Beverage carbonating system and method for carbonating a beverage

A container for making a carbonated beverage, the container being removably engageable with a carbonator having a first carbonator outlet port fluidly connected to a carbonation chamber containing a carbon dioxide source and having a carbonator inlet port fluidly connected to the carbonation chamber, the container comprising:

• a shell defining a container chamber for holding a liquid;
• a first container outlet valve in the shell having a closed position and an open position;
• and
• a container inlet valve in the shell having a closed position and an open position, wherein
• the first container outlet valve is fluidly engageable with the first carbonator outlet port when the first container outlet valve is in the open position,
• the container inlet valve is fluidly engageable with the carbonator inlet port when the container inlet valve is in the open position,
• the container chamber is fluidly engageable with at least one pump in fluid communication with the carbonation chamber to transfer the liquid between the container and the carbonation chamber and transfer the carbon dioxide gas between the carbonation chamber and the container chamber when the container is engaged with the carbonator, thereby carbonating the liquid, and
• when the container is disengaged from the carbonator, the first container outlet valve and the container inlet valve are closed to fluidly seal the container containing the carbonated liquid.

A carbonator for making a carbonated beverage, the carbonator being removably engageable with a container having a first container outlet valve having a closed position and an open position and a container inlet valve having a closed position and an open position, the carbonator comprising:

• a first carbonator outlet port fluidly engageable with the first container outlet valve when the first container outlet valve is in the open position, wherein the first carbonator outlet port is fluidly connected to a carbonation chamber containing a carbon dioxide gas;
• a carbonator inlet port fluidly engageable with the container inlet valve when the container inlet valve is in the open position, wherein the carbonator inlet port is fluidly connected to the carbonation chamber;
• and
• at least one pump in fluid communication with the carbonation chamber and fluidly engageable with the container chamber to transfer the liquid between the container chamber and the carbonation chamber and transfer the carbon dioxide gas between the carbonation chamber and the container chamber when the carbonator is engaged with the container, thereby carbonating the liquid, wherein
• when the container is disengaged from the carbonator, the first container outlet valve and the container inlet valve are closed to fluidly seal the container containing the carbonated liquid.

A method of making a carbonated beverage, comprising:

• introducing a liquid into a container;
• sealing the container with a closure;
• engaging the container with a carbonator;
• placing a carbon dioxide source in a carbonation chamber of the carbonator;
• opening a first container outlet valve in the container to transfer a portion of the liquid to the carbonation chamber to react with the carbon dioxide source in the carbonation chamber to produce a carbon dioxide gas;
• opening a container inlet valve in the container to transfer the carbon dioxide gas produced by the carbon dioxide source into the container to obtain a carbonated liquid in the container;
• closing the first container outlet valve and the container inlet valve to seal the container;
• and
• disengaging the container from the carbonator.