Process and apparatus to super chill beer

Abstract

A beer and beverage chilling assembly and method utilizes a tank filled with a cooling solution with a temperature of less than 30° F., and an air bubbler or mechanical agitator in the tank to keep the solution from freezing. A rack in the tank supports beer cans and bottles which are submerged in the cooling solution to produce super chilled beer having a temperature less than 30° F. The cooling method allows the can or bottle to be opened after being super-cooled without the beer freezing or turning to slush.

1 : A chiller assembly for chilling beer, comprising:
 an insulated tank;   a rack in the tank to hold beer containers in a stationary position;   ice-free solution in the tank to substantially cover the beer containers, the solution having a temperature above 20° F. and below 28° F.;   cooling coils in the tank to cool the solution;   a refrigeration system connected to the cooling coils to pump a refrigerant through the cooling coils;   an air injection system connected to the tank to introduce air into the solution circulating around the containers; and   whereby the assembly cools beer in the stationary beer containers to a temperature between 24-29° F. without freezing the beer or creating slush when the beer container is opened.   
     
     
         2 : The chiller assembly of  claim 1  wherein the solution is a mixture of water and glycol. 
     
     
         3 : The chiller assembly of  claim 2  wherein the mixture is a ratio of approximately 4.5:1 water to glycol. 
     
     
         4 : The chiller assembly of  claim 1  wherein the beer is cooled to a temperature below 30° F. 
     
     
         5 : The chiller assembly of  claim 1  wherein the tank has a bottom and the cooling coils substantially cover the bottom. 
     
     
         6 : The chiller assembly of  claim 1  wherein the cooling coils are beneath the rack. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 : The chiller assembly of  claim 1  wherein the solution has a temperature of 24-26° F. 
     
     
         9 : The chiller assembly of  claim 1  wherein the refrigerant has a temperature of 22-24° F. 
     
     
         10 : The chiller assembly of claim wherein the air injection system includes a line with air holes adjacent the cooling coils. 
     
     
         11 : A method of chilling beer, comprising;
 placing a plurality of beer containers in a tank containing a solution so that the containers are substantially covered by the solution;   cooling the solution with a refrigerant;   agitating the solution to prevent freezing of the solution, wherein the agitation is created by pumping air into the solution;   whereby the solution cools the beer down to a temperature below 30° F. while the containers sit stationary in the tank without freezing the beer and without producing slush when the beer containers are removed from the tank and opened.   
     
     
         12 : The method of  claim 11  wherein the solution temperature is between 24-26° F. 
     
     
         13 : The method of  claim 11  wherein the beer containers remain in the solution for at least thirty minutes before being removed for consumption of the beer. 
     
     
         14 : The method of  claim 11  further comprising circulating the solution around the beer containers. 
     
     
         15 : The method of  claim 11  wherein the refrigerant has a temperature of 22-24° F. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 : A beverage chilling assembly comprising:
 a tank filled with a solution having a temperature of less than 30° F. such that the solution substantially immerses beverage containers in the tank; and   an agitator in the tank to keep the solution from freezing, wherein the agitator is an air bubbler to agitate the solution around a full height of the beverage containers; and   whereby the beverage containers in the tank are cooled by the agitated solution to a temperature below 30° F. without rotating the containers and without freezing beverage in the containers or creating a slush when the beverage containers are opened.   
     
     
         18 : The beverage chiller assembly of  claim 17  further comprises refrigerant coils in the tank to cool the solution to a temperature below 30° F. 
     
     
         19 : The beverage chiller assembly of  claim 17  further comprises a rack in the tank to support the beverage containers and having openings for circulation of the solution. 
     
     
         20 : The beverage chiller assembly of  claim 17  wherein the solution includes glycol. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled)