Pump-over fermentation tank and methods
OwnerStephen F. Koster, Mark A. Nilsoninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pump-over fermentation tank has a valve between the pump-over chamber and fermentation chamber providing multi-directional diffusion of the pump-over liquid into the fermentation or extraction chamber. The valve is opened slowly for irrigation of the fermentation cap and is opened rapidly to achieve mixing of the contents in the fermentation chamber. The valve is self-centering in the near-closed position, and in a particular embodiment has diffusers on the perimeter of the valve to direct the pump-over liquid to different regions of the surface of the contents in the fermentation chamber.
Claims16
A pump-over fermentation tank comprising:
- a fermentation chamber separated from
- a pump-over chamber by
- a septum;
- a pump configured to pump liquid from the fermentation chamber into the pump-over chamber through
- a pump-over pipe;
- and
- a chamber valve disposed in the septum to seal the fermentation chamber from the pump-over chamber in a closed position and to distribute liquid from the pump-over chamber over a surface of contents in the fermentation chamber in an open position, the chamber valve having
- a movable valve member with
- diffusers disposed on a perimeter of the movable valve member so as to direct liquid from the pump-over chamber over the surface of the contents in the fermentation chamber.
A pump-over fermentation tank comprising:
- a fermentation chamber separated from
- a pump-over chamber by
- a septum;
- a vortex impeller pump having
- a vortex chamber fabricated from stainless steel sheet, the vortex impeller pump being configured to pump liquid from the fermentation chamber into the pump-over chamber through
- a pump-over pipe
- a chamber valve disposed in the septum to seal the fermentation chamber from the pump-over chamber in a closed position and to distribute liquid from the pump-over chamber over a surface of contents in the fermentation chamber in an open position, the chamber valve having
- a movable valve member with
- diffusers disposed on a perimeter of the movable valve member so as to direct liquid from the pump-over chamber over the surface of the contents in the fermentation chamber, and
- slots between the diffusers;
- and
- a valve actuator coupled to the movable valve member and capable of opening the chamber valve at a first rate and at a second rate, the second rate being greater than the first rate.
A pump-over fermentation tank comprising:
- a fermentation chamber separated from
- a pump-over chamber by
- a septum;
- a vortex impeller pump having
- a vortex chamber fabricated from stainless steel sheet, the vortex impeller pump being configured to pump liquid from the fermentation chamber into the pump-over chamber through
- a pump-over pipe;
- and
- a chamber valve disposed in the septum to seal the fermentation chamber from the pump-over chamber in a closed position and to distribute liquid from the pump-over chamber over a surface of contents in the fermentation chamber in an open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.