Patent ID: 7932079

Claim:
A system for producing and handling a flowing substance comprising: a mixing vessel for mixing ingredients for use in subsequent preparation of a flowing substance; a first manifold for transferring the mixed ingredients from the mixing vessel into one of a plurality of reservoirs where the mixed ingredients are combined with an initiating culture; first regulating means for maintaining predetermined conditions in each reservoir suitable to allow a fermentation process to occur which results in the production after a specified time of a starter culture as a flowing substance having predetermined properties from the initiating culture and the mixed ingredients; a second manifold for transferring the starter culture from each reservoir to at least one receiving container; and electronic control means for controlling the system so that the system provides delivery of mixed ingredients to each reservoir in a specified sequence so that a first pre-set interval of time elapses from the start of fermentation in a first or subsequent reservoir before the delivery of the mixed ingredients into a succeeding next reservoir, that interval being less than the fermentation time of the starter culture in the preceding reservoir, wherein the electronic control means is adapted to control the system so that the system effects discharge of a desired first portion of the starter culture from a reservoir whilst retaining a second portion therein, said retained second portion comprising an initiating culture for subsequent production in that reservoir of a further batch of starter culture upon introduction of a next load of the mixed ingredients; and to allow a second pre-set delay interval to elapse after the discharge before introducing the next load of the mixed ingredients into the reservoir; first propelling means for transferring mixed ingredients into each reservoir via the first manifold and second propelling means for transferring the starter culture produced in the reservoir into the receiving container via the second manifold, wherein the electronic control means is programmed to control the second propelling means to discharge the starter culture produced in a reservoir, save for the second portion of the starter culture which remains in the reservoir and is retained for a subsequent cycle of production of starter culture in this reservoir, the remaining second portion being sufficient to serve as initiating culture for the subsequent cycle; and a sensor means connected between the reservoir and the electronic control means for enabling the electronic control means to determine the quantity of starter culture in the reservoir and to prevent the quantity falling below a predetermined quantity on actuation of the second propelling means.