Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 20488A: Apparatus For Manufacture Of Beer

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Today in 1858, US Patent 20488 A was issued, an invention of George Habioh, for his “Apparatus For Manufacture Of Beer.” There’s no Abstract, though the description in the application states that he’s “invented an Improved Apparatus for Brewing or Manufacturing Beer.” What follows is a very lengthy explanation, but here’s the start of a fuller explanation.

For this boiling of the wort I use a closed copper or kettle; its steam I employ for new mashing and increase its pressure by a superincumbent column of water. This steam enters directly into the mash, and the increasing height of the water increases also the boiling point of the wort contained in the copper. This increased temperature manifests itself in stirring up again the wort, after it becomes clear, and finally the wort clears itself of all the coagulated albumen. The only thing to be observed is that the temperature should be sufficiently high, 2′. e. the steam pipe must be closed by a sufficient column of water.

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Patent No. 476652A: Beer-Racking Trough

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Today in 1892, US Patent 476652 A was issued, an invention of John Kass, for his “Beer-Racking Trough.” There’s no Abstract, though the description in the application states that he’s invented “a new and useful Beer-Racking Trough,” adding:

My invention relates to beer-racking troughs for barreling beer as the same is taken from reservoirs or vats; and the objects in view are to provide an apparatus of cheap and simple construction adapted to support barrels or kegs during the operation of filling the same, to so construct the apparatus as to permit of observation of the beer during the operation and for conveniently discharging the barrel at the end of each filling and bunging, to facilitate the changing of the position of the pipe with relation to the barrel, and to prevent waste of the beer or contact of the same with the person of the operator during the operation.

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Patent No. 4837156A: Tilting Lauter Tun

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Today in 1989, US Patent 4837156 A was issued, an invention of Leo K. Lampinen, for his “Tilting Lauter Tun.” Here’s the Abstract:

A vessel has a central longitudinal axis, a pair of trunnions defining a tilting axis, and a fixed bottom and a false bottom. The false bottom comprises at least one screen. At least one of the screens is affixed to the vessel by a plurality of hinges so as to allow the screens to freely swing from a first position to a second position as said vessel is tilted about the tilting axis.

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Patent No. 3037431A: Carton Feeding, Erecting And Filling Mechanism

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Today in 1962, US Patent 3037431 A was issued, an invention of Leonard McGihon of San Leandro, California, assigned to the King-O-Matic Equipment Corp., for his “Carton Feeding, Erecting And Filling Mechanism” There’s no Abstract, although there’s a paragraph in the description that summarizes it nicely.

The present invention relates to mechanism for taking respective folded cartons, successively from a stack, opening these cartons to a box-like form with open sides, feeding cans or other containers in groups into the carton through the open sides thereof, and then closing the cartons so as to provide a carry-home pack of the containers in the carton. The various operations take place in sequence and continuously to provide a rapid and efficient method of packing containers in cartons, for example beer cans packed in the familiar six-pack cartons as now commonly on the market. More particularly, the instant mechanism is designed to operate on a carton of a character having a closed rectangular shape with partially open sides, the open sides being provided with connected or continuous side flap portions, the respective adjacent side flaps of each corner being connected by a gusset type fold. In this type of carton, the folding of the flaps attached to the end panels of the carton tucks these flaps behind the containers or cans in the carton and effectively holds the carton closed during shipment and handling, but provides for easy opening by the user.

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Patent No. 5021246A: Step Mashing Process For Producing Low Alcohol Beer

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Today in 1991, US Patent 5021246 A was issued, an invention of Roger L. Sieben and Klaus D. Zastrow, assigned to Anheuser-Busch, for their “Step Mashing Process For Producing Low Alcohol Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:

A low alcohol reduced calorie beer is produced by a mashing technique wherein a main mash at a temperature below the activity range for beta-amylase is added incrementally to a brewing liquid at a temperature above the deactivation temperature of beta-amylase and below the deactivation temperature of alpha-amylase at a rate such that the added main mash is substantially instantaneously raised to the temperature of the brewing liquid. This mashing technique limits the conversion of starches by beta-amylase and other enzymes without significant loss of alpha-amylase from overheating to produce a wort having a low real degree of fermentation of from about 40% to about 46%. The main mash has a temperature of about 95° F. to 120° F., and the brewing liquid has a temperature of about 169° F. to 174° F. and can be water or a cooker mash that has been boiled and cooled. Beer can be produced having less than 2% alcohol by weight and less than about 118 calories per 12 ounce serving.

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Patent No. 3814003A: Brewing Apparatus

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Today in 1974, US Patent 3814003 A was issued, an invention of Nickolas Lothar Vacano, assigned to Rainier Companies, for his “Brewing Apparatus.” Here’s the Abstract:

A large size thin-shelled outdoor metal tank, such as for making beer, with a conical metal bottom having a shallow slope of no more than 25 DEG from the horizontal, a conduit communicating with the tank interior at the apex of the conical bottom, a circular cylindrical vertical metal wall joined to the bottom, a metal roof joined to and supported by the vertical wall, insulation exterior of the bottom, wall and roof, a vent opening in the roof, a manifold centrally located in the tank spaced above the bottom and the level of unsuspended solids which may settle therein, said manifold having a plurality of openings through which carbon dioxide gas can exit into liquid in the tank, and a pipe leading from outside the tank to the manifold for supplying carbon dioxide thereto. The tank can have a tubular ring positioned inside the tank adjacent the periphery of the bottom, a pipe communicating with the ring and the exterior of the tank for supplying fluid to the ring, and a plurality of holes in the ring from which fluid under pressure can be ejected along the slope of the bottom to wash solids to the conduit in the bottom for removal.

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Patent No. 3887431A: Yeast Protein Isolate With Reduced Nucleic Acid Content & Process Of Making Same

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Today in 1975, US Patent 3887431 A was issued, an invention of Ernest Aleck Robbins, Robert William Sucher Jr., Erich Henry Schuldt, Daniel Robert Sidoti, Robert Dudley Seeley, and Jon Albert Newell, assigned to Anheuser Busch, for their “Yeast Protein Isolate with Reduced Nucleic Acid Content and Process of Making Same.” Here’s the Abstract:

This disclosure relates to a yeast protein isolate (IYP) with less than 9% nucleic acid (RNA) and a Protein Equivalence Ratio (PER) of greater than 1. The yeast protein is made by a process which involves rupturing yeast cells, removing the cell wall residue from an alkaline medium, incubating in such a manner that the endogenous nuclease contained in the solubles portion degrades the nucleic acid present to a soluble form, insolubilizing the protein to separate it from the hydrolyzed nucleic acid, and separating the insoluble protein from the fraction containing soluble nucleic acid.

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Senate Passes Resolution Celebrating Brewers

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This is kind of fun. A few years ago, the California state senate declared that February was California Beer Month using language I helped draft. Other states have followed suit, as well. But now the U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a national resolution, S. Res. 188 recognizing the efforts of small breweries nationwide and American Craft Beer Week in particular.

Here’s the BA’s press release:

The weeklong celebration honoring the country’s small and independent craft brewery renaissance during the 10th American Craft Beer Week (ACBW) continues, as Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Susan Collins (R-Me.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) introduced a resolution, S. Res. 188, expressing the Senate’s appreciation of the goals of the week and commending the craft brewers of the United States. The U.S. Senate passed S. Res. 188 by unanimous consent.

From May 11-17, all 50 states witnessed over 2,000 registered ACBW events, including exclusive brewery tours, special craft beer releases, food and beer pairings, tap takeovers and more, to honor the ever-advancing craft beer culture and unite tens of thousands of beer lovers nationwide. CraftBeer.com also created an interactive graphic featuring fun facts to commemorate each state and its respective commitment to craft brewing.

“American Craft Beer Week is about supporting and celebrating small and independent brewers,” said Julia Herz, publisher of CraftBeer.com and craft beer program director at the Brewers Association. “We are thrilled to see the U.S. Senate recognize the week and commend the accomplishments of small brewery businesses, each of whom are a driving economic force and cultural bright spot for this country.”

In addition to expressing gratitude for the goals of ACBW, the resolution recognizes the significant contributions of the craft brewers of the United States to the economy and to the communities which the craft brewers are located. The resolution also commends craft brewers for providing jobs, supporting agriculture, improving balance of trade—particularly by producing many sought-after new and unique styles ranging from smoked porters to pumpkin peach ales—and educating the country and beer lovers around the world about the history and culture of beer, while promoting legal and responsible appreciation.

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Patent No. 2888944A: Filling System

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Today in 1959, US Patent 2888944A was issued, an invention of Rudolph H. Breeback, assigned to Crown Cork & Seal Co., for his “Filling System.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s described this way in the application. “The present invention relates to a filling system and more particularly to a system for delivering beer or other carbonated beverages to a filling machine.”

An object of this invention is the provision of a system for delivering beer to a reservoir of a filling machine whereby the supply of liquid in the reservoir will be controlled by a pressure actuated switch so connected to the reservoir that the pressure acting upon the switch is controlled by the liquid level within the reservoir.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a system for delivering beer to a reservoir of a filling machine whereby the pressure and level of the liquid in the reservoir can be controlled within a range independent of the level and pressure of the liquid in government tank.

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Patent No. 1098659A: Racking-Machine

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Today in 1914, US Patent 1098659 A was issued, an invention of John G. Bieniek, for his “Racking-Machine.” There’s no Abstract, though it’s stated in the application that Bieniek has “invented a new and useful Improvement in Racking-Machines,” adding:

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved racking machine; to provide a racking machine in which the filling apparatus may be readily brought into and out of operative position with respect to the barrel to be filled; to provide a rack 111g machine having means for automatically operating the filling valve; to provide a racking machine having improved mechanism for indicating that the barrel is filled; to provide a racking machine having improved means for firmly holding the filling apparatus in operative position; and to provide a strong, simple and easily operable device adapted to fill beer barrels with great rapidity.

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