Automatic beverage brewing method

A method of brewing large quantities of a brewed beverage with an automatic beverage brewing apparatus, said automatic beverage brewing apparatus including an automatic beverage brewer, said automatic beverage brewer controllably brewing a selected quantity of a selected type of brewed beverage during a brew cycle upon activating said automatic beverage brewer;

• multiple remote beverage containers removably associated with said automatic beverage brewing apparatus, said multiple remote beverage containers having a capacity on the order of 1 gallon and being independent from said automatic beverage brewer;
• and
• means for providing a beverage path from said automatic beverage brewer to said at least one of said multiple remote beverage containers, said beverage path means having a first end communicating with said automatic beverage brewer for receiving a brewed beverage from said automatic beverage brewer and a second end removably attaching to at least one of said remote beverage containers for receiving a brewed beverage brewed by said automatic beverage brewer through said beverage path means;
• the method of brewing large quantities of brewed beverage including the steps of:
• selecting a type of beverage to be brewed;
• selecting a quantity of the selected beverage to be brewed;
• positioning at least one of said multiple remote beverage containers within a predetermined distance relative to said automatic beverage brewer;
• attaching said beverage path means to at least one of said remote beverage containers;
• initiating a brew cycle in said automatic beverage brewer to brew the selected quantity and type of beverage therein;
• and
• disconnecting said beverage path means from said remote beverage container.

A method of breaking a vacuum created in a brewing chamber of an automatic beverage brewing apparatus during a rinsing cycle, said brewing chamber being positioned in said automatic beverage brewing apparatus for brewing and dispensing a brewed beverage;

• a brew line communicating with said brewing chamber for delivering heated water to said brewing chamber to infuse a brewing substance during a brewing cycle;
• a rinse line communicating with said brewing chamber for delivering unheated water to said brewing chamber;
• said brewing chamber being rinsed with water from said rinse line after brewing a quantity of brewed beverage during a flush cycle;
• and control means for controllably dispensing selected quantities of water through said brew line;
• said method including the step of:
• activating said control means at the end of a flush cycle to controllably dispense a predetermined quantity of heated water from said brew line into said brewing chamber, said quantity of heated water being sufficient to increase the temperature in said brewing chamber and equalize the pressure reduction therein during the flush cycle for breaking the vacuum created in the brewing chamber.

A method for selectively combining two or more substances for brewing, flavoring, and mixing a beverage brewing using means for brewing a beverage by infusing at least one beverage brewing substance with heated water, a plurality of controllable substance dispensers operatively associated with said beverage brewing means for controllably dispensing a substance into said beverage brewing means, each of said plurality of controllable dispensers container at least one substance, and means for selectively controlling said plurality of said controllable dispensers, said control means being coupled to each of said plurality of controllable dispensers and selectively dispensing a predetermined quantity of substance from at least two of said controllable dispensers for producing a predetermined selected beverage;

• said method comprising the following steps of:
• dispensing a selected quantity of substance from a first one of said substance dispensers into said beverage brewing means for flavoring and mixing a brewed beverage;
• dispensing a selected quantity of substance from at least a second one of said substance dispensers into said beverage brewing means for flavoring and mixing a brewed beverage;
• infusing said substances in said beverage brewing means for producing a brewed beverage.

A method of equalizing pressure reduction in a beverage brewing apparatus, which pressure reduction occurs during removal of a spent beverage brewing substance from said apparatus, said apparatus including a brew chamber, a brew line communicating with said brew chamber for delivering heated water to said brew chamber to infuse a brewing substance therein during a brewing cycle, a rinse line communicating with said brew chamber for delivering unheated water to said brew chamber for rinsing the brew chamber after brewing a beverage, said method comprising the steps of:

• dispensing a quantity of heated water through said brew line for infusing a brewing substance during a brewing cycle;
• flushing the spent beverage brewing substance from said brew chamber;
• closing said brew chamber for further rinsing;
• dispensing a quantity of water through said rinse line, which water having a temperature which is lower than water dispensed through said brew line;
• dispensing a quantity of heated water through said brew line to said brew chamber sufficient to increase the temperature of the brew chamber and equalize pressure reduction therein created by flushing said brew chamber with water from said rinse water line.