Abstract:
A method of heating an amount of material positioned within a receptacle. The method may include heating a first volume of water to a predetermined temperature, pressurizing a first volume of steam to a predetermined pressure, releasing the first volume of steam towards the first volume of water so as to force the first volume of water into the receptacle, and heating the material within the receptacle.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present application relates generally to methods for brewing tea and more particularly relates to a method of brewing tea concentrate using saturated steam. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Numerous methods are known for providing tea and other types of steeped beverages. These methods range from traditional tea bags to the use of tea extracts and concentrates. The traditional tea bag can provide a high quality cup of tea but generally is not well suited for providing larger volumes of tea, at least not within a small amount of time. Tea extracts and concentrates can quickly provide larger volumes of tea and also may have an extended shelf life. The quality of the tea produced by such extracts and concentrates, however, often is not as high as that made from traditional tea bags. 
         [0003]    There is a desire, therefore, for an improved method of brewing high quality tea in larger volumes and in smaller amounts of time than may be possible with the use of a traditional tea bag. The methods described herein preferably should produce a high quality and a high volume of tea in an efficient and cost effective manner. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present application thus describes a method of heating an amount of material positioned within a receptacle. The method may include heating a first volume of water to a predetermined temperature, pressurizing a first volume of steam to a predetermined pressure, releasing the first volume of steam towards the first volume of water so as to force the first volume of water into the receptacle, and heating the material within the receptacle. 
         [0005]    The predetermined temperature may be about 200 to about 225 degrees Fahrenheit (about 93 to about 107 degrees Celsius). The predetermined pressure may be up to about 75 pounds per square inch (about 5.2 bar). The step of heating the material may take about ten (10) to about (15) seconds. The step of pressurizing the first volume of steam may include saturated steam. The step of releasing the first volume of steam towards the first volume of water so as to force the first volume of water into the receptacle may include forcing the first volume of water into the receptacle without reducing the temperature of the first volume of water. 
         [0006]    The material may be tea leaves. About seven (7) grams of tea leaves are used so as to produce about one hundred (100) milliliters of tea. The step of heating the material may include brewing the tea leaves to a dilution ratio of about eight (8) to one (1) to about fifteen (15) to one (1). The method further may include adding dilution water to the tea and also presoaking the tea leaves with saturated steam. 
         [0007]    The present application further provides a method of brewing tea leaves with a volume of water. The method may include the steps of warming the water to about 200 to about 225 degrees Fahrenheit (about 93 to about 107 degrees Celsius), forcing the water to the tea leaves at a pressure of up to about 75 pounds per square inch (about 5.2 bar), and brewing the tea leaves for about ten (10) to about (15) seconds. 
         [0008]    The step of forcing the water may include providing saturated steam. About seven (7) grams of tea leaves are used so as to produce about one hundred (100) milliliters of tea. The step of brewing the tea leaves results in tea having a dilution ratio of about eight (8) to one (1) to about fifteen (15) to one (1). The method further may include adding dilution water to the tea and presoaking the tea leaves with saturated steam. The step of forcing the water may include pumping the water and pumping the water with a positive displacement pump. The step of forcing the water to the tea leaves may include forcing the water to the tea leaves without reducing the temperature of water. 
         [0009]    The present application further describes a method of brewing an amount of tea leaves positioned within a tea receptacle. The method may include the steps of heating a first volume of water to about 210 degrees Fahrenheit (about 99 degrees Celsius), pressurizing a first volume of saturated steam to about 75 pounds per square inch (about 5.2 bar), releasing the first volume of saturated steam towards the first volume of water so as to force the first volume of water into the tea receptacle, and brewing the tea leaves within the tea receptacle for about ten (10) to about fifteen (15) seconds so as to produce tea with a dilution level of more than about eight (8) to one (1). 
         [0010]    These and other features of the present application will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken into conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a tea brewing device as is described herein. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an alternative device as is described herein. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an alternative device as is described herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to the drawings, in which like numbers refer to like elements,  FIG. 1  shows a brewing device  100  as is described herein. The brewing device  100  includes a main boiler  110 . The main boiler  110  may be of conventional design. Any device for heating water may be used herein. The main boiler  110  maintains a volume of water at a desired temperature. The main boiler  110  may operate at or about atmospheric pressure. The main boiler  110  may be connected to a water supply via a main boiler pump  120 . The main boiler pump  120  may be of conventional design. A solenoid valve  130  and a check valve  140  may be positioned between the main boiler  110  and the main boiler pump  120 . In addition to the solenoid valve  130 , any type of on/off valve may be used herein. The main boiler  110  also may have a steam discharge outlet  150 . Any similar type of boiler components may be used herein. 
         [0015]    The brewing device  100  further includes a saturated steam boiler  160 . The saturated steam boiler  160  also may be of conventional design. The saturated steam boiler  160  maintains a volume of water at a desired temperature and pressure. As is well known, the pressure and the temperature of saturated steam are closely related. The saturated steam boiler  160  may be fed from a water source via a saturated steam boiler pump  170 . The saturated steam boiler pump  170  may be of conventional design. As described above, a solenoid valve  180  and a check valve  190  may be positioned between the pump  170  and the saturated steam boiler  160 . Likewise, a steam discharge outlet  200  may be used. Any similar type of boiler components may be used herein. The saturated steam boiler  160  and the main boiler  110  may be connected via a saturated steam boiler outlet  210 . A check valve  220  may be positioned thereon. 
         [0016]    The brewing device  100  also may include a brew head  230 . The brew head  230  may be of conventional design. The brew head  230  may be positioned about a tealeaf receptacle  240 . The tealeaf receptacle  240  includes an amount of tea leaves or amounts of similar materials. The brew head  230  is connected to the main boiler  110  via a main boiler outlet  250 . A solenoid valve  260 , a flow meter  270 , and a temperature gauge  280  may be positioned on the main boiler outlet  250 . Similar types of boiler components may be used herein. The brew head  230  also may be connected to the saturated steam boiler  160  by a presoak saturated steam outlet  290 . A solenoid valve  300  may be used thereon. Other types of on/off valves or similar types of components may be used herein. A tea collection nozzle  310  may be positioned beneath the tealeaf receptacle  240 . The brewed concentrated tea may stream therethrough. 
         [0017]    The brewing device  100  also may include a make up water system  320 . The make up water system  320  may include a water tank  330 . Cool water may be stored within the water tank  330 . The water tank  330  may be in communication with the tea collection nozzle  310 . A solenoid valve  340  may be used thereon. Other types of on/off valves or similar types of components may be used herein. The make up water system  320  provides a predetermined amount of cool water to the brewed tea concentrate. The make up water also quenches the brewed concentrated tea in the tea collection nozzle  310  so as to ensure that the brewed tea remains a liquid as opposed to steam. 
         [0018]    A control  350  may monitor the pressure and temperature of the boilers  110 ,  160 , and operate the solenoid valves as may be desired. The control  350  may be a conventional microprocessor or the like. 
         [0019]    In use, the boilers  110 ,  160  may be set to their desired pressure and temperature. The main boiler  110  may have a temperature of about 200 to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (about 93 to about 149 degrees Celsius). The main boiler  110  may be kept at about atmospheric pressure. The saturated steam boiler  160  may be set at the desired pressure. The pressure may range from about thirty (30) to about seventy-five (75) pounds per square inch (about two (2) to about five (5) bar). As described above, the temperature of the saturated steam is directly related to the pressure. 
         [0020]    Saturated steam from the saturated steam boiler  160  is fed into the main boiler  110  via the saturated steam outlet  210 . The pressurized saturated steam acts as a propellant that drives the water in the main boiler  110  towards the brew head  230  under pressure. After the water passes through the tea receptacle, the brewed tea generally will be concentrated, i.e., the tea must be diluted with a volume of water. In this case, the concentrations can run from about eight (8) to one (1) to about fifteen (15) to one (1) or higher. The saturated steam boiler  160  also is directly connected to the brew head  230  in order to provide a steam presoak to the tea leaves within the tea receptacle  240 . 
         [0021]    By way of example, the main boiler  110  may be set at about 210 degrees Fahrenheit (about 98.9 degrees Celsius). The saturated steam boiler  160  may be set at about 75 pounds per square inch (about 5.2 bar) (and hence, a temperature of about 307.6 degrees Fahrenheit) (about 153.1 degrees Celsius)). About seven (7) grams of tea leaves may be placed in the tea receptacle  240  in order to produce about 100 milliliters of tea concentrate. Any desired amount of tea leaves or other substances may be used herein. The saturated steam from saturated steam boiler  160  may be used to presoak the tea leaves. The saturated steam from the saturated steam boiler  160  then may be released into main boiler  110  such that the water in the main boiler  110  is forced under pressure to the brew head  230 . The water will pass through the receptacle  240  and produce the 100 milliliters of tea in about 10 seconds or so. The tea may be concentrated at about ten to one (10 to 1) or higher. By way of comparison, brewing the same amount of tea at the same temperature but at atmospheric pressure would result in a concentration of only about four to one (4 to 1) and would take more time. 
         [0022]    The brewing device  100  described herein thus provides the ability to control the temperature and pressure of the brew water independently from one another. In addition to the use of the two (2) boilers  110 ,  160 , however, any device that can control independently both pressure and temperature may be used herein. 
         [0023]    For example, a system  400  may use a single boiler  410 . The boiler  410  may be fed via a pump  420 . A throttle valve  430  or a similar device may be positioned between the boiler  410  and the brew head  440 . The pump  420  delivers the water to the boiler  410  at the desired pressure where it is heated before progressing to the brew head  440 . The boiler  410  controls the temperature of the water while the pump  420  and the throttle valve  430  control the pressure delivered to the brew head  440 . 
         [0024]    A similar system  500  is shown in  FIG. 3 . Instead of the use of a boiler and a pump, a positive displacement pump  510  may be used. The positive displacement pump  510  may be surrounded by a number of wrap heaters  520  or similar types of devices. The use of the positive displacement pump  510  ensures the use of a consistent amount of water at a consistent pump pressure. The wrap heaters  520  heat the water while within the pump  510 . Alternatively, the water could be heated in a second step that is separate from the pump  510 . 
         [0025]    The methods described herein thus provide high volumes of fresh brewed tea concentrate in a fast and efficient manner. The methods described herein essentially continually brew tea concentrate as desired. For example, a gallon of tea similarly may be brewed in less than about one (1) minute. Another benefit of the high concentration ratio is that the tea will quickly cool when cold dilution water is added. As such, the methods described herein are well suited to make large quantities of iced tea in a small amount of time. 
         [0026]    It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present applicant and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.