US 12,637,640 B2Granted

Precooler apparatus for cooling beerwort

AssigneeInnovation Brewing, LLC.

InventorsJames F. Faulstich, Paul W. Koda, Andrew J. Parker

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Abstract

A precooler apparatus and method for using the same, used in combination with a downstream heat exchange system for increasing the speed of cooling beerwort and enabling a lower final temperature of the cooled beerwort. The precooler is a closable portable unit equipped with various potential configurations involving inlets, outlets, conduit, connections and valves. The precooler exhibits a chamber for holding cooling media, which may be readily recharged. The inlet to the precooler apparatus accepts a cooling water solution, which may be either passed through the interior chamber and through the cooling media or configured to bypass the cooling media within the interior chamber, before being routed to the outlet of the precooler apparatus and subsequently to a heat exchange system.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A precooler apparatus comprising:

a body, said body equipped with an interior chamber disposed inside said body;
a port on said body, said port configured to allow adding cooling media into said interior chamber;
a lid, said lid configured to maintain the pressure of the water source within the interior chamber when sealed with said port;
an inlet, said inlet equipped with an inlet connector;
an inlet extension having a first end and a second end, said first end of said inlet extension in communication with said inlet, said second end of inlet extension in communication with said interior chamber;
an outlet, said outlet equipped with an outlet connector;
an outlet extension having a first end and a second end, said first end of outlet extension in communication with said interior chamber, said second end of outlet extension in communication with said outlet;
a manifold, said manifold comprising:
a primary conduit, said primary conduit having a primary conduit inlet side and a primary conduit outlet side, said primary conduit having a primary conduit inlet disposed on the exterior of said primary conduit inlet side, said primary conduit having a primary conduit outlet disposed on the exterior of said primary conduit outlet side;
a primary conduit inlet connector, said primary conduit inlet connector in communication with said primary conduit inlet;
a primary conduit outlet connector, said primary conduit outlet connector in communication with said primary conduit outlet;
a first conduit branch having a first end and a second end, said first end of first conduit branch in communication with said primary conduit inlet side, said second end of first conduit branch in communication with said inlet connector of said inlet;
a second conduit branch having a first end and a second end, said first end of second conduit branch in communication with said outlet connector of said outlet, said second end of second conduit branch in communication with said primary conduit outlet side;
an inlet valve, said inlet valve disposed within said first conduit branch;
an outlet valve, said outlet valve disposed within said second conduit branch;
and
a bypass valve, said bypass valve disposed within said primary conduit, wherein said bypass valve is downstream of said first end of said first conduit branch and said bypass valve is upstream of said second end of said second conduit branch.

14 more elements

A precooler apparatus comprising:

a body, said body equipped with an interior chamber disposed inside said body;
a port on said body, said port configured to allow adding cooling media into said interior chamber;
a lid, said lid configured to maintain the pressure of the water source within the interior chamber when sealed with said port;
an inlet, said inlet equipped with an inlet connector;
an inlet extension having a first end and a second end, said first end of said inlet extension in communication with said inlet, said second end of inlet extension in communication with said interior chamber;
an outlet, said outlet equipped with an outlet connector;
an outlet extension having a first end and a second end, said first end of outlet extension in communication with said interior chamber, said second end of outlet extension in communication with said outlet;
a manifold, said manifold comprising:
a primary conduit, said primary conduit having a primary conduit inlet side and a primary conduit outlet side, said primary conduit having a primary conduit inlet disposed on the exterior of said primary conduit inlet side, said primary conduit having a primary conduit outlet disposed on the exterior of said primary conduit outlet side;
a primary conduit inlet connector, said primary conduit inlet connector in communication with said primary conduit inlet;
a primary conduit outlet connector, said primary conduit outlet connector in communication with said primary conduit outlet;
a first conduit branch having a first end and a second end, said first end of first conduit branch in communication with said primary conduit inlet side, said second end of first conduit branch in communication with said inlet connector of said inlet;
a second conduit branch having a first end and a second end, said first end of second conduit branch in communication with said outlet connector of said outlet, said second end of second conduit branch in communication with said primary conduit outlet side;
an inlet valve, said inlet valve disposed in communication with said primary conduit and said first conduit branch, wherein said inlet valve is a three-way valve configured to moderate the flow of water through both said primary conduit to said primary conduit outlet and said first conduit branch to said interior chamber;
and
an outlet valve, said outlet valve disposed within said second conduit branch.

13 more elements

A precooler apparatus comprising:

a body, said body equipped with an interior chamber disposed inside said body:
a port on said body, said port configured to allow adding cooling media into said interior chamber;
a lid, said lid configured to maintain the pressure of the water source within the interior chamber when sealed with said port;
an inlet, said inlet equipped with an inlet connector;
an inlet extension having a first end and a second end, said first end of said inlet extension in communication with said inlet, said second end of inlet extension in communication with said interior chamber;
an outlet, said outlet equipped with an outlet connector;
an outlet extension having a first end and a second end, said first end of outlet extension in communication with said interior chamber, said second end of outlet extension in communication with said outlet;
wherein said inlet connector is an inlet quick-disconnect valve and said outlet connector is an outlet quick-disconnect valve, further comprising:
an outer inlet quick-disconnect valve having a first side and a second side;
wherein said outer inlet quick-disconnect valve first side is a hose connector;
wherein said outer inlet quick-disconnect valve second side is in releasable communication with said inlet quick-disconnect valve;
an outer outlet quick-disconnect valve having a first side and a second side;
wherein said outer outlet quick-disconnect valve first side is in releasable communication with said outlet quick-disconnect valve;
wherein said outer outlet quick-disconnect valve second side is a hose connector;
and
wherein said outer inlet quick-disconnect valve second side may be released from said quick-disconnect valve and said outer outlet quick-disconnect valve first side may be released from said outlet quick-disconnect valve and said outer inlet quick-disconnect valve second side may be subsequently connected to said outer outlet quick-disconnect valve first side thereby bypassing said body.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/746,866Filed 17 May 2022
Published: US 2023/0374425 A123 Nov 2023
Granted: 26 May 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

C12C 7/26
Preparation of wort: cooling beerwort; Clarifying beerwort during or after the cooling
C12C 11/006
Fermentation of beerwort: fermentation tanks therefor
C12C 13/10
Brewing devices, not covered by a single group of C12C1/00 - C12C12/04: home brew equipment
F25D 31/003
Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler: with immersed cooling element