Fermentation temperature management
OwnerSteven Dee Wayne Webberinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable assembly for cooling the contents of a fermentation vessel is provided. In one embodiment, the assembly comprises an insulated, cylindrical enclosure having a fixed bottom and a removable lid. A flexible heat exchanger is cylindrically disposed within the enclosure and encircles the fermentation vessel. In one embodiment, the flexible heat exchanger is connected to a vessel containing thermally conductive fluid by flexible tubes that extend outside the enclosure. In one embodiment, a heating element is used to heat the fermentation vessel.
Claims20
A portable assembly for managing an internal temperature of a fermentation vessel suitable for beer and wine fermentation, the portable assembly comprising:
- an enclosure having a flat bottom, a cylindrical wall, and a lid, the enclosure to removably enclose the fermentation vessel;
- and
- a removable heat exchanger cylindrically disposed inside of, and removable from within the enclosure, to set and maintain a temperature inside of the fermentation vessel according to a programmed temperature profile.
A thermal management system for a fermentation vessel suitable for providing temperature management during beer and wine fermentation, the system comprising:
- a flexible heat exchanger, to couple with the fermentation vessel, the flexible heat exchanger including an inlet and an outlet;
- a temperature controller in electrical communication with a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor coupled with the fermentation vessel, to sense a temperature of a fermenting liquid within the fermentation vessel;
- a fluid pump having a fluid port and a drive motor, the fluid port coupled with the inlet or the outlet of the flexible heat exchanger, and the drive motor coupled to the temperature controller;
- and
- a fluid reservoir coupled to the fluid pump, to contain a thermally conductive fluid.
A method of assembling a portable temperature management system having an enclosure shell, one or more insulation layers, and a flexible heat exchanger, to manage a temperature of a fermentation vessel suitable for beer and wine fermentation, the method comprising:
- manually transporting the enclosure shell to a location suitable for fermentation, and deploying the enclosure shell into a ready position, the deploying including inserting the one or more insulation layers into the enclosure shell;
- attaching the flexible heat exchanger to an operational position suitable for managing the temperature inside of the fermentation vessel;
- coupling a fluid feed line to a first port of the flexible heat exchanger, and coupling a fluid return line to a second port of the flexible heat exchanger;
- coupling a temperature controller to a fluid pump, coupling the fluid pump with the flexible heat exchanger, and coupling the temperature controller to a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor to sense the temperature inside of the fermentation vessel;
- and
- manually positioning the fermentation vessel within the enclosure shell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.