Cooling system for alcohol beverage dispensing apparatus

A beer or like alcohol beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a keg containing beer or like alcohol beverage and having a bottom portion;
• a keg dispensing device extending into the keg to the bottom portion to draw the beverage from the keg adjacent the bottom portion;
• a cooling apparatus in heat transfer contacting relation with the bottom portion of the keg for cooling the beverage contained in the keg through the bottom portion,
• wherein the keg comprises a material selected from the group consisting of steel, stainless steel and copper that initially cools the beverage in the keg upwards from the bottom portion of the keg to produce a stratified beverage temperature effect whereby, prior to all the beverage in the keg reaching a desired serving temperature, the beverage adjacent the bottom portion of the keg is the coolest beverage available for an initial beverage serving.

A beer or like alcohol beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a keg containing beer or like alcohol beverage and having a bottom portion;
• a keg dispensing device extending into the keg to the bottom portion to draw the beverage from the keg adjacent the bottom portion;
• a cooling apparatus in heat transfer contacting relation with the bottom portion of the keg for cooling the beverage contained in the keg through the bottom portion,
• wherein the keg comprises an aluminum material that initially cools the beverage in the container in substantially homogeneous manner above the bottom portion of the keg whereby two servings of beverage dispensed from the keg are at substantially the same temperature prior to the beverage reaching a desired serving temperature.

A beer or like alcohol beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a keg containing beer or like alcohol beverage and having a bottom portion;
• a keg dispensing device extending into the keg to the bottom portion to draw the beverage from the keg adjacent the bottom portion;
• a cooling apparatus in heat transfer contacting relation with the bottom portion of the keg for cooling the beverage contained in the keg through the bottom portion, which cooling apparatus comprises:
• a first temperature sensor mounted in heat sensing relation with a bottom portion of the keg to sense first temperatures related to temperature of the beverage at the bottom portion of the keg;
• a second temperature sensor mounted in heat sensing relation with an upper portion of the keg to sense second temperatures related to temperature of the beverage at the upper portion of the keg;
• and,
• a cooling controller responsive to the first and second temperature sensors for controlling operation of the cooling apparatus to extract heat from the bottom portion of the keg to lower and maintain temperature of the beverage contained in the keg at a desired beverage serving temperature.
• wherein the keg comprises a material selected from the group consisting of steel, stainless steel, aluminum and copper that initially cools the beverage in the keg upwards from the bottom portion of the keg and the beverage adjacent the bottom portion of the keg is the coolest beverage available for an initial beverage serving.

A beer or like alcohol beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a keg containing beer or like alcohol beverage and having a bottom portion;
• a keg dispensing device extending into the keg to the bottom portion to draw the beverage from the keg adjacent the bottom portion;
• a cooling apparatus in heat transfer contacting relation with the bottom portion of the keg for cooling the beverage contained in the keg through the bottom portion,
• wherein the keg comprises an aluminum material that initially cools the beverage in the container in substantially homogeneous manner above the bottom portion of the keg whereby two servings of beverage dispensed from the keg are at, substantially the same temperature prior to the beverage reaching a desired serving temperature.