housing, and the dispensing section including a spout disposed within the dispenser housing and fluidically connected to the second end of the coiled tubing,
• a platform disposed within the opening extending into the dispenser housing and configured to receive a container through the opening for receiving the beverage dispensed at or near the predetermined chilled temperature from the spout of the dispensing section, and
• a drain fitting fluidically coupled to the tube disposed in the heat exchanger section, the drain fitting extending from the bottom surface of the base of the dispensing section, the drain fitting permitting automatic draining of the cooling medium from the heat exchanger section,
• wherein the brewer dispenses the beverage in the hot state to the beverage collection section,
• wherein the heat exchanger section chills the beverage from the hot state to the predetermined chilled temperature, and
• wherein the dispensing section dispenses the beverage at or near the predetermined chilled temperature.