阅读说明：本技术 烈酒浸泡的咖啡豆 (Spirit-soaked coffee beans ) 是由 丹尼斯利·真蒂尔·巴索利 于 2019-04-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开主要描述了通过以下步骤制备调味咖啡豆的方法：制备调味烈酒,将咖啡豆浸渍在调味烈酒中,以及烘焙调味咖啡豆。一些实施方案涉及由调味咖啡豆制备的调味咖啡饮料。(The present disclosure generally describes a method of preparing flavored coffee beans by: preparing the flavored spirit, immersing the coffee beans in the flavored spirit, and roasting the flavored coffee beans. Some embodiments relate to flavored coffee beverages prepared from flavored coffee beans.)

1. A method of preparing flavored roasted coffee beans, the method comprising:

extracting a part of wood from the spirit with high alcohol content;

separating wood briquettes from the high alcohol spirit to produce a flavored spirit;

mixing the flavored spirit with green coffee beans;

dipping the green coffee beans in the flavored spirit;

separating the flavored spirit from the green coffee beans to produce flavored green coffee beans; and

roasting the flavored green coffee beans to produce flavored roasted coffee beans.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of wood comprises at least one of natural wood, roasted wood, charred wood, or smoked wood.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the portion of wood is divided into at least one of: bricks, cubes, pegs, sticks, boards, briquettes, or chips, having a volume in the range of about 1 cubic inch to about 10 cubic inches.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the high alcohol spirit has an alcohol content of about 30GL to about 70 GL.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the high alcohol spirit comprises at least one of: whisky, gin, tequila, vodka, brandy, sherry and rum.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the period of time for extracting a portion of wood in the high alcohol content spirit ranges from about 1 hour to about 80 hours.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of wood to high alcohol spirit is about 1.0:0.8 to 1:0: 3.0.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: spraying a portion of the flavored spirit onto the coffee beans prior to mixing the flavored spirit with the coffee beans.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the flavored spirit is mixed with green coffee beans in a proportion of about 1% to about 10% by weight of the green coffee beans.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the flavored spirit is mixed with green coffee beans for a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 80 hours.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the flavored green coffee beans are roasted to obtain at least one of light roast, medium roast, and deep roast.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising grinding the flavored roasted coffee beans.

13. A method of preparing flavored roasted coffee beans, the method comprising:

mixing the flavored spirit with green coffee beans;

separating the flavored spirit from the green coffee beans to produce flavored green coffee beans; and

roasting the flavored green coffee beans to produce flavored roasted coffee beans.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the flavored spirit comprises an extract of at least one of natural wood, roasted wood, charred wood, or smoked wood.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the high alcohol spirit has an alcohol content of about 30GL to about 70 GL.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the flavored spirit is prepared by extracting flavor compounds into the high alcohol spirit over a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 80 hours.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: spraying a portion of the flavored spirit onto the coffee beans prior to mixing the flavored spirit with the coffee beans.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the green coffee beans are immersed in the flavored spirit for a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 80 hours.

19. A flavored coffee bean comprising flavor compounds extracted from a plant source using a high alcohol spirit;

wherein the flavor compounds have been absorbed into the beans; and

wherein the beans are roasted after the flavour compounds have been absorbed into the beans.

20. The flavored coffee beans of claim 19, wherein the plant source is wood.

Technical Field

Several embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the infusion of flavoursome-containing substances into (infuse) coffee beans.

Background

Coffee is a brewed beverage that is typically made by soaking ground coffee beans in hot water. Although coffee is generally recognized as having a satisfactory flavor and aroma, consumers often prefer coffee beverages with other flavor additives. For example, various flavored coffee additives can be used to prepare flavored coffee beverages, including mints, hazelnuts, herbs, and the like. However, it can be cumbersome and time consuming for the consumer to incorporate additional flavoring agents into the brewed coffee beverage.

Disclosure of Invention

Manufacturers have prepared flavored coffee beans to facilitate the production of flavored coffee beverages. Typically, flavored coffee beans are prepared by spraying flavor oils onto roasted coffee beans. The flavor oil can include a variety of aromatic compounds selected to exhibit a desired flavor profile. However, the flavor oil resides on the outer surface of the coffee beans and is subject to atmospheric degradation, whereby the aromatic compounds in the oil degrade over time and the oil itself may deteriorate. In addition, flavor oils often contain synthetic additives and are associated with products that are far from premium. Manufacturers are also limited in the flavors produced in this manner. For example, it is difficult to impart the complex and subtle flavors of certain desired barrelled aged spirits to coffee beans by using flavor oils.

Many consumers prefer flavored coffee beverages. However, the techniques for incorporating additional flavor components suffer from several disadvantages, including the use of chemical additives and increased opportunities for spoilage. Accordingly, disclosed herein are techniques and methods for preparing flavored coffee beans in a more efficient and cost effective manner. Techniques and methods for preparing flavored coffee beverages are also disclosed.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method of preparing flavored roasted coffee beans. In a different configuration, the method comprises: coffee beans are immersed in a flavoured spirit. In some embodiments, a flavored spirit may be prepared by extracting a portion of the wood in a high alcohol spirit. The wood may be divided into smaller parts such as pieces of wood, spikes, sticks, boards or any other form factor (form factor). For example, in a different configuration, wood may be divided into briquettes. Wood briquettes can be separated from high alcohol spirits to produce flavored spirits. Further, in some configurations, the coffee beans may be immersed in a flavored spirit. In some embodiments, the coffee beans may be green coffee beans. The coffee beans can then be separated from the flavored spirit to produce flavored green coffee beans. In various embodiments, the flavored coffee beans may then be roasted to produce flavored roasted coffee beans.

In further embodiments of the techniques and methods disclosed herein, the portion of wood comprises at least one of natural wood, roasted wood, charred wood, or smoked wood. In some embodiments, a portion of the wood is a block that is divided into cubes in the following size ranges: about 0.1 cubic inches to about 2.0 cubic inches, such as about 0.1 cubic inches; about 0.2 cubic inches; about 0.3 cubic inches; about 0.4 cubic inches; about 0.5 cubic inches; about 0.6 cubic inches; about 0.7 cubic inches; about 0.8 cubic inches; about 0.9 cubic inches; about 1.0 cubic inches; about 1.1 cubic inches; about 1.2 cubic inches; about 1.3 cubic inches; about 1.4 cubic inches; about 1.5 cubic inches; about 1.6 cubic inches; about 1.7 cubic inches; about 1.8 cubic inches; about 1.9 cubic inches; about 2.0 cubic inches; and any value within the range. In various other configurations, the wood may be divided into planks, dowels, sticks, or other suitable form factors. For example, in a different configuration, wood may be split into spikes having the following diameters: about 0.1 inches to about 2.0 inches, for example about 0.1 inches; about 0.2 inches; about 0.4 inches; about 0.6 inches; about 0.8 inches; about 1.0 inch; about 1.2 inches; about 1.4 inches; about 1.6 inches; about 1.8 inches; about 2.0 inches; or any value within the range. Similarly, the wooden pegs may have the following lengths: about 0.1 inches to about 4 inches, for example about 0.1 inches; 0.2 inches; 0.4 inches; 0.8 inch; 1.0 inch; 1.2 inches; 1.4 inches; 1.6 inches; 1.8 inches; 2.0 inches; 2.2 inches; 2.4 inches; 2.6 inches; 2.8 inches; 3.0 inches; 3.2 inches; 3.4 inches; 3.6 inches; 3.8 inches; 4.0 inches; or any value within the range. However, it should be understood that the exact dimensions of the wood may vary widely without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

In some embodiments, the high alcohol content spirit has an alcohol content of about 30 g-lussac alcohol content (GL) to about 70 GL. In still other embodiments, the high alcohol spirit comprises at least one of: whisky, rye, gin, tequila, vodka, brandy, sherry, rum, combinations thereof, and the like. In some configurations, the time period for extracting wood briquettes in a high alcohol spirit ranges from: about 15 minutes to about 80 hours, such as about 15 minutes; about 30 minutes; about 1 hour; about 2 hours; about 3 hours; about 4 hours; about 5 hours; about 6 hours; about 7 hours; about 8 hours; about 9 hours; about 10 hours; about 12 hours; about 14 hours; about 16 hours; about 18 hours; about 20 hours; about 22 hours; about 24 hours; about 26 hours; about 28 hours; about 30 hours; about 32 hours; about 34 hours; about 36 hours; about 38 hours; about 40 hours; about 42 hours; about 44 hours; about 46 hours; about 48 hours; about 50 hours; about 52 hours; about 54 hours; about 56 hours; about 58 hours; about 60 hours; about 62 hours; about 64 hours; about 66 hours; about 68 hours; about 70 hours; about 72 hours; about 74 hours; about 76 hours; about 78 hours; about 80 hours; and any value within the range. In other configurations, the ratio of wood briquettes to high alcohol spirit is about 1.0:0.8 to 1.0:3.0, such as about 1.0: 0.8; about 1.0: 1.0; about 1.0: 1.2; about 1.0: 1.4; about 1.0: 1.6; about 1.0: 1.8; about 1.0: 2.0; about 1.0: 2.2; about 1.0: 2.4; about 1.0: 2.6; about 1.0: 2.8; about 1.0: 3.0; or any value within the range. In some embodiments, the extraction temperature may range from about 1 ℃ to about 70 ℃, including about 2 ℃; about 4 ℃; about 6 ℃; about 8 ℃; about 10 ℃; about 12 ℃; about 14 ℃; about 16 ℃; about 18 ℃; about 20 ℃; about 22 ℃; about 24 ℃; about 26 ℃; about 28 ℃; about 30 ℃; about 32 ℃; about 34 ℃; about 36 ℃; about 38 ℃; about 40 ℃; about 42 ℃; about 44 ℃; about 46 ℃; about 48 ℃; about 50 ℃; about 52 ℃; about 54 ℃; about 56 ℃; about 58 ℃; about 60 ℃; about 62 ℃; about 64 ℃; about 66 ℃; about 68 ℃; about 70 ℃; and any value within the range.

In still other configurations, the methods disclosed herein may further comprise the steps of: a serving (e.g., about 10mL to about 100mL per kilogram of bean) of the flavored spirit is sprayed onto the coffee beans before the flavored spirit is mixed with the coffee beans. For example, in various configurations, a serving may range from about 10mL to about 100mL per kg of coffee beans, e.g., about 10 mL/kg; about 15 mL/kg; about 20 mL/kg; about 25 mL/kg; about 30 mL/kg; about 35 mL/kg; about 40 mL/kg; about 45 mL/kg; about 50 mL/kg; about 55 mL/kg; about 60 mL/kg; about 65 mL/kg; about 70 mL/kg; about 75 mL/kg; about 80 mL/kg; about 85 mL/kg; about 90 mL/kg; about 95 mL/kg; about 100 mL/kg; and any value within the range. In some embodiments, the flavored spirit is mixed with the green coffee beans in a proportion of about 1% to about 10%, for example about 1%, by weight of the green coffee beans; about 2%; about 3%; about 4%; about 5%; about 6%; about 7%; about 8%; about 9%; about 10%; or any value within the range. Similarly, in some embodiments, the flavored spirit is mixed with the green coffee beans for a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 80 hours, such as about 1 hour; about 2 hours; about 3 hours; about 4 hours; about 5 hours; about 6 hours; about 7 hours; about 8 hours; about 9 hours; about 10 hours; about 12 hours; about 14 hours; about 16 hours; about 18 hours; about 20 hours; about 22 hours; about 24 hours; about 26 hours; about 28 hours; about 30 hours; about 32 hours; about 34 hours; about 36 hours; about 38 hours; about 40 hours; about 42 hours; about 44 hours; about 46 hours; about 48 hours; about 50 hours; about 52 hours; about 54 hours; about 56 hours; about 58 hours; about 60 hours; about 62 hours; about 64 hours; about 66 hours; about 68 hours; about 70 hours; about 72 hours; about 74 hours; about 76 hours; about 78 hours; about 80 hours; and any value within the range.

In still other embodiments, the method may further comprise roasting the flavored green coffee beans to obtain roasted flavored coffee beans. In various configurations, the roasted flavored coffee beans may be roasted to an internal temperature ranging from about 150 ℃ to about 300 ℃, e.g., about 150 ℃; about 160 ℃; about 170 ℃; about 180 ℃; about 190 ℃; about 200 ℃; about 210 ℃; about 220 ℃; about 230 ℃; about 240 ℃; about 250 ℃; about 260 ℃; about 270 ℃; about 280 ℃; about 290 ℃; about 300 ℃; or any value within the range. For example, in different configurations, the flavored coffee beans may be roasted to a desired degree, such as at least one of the following: light baking, medium baking and deep baking.

In some embodiments, the method may further comprise grinding the flavored roasted coffee beans to a particle size ranging from about 90 μm to about 2,000 μm based on the average particle size standard; including about 90 μm; about 100 μm; about 120 μm; about 140 μm; about 150 μm; about 170 μm; about 180 μm; about 200 μm; about 220 μm; about 250 μm; about 275 μm; about 300 μm; about 330 μm; about 360 μm; about 400 μm; about 420 μm; about 440 μm; about 450 μm; about 500 μm; about 510 μm; about 520 μm; about 50 μm; about 540 μm; about 550 μm; about 560 μm; about 580 μm; about 600 μm; about 620 μm; about 640 μm; about 660 μm; about 680 μm; about 700 μm; about 720 μm; about 740 μm; about 760 μm; about 780 μm; about 800 μm; about 820 μm; about 840 μm; about 860 μm; about 880 μm; about 900 μm; about 920 μm; about 940 μm; about 960 μm; about 980 μm; about 1,000 μm; about 1,200 μm; about 1,400 μm; about 1,500 μm; about 1750 μm; about 1900 μm; about 2000 μm; and any value within the range.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method of preparing flavored roasted coffee beans. For example, in some configurations, the method may include: extracting flavor compounds from the spirit with high alcohol content; separating flavor compounds from the high alcohol spirit to produce a flavored spirit; mixing the flavored spirit with green coffee beans; separating the flavored spirit from the green coffee beans to produce flavored green coffee beans; and roasting the flavored green coffee beans to produce flavored roasted coffee beans. In the same or different embodiments, the wood piece comprises at least one of natural wood, roasted wood, charred wood, or smoked wood. In some configurations, the high alcohol spirit has an alcohol content of about 30GL to about 70 GL. In still other embodiments, the time period for extracting the wood briquettes in the high alcohol spirit ranges from about 1 hour to about 80 hours. Likewise, in some configurations, the methods disclosed herein may further comprise the steps of: a portion of the flavored spirit is sprayed onto the coffee beans before the flavored spirit is mixed with the coffee beans. In some further embodiments, the green coffee beans are immersed in the flavored spirit for a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 80 hours, such as about 1 hour; about 2 hours; about 3 hours; about 4 hours; about 5 hours; about 6 hours; about 7 hours; about 8 hours; about 9 hours; about 10 hours; about 12 hours; about 14 hours; about 16 hours; about 18 hours; about 20 hours; about 22 hours; about 24 hours; about 26 hours; about 28 hours; about 30 hours; about 32 hours; about 34 hours; about 36 hours; about 38 hours; about 40 hours; about 42 hours; about 44 hours; about 46 hours; about 48 hours; about 50 hours; about 52 hours; about 54 hours; about 56 hours; about 58 hours; about 60 hours; about 62 hours; about 64 hours; about 66 hours; about 68 hours; about 70 hours; about 72 hours; about 74 hours; about 76 hours; about 78 hours; about 80 hours; and any value within the range. In a different configuration, a flavored spirit is added to the green coffee beans, wherein the amount of flavored spirit ranges from about 1% to about 10%, for example about 1%, by weight of the beans; about 2%; about 3%; about 4%; about 5%; about 6%; about 7%; about 8%; about 9%; about 10%; and any value within the range.

In some embodiments, a method of preparing flavored roasted coffee beans is disclosed. In some configurations, the method comprises: mixing the flavored spirit with green coffee beans; separating the flavored spirit from the green coffee to produce flavored green coffee beans; and roasting the flavored green coffee beans to produce flavored roasted coffee beans. In some embodiments, the flavored spirit includes an extract of at least one of: natural wood, baked wood, charred wood or smoked wood. In some configurations, the high alcohol spirit has an alcohol content of about 30GL to about 70 GL. In still other configurations, a flavored spirit can be prepared by extracting flavor compounds to a high alcohol content spirit for a period of time ranging from about 1 hour to about 80 hours, e.g., about 1 hour; about 2 hours; about 3 hours; about 4 hours; about 5 hours; about 6 hours; about 7 hours; about 8 hours; about 9 hours; about 10 hours; about 12 hours; about 14 hours; about 16 hours; about 18 hours; about 20 hours; about 22 hours; about 24 hours; about 26 hours; about 28 hours; about 30 hours; about 32 hours; about 34 hours; about 36 hours; about 38 hours; about 40 hours; about 42 hours; about 44 hours; about 46 hours; about 48 hours; about 50 hours; about 52 hours; about 54 hours; about 56 hours; about 58 hours; about 60 hours; about 62 hours; about 64 hours; about 66 hours; about 68 hours; about 70 hours; about 72 hours; about 74 hours; about 76 hours; about 78 hours; about 80 hours; and any value within the range.

In various other configurations, a method of preparing flavored roasted coffee beans is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method may comprise: extracting a flavor compound in an aqueous solution to produce a flavored aqueous solution; mixing the flavored aqueous solution with green coffee beans to produce flavored green coffee beans; and roasting the flavored green coffee beans to produce flavored roasted coffee beans. In some configurations, the techniques and methods disclosed herein may further include the steps of: a portion of the flavored spirit is sprayed onto the coffee beans before the flavored spirit is mixed with the coffee beans.

Further, some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to flavored coffee beans. For example, in some embodiments, flavored coffee beans can include flavor compounds extracted from a source (e.g., a plant source) using a high alcohol content spirit. In some embodiments, the flavor compounds extracted with the high alcohol spirit have been absorbed into the beans. In some embodiments, the plant source is a portion of wood, such as a briquette. However, any suitable plant source may be employed, including leaves, fruits, berries, nuts, flowers, and the like. In some further embodiments, the high alcohol spirit has an alcohol content of from about 30GL to about 70GL, such as about 30 GL; about 40 GL; about 50 GL; about 60 GL; about 70 GL; and any value within the range. In other embodiments, the flavored beans may be roasted after the flavor compounds have been absorbed into the beans. In still other embodiments, as the flavored coffee beans are roasted, the flavor compounds absorbed into the beans undergo at least one of the following: caramelization; carrying out a Maillard reaction; and pyrolysis.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to flavoring green coffee beans. For example, in various embodiments, the flavored green coffee beans are not significantly roasted. In some embodiments, the flavored green coffee beans are prepared by infusing the green coffee beans in direct contact with a flavored spirit. Flavored spirits can be prepared by extracting flavor compounds from a plant source into a high alcohol spirit. The plant source may be any suitable botanical source with a flavour, such as leaves, herbs, flowers, spices, bark, wood, etc. For example, in some embodiments, the plant source can be wood briquettes. In various embodiments, the flavor characteristics of wood briquettes may be modified prior to extraction with a high alcohol spirit. For example, in some embodiments, the wood briquettes may be natural, baked, charred, smoked, and the like. In various embodiments, the high alcohol spirit has an alcohol content of about 30GL to about 70GL, such as about 30 GL; about 40 GL; about 50 GL; about 60 GL; about 70 GL; and any value within the range. In various embodiments, the flavored green coffee beans have absorbed flavor compounds extracted from a plant source by a high alcohol content spirit. In still other embodiments, both flavored green coffee may be roasted. In some configurations, roasted flavored coffee beans contain flavor compounds extracted from a plant source by a high alcohol spirit, and the flavor compounds have been modified by the roasting process. For example, in various embodiments described herein, the baked, seasoned beans comprise flavor compounds extracted from a plant source by a high alcohol spirit, wherein the flavor compounds have undergone at least one of the following: caramelization, maillard reactions and pyrolysis. In still other embodiments, the roasted flavored coffee beans are substantially free of alcohol.

Drawings

Various embodiments are depicted in the drawings for purposes of illustration, and should in no way be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments. Various features of different disclosed embodiments may be combined to form additional embodiments, which are part of this disclosure. The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this disclosure will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a flow diagram showing a prior art bucket aging process for infusing flavor into coffee beans.

Fig. 2 depicts a flow diagram illustrating a technique for infusing flavor into coffee beans in accordance with the methods disclosed herein.

Detailed Description

Consumers often prefer flavored coffee beverages. To prepare a flavored coffee beverage, flavor additives are typically incorporated into the brewed coffee beverage by the manufacturer prior to packaging, or by the consumer prior to consumption. However, these flavor additives often employ synthetic compounds to achieve the desired flavor profile, to promote storage stability or to ensure ease of mixing. Often, consumers prefer to avoid the use of such additives. Furthermore, it can be inconvenient for the consumer to obtain the desired flavor flavoring and incorporate it into the consumer's coffee beverage.

Other techniques exist for preparing flavored coffee beverages that do not require the incorporation of additional additives into the coffee beverage after brewing. For example, flavor compounds may be added to roasted coffee beans to alter the flavor profile of the resulting brewed beverage. For example, some manufacturers have instead incorporated a dry flavor mixture into pre-ground coffee beans. However, these methods still tend to suffer from many of the disadvantages discussed above. That is, flavor blends often employ synthetic additives, which many consumers prefer to avoid. Furthermore, the dried flavor mixture does not necessarily have the same particle size as the ground coffee beans, often resulting in easy sedimentation, which may lead to inconsistent cup contents being made. In addition, desirable aromatic volatile flavor compounds have a tendency to diffuse into the atmosphere, resulting in diminished flavor and becoming stale. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that the staleness of the pre-ground beans is accelerated compared to roasting whole beans.

Other manufacturers avoid dry flavor blends and instead spray flavor oils onto the baked beans prior to packaging. In this manner, the roasted coffee beans are left with an outer coating of flavor oil, which will impart some flavor to the brewed beverage. However, flavor oils often employ synthetic compounds to achieve desired flavor profiles, and many consumers often prefer to avoid such additives. In addition, flavor oils must be added to the beans after baking, as the high temperatures during baking destroy the volatile compounds that produce the desired flavor. Such techniques are also prone to manufacturing inconsistencies. For example, irregularities in the seasoning process can result in inconsistent flavor profiles, where certain areas of the bean have a thicker oil coating than other areas. In addition, the surface coating of the flavor oil is prone to degradation, i.e., the desired volatiles that produce certain flavors are diffused over time, and the oil may deteriorate during storage. Manufacturers are also limited in the range of flavors that can be imitated because particularly complex flavors can be difficult to reproduce using flavor oils.

Despite the above disadvantages, manufacturers often employ such seasoning techniques to mask off-flavors associated with stale or lower quality beans. As such, certain flavored coffees have achieved a perception of reduced quality, and thus there is a need for a better quality flavored coffee product.

The flavour and aroma associated with alcoholic spirits, especially aged alcoholic spirits, tend to be perceived by consumers as better quality products and are therefore desirable for infusion into coffee beans. In particular, it has been found that the dark, aroma and woody notes of a barrelled aged wine (e.g., a Bobby whisky, Scotland whisky, rum, sherry, etc.) match well with the bitter and sweet notes of coffee, but it is difficult to immerse it in coffee beans using existing techniques. Several embodiments disclosed herein address these issues.

The flavor and aroma of a barreled aged spirit is so complex that it is difficult to infuse the coffee beans in a traditional manner. Some manufacturers have attempted to infuse the flavor and aroma of aged spirits with coffee beans by loading them into a bucket that was previously used to age the spirits. Fig. 1 depicts a prior art process for preparing aged, barreled coffee beans in this manner. As shown in block 101, coffee beans are provided. The coffee beans are then placed in a bucket previously used to age a spirit (e.g., a Bobby whisky), as shown in block 102. By placing the dried roasted coffee beans in the barrel previously used for aging the burgundy whisky, the gaseous volatile compounds present in the wood of the burgundy whisky barrel are slowly absorbed by the beans, as shown in block 103, resulting in a barreled aged bean.

Unfortunately, this method is unnecessarily slow, expensive and complex. Since this method relies on the passive, gaseous infusion of volatile aromatic compounds into the coffee beans, the coffee beans must be placed in the bucket for a period ranging from weeks to months. Since immersion methods may take weeks to months to complete, such methods may risk the legumes becoming stale or deteriorating when immersion occurs sufficiently long to cause the legumes to visibly flavor. In addition, the large amount of time required to prepare a batch of flavored beans greatly increases the cost of production. Since the flavor and aroma of the coffee beans are simultaneously infused back into the cartridge itself, contaminating later batches, each cartridge can only be used once or twice, further increasing production costs.

To overcome the above disadvantages, several embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods suitable for infusing alcoholic spirits with natural flavors and aromas (e.g., the desired flavor and aroma of wood typically used to make barrels for aging spirits). The flavored spirit can then be used to infuse the coffee beans with the desired flavor and aroma of wood and spirit. This immersion process is more efficient than existing processes and gives the legumes a higher quality, more complete flavor profile. Moreover, the resulting beans exhibit more standardized flavor profiles, less flavor change per bean, and reduced flavor loss over time.

Several embodiments of the immersion process disclosed herein are more efficient than existing processes. As mentioned above, prior methods rely on indirect contact between the beans and the barrel to cause the volatile aromatic compounds to slowly, gaseous soak into the beans. In contrast, in several embodiments of the techniques and methods disclosed herein, production efficiency and production speed are greatly improved by contacting the flavored spirit directly with coffee beans. For example, in various embodiments disclosed herein, the flavored spirit is in direct contact with at least about 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or more of the accessible surface area of the beans. The direct contact of the coffee beans with the flavoured spirit enables the infusion process to proceed much faster. For example, as noted above, beans that have been seasoned in an empty aging bucket typically require a holding period of about two months. In contrast, according to the techniques and methods disclosed herein, a batch of flavored coffee beans may be prepared by dipping the coffee beans in a flavored spirit for less than about 12 hours. As such, the techniques described herein significantly reduce the time required to infuse the desired flavor into the bean. For example, in several embodiments, the time is reduced by about 50%, about 60%, about 70%, about 80%, about 90%, about 95%, or about 98%. In addition to improving the efficiency of the dipping process, the reduced dipping time further reduces the risk of stale beans becoming during the dipping process. Furthermore, the shorter immersion time also reduces the risk of contamination by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi, which are advantageously suppressed by the alcohol content of the flavoured spirit.

Similarly, the infusion process disclosed herein achieves more complete flavor infusion. As mentioned above, the prior art relies on indirect contact between the barrel and the beans, so that only volatile aromatic compounds that can diffuse into the beans remain when the beans are removed from the barrel. As such, only a small portion of the desired flavor compounds residing in the drum are absorbed by the beans. In contrast, the techniques and methods disclosed herein enable wood to be brought into direct contact with a spirit, thereby extracting the desired flavor compounds found within the wood into the spirit, thereby enabling more complete infusion to occur to produce a flavored spirit with complete flavor characteristics. In a similar manner, the techniques and methods disclosed herein enable the flavored spirit to be in direct contact with the coffee beans. The direct contact between the flavored spirit and the coffee beans allows the beans to absorb a more complete array of flavors, thereby enriching the flavor profile in the beans.

Finally, in addition to imparting a richer, more complete flavor profile to the infused legume, it was surprisingly found that the flavor in the infused legume was further revealed upon baking. As noted above, existing methods typically require roasting the beans before spraying the flavor compounds onto the beans, because the oil and other flavor compounds reside on the outer surface of the beans and thus the volatile compounds used to impart the desired flavor are destroyed upon roasting. In contrast, when raw, unbaked, even partially baked beans are brought directly into contact with a flavored spirit, the delicate notes of wood are absorbed into the interior of the beans, and according to some embodiments, these notes are then further revealed by baking. The additional flavor obtained during the baking process appears to provide a rich, subtle base for the baked beans, which brings a rich, rich flavor profile to the resulting brewed beverage.

As illustrated in fig. 2, in several embodiments, a flavored spirit may be prepared by allowing a compound having a flavor (e.g., wood) to remain in an alcohol solution for a sufficient time to enable the desired flavor component to be extracted into the alcohol solution. Although the present disclosure is discussed in the context of infusing the flavors of wood and spirits (particularly, bourbon whisky and oak) into coffee beans, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of compounds having a flavor may be employed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

As shown in block 201, an alcoholic spirit is provided. In some configurations, the alcoholic solution may be a spirit, such as a bourbon whisky, but other spirits may also be employed, including gin, tequila, vodka, rum, scotch whisky, rye whisky, cognac, brandy, sherry, etc. In some embodiments, the spirit may be a high alcohol spirit. For example, the alcohol content of a high alcohol spirit may be about 30 g/l-lux (GL) or higher, such as about 30 GL; about 40 GL; about 50 GL; about 60 GL; about 70 GL; or any value within the range. In various embodiments described herein, the alcoholic spirit is a whisky, such as a bobby whisky.

Alcoholic spirits can be used to extract a desired flavour from a compound having a flavour. As indicated at block 202, in several embodiments, the charred wood briquettes are provided as the compound having a flavor. Indeed, in different configurations, the compound having a flavor may be oak wood, such as american oak, french oak, european oak, spanish oak, oriental oak, red oak, rouge oak, and the like, although a variety of different woods may be employed, including: maple, hard maple, soft maple, silver maple, cherry, apple, orange, apricot, peach, plum, pear, mulberry, legume shrub, hickory, chestnut, walnut, alder, cedar, ash, etc. To customize flavor infusion for a particular taste, the flavor and aroma characteristics of the wood can be altered prior to extraction. For example, the wood pieces may be smoked, roasted, charred, or natural. However, although various embodiments are described in terms of infusing, for example, the flavor and aroma of oak wood into an alcoholic spirit, it should be understood that similar infusions can be made using almost any compound having a desired flavor, including a wide variety of other natural and plant-based compounds, such as berries, fruits, flowers, nuts, leaves, roots, extracts, or any of the foregoing, and the like.

To prepare a flavored spirit, a compound having a flavor may be soaked into an alcoholic spirit to produce a flavored spirit, as described in block 203. When a flavoursome compound is soaked into an alcoholic solution, the desired flavoursome compound is extracted into the spirit. The extraction may occur for a period of time ranging from about 15 minutes to about 80 hours. For example, in some configurations, the wood may be left in an alcohol solution for about 15 minutes; about 30 minutes; about 1 hour; about 2 hours; about 3 hours; about 4 hours; about 5 hours; about 6 hours; about 7 hours; about 8 hours; about 9 hours; about 10 hours; about 12 hours; about 14 hours; about 16 hours; about 18 hours; about 20 hours; about 22 hours; about 24 hours; about 26 hours; about 28 hours; about 30 hours; about 32 hours; about 34 hours; about 36 hours; about 38 hours; about 40 hours; about 42 hours; about 44 hours; about 46 hours; about 48 hours; about 50 hours; about 52 hours; about 54 hours; about 56 hours; about 58 hours; about 60 hours; about 62 hours; about 64 hours; about 66 hours; about 68 hours; about 70 hours; about 72 hours; about 74 hours; about 76 hours; about 78 hours; about 80 hours; and any value within the range.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the precise immersion time will depend on the strength of the alcohol solution, the extraction characteristics of the compounds having flavor, the desired flavor profile of the flavored spirit, and similar factors. For example, to facilitate efficient extraction, odoriferous compounds such as wood may be cut, trimmed, pulped or otherwise partitioned into a more usable form having a larger surface area to increase the rate of extraction of the desired flavor compounds from the wood. For example, in some configurations, wood pieces may be divided into cubes. In some embodiments, a cube may be about 0.2 cubic inches; about 0.3 cubic inches; about 0.4 cubic inches; about 0.5 cubic inches; about 0.6 cubic inches; about 0.7 cubic inches; about 0.8 cubic inches; about 0.9 cubic inches; about 1.0 cubic inches; about 1 cubic inch; about 1.2 cubic inches; about 1.3 cubic inches; about 1.4 cubic inches; about 1.5 cubic inches; about 1.6 cubic inches; about 1.7 cubic inches; about 1.8 cubic inches; about 1.9 cubic inches; about 2.0 cubic inches; or any value within the range. In other embodiments, the wood pieces may be coarsely shredded or pulped. Indeed, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of form factors may be employed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in various other configurations, the wood may be divided into planks, pegs, sticks, and the like. For example, in a different configuration, wood may be split into spikes having the following diameters: about 0.1 inches to about 2.0 inches, for example about 0.1 inches; about 0.2 inches; about 0.4 inches; about 0.6 inches; about 0.8 inches; about 1.0 inch; about 1.2 inches; about 1.4 inches; about 1.6 inches; about 1.8 inches; about 2.0 inches; or any value within the range. Similarly, the wooden pegs may have the following lengths: about 0.1 inches to about 4 inches, for example about 0.1 inches; 0.2 inches; 0.4 inches; 0.8 inch; 1.0 inch; 1.2 inches; 1.4 inches; 1.6 inches; 1.8 inches; 2.0 inches; 2.2 inches; 2.4 inches; 2.6 inches; 2.8 inches; 3.0 inches; 3.2 inches; 3.4 inches; 3.6 inches; 3.8 inches; 4.0 inches; or any value within the range. However, it should be understood that a wide variety of shapes and sizes may be employed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The extraction time is also affected by the ratio of the flavoursome compounds to the alcoholic solution. For example, where a large proportion of the compounds having flavour are contained in the extraction mixture, the extraction time may be reduced to a corresponding extent. In certain configurations, the ratio of wood to spirit may be in the range of about 1.0:0.8 to 1.0:3.0, such as about 1.0: 0.8; about 1.0: 1.0; about 1.0: 1.2; about 1.0: 1.4; about 1.0: 1.6; about 1.0: 1.8; about 1.0: 2.0; about 1.0: 2.2; about 1.0: 2.4; about 1.0: 2.6; about 1.0: 2.8; about 1.0: 3.0; or any value within the range. The total extraction time can also be reduced by stirring the extraction mixture during at least a part of the extraction. Agitation helps to ensure consistent extraction in all areas of the batch and prevents over-extraction of the extraction mixture in the vessel. Agitation may be staged or continuous throughout the extraction process, and may be effected by any suitable mechanism, including shaking, rotation, stirring, vibration, and the like.

The extraction temperature may also vary depending on the type and amount of the compound with flavor being extracted. In some embodiments, the extraction temperature may range from about 1 ℃ to about 70 ℃, including about 2 ℃; about 4 ℃; about 6 ℃; about 8 ℃; about 10 ℃; about 12 ℃; about 14 ℃; about 16 ℃; about 18 ℃; about 20 ℃; about 22 ℃; about 24 ℃; about 26 ℃; about 28 ℃; about 30 ℃; about 32 ℃; about 34 ℃; about 36 ℃; about 38 ℃; about 40 ℃; about 42 ℃; about 44 ℃; about 46 ℃; about 48 ℃; about 50 ℃; about 52 ℃; about 54 ℃; about 56 ℃; about 58 ℃; about 60 ℃; about 62 ℃; about 64 ℃; about 66 ℃; about 68 ℃; about 70 ℃; and any value within the range. In some embodiments, the temperature fluctuates during extraction, while in other embodiments, the temperature may be maintained at a substantially constant value.

When wood is soaked in a spirit, the desired flavor and aroma of the compound is extracted from the wood into the spirit to produce a flavored spirit. Once a sufficient degree of infusion has occurred, the wood may be separated from the flavored spirit as described in block 204. Various techniques can be used to separate the wood from the spirit. For example, in some embodiments, the wood may be filtered or sieved to separate from the flavored spirit. Although complete removal of wood is not required, in a different arrangement substantially all of the wood is removed from the flavoured spirit.

In some embodiments, the separated wood may be retained, as described in block 205. The retained wood may be drained and then reused to dip into a subsequent batch of spirit. The separated flavored spirit may be immediately utilized, or may be allowed to stand for a period of time to further develop the flavor, as described in block 206.

As set forth in block 207, a flavored spirit may be added to the coffee beans. Although the present disclosure frequently refers to the use of green coffee beans, it should be understood that a wide variety of coffee beans may be employed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the coffee beans may be roasted whole coffee beans, e.g., yellow coffee beans, red coffee beans, partially roasted coffee beans, deep roasted coffee beans, light roasted coffee beans, non-decaffeinated coffee, partially decaffeinated coffee, completely decaffeinated coffee, or unroasted green coffee beans. The coffee used may be of any variety or variety anywhere in the world, and any mixture thereof. For example, arabica coffee, robusta coffee and any mixture of arabica coffee and robusta coffee from anywhere in the world (e.g., brazil, indonesia, central america, africa, etc.). In some configurations, the coffee beans can include at least one of: raw coffee cherries, red coffee cherries, coffee flowers, coffee cherry skin, coffee cherry pulp, coffee cherry stem, coffee cherry silverskin, coffee cherry mucilage, coffee cherry endocarp, coffee cherry exocarp, coffee cherry mesocarp, and the like.

The coffee beans are placed in a flavored spirit, as shown in block 208. When the beans are soaked in the flavoured spirit, the desired flavour and aroma of the compounds are soaked into the coffee beans. Coffee beans are typically immersed in a flavored spirit for a period of time sufficient to achieve the desired degree of immersion. Typical immersion times may range from about 10 minutes to about 80 hours, for example about 10 minutes; about 15 minutes; about 30 minutes; about 1 hour; about 2 hours; about 3 hours; about 4 hours; about 5 hours; about 6 hours; about 7 hours; about 8 hours; about 9 hours; about 10 hours; about 12 hours; about 14 hours; about 16 hours; about 18 hours; about 20 hours; about 22 hours; about 24 hours; about 26 hours; about 28 hours; about 30 hours; about 32 hours; about 34 hours; about 36 hours; about 38 hours; about 40 hours; about 42 hours; about 44 hours; about 46 hours; about 48 hours; about 50 hours; about 52 hours; about 54 hours; about 56 hours; about 58 hours; about 60 hours; about 62 hours; about 64 hours; about 66 hours; about 68 hours; about 70 hours; about 72 hours; about 74 hours; about 76 hours; about 78 hours; about 80 hours; and any value within the range. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conditions required to achieve a sufficient degree of infusion of the beans will depend on the intensity of infusion of the flavored spirit, the alcohol content of the flavored spirit, the characteristics of the beans being infused, the desired flavor profile of the flavored beans, and the like. However, it is generally true that longer infusion times generally result in a stronger flavor being infused into the beans.

However, the immersion strength can also be varied by changing the ratio of beans to spirit. For example, where a smaller proportion of beans are immersed in a flavoured spirit, it is expected that immersion will occur more quickly. Conversely, if a large proportion of coffee beans are soaked in spirit, it is expected that the soaking will proceed more slowly. In various embodiments, the amount of spirit added to the coffee beans may range from about 1% by weight of the coffee beans to about 10% by weight of the coffee beans. For example, in various embodiments, the amount of spirits may be about 1% of the weight of the coffee beans; about 2% by weight of coffee beans; about 3% by weight of coffee beans; about 4% by weight of coffee beans; about 5% by weight of coffee beans; about 6% by weight of coffee beans; about 7% by weight of coffee beans; about 8% by weight of coffee beans; about 9% by weight of coffee beans; about 10% by weight of coffee beans; or any value within the range.

In some embodiments, the flavor profile of the beans can be enriched by an initial step and then dipped into a flavored spirit. For example, coffee beans may be sprayed with a portion of flavored spirit and allowed to stand under the film for a period of time. In other embodiments, the coffee beans may be sprayed with an aroma solution having a desired flavor profile. For example, suitable aroma solutions may include whisky, such as a beenberg or scotland whisky, or other spirits with desirable flavor characteristics, such as gold spirits, tequila, vodka, brandy, sherry, and the like. Suitable amounts of the aroma solution can range from about 10mL per kilogram of beans to about 100mL per kilogram of beans, e.g., about 10 mL/kg; about 20 mL/kg; about 30 mL/kg; about 40 mL/kg; about 50 mL/kg; about 60 mL/kg; about 70 mL/kg; about 80 mL/kg; about 90 mL/kg; about 100 mL/kg; and any value within the range. After spraying, but before immersion, the beans may be allowed to stand for a period of time ranging from: about 5 minutes to about 20 hours, such as about 5 minutes; about 10 minutes; about 15 minutes; about 30 minutes; about 45 minutes; about 1 hour; about 2 hours; about 4 hours; about 5 hours; about 8 hours; about 10 hours; about 12 hours; about 15 hours; about 18 hours; about 20 hours; or any value within the range. During this time, the desired flavor components may leach into the beans. The beans can be soaked in the flavoured spirit at the following temperatures: from about 1 ℃ to about 70 ℃, including about 2 ℃; about 4 ℃; about 8 ℃; about 10 ℃; about 20 ℃; about 30 ℃; about 40 ℃; about 50 ℃; about 60 ℃; about 70 ℃; about 80 ℃; about 100 ℃; about 120 ℃; about 140 ℃; about 160 ℃; about 180 ℃; or any value within the range.

After the beans are immersed, the seasoned beans may be separated from the spirit, as described in block 209. The beans can be separated from the spirit using any suitable technique. For example, in some embodiments, the beans may be filtered or sieved to separate from the flavored spirit. In some configurations, the flavored spirit may be drained from the beans and retained for additional immersion.

As described in block 210, once the flavored beans are removed from the flavored spirit, the flavored beans can be roasted. Unlike conventional seasoning techniques, in which baking destroys volatile aromatic compounds coated on the outside of the beans, advantageously, the flavor impregnated into the beans is further revealed during baking. In particular, it has been found that the roasting process perfects the flavour profile of the immersed beans, giving the finished cupped product an additional rich and undercooked taste that is otherwise unavailable. The subtle and abundant aftertaste produced by roasting is the result of a series of reactions occurring between various sugars, fats, proteins, oils and acids within the beans, which reactions occur at the high temperatures used to roast the beans. For example, the sugars and proteins within the bean can caramelize and undergo Maillard reactions to form compounds with volatile flavors and aromas, such as 2-furfuryl mercaptan. Similarly, the heat of roasting drives off moisture from the beans, thereby breaking the beans and concentrating the flavor in the beans. At certain baking temperatures, pyrolysis occurs in which organic compounds such as cellulose within the legumes decompose into volatile aromatic compounds that impart an abundant smoke flavor to the final product. In various configurations, the flavored beans can be baked at a temperature between about 150 ℃ to about 300 ℃, for example about 150 ℃; about 160 ℃; about 170 ℃; about 180 ℃; about 190 ℃; about 200 ℃; about 210 ℃; about 220 ℃; about 230 ℃; about 240 ℃; about 250 ℃; about 260 ℃; about 270 ℃; about 280 ℃; about 290 ℃; about 300 ℃; or any value within the range. In addition, the high temperature of the roasting process vaporizes the residual alcohol in the beans. For example, in some configurations, substantially all of the alcohol in the legumes is vaporized during the roasting process, resulting in substantially alcohol-free legumes. After roasting, the coffee beans may be cooled and placed in a place where the final flavor is revealed to obtain flavored roasted coffee beans, as depicted in block 211.

Flavored coffee beans, such as the flavored coffee beans disclosed herein, can be used to prepare a flavored coffee beverage. In some embodiments, the flavored coffee beverages are prepared by reducing flavored coffee beans into particles. Any type of grinding device may be used to grind the flavored coffee beans and reduce them into particles. Non-limiting examples of grinding equipment may include cage mills, hammer mills, single stage roller mills, multi-stage roller mills, and the like. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to help maintain the desired flavor profile of the flavored coffee beans by cooling the medium to ensure that the device is maintained at a low temperature (e.g., about 0 ℃ to 20 ℃). However, in various embodiments, the grinding may be performed at room temperature to facilitate preparation at the consumer's home or in a coffee shop.

In several embodiments, the flavor particles can be extracted in water to produce a coffee beverage. For example, in some embodiments, the flavor particles can be immersed in a portion of boiling water to brew a hot coffee beverage. In further embodiments, the flavored particles may be immersed in cold water to produce a cold extract product. It has been found that brewed coffee extracts prepared from flavored coffee beans made according to the present disclosure exhibit a full, rich liqueur flavor that has been enhanced with a vital wood note that is otherwise unavailable.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the foregoing, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of embodiments of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, while certain aspects of the embodiments of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, various aspects of the invention may be considered in any available claim form.

Indeed, the foregoing discussion is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use one or more embodiments disclosed herein. These examples are merely illustrative and are in no way intended to limit the primary disclosure provided, as well as the various aspects and features of the disclosure. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those discussed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Indeed, the disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed or suggested herein. For example, many of the examples described below relate to techniques and methods for infusing coffee beans with a spirit, such as a borbon whiskey, that is already enriched in certain desirable flavors, such as oak. However, it should be understood that the various features and aspects disclosed herein may be applied to a wide variety of other immersions and are not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein.

Although certain aspects, advantages, and features are described herein, it is not necessary for any particular embodiment to include or achieve any or all of those aspects, advantages, and features. Some embodiments may not achieve the advantages described herein, but may instead achieve other advantages. Any structure, feature, or step in any embodiment may be used instead of, or in addition to, any structure, feature, or step in any other embodiment, or omitted. This disclosure encompasses all combinations of features from the various disclosed embodiments. No feature, structure, or step is essential or critical.

As used herein, the term "beverage" has its ordinary and customary meaning and includes, among other things, any edible liquid or substantially liquid substance or product having flow characteristics (e.g., juice, coffee beverage, tea, frozen yogurt, beer, wine, cocktail, liqueur, spirit, cider, soft drink, flavored water, energy drink, soup, broth, combinations thereof, and the like).

Unless expressly stated otherwise, disjunctive language such as the phrase "X, Y or at least one of Z" is generally understood in the context to mean that the item, clause, etc. may be either X, Y or Z or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y and/or Z). Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and should not, imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one X, at least one Y, or at least one Z each.

Conditional language such as "may," "can," "might," or "may" is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, but other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps unless expressly stated otherwise or understood otherwise in the context of usage. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that one or more embodiments require such features, elements, and/or steps in any way or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for determining, with or without user input or prompting, whether such features, elements, and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

Articles such as "a" or "an" should generally be construed to include one or more of the items described, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, phrases such as "a device is configured to" are intended to include one or more of the devices described. Such one or more of the devices may also be collectively configured to execute the content.

The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and the like, are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and thus do not exclude other elements, features, acts, operations, and the like. Likewise, the terms "some," "certain," and the like are synonymous and are used in an open-ended fashion. Likewise, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) such that when used, for example, to connect a series of elements, the term "or" means one, some, or all of the elements in the series.

As used herein, the terms "about," "approximately," and "substantially" mean an amount close to the stated amount that still achieves the desired function or results. For example, in some embodiments, the terms "about," "about," and "substantially" can refer to an amount that is less than or equal to within 10% of a specified amount, as the context indicates. As used herein, the term "generally" means values, amounts, or characteristics that generally include or are intended to be specific values, amounts, or characteristics.

In general, the language of the claims will be construed broadly based on the language employed in the claims. The claims are not limited to the non-exclusive embodiments and examples shown and described in this disclosure or discussed during the prosecution of the application.

One skilled in the art will also appreciate that in some embodiments, the functions provided by the components, structures, methods, and processes discussed above can be provided in alternative ways, such as by splitting or combining more components or processes between fewer components or processes. Further, while the various methods may be shown as being performed in a particular order, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments, the methods may be performed in other orders and in other ways.

Moreover, while there may be some embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure that are not explicitly set forth above or elsewhere herein, the present disclosure contemplates and includes all embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure as shown and described. Furthermore, the present disclosure contemplates and includes embodiments including any combination of any structure, material, step, or other feature disclosed anywhere herein with any other structure, material, step, or other feature disclosed anywhere herein.

Furthermore, in the present disclosure, certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Further, although the components and operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular arrangement or order, such components and operations need not be arranged and executed in the particular arrangement or order shown, nor need they be arranged and executed in a sequential order, nor need they be all included to achieve desirable results. Other components and operations not depicted or described may be incorporated in the embodiments and examples. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, at, or between any of the operations described. Further, in other embodiments, the operations may be rearranged or reordered. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the components and systems described may generally be integrated in a single product or packaged into multiple products.

In summary, various illustrative embodiments and examples of beverage preparation systems, techniques, and methods have been disclosed. While these systems, techniques, and methods have been disclosed in the context of those embodiments and examples, the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or other uses of the embodiments, as well as certain modifications and equivalents thereof. The present disclosure expressly contemplates that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the entire scope of the claims that follow and their equivalents.