Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. WO2007102850A1: Gluten-Free Beer And Method For Making The Same

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Today in 2007, US Patent WO 2007102850 A1 was issued, an invention of Russell J. Klisch, assigned to the Lakefront Brewery, for his “Gluten-Free Beer and Method For Making the Same.” Lakefront Brewery developed this patented for their beer New Grist. Here’s the Abstract:

A gluten-free beer derived from fermentable sugars obtained from an enzymatic reaction with gluten-free cereals and grains, and a method of making a gluten-free beer that includes dissolving enzyme-produced fermentable sugars derived from gluten-free cereals and grains in water to produce an aqueous solution, adding a yeast nutrient, a protein coagulant and hops to the aqueous solution to form an aqueous brew, and fermenting the aqueous brew by the addition of yeast to produce a gluten-free beer.

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Patent No. 3834296A: Continuous Production Of Beer Wort From Dried Malt

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Today in 1889, US Patent 3834296 A was issued, an invention of Uwe Jess and Wolfgang Kehs, for their “Continuous Production of Beer Wort From Dried Malt.” Here’s the Abstract:

An apparatus for continuously making beer wort from dried malt has a malt soaking unit and a malt crusher which is adapted to receive the soaked malt from the unit and has at least two smooth-surface cooperating rolls and drive means for driving them at differential velocities. A conduit system has a plurality of upright heatable conduit sections and serves for heating a mash which is produced after the malt has been treated in the crusher, and a clarifying unit is provided for clarifying the mash having been heated previously.

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Patent No. 410994A: Stave Dressing Machine

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Today in 1889, US Patent 410994 A was issued, an invention of Charles Sommer, for his “Stave Dressing Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invention relates to improvements in that class of machines by which staves used in the manufacture of cooperage, such as beer kegs, barrels, etc. are dressed. Its object is to dress the staves on both sides at once, giving them at the same time the desired curve corresponding with the curve of the keg or barrel and providing at the two ends additional thickness, allowing depth for the croze.

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Ballantine’s Literary Ads: James Hilton

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Between 1951 and 1953, P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company, or simply Ballentine Beer, created a series of ads with at least thirteen different writers. They asked each one “How would you put a glass of Ballantine Ale into words?” Each author wrote a page that included reference to their beer, and in most cases not subtly. One of them was James Hilton, who’s best known for a few novels turned into films. His ad ran in 1952.

Today is the birthday of James Hilton (September 9, 1900–December 20, 1954), who “was an English novelist best remembered for several best-sellers, including Lost Horizon and Goodbye, Mr. Chips. He also wrote Hollywood screenplays.”

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His piece for Ballantine was done in the form of his reminiscences about his first Ballantine Ale, and why he continues to recommend it or serve it to friends:

I first tasted Ballantine Ale on a mountain. We left a few bottles hidden in the first snow on the way up, and when we came down they were a treasure trove — deliciously iced and full of the flavor of fellowship and happy hours.

Since then I have enjoyed Ballantine Ale and offered it to friends on many far different occasions — lower in altitude but just as high in satisfaction. For Ballantine Ale is a good drink at all levels — and by a good drink, I mean that I’ve always found it thirst-quenching, smooth and comfortable, kind to the senses and nourishing to the memory.

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Patent No. 708942A: Apparatus For Racking Off Beer

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Today in 1902, US Patent 708942 A was issued, an invention of Harry Torchiani, for his “Apparatus For Racking Off Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invention relates to apparatus for filling barrels, kegs, or the like with fermented liquids, such as beer; and one of the objects of the invention is to collect the foam that arises in a barrel or keg being charged and prevent it from passing into another barrel or keg that is being charged; and another object of the invention is to provide improved means for firmly connecting the racking-off faucet with a barrel or keg and for readily disconnecting it therefrom; and to these ends my invention comprises the novel details of improvement that Will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

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ABI Buys Brouwerij Bosteels

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I was at a conference in Sacramento most of the day, but it was hard to escape the jaw-dropping news that Anheuser-Busch InBev has acquired another brewery to add to its growing portfolio. That kind of news is becoming almost routine, but this time the brewery they bought is a little surprising. Brouwerij Bosteels, who until this deal was a member of the Belgian Family Brewers, makes a trio of high profile, well-known beers: Kwak, Tripel Karmeliet and DeuS. Until now, the brewery had been in the same family — the Bosteels — for over 200 years, and seven generations, having been founded Evarist Bosteels in 1791.

While the price was not disclosed, the rumor is $225 million, or “15 times enterprise value to Ebitda,” according to The Street, by way of reports coming out of Belgium. Antoine Bosteels will continue to run the family business

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Antoine Bosteels (center, with his father to the right) during a visit to the brewery in 2013.

Via Craft Business Daily, Korneel Warlop, who is the Manager External Communication BeLux & Global at Anheuser-Busch InBev, said “Bosteels will continue brewing its heritage brands Tripel Karmeliet, Kwak and DeuS in the original brewery in Buggenhout, Belgium.

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The Bosteels brewery during a second trip there, also in 2013.

Ballantine’s Literary Ads: Henry Morton Robinson

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Between 1951 and 1953, P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company, or simply Ballentine Beer, created a series of ads with at least thirteen different writers. They asked each one “How would you put a glass of Ballantine Ale into words?” Each author wrote a page that included reference to their beer, and in most cases not subtly. One of them was Henry Morton Robinson, who was reasonably well known in 1951, when his ad ran.

Today is the birthday of Henry Morton Robinson (September 7, 1898–January 13, 1961), who “was an American novelist, best known for A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake written with Joseph Campbell and his 1950 novel The Cardinal, which Time magazine reported was ‘The year’s most popular book, fiction or nonfiction.'”

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His piece for Ballantine was done in the form of his reminiscences about how Ballantine Ale has helped him relax over the years:

If Ballantine Ale didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent it.

The tensions generated by modern life begin to lessen for me whenever I pluck a dewy-cold bottle of Ballantine Ale from the refrigerator. Anticipation mounts as I snap off the cap with its familiar three rings. There’s a promissory gurgle in the neck of the green bottle, then a swirl of full-bodied amber ale into my tilted glass. I watch the creamy collar rise to the brim — and the ritual of pouring is complete.

A sip, a swallow, a draught — according to my mood. Deep speaks to deep, as thirst and tension vanish together. Relaxed, I savor the distinctive after-tang prized by everyone who has ever tasted this hefty brew.

I lift glass and bottle to gauge my remaining measure of enjoyment. I’m prolonging, not scanting, an experience that will be repeated when I open another bottle of Ballantine Ale to be my companion at lunch or dinner.

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Patent No. DE2808712A1: Plant To Manufacture Beer Wort By Hydrating Crushed Malt

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Today in 1979, US Patent DE 2808712 A1 was issued, an invention of Simon Redl, assigned to Anton Steinecker Maschinenfabrik, for his “Plant to Manufacture Beer Wort by Hydrating Crushed Malt — Introduces Water as Unbroken Film to Avoid Aeration of Product.” Here’s the Abstract:

The installation comprises a pressure roll mill for wet crushing brewers malt into a wort mixing chamber where a hydrator introduces additional water and an agitator mixes the milled malt and water. The hydrator is designed to introduce water in the form of a continuous, film which runs down a guiding surface extending into the wort mix. The guiding surface pref. extends alongside or beneath and for the full axial length of the mill rolls. The guiding surface is a side wall of the casing which forms the chamber containing the mill rolls and the agitator. Both walls are pref. employed as guiding surfaces. Water is pref. run on to the guiding surface from an adjustable width slot at the bottom of a supply pocket. The guiding surface pref. form one edge of the slot which has a width of 0.5-5.0., (1.5-3.0) mm. The hydrator offers faster and more homogeneous mixing in of water than single exit water inspectors. Undesirable aeration of the wort is held to an absolute minimum which was not possible with spray injectors.

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Patent No. 504610A: Barrel Registering Machine

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Today in 1893, US Patent 504610 A was issued, an invention of Andrew W. Oppmann, for his “Barrel Registering Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention relates to machines for registering barrels, half barrels, and kegs, the nature and objects of which will fully appear from the subjoined description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a perspective view of my new registering machine as seen arranged over an elevator, for receiving the barrels from below. Fig. 2 is a like perspective view of the same as seen for receiving the barrels through an opening in a well from a room on the same floor. Fig. 3 is a view of an office or room located above or in another part of the building having electric bells connected with the machine for the purpose of announcing the delivery and registration of barrels or kegs by the said machine.

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