Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Zodiac Beer: Aquarius

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While I don’t put any stock in astrology, Bartram’s Brewery in Suffolk, England, did a series of zodiac sign beers. The brewer describes the idea as a fun “marketing ploy,” explaining. “Each month I brew a 4.2% beer using the same grist, Maris Otter plus 10% Crystal and then varied the hops so there is a whole load of experimentation going on! It has been an experience for me as I have been able to try out new hops each month.” In addition, each new beer has a new pump handle, with original art by Cherry Burns Salmond. In 1980, Guinness put out a calendar with each month representing one of the zodiac signs, which I posted throughout 2011, so I thought it would be fun to share these throughout this year.

Aquarius, the water-bearer, is from January 20-February 19.

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To learn more about Aquarius, see:

Patent No. 3933282A: Universal Tavern Unit For Keg Tapping Device

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Today in 1976, US Patent 3933282 A was issued, an invention of Frederick F. Stevens, Jr., and assigned to Hoff-Stevens, Inc., for his “Universal Tavern Unit for Keg Tapping Device.” Here’s the Abstract:

A universal tavern unit for a keg tapping device comprises a basic tavern unit for connection to a keg unit permanently or semi-permanently connected to a keg. The basic tavern unit is adapted to cooperate with the keg unit to provide inlet and outlet passageways which communicate with the interior of the keg for the introduction of gas under pressure into the keg and the discharge of beer or other liquid therefrom. The universal tavern unit further includes a pressure relief check valve adaptor assembly for connection to the basic tavern unit to adapt it to the requirements of an associated beer or liquid distribution system.

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Patent No. 1125735A: Keg Or Container

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Today in 1915, US Patent 1125735 A was issued, an invention of Frank A. Schaum and Eugene F. Wales, for their “Keg or Container.” There’s no Abstract, but the description explains that the “invention relates to kegs or other containers and has for its object reinforcing devices for strengthening the container.” They continue. “A further improvement is devices for holding the hoops in place. These devices may be made part of the reinforcing structure.”
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Patent No. 4720076A: For A Carbon Dioxide Gas Pressure Dispense System For Beer

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Today in 1988, US Patent 4720076 A was issued, an invention of Roger J. Hyde, for his “Carbon Dioxide Gas Pressure Dispense System for Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:

A dispense tape (10) to control the flow of carbonated beers is configured to minimize pressure drop and turbulence in beer flow to an outlet nozzle (14) when open, the tap having flow restrictor means (52) operatively connected as a downstream extension of the tap valve (30), located in the path of beer flowing from the valve, arranged only to affect beer flow when the tap is nearly closed and configured to substantially restrict beer flow to maximize pressure drop and turbulence; choice of nozzle length/bore ratio enabling either a creamy flow or a squib of beer to be dispensed.

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Patent No. US 2731027A: Beer Dispensing Apparatus

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Today in 1956, US Patent 2731027 A was issued, an invention of Carl L. Daun, for his “Beer Dispensing Apparatus.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description, he describes as an “invention relat[ing] to [an] apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages without there by changing the gas content of the beverage while eliminating the losses customarily encountered in dispensing such beverages. He continues:

This apparatus is particularly useful in dispensing beer from barrels but is, as will be apparent, suitable for all liquids. According to present practice barrel beer is dispensed from a faucet connected to a tap rod projecting to the bottom of the barrel through a tap which serves to provide a fluid tight seal at the tapping hole. Beer is forced up the tap rod to the faucet by the gas pressure in the barrel. A pressure regulated gas (air or carbon dioxide) source is connected to the interior of the barrel through a gas check valve in the tap. Theoretically such a system will maintain the carbon dioxide gas content of the beer constant and the drawing should be uniform. In practice, however, various losses attributable to variations in the gas content caused by temperature and pressure deviations from the ideal are encountered to a greater or lesser extent.

Keep reading here.
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Patent No. 3298835A: Process For Production Of A Hop Concentrate

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Today in 1967, US Patent 3298835 A was issued, an invention of Murray Peter John Andrew, Clarke Brian James, Hildebrand Robert Peter, and Harold Frank Vincent, and assigned to Carlton & United Breweries, for their “Process for Production of a Hop Concentrate.” Essentially it’s a “process for the production of a hop concentrate wherein the flavour imparting constituents of hops are increased by extracting and then converting inactive constituents to active flavour imparting constituents.” There’s no Abstract, but this is from the description:

The process of this invention involves the utilization of those constituents which are regarded as relatively inactive or which do not normally impart the desired flavour characteristics to brewed beverages and which are not converted to any substantial degree to active flavour-imparting constituents during treatment by existing. processes. In the process of our co-pending application the relatively inactive hop constituents of a-acids known as humulones are converted to the more active iso-humulones by the process of isomerization. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for the production of a hop concentrate for brewing purposes, whereby the lupulones content of the p-acids of hops may be utilized in addition to the humulone content of the a-acids, thereby increasing the flavouring or bittering characteristics of the hop concentrate final product for the production of a brewed beverage.

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Patent No. 20140017354A1: Beer Brewing System And Method

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Today in 2014, just one year ago, US Patent 20140017354 A1 was issued, an invention of James Joseph and Brandy Callanan, for their “Beer Brewing System and Method.” Here’s the Abstract:

The present subject matter relates to systems and methods for automated, whole grain brewing. In one configuration, such a system can include a base, a boil kettle positioned on the base, a first heating element in communication with the boil kettle and configured to selectively heat fluid contained in the boil kettle, and a mash tun positioned on the base, the mash tun configured to receive one or more solid or fluid materials therein. A pumping system positioned at least partially within the base can be connected to the boil kettle and the mash tun, the pumping system being operable to selectively pass fluid into, out of, and among the boil kettle and the mash tun. In addition, a control system can be positioned at least partially within the base and configured to selectively control the first heating element and the pumping system.

Essentially it’s an “automated, whole grain brewing system” for homebrewing, but you read a lot more about it in the description.
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Patent No. 3364033A: Method Of Preparing Hop Extracts

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Today in 1968, US Patent 3364033 A was issued, an invention of Lars O. Spetsig, assigned to Sweden’s Stockholms Bryggerier Ab, for his “Method of Preparing Hop Extracts.” There’s no Abstract, but here’s his introduction in the description. “This invention relates to a new and improved method of preparing hop extracts for flavoring beer and other fermented malt beverages, in which a more complete utilisation of the hop constituents is achieved.” And further along there’s this:

It has now been discovered that better utilisation of the valuable substances is achieved if the hops are extracted in the following manner. The hops are first treated with Warm water to obtain a tannin extract. This is followed by leaching out the readily soluble bitter substances (among them hulupones) and isomerizing the relatively insoluble humulones to readily soluble isohumulones: by boiling the hops in an aqueous solution of neutral pH to yield a first bitter extract. Rapid boiling at this stage is preferred to counteract oxidation. The vapour boiling off is condensed to form an aromatic extract. Since the most valuable aromatic substances are the last to be distilled off, however, fractionation may be employed to collect two or more separate fractions. Finally, the partially spent hops are oxidised by customary means, e.g. see Swedish Patent No. 150,997, to form a second bitter extract.

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