Patent ID: 7513092

Claim:
A method of operating a container filling plant for filling containers with a liquid beverage material, said method comprising the steps of: storing liquid beverage material at a first beverage temperature in a storage reservoir; feeding treatment liquid from at least one of: a first, heating, section and a third, cooling, section of a beverage pasteurizing machine and into a heat exchanger; flowing liquid beverage material from said storage reservoir, through a supply conduit, and to filling devices of a container filling machine; heating liquid beverage material flowing through said supply conduit with treatment liquid having a first treatment temperature in said heat exchanger to a second beverage temperature, which is higher than said first beverage temperature, and substantially simultaneously cooling said treatment liquid having said first treatment temperature to a lower, fifth treatment temperature; returning said treatment liquid having said fifth treatment temperature from said heat exchanger, through a direct feed line, and into said beverage pasteurizing machine; filling empty containers with liquid beverage material having said second beverage temperature and then closing the filled containers; moving filled, closed containers into said beverage pasteurizing machine; moving filled, closed containers through said first, heating, section and dispensing treatment liquid having a second treatment temperature and further heating liquid beverage material in the filled, closed beverage containers in said first, heating, section to a third beverage temperature, which is higher than said second beverage temperature; then moving filled, closed containers through a second, pasteurizing, section and dispensing treatment liquid having a third treatment temperature and further heating liquid beverage material in the filled, closed beverage containers in said second, pasteurizing, section to a fourth, pasteurizing, beverage temperature, which is higher than said third beverage temperature; and then moving filled, closed containers through said third, cooling, section and dispensing treatment liquid having a fourth treatment temperature and cooling liquid beverage material in the filled, closed containers in said third, cooling, section to a fifth beverage temperature, which is lower than said fourth, pasteurizing, beverage temperature.