Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 4705188A: Keg Cap

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Today in 1987, US Patent 4705188 A was issued, an invention of Eckhard F. Rahn, assigned to the Miller Brewing Company, for his “Keg Cap.” Here’s the Abstract:

A cap for covering the open end of a Barnes neck surrounding the outlet of a keg for malt beverages includes a circular, flat, resilient top; a skirt depending downwardly from the top and having an inwardly directed annular sealing bead for gripping the outside of the Barnes neck and vent means at the junction of the top and skirt. The top, annular bead and vent means cooperate to keep the cap in place when small amounts of fluid are accidentally released from the keg. The cap, in addition, to covering the outlet can bear information as to the keg contents.

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Who Would You Invite To A Fantasy Beer Dinner?

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For our 118th Session, our host will be Stan Hieronymus, who started the Session way back in 2007. He writes at several places, most notably at Appellation Beer. For his topic, he’s chosen to give us an interesting exercise, more like a game called Who You Gonna Invite?, which asks this simple question. “If you could invite four people dead or alive to a beer dinner who would they be? What four beers would you serve?” So maybe not so simple when you start to really think about it, but here’s what else he has to add about our assignment.

If the questions look familiar it might be because we played the game here nine years ago. It was fun, so let’s take the show on the road. To participate, answer these questions Dec. 2 in a blog post (or, what the heck, in a series of tweets). Post the url in the comments here or email me a link. I’ll post a roundup with links some time the following week.

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So start thinking about who you might want to join you at the table. Choosing four also means leaving out innumerable others, so that has to be sort of the decision. The same holds true for the beers you choose, too. I’m assuming, since the people you invite can be alive or dead, that the beer can be, too. Which would mean you could choose any beer, fresh or centuries old. How amazing would that be?

I’ll get you started:

Guests:

Beers to be Served:

Easy, right. Just fill it in.

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Stan’s instructions on how to participate in December’s Session are simple. You can either “[p]ost the url in the comments [of his announcement] or email [him] a link” to your post. Or you could even put it in a “series of tweets.”

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If it were up to me, my table would have a few more people than four.

Patent No. 20110274785A1: Method And System For Producing A Malt Beverage Having A High Degree Of Fermentation

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Today in 2011, US Patent 20110274785 A1 was issued, an invention of Bert Boyce, C. James Koch, David Grinnell, and Martin Zarnkow, assigned to the Boston Beer Corporation, for their “Method and System for Producing a Malt Beverage Having a High Degree of Fermentation.” Here’s the Abstract:

Exemplary embodiments of a brewing method and system are provided, where a mixture comprising water and milled malt are mixed to produce a primary mash, and wort is produced from the primary mash. A supernatant liquid is obtained comprising active enzymes from a secondary mash, and the supernatant liquid is added from the secondary mash to the wort, and/or the supernatant liquid can be added to fermented wort after yeast is added to the wort.

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Beer In Ads #2089: She Married Two Men

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Wednesday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1956. In this ad, with the headline “She Found She Married Two Men,” is an amazingly sexist ad. The text continues with “all women do,” apparently something about an “Inner Man” and planning — a lot of planning — to make meals to make him contended. Here’s the “fact” they conclude with. “Budweiser has delighted more husbands than any other brew ever known.” Wow.

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Patent No. 169830A: Improvement In Treating Beer

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Today in 1875, US Patent 169830 A was issued, an invention of Friedrich C. Mussgiller and Robert W. Schneider, for their “Improvement In Treating Beer and Other Liquids.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Treating Beer and other Liquids, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification:

This invention consists in treating beer and other liquids of a similar nature with lumps of bicarbonate of soda, or other alkali, said lumps being compacted by means of a suitable cement, so that their specific gravity exceeds that of the liquid to be treated, and that, when one or more such lumps are dropped into the liquid, they sink down to the bottom of the vessel containing the liquid, and that the carbonic acid evolved from said lumps is compelled to permeate the body of the liquid, and at the same time, by forming said lumps of suitable sizes, the quantity of alkaline matter introduced into a certain quantity of liquid can be easily controlled. Together with the alkaline lumps, may be used lumps of tartaric or other suitable acid, compacted in the same manner as the alkaline lumps, so that the amount of carbonic acid evolved from said alkaline lumps can be easily kept under control.

It is a common practice with brewers, and others, to use bicarbonate of soda, either alone or together with tartaric acid, in the manufacture of beer, sparkling wines, and other effervescent liquids, for the purpose of increasing the life of such liquids.

The mode of applying such article or articles-by brewers, for instance is to put about one ounce of the bicarbonate of soda to each quarter barrel with a table-spoon, the bicarbonate employed being in the form of a powder.

It is obvious that this way of operating must produce a great many irregularities as to the taste and reaction of the beer on the human body. The addition of too much bicarbonate of soda will impart to the beer an in the following specific alkaline taste; too little will leave it acid.

Furthermore, the alkaline powder, on being thrown into a barrel of beer, will float on the surface of the liquid, and immediately evolve carbonic acid, a large portion of which is lost, together With the beer which is thrown out by the action of the acid, before the barrel can be closed by a bung. Besides this, the operation of filling barrels is carried on in a great hurry, and a large quantity of the soda handled with a spoon is spilled over the barrel and wasted.

If the brewers wish their beer to contain a large quantity of tartaric acid, they throw into each barrel a few crystals of tartaric acid in addition to an increased quantity of bicarbonate of soda. The result of this operation is that each barrel has different properties, there being no precaution taken to control the quantities of soda and of acid.

These disadvantages we have obviated by preparing both the alkali and the acid in solid lumps of greater specific gravity than that of the liquid in which they are to be used, and of different specific sizes. This object We obtain by mixing the powdered alkali or acid with a suitable cement, such as a solution of dextrine, and then compressing the same in molds of suitable size and shape.

The advantage of using the alkali or acid in this shape is perceptible at once. The lumps of alkali or acid being in compact form when dropped into a barrel filled with beer, ale, or other liquid, will sink to the bottom, and the carbonic acid evolved from them is forced to stay in the liquid. The barrel can be easily closed by a bung without losing a. particle of carbonic acid, or of beer, and the alkali and acid can be introduced into the barrel without any waste. Besides this, the weight or size of our lumps is so gaged that each barrel Will receive the exact quantity of alkali and of acid required, and that the liquid in a number of barrels, after having been treated with the alkali and acid, will be of uniform quality.

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Patent No. 3618632A: Check Valve

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Today in 1971, US Patent 3618632 A was issued, an invention of Frederick F. Stevens, assigned to Hoff Stevens, for his “Check Valve.” Here’s the Abstract:

A fluid check valve having a hollow elongated self-supporting nipple supported in a path of fluid flow and made from a resilient deformable material. A slit through the closed upstream end of the nipple divides it into adjacent sections which are laterally displaced from each other to provide a path of fluid flow there between when the fluid pressure on the downstream side of the nipple exceeds the fluid pressure on the upstream side thereof. Under the influence of back pressure the sections resiliently press against each other to prevent reverse fluid flow there between. The nipple has an integral part which supports it in a fixed position in an associated conduit member and also forms a seal between the latter member and another conduit member connected thereto. A rigid nipple insert may be provided to prevent inward collapse or deformation of the nipple due to fluid back pressure.

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Beer In Ads #2088: When Gentlemen Agree …

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Tuesday’s election ad is for Budweiser, from 1965. In this ad, with the headline “When Gentlemen Agree …,” the elephant and the donkey appear happy and sharing a beer. This is when Johnson was president and shortly before we elected Nixon. I sure hope both sides of this year’s election can share a beer and appear so happy, and soon.

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Patent No. 249332A: Mixture Or Grist For Brewing Purposes

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Today in 1881, US Patent 249332 A was issued, an invention of Francis J. Geis, for his “Mixture or Grist for Brewing Purposes.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invention consists in a mixture or grist for brewing malt-liquors, composed of malt and cereals or grain having the cellulose or integument and germ or heart removed, the cereals or grain constituting from about twenty-five to fifty per centum, by weight, of the said mixture or grist.The cereals or grains thus treated have the oily and other objectionable matter removed, but contain the maximum amount of starch and the necessary albumenoids and gluten.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to remove the cellulose or integument and germ or heart of the cereals or grain by means of mechanism which is another invention of mine, and for which I intend to apply for Letters of Patent.

Before brewing I substitute for preferably from twenty-five to fifty per centum of the weight of malt ordinarily employed to produce a given quantity of the beverage alike weight of the prepared cereals or grain, and mix the two to form a grist. I then subject the combined mass of malt and cereals or grain to treatment by any suitable one of the usual methods employed in the manufacture of lager-beer, beer, ale, porter, or other malt-liquor, according as I desire to produce either of those beverages. I have found that one hundred pounds of the prepared cereals or grain will equal one hundred and thirty-six pounds of malt in extractor wort (the liquor that runs or is produced before fermentation) for the beverage, and as the prepared cereals or grain are much the cheaper,it is obvious that by means of employing this substitute I very materially cheapen the cost of the beverage. A larger and better quality of yeast of a uniform and vigorous character also results from the use of the prepared cereals or grain.

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Beer In Ads #2087: Let’s Get Together

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Monday’s ad is for Budweiser, from 1952. In this ad, with the headline “Let’s Get Together,” and showing an angry elephant with his hands folded, and an equally angry donkey, both sitting on what seems to be a giant block of ice. I assume they’re waiting for hell to freeze over? The ad seems to be somewhat echoing our election tomorrow, 64 years after it first appeared. With only one more day to go until “E-Day” tomorrow, please make sure you to do exercise your right and make your vote count. Seriously, let’s get together on this.

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Patent No. 508140A: Beer Plate

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Today in 1893, US Patent 508140 A was issued, an invention of Emil Koch, for his “Beer Plate.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention relates to an improved plate of the kind used to support beer glasses, mugs and similar articles.

The object of the invention is to so construct the plate that it is light, durable and will readily absorb the moisture from the glass and also from the table.

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