Today in 1891, US Patent 447131 A was issued, an invention of John Griffiths, for his “Process of Making Malt Liquor.” There’s no Abstract, but the description very generally states that the “invention relates to an improvement in the art of making malt liquors by which the quality of the liquor is improved,the cost of production reduced, a considerable saving effected in the time and appliances heretofore required, and a consequent gain realized in the capacity of a brewery.”
Patent No. 2926087A: Method Of Carbonating A Malt Beverage
Today in 1960, US Patent 2926087 A was issued, an invention of Frank Otto Rickers, assigned to the George Wiedemann Brewing Co, for his “Method of Carbonating a Malt Beverage.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that the “one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a method for carbonating beer at a very much more rapid rate than has been possible heretofore.”
Patent No. 2147862A: Beer Dispensing Apparatus
Today in 1939, US Patent 2147862 A was issued, an invention of Hans Sollinger, for his “Beer Dispensing Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that the “invention relates to a beer dispensing apparatus by means of which beer can be dispensed without pressure from barrels situated at a lower level than the faucet,” before going into more detail:
The apparatus is also suitable for dispensing wine and cider and has, in known manner, a packing ange against which the Vessel to be filled is pressed and hermetically closed by the suction action of the air pump. According to the invention the dispensing faucet of the apparatus is connected by a gearing with the air pump by which, when the apparatus is in use, the air is drawn out of the beer glass pressed against the packing surface and then, when the dispensing faucet is subsequently opened and during the filling of the glass, the excess carbon dioxide flowing into the glass passes into the pump whereupon, during the return movement of the gearing, the dispensing faucet is closed, and the air and excess carbon dioxide in the pump is returned by the pump to` the barrel through a filter.
Patent No. 3078166A: Continuous Brewing
Today in 1963, US Patent 3078166 A was issued, an invention of James Shanks Hough and Robert William Ricketts, for their “Continuous Brewing.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states it’s for a “fermentation process in which means are secured for controlling the quantity of yeast present in the fermenting liquid and hence the rate of fermentation.” They continue in the application:
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process whereby wort can be fermented with production of substantially smaller quantities of yeast than is possible in known processes.
Continuous processes for the fermentation of brewers wort are known and these are claimed to have a high rate of production in comparison with the conventional batch processes. In the known processes, however, a yeast separation stage is employed in which yeast is separated from the fermented wort and in most known processes the yeast separated from the fermented wort is recycled to the fermentation stage. The present invention permits a more compact apparatus to be used as no separate yeast separation stage is required unless it is specifically desired to produce yeast in conjunction with the production of beer. This is achieved by using a process which permits the separation of the yeast from the fermented wort to be effected in the actual fermentation vessel.
Patent No. 7332342B2: Barley Kernel Husk Evaluation
Today in 2008, US Patent 7332342 B2 was issued, an invention of Isao Kishinami, assigned to Sapporo Breweries Ltd., for his impossibly long patent name, “Disposing barley kernels with husks in a sulfuric acid solution having a 40% to 60% concentration, agitating the solution having the barley kernels disposed therein for a prescribed time, and observing the degree of husk remaining on the barley kernels subsequent to the agitation.” Here’s the Abstract, only slightly longer than the title:
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for evaluating the physical strength of husks of a barley ingredient for malt manufacture. Barley kernels with husks are disposed in a sulfuric acid solution with a concentration of approximately 40% to 60%, and are agitated for a prescribed time (e.g. approximately 1 hour) using a stirrer bar or the like. After agitation, the barley kernels are treated with a mixed liquid of Methylene Blue and Eosin, and the degree of peeled husk (remaining degree) is examined by referring to the degree of dyed barley kernels, to thereby evaluate the physical strength of the husks of the barley kernels.
Patent No. 2782013A: Lauter Tubs
Today in 1957, US Patent 2782013 A was issued, an invention of Edwin L. Dittrich, assigned to Pfaudler Co. Inc., for his “Lauter Tubs.” There’s no Abstract, and the OCR didn’t work very well on this one, so it’s hard to read. What I can make out is that “this invention relates to lauter tubs and has for its object to provide several improvements thereto.
A lauter tub is essentially a device for straining wort liquid from the mash-grains; and comprises -a perforated false bottom resting on and separated from the tank bottom itself by spacer studs attached to the false bottom. The tank bottom is provided-with suitable drainage openings. The invention provides a combined gear drive and hydraulic system unit motivating the shaft which revolves in a universal bearing attached to the bottom of the tank, said shaft having vertical freedom of movement through out lifting the false bottom.”
Patent No. WO1999007820A2: Lipid Removal
Today in 1999, US Patent WO 1999007820 A2 was issued, an invention of Charles Bamforth, Dickie Kamini, and Robert Muller, for their “Lipid Removal.” Here’s the Abstract:
A method for removing lipids material from beer or other beverages. The beer is contacted with immobilized lipid binding protein which binds any lipid present in the beer or other beverage. After the lipid removal stage is complete there are no lipid binding additives remaining in the beverage.
This patent is particularly notable because one of the inventors is UC Davis brewing professor Charles Bamforth. And while he holds a few British patents, this is the only American one that turns up on Google’s patent search.
Patent No. 2416007A: Method Of Clarifying And Stabilizing Beer
Today in 1947, US Patent 2416007 A was issued, an invention of Hans Joachim, for his “Method of Clarifying and Stabilizing Beer and Like Beverages.” There’s no Abstract, but it’s described as an “invention relates to a process for treating beer or similar beverages, whereby the beverage is improved in clarity, stability and qualities of brilliance and sparkle, and which preserves and enhances taste and bouquet of the product.”
Patent No. 3867551A: Preparation Of Beer
Today in 1975, US Patent 3867551 A was issued, an invention of Yves Germain Jaegle, for his “Preparation of Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:
Beer is prepared by a process wherein groups of batches of wort are turned serially at temperatures increasing from 10 DEG to 14.5 DEG C into a cylindrical, vertically disposed vat having a conical bottom. Convection currents are instituted to homogenize the contents of the vat and fermentation is carried out until a beer of the desired degree of fermentation is formed. The resultant beer is mellowed by a warm keep phase, cooled and subjected to a cold keep phase.
Patent No. 5718161A: Beer Brewing System And Method
Today in 1998, US Patent 5718161 A was issued, an invention of Leigh P. Beadle, for his “Beer Brewing System And Method.” Here’s the Abstract:
There is provided a system for brewing beer particularly suited for a brew pub setting. The invention utilizes a cooker to heat water and a pre-blend syrup of ingredients. Once the beer mixture is boiled for a sufficient length of time in the cooker, the mixture is transferred to a brewing vessel. A spiral spray nozzle is used to add water to the brewing vessel in a conical spray pattern which causes the water to be oxygenated once it passes through the spiral spray end of the nozzle. Yeast is added to the brew mixture and oxygenated water in the brewing vessel. The beer mixture is permitted to ferment in the brewing vessel for a sufficient length of time. The fermented beer mixture is transferred to a plurality of kegs, each of which contains a mixture of sugar and gelatin. The sugar and gelatin allow the beer mixture and age and clarify. Once the beer mixture has aged a sufficient time, the beer mixture is dispensed from the kegs. The system of the invention includes a keg cleaning device for simultaneously depressurizing the keg while hooking up the device to the keg.
