Pasteurization process

Claim 1

An improved method for tunnel pasteurization of beer in packages wherein water spray is applied at a rate of more than about 6 gal./min./ft. 2 to the tops of the packages of beer from spray nozzles staggered transversely across the width of the tunnel and positioned above the packages to control P.U. input and wherein the P.U. input to each beer package is at a predetermined level between about 5.6 to about 20 comprising, (a) controlling P.U. input to all packages of beer at a standard deviation of less than about 2 P.U. for each package while providing the P.U. input to each package at a predetermined minimum level above about 5.6, (b) maintaining cold spot beer temperature in any package between about 140° F. and about 143° F., and (c) maintaining beer out temperature between about 70° F. and about 85° F.

Claim 16

The method of tunnel pasteurizing a drink product which is contained in a plurality of packages while imparting substantially the same P.U. input, which is in a selected range thereof, to the drink product in each of the packages, while limiting the variation of P.U. input to the packages across the width of the tunnel, the drink product accumulating a slower rate of P.U. input at a temperature t and accumulating P.U. at a substantially faster rate only upon reaching a predetermined temperature T which is greater than t, which comprises the steps of: i. heating the packages in a series of discrete, water spray zones of progressively increasing spray water temperature, each zone having transversely staggered spray nozzles providing a substantially uniform spray density of greater than about 6 gal./min./ft. 2 across the width of the tunnel and each zone having a temperature greater than t and culminating in a zone whose water spray temperature exceeds said temperature T rapidly to attain a cold spot temperature in all of the packages which is close to said temperature T while accumulating some of the P.U. input to the drink product, the residence time in said culminating zone being such that the ratio of an initial temperature difference between the cold spot temperatures of the packages upon entering said culminating zone and the water spray temperature of such zone and a final temperature difference between the cold spot temperatures of the drink product leaving said culminating zone and the water spray temperature of such zone is about 5 so as to minimize variation in cold spot temperatures of the packages when leaving said culminating zone; then ii. imparting a substantial part of the P.U. input to the drink product by immediately subjecting the packages to an additional zone of temperature about that of the culminating zone of step i., the residence time of the packages in said additional zone being selected so that the cold spot temperatures of the packages are substantially equal as the packages leave said additional zone; and then iii immediately subjecting the packages to a zone of water spray in which the temperature thereof is less than said temperature T but greater than said temperature t for a time sufficient to accumulate the remaining amount of the P.U. input to be imparted to the drink product; and then iv. subjecting the packages to further cooling below said temperature t to terminate P.U. input to the drink product; v. the cold spot temperature of the drink product in the packages being maintained between a predetermined minimum pasteurization temperature and a predetermined maximum temperature.

Claim 17

The method of tunnel pasteurizing a drink product which is contained in a plurality of packages while imparting substantially the same P.U. input, which is in a selected range thereof, to the drink product in each of the packages, while limiting the variation of P.U. input to the packages across the width of the tunnel, the drink product accumulating a slower rate of P.U. input at a temperature t and accumulating P.U. at a substantially faster rate only upon reaching a predetermined temperature T which is greater than t, which comprises the steps of: i. heating the packages in a series of discrete, water spray zones of progressively increasing spray water temperature, each zone having transversely staggered spray nozzles providing a substantially uniform spray density of greater than about 6 gal./min./ft. 2 across the width of the tunnel and each zone having a temperature greater than t and culminating in a zone whose water spray temperature exceeds said temperature T rapidly to attain a cold spot temperature in all of the packages which is close to said temperature T while accumulating some of the P.U. input to the drink product, the residence time in said culminating zone being such that the ratio of an initial temperature difference between the cold spot temperatures of the packages upon entering said culminating zone and the water spray temperature of such zone and a final temperature difference between the cold spot temperatures of the drink product leaving said culminating zone and the water spray temperature of such zone is about 5 so as to minimize variation in cold spot temperatures of the packages when leaving said culminating zone; then ii. imparting a substantial part of the P.U. input to the drink product by immediately subjecting the packages to an additional zone of temperature about that of the culminating zone of step i., the residence time of the packages in said additional zone being selected so that the cold spot temperatures of the packages are substantially equal as the packages leave said additional zone; and then iii immediately subjecting the packages to a zone of water spray in which the temperature thereof is less than said temperature T but greater than said temperature t for a time sufficient to accumulate the remaining amount of the P.U. input to be imparted to the drink product; and then iv. subjecting the packages to further cooling below said temperature t to terminate P.U. input to the drink product; v. the cold spot temperature of the drink product in the packages being maintained between a predetermined minimum pasteurization temperature and a predetermined maximum temperature.