A method of dispensing beverage from a container while maintaining a predetermined level of gas pressure in the container headspace sufficient to dispense said beverage, comprising the steps of:
- filling a beverage container with a predetermined amount of carbonated beverage, said container having a closure including a dispensing device, said dispensing device being coupled to a dispensing tube extending down into the beverage and substantially to the bottom of the container,
- inserting a delayed carbonating gas generator in said beverage container, said gas generator comprising a body having at least one partition defining first and second reagent chambers and a first and second reagent separately contained in said first and second chamber, respectively, said partition having at least one opening formed therein and being dimensioned to allow said first reagent to pass into said second chamber and contact said second reagent when there is a pressure differential between said chambers, said first and second reagents chemically reacting to generate carbon dioxide upon contact with each other, and said generator further comprising an initially closed gas conduit which is in gaseous communication with said second chamber and which upon opening allows carbon dioxide that has built up in said second chamber from the reaction of the first and second reagents to vent from said second chamber into the headspace of said container, said first and second reagents being present in an amount sufficient to regenerate sufficient carbon dioxide gas for transfer to said container head space to maintain said predetermined level of gas pressure in the headspace of said container and sufficient to dispense said beverage when said dispensing device is operated to dispense said beverage;
- said first chamber further including a pressurized flexible pouch in said first chamber of said carbonating gas generator for applying pressure against the first reagent in said first chamber so that the reagent is forced against said opening and causing the first reagent to go through the opening and mix with the second reagent and generate carbon dioxide which is collected in sad second chamber until the pressure in said second chamber equals that in said first chamber and the reagent transfer and carbon dioxide generation stops;
- opening said conduit at the time of insertion of said gas generator into said container to permit gaseous communication between said generator and said container and allowing carbon dioxide gas generated in said second chamber to pass into the container headspace;
- closing said container with said closure including said dispensing device to enclose both said carbonated beverage and said gas generator and said headspace containing said predetermined level of gas pressure;
- and
- thereafter dispensing beverage from said container through said dispensing device which causes the loss of carbon dioxide and the reduction of gas pressure in the headspace of the container and replenishing said predetermined level of gas pressure in said headspace by regenerating additional carbon dioxide in said second chamber when said pressure differential between said chambers brought on by the reduction of gas pressure in the headspace due to the loss of gas therefrom during dispensing causes venting of carbon dioxide out of the second chamber and into the container headspace and forces the transfer of said first reagent through said at least one opening and into contact with the second reagent in said second chamber, said transfer continuing until equilibrium gas pressure between the chambers is reestablished after the amount of carbon dioxide gas lost during dispensing from the headspace of the container is replenished to said predetermined level of gas pressure, said replenishing step to reestablish said predetermined level of gas pressure in said headspace reoccur during subsequent beverage dispensing operations.