Safe method and apparatus for preserving and re-carbonating beverages

A safety enclosure and carbonation apparatus for containing and pressurizing with pressurized gas from a gas source a container having a beverage therein and having an opening, comprising:

• a body having an interior cavity that removably receives and substantially contains the container therein, said body having upper and lower portions, said body including a pressure relief device that communicates with said interior cavity, said pressure relief device being constructed to maintain a pressure within said interior cavity at atmospheric pressure when the container is in the interior cavity;
• a top portion connected to said upper portion of said body, said top portion having an aperture therein and a seal around said aperture, said aperture being positioned to communicate with the opening of the container, said top portion having an inner member being shaped to extend into the opening of the container and terminate at a position substantially adjacent to the opening of the container so said inner member is out of engagement with the beverage, said aperture extends through said inner member and said seal being positioned to sealably engage the container around the opening to form a gas-tight seal therebetween;
• a valve attached to said top portion and positioned to communicate with said aperture, said valve being adapted to allow the pressurized gas to pass through said aperture into the container to pressurize the container and the beverage;
• and
• a bottom portion attached to said lower portion of said body, said body, said bottom portion, and said top portion being interconnected to enclose the container within the interior cavity, thereby providing a safety enclosure around the container when the container is pressurized with the gas.

A safety enclosure and carbonation apparatus for pressurizing a container with pressurized carbon dioxide gas from a gas source, comprising:

• a container having top and bottom portions, said top portion having an opening therein, and said container having a beverage therein;
• a rigid body having sidewalls defining an interior cavity, said container being removably positioned within said interior cavity and contained within said rigid body, said rigid body having upper and lower portions, said upper portion being adjacent to said top portion of said container, said rigid body having a longitudinal axis and having a pressure release device that communicates with said interior cavity, said pressure release device being constructed to maintain a pressure within said interior cavity at atmospheric pressure when said container is in said interior cavity;
• a top member releasably connected to said upper portion of said rigid body, said top member having an alignment guide to align said top portion of said container relative to said top member, said alignment guide having an aperture therein that extends through said top member and terminates substantially adjacent to the opening of the container, said top member being out of engagement with the beverage, said top member having a seal around said alignment guide that is positioned to engage said top portion of said container around said opening, said top member being movable relative to said container between a sealed position and a removed position, when said top member is in said sealed position said alignment guide extends into said container through said opening and said aperture communicates with said opening of said container and said seal sealably engages said top portion of said container around said opening to form a gas-tight seal, when said top member is in said unsealed position carbon dioxide gas is allowed to pass between said seal and said top portion around said opening;
• a valve attached to said top member and positioned to communicate with said aperture, said valve being connectable to the gas source and positioned to allow the pressurized carbon dioxide gas to pass into said container directly through said aperture and through said opening to pressurize said container at a selected pressure, and said valve blocking said pressurized carbon dioxide gas from exiting said container when said top member is in said sealed position;
• a bottom member attached to said lower portion of said rigid body and supporting said bottom portion of said container, said rigid body, said top member, and said bottom member being interconnected to enclose the container within the interior cavity, thereby providing a safety enclosure around said container when said container is pressurized with the carbon dioxide gas.

A method of preserving and re-carbonating a carbonated beverage contained in a previously opened container having a top portion with an opening therein and a bottom portion, comprising the steps of:

• placing the previously opened container that is partially filled with the carbonated beverage in a rigid safety enclosure having an upper portion with a first aperture therein, the top portion of the container being adjacent to the first aperture;
• securing a top member onto the upper portion of the rigid safety enclosure over the first aperture with the top member being out of engagement with the beverage, the top member having a second aperture therein that communicates with the opening of the container and the top member having a seal around the second aperture that sealably engages the top portion of the container around the opening and forms a gas-tight seal therebetween, the second aperture having a valve therein;
• and
• adding pressurized carbon dioxide gas into the container through the valve and above the beverage until the container is pressurized to a selected elevated pressure above atmospheric pressure with said rigid body being at atmospheric pressure, the pressurized carbon dioxide gas being contained within the container so as to interact with the beverage to preserve and re-carbonate the beverage.