a beverage bottle or container cleaning machine being configured and disposed to clean beverage bottles or containers;

a first conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey beverage bottles or containers to be cleaned to said beverage bottle or container cleaning machine;

a rotary beverage bottle or container sterilizing machine being configured and disposed to sterilize beverage bottles or containers with a sterilizing medium;

said beverage bottle or container sterilizing machine comprising:

a rotor;

a rotatable vertical machine column;

said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;

a plurality of beverage bottle or container holding elements for holding beverage bottles or containers being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;

at least one dispensing arrangement being configured and disposed to dispense sterilizing medium to sterilize beverage bottles or containers;

a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles or containers into said beverage bottle or container sterilizing machine; and

a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles or containers out of said beverage bottle or container sterilizing machine;

a second conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled beverage bottles or containers from said beverage bottle or container cleaning machine to said beverage bottle or container sterilizing machine;

a rotary beverage bottle or container filling machine being configured and disposed to fill beverage bottles or containers with liquid beverage material;

said beverage bottle or container filling machine comprising:

a rotor;

a rotatable vertical machine column;

said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;

a plurality of beverage bottle or container filling elements for filling beverage bottles or containers with liquid beverage material being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;

each of said plurality of beverage bottle or container filling elements comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold beverage bottles or containers to be filled;

each of said plurality of beverage bottle or container filling elements being configured and disposed to dispense liquid beverage material into beverage bottles or containers to be filled;

at least one liquid reservoir being configured to hold a supply of liquid beverage material;

at least one supply line being configured and disposed to connect said at least one liquid reservoir to said beverage bottle or container filling machine to supply liquid beverage material to said beverage bottle or container filling machine;

a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles or containers into said beverage bottle or container filling machine; and

a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move beverage bottles or containers out of said beverage bottle or container filling machine;

a third conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled beverage bottles or containers from said beverage bottle or container sterilizing machine to said beverage bottle or container filling machine;

a rotary beverage bottle or container closing machine being configured and disposed to close tops of filled beverage bottles or containers;

said beverage bottle or container closing machine comprising:

a rotor;

a rotatable vertical machine column;

said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;

a plurality of closing devices being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;

each of said plurality of closing devices being configured and disposed to place closures on filled beverage bottles or containers;

each of said plurality of closing devices comprising a container carrier being configured and disposed to receive and hold filled beverage bottles or containers;

a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled beverage bottles or containers into said beverage bottle or container closing machine; and

a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles or containers out of said beverage bottle or container closing machine;

a fourth conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled beverage bottles or containers from said beverage bottle or container filling machine to said beverage bottle or container closing machine;

a rotary beverage bottle or container labeling machine being configured and disposed to label filled, closed beverage bottles or containers;

said beverage bottle or container labeling machine comprising:

a rotor;

a rotatable vertical machine column;

said rotor being connected to said vertical machine column to permit rotation of said rotor about said vertical machine column;

a plurality of beverage bottle or container support structures being disposed on the periphery of said rotor;

said beverage bottle or container support structures being configured to support and hold filled, closed beverage bottles or containers;

a first star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move filled, closed beverage bottles or containers into said beverage bottle or container labeling machine;

a second star wheel structure being configured and disposed to move labeled beverage bottles or containers out of said beverage bottle or container labeling machine; and

at least one beverage bottle or container labeling device being configured and disposed to affix a label to the surface of a beverage bottle or container;

a fifth conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled, closed beverage bottles or containers from said beverage bottle or container closing machine to said beverage bottle or container labeling machine;

a beverage bottle or container packaging machine being configured and disposed to package beverage bottles or containers into packs;

a sixth conveyor arrangement being configured and disposed to convey filled, closed, labeled beverage bottles or containers from said beverage bottle or container labeling machine to said beverage bottle or container packaging machine;

a reservoir being configured and disposed to hold a supply of barrier fluid; and

each of said beverage bottle or container sterilizing machine, said beverage bottle or container filling machine, and said beverage bottle or container closing machine comprising:

a housing being configured and disposed to enclose a sterile space containing a sterilizing medium, in which beverage bottles or containers are to be handled;

said housing comprising a stationary portion and a movable portion;

said movable portion being mounted on said rotor;

said housing comprising a transition portion being disposed between said stationary portion and said movable portion; and

said transition portion comprising:

a siphon seal being configured and disposed to substantially prevent escape of sterilizing medium out of said housing through said transition portion to minimize the loss of sterilizing medium and to minimize adverse effects caused by the sterilizing medium or the smell thereof on plant-operating personnel working in an adjacent non-sterile area;

said siphon seal comprising:

an annular duct being mounted on said stationary portion and being disposed concentrically about said rotor;

said annular duct being configured to hold barrier fluid therein;

a ring-shaped wall element being connected to said movable portion; and

said ring-shaped wall element comprising a projecting portion being configured and disposed to project and into said annular duct and said barrier fluid therein;

a mechanical seal being configured and disposed to seal a gap adjacent said annular duct between said movable portion and said stationary portion;

said mechanical seal comprising:

a sealing element being mounted on said annular duct or said ring-shaped wall element of said siphon seal; and

a sealing surface being formed on the other of said annular duct or said ring-shaped wall element of said siphon seal where said sealing element is mounted; and

said siphon seal being surrounded or enclosed by said mechanical seal to minimize the escape of barrier fluid out of said siphon seal into an adjacent non-sterile area, to minimize contamination of said barrier fluid in said siphon seal by contaminants in an adjacent non-sterile area, and to minimize adverse effects caused by the barrier fluid or the smell thereof on plant-operating personnel working in an adjacent non-sterile area.