System and method for vacuum extraction of low-temperature brewed beverages

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for vacuum extraction of infused beverages. The process includes the steps of preparing liquid water or solvent at a desired temperature, mixing the liquid water or solvent with a first infusion ingredient in an infusion vessel, removing air from the infusion vessel until a first desired pressure setting is reached, steeping the mixture of liquid water or solvent and first infusion ingredient in the infusion vessel for a desired low-pressure steeping time, adding filtered gas to the infusion vessel until a second desired pressure setting is reached, steeping the mixture of liquid water or solvent and first infusion ingredient in the infusion vessel for a desired steeping time at atmospheric or elevated pressure, and passing the liquid water or solvent and first infusion ingredient through a filtration system to obtain a filtered infused beverage. A system capable of performing these steps is also described.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for vacuum extraction of cold brew beverages. (Cross - reference to related applications) This application claims priority based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 409,268, filed on October 17, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0002] Cold brew coffee, i.e., the process of cold brew coffee using room - temperature or cold water, is an idea that has spread over at least four centuries. However, in recent years, the demand for cold brew coffee has been expanding exponentially. Consumers of cold brew are attracted by the lower acidity and more appealing flavor, but these advantages are offset by a much shorter shelf life and a much longer brewing time. Cold brew coffee should not be confused with iced coffee, which generally means coffee that is brewed at a high temperature and then cooled by being poured over ice or having ice added.

[0003] Several products are currently available for producing low-temperature brewed coffee in small or industrial quantities. Some specific examples are Filtron, Toddy, and the Japanese slow drip, all of which require exposing coffee and water to ambient air during the brewing process. Since the components of coffee powder are more soluble at higher temperatures, the low-temperature brewing process requires a soak time of 4 to 30 hours, or in some cases even longer. The biggest drawback of the currently used low-temperature brewing processes is that they are unable to properly extract the characteristics, personality, or terroir of the coffee beans. As a result, the final products are often characterless and it is often impossible to distinguish the differences between each low-temperature brewed coffee. The three main reasons for this inefficiency are brewing temperature, contamination, and oxidation.

[0004] Brewing in these ways creates the potential for oxidation and microbial growth, thus reducing the shelf life of the product before it becomes sour and / or begins to deteriorate. This decrease in quality due to environmental factors occurs as a result of the physical process of brewing. As the liquid penetrates into the structure of the coffee, this liquid must replace the trapped CO2 in the coffee before brewing and hydrolysis can occur. Thus, by the time brewing is complete, the CO2 that once partially protected the coffee from oxidation has now been dissipated and replaced by ambient air containing oxygen, bacteria, microbes, and yeast. Exposure of the coffee and water to these factors contaminates the beverage, oxidizes the organic materials, and causes volatile flavor compounds to dissipate and / or deteriorate. The longer the product is exposed to these factors, the more contaminated the product becomes.

[0005] Extracting flavors from coffee and other plant materials using water at room temperature is difficult. Specific flavor compounds are released depending on the temperature of the solvent, and this solvent acts as a catalyst for releasing and / or dissipating acids and volatiles. All existing low-temperature extraction coffee methods use water at room temperature during the process. This temperature forms the basis for the "smooth" and "less acidic" properties of this beverage. The water temperature has three basic effects, namely, acidity, bitterness, and flavor compounds.

[0006] One method commonly used in low-temperature extraction to increase flavor generation is to use hot water to first moisten the coffee (also called "blooming"), and then use water at room temperature for the remainder of the process to minimize bitterness. This short heating stage releases flavor volatiles, but only for a limited time after extraction is complete. Since the volatiles have a very short effective lifespan, the flavor deteriorates. If hot water is added for a time longer than a few seconds, the resulting product will have a higher acidity, and the coffee powder will release more bitter compounds, similar to when brewing coffee at a high temperature. This changes the characteristics of the beverage from smooth and less acidic to those of high-temperature brewed coffee or iced coffee when served cold. Such a beverage would no longer fit the definition of low-temperature brewed coffee. Furthermore, if the water temperature is too high, extraction occurs and oxidation is promoted.

[0007] Cold brew coffee may be produced as a concentrate. The "water" to "coffee" ratio is typically 14 mL / g for hot brew coffee, whereas for cold brew coffee this ratio is about 5 mL / g. Since the extraction efficiency of cold water is low, more coffee has to be used to make a beverage with an acceptable flavor concentration. Depending on the type of coffee and the quality of the water, the final concentration of the beverage may vary. However, typically, when the extraction is complete, the final product results in a 1:1 "concentrate" to "water" dilution ratio while retaining 25 - 30% of the liquid. Thus, even when the concentrate is reconstituted at a 1:1 ratio, 30% of the liquid is lost before reconstitution, so the "coffee" to "water" ratio is typically about 7.5 mL / g. Therefore, the yield from this process is extremely low.

[0008] The inefficiency of the cold brew process further limits the concentration of any concentrated brew. Cold brew coffee requires more coffee powder per unit volume of water for extraction, and thus any extraction vessel will necessarily produce a smaller amount of cold brew coffee compared to hot brew coffee. Therefore, naturally, there is a limit to the density or concentration of the final product.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for a cold brew process that is faster and cleaner compared to the cold brew processes currently known in the art, and a cold brew process capable of producing a concentrate with a higher dilution ratio. The present invention addresses this need.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The present invention relates to a method and system for vacuum extraction for brewing beverages. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a vacuum extraction method, which includes preparing liquid water or a solvent at a desired temperature, mixing the liquid water or solvent with a first brewing material in a brewing container, removing air from the brewing container until a first desired pressure setting value is reached, immersing a mixture of the liquid water or solvent and the first brewing material in the brewing container during a desired low-pressure immersion time, adding an encapsulating gas to the brewing container until a second desired pressure setting value is reached, immersing the mixture of the liquid water or solvent and the first brewing material in the brewing container at atmospheric pressure or high pressure during a desired immersion time, and passing the liquid water or solvent and the first brewing material through a filtration system to obtain a filtered brewed beverage.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first brewing material includes coffee. In another embodiment, the first brewing material includes tea. In some embodiments, the encapsulating gas is air. In other embodiments, the encapsulating gas includes an inert gas.

[0012] In a specific embodiment, the method includes additional steps. In a specific embodiment, the method includes steps of sending the filtered brewed beverage into a holding container, adding a second brewing material to the brewing container, sending the filtered brewed beverage into the brewing container, removing air from the brewing container until a first desired pressure setting value is reached, immersing a mixture of the filtered brewed beverage and the second brewing material in the brewing container during a desired low-pressure immersion time, adding an encapsulating gas to the brewing container until a second desired pressure setting value is reached, immersing the mixture of the filtered brewed beverage and the second brewing material in the brewing container at atmospheric pressure or high pressure during a desired immersion time, and passing the filtered brewed beverage and the second brewing material through a filtration system to obtain a twice-filtered brewed beverage.

[0013] The present invention further relates to a system capable of vacuum - extraction brewing. This system comprises a brewing vessel, a gas valve connected to the brewing vessel at a first port, a vacuum pump connected to a pressure tank at a first end, a filtration system, and a holding tank. The outlet port of the brewing vessel is connected to the inlet port of the filtration system, the outlet port of the filtration system is connected to the inlet port of the holding tank. The vacuum pump removes gas from the brewing vessel to reach or maintain a pressure setpoint, and the gas valve opens to expose the brewing vessel to an enclosed gas supply source.

[0014] In certain embodiments, this system further comprises a circulation vessel. The inlet port of this circulation vessel is connected to the second outlet port of the brewing vessel using a first valve or pump, and the outlet port of this circulation vessel is connected to the second inlet port of the brewing vessel using a second valve or pump.

[0015] In certain embodiments, this system further comprises a bright tank. In certain embodiments, this system further includes a step of packaging. In certain embodiments, this system further comprises a water or solvent tank.

[0016] The above - mentioned objects and features, and other objects and features, will become apparent with reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings. This description and the accompanying drawings are included to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and form a part of this specification, and the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] It should be understood that the drawings and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to show related elements for a clear understanding of the present invention, and that many other elements found in typical beverage extraction systems and methods have been omitted for clarity of explanation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other elements and / or steps are desirable and / or necessary in the practice of the present invention. However, since such elements and steps are well known in the art and do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, an explanation of such elements and steps is not provided herein. The disclosure herein is directed to all such variations and modifications to such elements and methods known to those skilled in the art.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined specifically, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. Any methods and materials that are the same as or equivalent to the methods and materials described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, but the preferred methods and materials are described.

[0020] As used herein, each of the following terms has the meaning associated with it in this section.

[0021] The articles "a" and "an" as used herein mean one or more (i.e., at least one) of the grammatical objects of the article. For example, "an element" means one element or more than one element.

[0022] For measurable values such as quantity, duration, etc., as used herein, "about" is intended to include variations of ±20%, ±10%, ±5%, ±1%, ±0.1% from a particular value, as such variations are appropriate.

[0023] As used herein, "low pressure" would mean any pressure lower than the atmosphere, such as a vacuum or a partial vacuum.

[0024] As used herein, "high pressure" would mean any pressure higher than open air or the atmosphere.

[0025] Throughout this disclosure, various aspects of the invention may be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Thus, a range description should not be regarded as specifically disclosing all possible sub-ranges and individual numerical values within that range. For example, a description of a range from 1 to 6 should not be regarded as specifically disclosing sub-ranges such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6, etc., and individual numbers within the range such as 1, 2, 2.7, 3, 4, 5, 5.3, 6, and all whole or partial increments therebetween. This applies regardless of the width of the range.

[0026] The present invention is designed to overcome the drawbacks of the above-described prior art. One aspect of the present invention is to provide a beverage extraction system that makes low-temperature brewed coffee using optimal production means. The improved production method of the present invention obtains an extraction concentrate having a significantly higher concentration than the current method of low-temperature brewed coffee production, while performing extraction up to 100 times faster, minimizing potential contamination, and providing a final product having a shelf life longer than that known in the art. The present invention achieves this without producing a beverage with a higher acidity than in the case of the currently used low-temperature brewing method. The present invention may incorporate any of several vacuum extraction beverage apparatuses known in the art, such as the apparatus disclosed in Vastardis et al., U.S. Patent No. 9,295,358, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, an appropriate amount of coffee or other botanicals is added to the first chamber. All or part of the water is added to the liquid in the first chamber, and a vacuum is created within the first chamber. The vacuum is created using a vacuum pump, and this vacuum pump removes air from the first chamber until a set pressure is reached. The set pressure will be measured by a pressure sensor placed within the first chamber or by other means. Once the set pressure is obtained, the system will start a vacuum extraction timer that proceeds for a set time period and maintains the vacuum at the set pressure. When the vacuum extraction time has elapsed, the chamber returns to atmospheric pressure, and the system starts an ambient pressure steeping timer. When this ambient pressure steeping timer has elapsed, a vacuum is created again using the vacuum pump, and the above-described steps are repeated until no more gas is extracted from the coffee or botanical material and the coffee material is completely saturated with water or solvent.

[0028] After the brewing cycle is completed, the liquid is separated from the extracted coffee or other organic material using one or more filters. This liquid is then used as the starting liquid and / or solvent for the next brewing cycle. Thus, with each recycling of the material, the liquid obtains a higher concentration, dissolves additional organic material, and results in a liquid that contains flavors and / or compounds at increasingly higher concentrations.

[0029] Next, reference is made to the accompanying drawings. These drawings show a series of large tanks, but these drawings are not intended to be limiting as to the scale of the possible embodiments of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the containers used at each stage of this process may be of any size, any shape, or any structure that is suitable for use in coffee brewing known to those skilled in the art. These containers and the pipes or conduits connecting these containers can be made of any one or more materials known in the art.

[0030] Next, referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a one-pass low-temperature extraction process is shown. In water tank 101, water or another solvent is prepared at a desired temperature and conveyed via line 102 to vacuum chamber 103. In vacuum chamber 103, water is mixed with an extraction material that may contain coffee and / or other materials. In a particular embodiment, the extraction material is placed into vacuum tank 103 before water is added. In another embodiment, the extraction material is added to the vacuum tank after water has been added. All or part of this water may be added to vacuum chamber 103 before, during, or after vacuum generation. Vacuum chamber 103 includes a filtration system 104. Vacuum pump 105 will operate until the set pressure within vacuum chamber 103 is reached. When this set pressure is reached, the filtration system activates a timer that progresses over a set time period and maintains the set pressure within vacuum chamber 103. This timer may be activated by a programmable logic controller (PLC), although as will be understood by those skilled in the art, other control systems may be used. When the vacuum time has ended, valve 117 opens, allowing vacuum chamber 103 to return to approximately normal atmospheric pressure. This valve will open vacuum chamber 103 to ambient air to equalize the pressure within vacuum chamber 103, or alternatively, open vacuum chamber 103 to a separate tank filled with inert gas 116. After the pressure has been equalized, the system activates an immersion timer, during which the mixture within chamber 103 will be immersed at normal pressure. After the immersion time has been completed, these steps are repeated one or more times until vacuum is again applied to vacuum chamber 103 and gas is withdrawn from the coffee or plant material and the material is completely saturated in water or another solvent. When the extraction cycle is complete, the liquid is separated from the extracted coffee or other organic material through filter 104 and sent towards another filtering means that removes finer particles.This would require a path 106 to a pre-filter tank 107 that processes the liquid while it is being filtered, or a path 106 that enables the filter system to pump the liquid directly from the vacuum chamber 103. After filtration is complete, the liquid is sent to a bright tank 111, and in this bright tank 111, the liquid is temperature adjusted, scrubbed, and nitrogen or another inert gas is injected to remove dissolved oxygen from the liquid to maximize the life of the product. In the final stage, the product is removed from the bright tank via a conduit or piping 112 for packaging 113.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 2, this figure shows an embodiment of the present invention in which the first-pass extract liquid is recycled through the system and used as a solvent for subsequent injection cycles. After multiple passes through the production line, the final product is at a higher concentration and has finished more appropriately absorbing the desired flavor and / or organic and inorganic materials. In the water tank 101, water is prepared at the desired temperature, conveyed through the pipeline 102, and fed into the vacuum chamber 103, where the extraction material (coffee and / or other materials) has already been placed above the surface of the filter 104. Before, during, or after the vacuum is generated in the chamber 103, all or part of the water may be added to the chamber 103. This vacuum pump 117 will operate until the set temperature value is reached. At this point, the system PLC activates a timer that operates for a set time period and maintains the vacuum at the set pressure. When the vacuum time is complete, the valve 117 opens to return the chamber to approximately normal atmospheric pressure using ambient air or an inert gas 116, and then an immersion time will occur. When the immersion time ends, the steps are repeated until the vacuum is applied, the gas is no longer extracted from the coffee or plant material, and the material is completely saturated in water (or solvent). When the extraction cycle is complete, the liquid is separated from the extracted coffee and / or other organic materials through the filter 104, conveyed towards the holding tank 206, and in this holding tank 206, it will be temperature stabilized to match the desired temperature that is the same as the temperature of the water or solvent first used for the first-pass extraction cycle. When the extraction chamber 103 is prepared with material for a new extraction, the product will flow back through the path 217 into the extraction chamber and be fed in as a new solvent for the next extraction cycle. Additional water or solvent maintained at the same temperature is fed into this extraction chamber to make up for the liquid lost by extracting the material in the previous extraction cycle pass or absorbed by the extraction material, and / or the liquid remaining in the pipeline, pump, or valve. In other embodiments, no water is added, and thus less liquid is recycled.The holding tank contains product from at least one prior leaching cycle pass, which would allow the entire volume of liquid to be reinjected into chamber 103 without the need for dilution with water or a clean solvent. This recirculation will be done one or more times, depending on the end use of the final product. Upon completion of the final leaching cycle pass, in certain embodiments, the product will proceed through path 208 to prefilter tank 210 that processes the filtered liquid. In other embodiments, the product follows path 222 that allows the filter system to pump the liquid directly from the vacuum chamber 103. This liquid, after being filtered, proceeds to bright tank 214 where the liquid is stored at the desired temperature, purged and injected with nitrogen or another inert gas to remove dissolved oxygen from the liquid and maximize the shelf life of the product. The movement of the liquid product through this system may be achieved by known means such as pumping or displacement with liquid or gas.

[0032] Next, referring to FIG. 3, this figure shows an example of the application of extraction, where the first pass extraction liquid is recycled through the system and used as a solvent for multiple injection cycles. This liquid travels through the production line and is microfiltered during passage to produce a final product containing the desired concentration of flavor and / or organic or inorganic materials. In water tank 101, water is prepared to the desired temperature, conveyed through pipeline 102, and placed into vacuum chamber 103 where the extraction material (coffee or other material) has already been placed above the surface of filter 104. All or part of this water may be added to chamber 103 before, during, or after a vacuum is created within chamber 103. Vacuum pump 115 will operate until the set pressure value is reached. At this point, the system PLC will start a timer that will operate for the set time period and maintain the vacuum at the set pressure value. When the vacuum time ends, valve 117 will open so that chamber 103 returns to approximately normal atmospheric pressure by ambient air or inert gas 116, and then an immersion time will occur. When the immersion time ends, then, until a vacuum is applied and gas is no longer extracted from the coffee or plant material and the material is completely saturated in water or solvent, the above-described steps are repeated one or more times. When the extraction cycle ends, the liquid is separated from the extracted coffee and / or other organic materials through filter 104, and the liquid is sent to pre-filter tank 306 that processes the filtered liquid, or sent along path 322 that enables filter system 308 to pump the liquid directly from vacuum chamber 103. When microfiltration is completed, the liquid is sent to a holding tank where the product will be temperature stabilized to match the desired temperature that is the same as the temperature of the water or solvent first used for the first pass extraction cycle. When vacuum chamber 103 is prepared with new material for extraction, the product will return to vacuum chamber 103 through path 311 and be fed as a new solvent for the next extraction cycle.Water or solvent maintained at the same temperature may also be fed into the vacuum chamber to replenish the liquid lost within the system. As an alternative, water may not be added so that less liquid is recycled. The holding tank may contain product from the passage of the preceding one or more decoction cycles and allows the entire volume of liquid to be reinjected into chamber 103 without the need for dilution with water or a clean solvent. This recirculation may be carried out one or more times depending on the intended use of the final product. When the final passage of the decoction cycle is complete, the product flows through path 312 to prefilter tank 306 that processes the liquid for final filtration, or through path 322 that allows the filter system to pump the liquid directly from the vacuum chamber 103. When filtration is complete, the liquid proceeds to bright tank 315 where the liquid is temperature maintained, washed, and nitrogen or another inert gas is blown in to remove dissolved oxygen from the liquid to maximize the shelf life of the product. It is envisioned that the movement of the liquid product through this system may be achieved by existing means such as pumping or displacement by liquid or gas.

[0033] Figures 1 through 3 show a system capable of making beverages with higher storage stability. Current low-temperature decoction methods involve longer immersion times, but this method is greatly facilitated by the efficiency of the extraction process. By adjusting the vacuum parameters, time, and temperature of the infusion cycle, the user can more appropriately adjust the pH level of the final product. Since pH affects microbial growth, the stability of this product can be adjusted by using the methods described above. Additionally, an inert gas can be used during the decoction process to further increase the shelf life.

[0034] Figures 2 through 3 show a system capable of producing a more flavorful beverage or concentrate. By recirculating the final product through this system and using this liquid as a solvent for subsequent infusion cycles, the process significantly increases the total dissolved solids each time the product is recirculated and further infused. Existing processes for making concentrates typically use evaporation of an existing fully brewed beverage to obtain the concentration of the present invention. Known evaporation methods are less effective because heating changes the compounds in the solution and thus does not accurately convey the characteristics of the product. The present invention is capable of producing an optimal flavor extract from each material such that each time infusion occurs by adding a new extractant, the total dissolved solids (TDS) increase exponentially. Thus, the system of the present invention adds liquid rather than removing liquid to increase the concentration. The method of the present invention can produce a solid concentration found only in espresso for immediately drinkable beverages by a single recirculation cycle, or can make an extract having a dilution ratio sufficient for industrial bottling with a ratio of 4:1 or greater. This method can further be applied to plant materials for extracting organic and inorganic compounds for pharmaceutical use.

[0035] An example of this process is making cold brew espresso. Espresso is regarded as the highest form of specialty coffee and is the most popular form in which coffee is consumed worldwide. However, espresso lacks the ability to tap into the large consumer demand for cold beverages or portable energy sources. Due to the heat and positive pressure used in conventional extraction processes, espresso must be consumed immediately after extraction and cannot be stabilized for uses where it can be drunk right away. By applying the methods shown in Figures 2 and 3, the present invention is able to produce an espresso that contains more flavor, sugar, and other compounds from the coffee than can be obtained in existing technology with high-temperature espresso. The present invention produces this beverage in a form that is less acidic and can be provided at a low temperature or packaged for subsequent consumption.

[0036] The extraction temperature for these methods has been shown to be optimal within the range of 29.4 - 96.1 °C (85 - 205 °F). It has been pointed out that the most suitable and balanced coffee products are made at a temperature higher than room temperature in the range of about 46.1 °C (115 °F) and with plant material at about 73.9 °C (165 °F), although this temperature range will depend on the coffee and / or the plant material. Temperature plays an important role in flavor development, which is a combination of the proper temperature for the proper material, a gradient that results in a stable product, and a controlled vacuum with a holding time. pH can potentially change the food during the shelf life of the food as a result of precipitation or enzyme activity. As a result of this extraction process compared to the control of standard methods, the products made by the method of the present invention result in a pH that varies less over time. Given the circumstances, pH stability may be the result of the inhibition of enzyme activity in the present invention.

[0037] Figures 4 to 6 are detailed diagrams of the individual flow cycles of Figures 1 to 3. Figure 4 shows a simple single-cycle extraction that starts with a first water container 401, proceeds to a vacuum / extraction container 402, a pre-filter container 403, a filtration system 404, and finally a bright tank 405 before proceeding to packaging 406.

[0038] Figure 5 shows a single recirculation loop from the extraction system of Figure 2. Water or solvent present in a first water container 501 proceeds to a vacuum / extraction container 502 and a holding container 503, and then, after new coffee or material has been added for a second extraction and immersion cycle, returns to the vacuum / extraction container 502. After the second cycle is complete, the liquid may proceed to return to the vacuum / extraction container 502 for yet another extraction and immersion cycle, or return to a pre-filter container 504 so as to pass through a filtration system 505. Next, the filtered liquid proceeds to a bright tank 506 before packaging 507.

[0039] Figure 6 shows a more complex recirculation loop from the extraction system of Figure 3. Water or solvent departs from a first water container 601 and proceeds to a vacuum / extraction container 602, then to a pre-filter container 603, and then moves to a filtration system 604. As an alternative, the liquid may be pumped directly from the vacuum / extraction container 602 through the filtration system 604. Next, the filtered liquid is moved to a holding tank 605 and then circulated to return into a vacuum / extraction container 602 that has been filled with additional coffee or extraction material. The liquid repeats these circulation steps as many times as necessary, and then moves to a bright tank 606 for packaging 607.

Claims

Claim 1: A vacuum extraction method for low-temperature extraction of beverages within a temperature range of 29.4°C - 46.1°C, comprising: Preparing liquid water or a solvent at a desired temperature; Mixing the liquid water or the solvent with a first extraction material in an extraction container; Removing air from the extraction container until a first desired low pressure set value below atmospheric pressure is reached; Isolating the extraction container from the ambient air and immersing a mixture of the liquid water or the solvent and the first extraction material in the extraction container while maintaining the first desired low pressure set value therein for a desired first low pressure immersion time; Adding an encapsulating gas to the extraction container until a second desired pressure set value is reached; Immersing the mixture of the liquid water or the solvent and the first extraction material in the extraction container at atmospheric pressure or high pressure for a desired second immersion time; Passing the liquid water or the solvent and the first extraction material through a filtration system to obtain a filtered extracted liquid beverage; Conveying the filtered extracted liquid beverage towards a holding tank; Returning the filtered extracted liquid beverage from the holding tank to the extraction container; Immersing the filtered extracted liquid beverage and a second extraction material in the extraction container for a third immersion time to produce a double-extracted liquid beverage; And The holding tank is used to hold the filtered extracted liquid beverage returned to the extraction container in a recirculation cycle, and the filtered extracted liquid beverage is maintained at the same temperature as the water or solvent initially used for the first extraction cycle. A vacuum extraction method.

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