Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Beer Birthday: Ken Kelley

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Today is the 56th birthday of Ken Kelley, head brewer at North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg. Ken is the guy you see at the majority of beer festivals that North Coast participates in, as well as even some of the ones that they don’t. He’s a terrific ambassador for the brewery, and for craft beer more generally, as well as a great person to hang out with. Join me in wishing Ken a very happy birthday.

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Then-Triple Rock GM Rachaal with Ken at the Firkin Fest in 2008.

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Ken and a colleague, both sporting pink hair, at the Breastfest in 2007.

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Ken, who was responsible for the Old Rasputin X Imperial Stout, which was aged in old bourbon barrels for at least nine months, showing off a bottle along with Ruby and Tom Dalldorf at the Boonville Beer Festival 2007.

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Visiting the brewery a couple of years ago, Ken with North Coast founder Mark Ruedrich.

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Sean Paxton and Brian Hunt with Ken during a SF Beer Week Gala a few years ago. (Photo by Mike Condie.)

Patent No. 264457A: Beer Faucet And Tap

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Today in 1882, US Patent 264457 A was issued, an invention of George Hirschman, for his “Beer Faucet and Tap.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

My invention relates to devices for tapping barrels and casks; and it consists in a sleeve adapted to be screwed or otherwise attached to a metal bushing surrounding the plug or bung, and a shouldered faucet arranged to move a limited distance longitudinally within the sleeve, so that if forced back by the pressure of the liquid it can move only such limited distance, but is held in position to be driven to its place.

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Patent No. 633341A: Siphon For Beer

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Today in 1899, US Patent 633341 A was issued, an invention of Johann Dreckmann, for his “Siphon For Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

This invention consists of an improved construction of fountain or siphon for drawing beer and carbonated or aerated drinks.

The herein-described fountain or siphon comprising two vessels, one a liquid-receptacle and the other a gas-receptacle with a reducing-valve connecting the two and a check-valve opening from the liquid-receptacle into the gas-receptacle, whereby a substantially constant pressure is maintained in the liquid-receptacle while dispensing therefrom, substantially as described.

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Patent No. 505424A: Beer Tempering Device

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Today in 1893, US Patent 505424 A was issued, an invention of Gustav Kruse, for his “Beer Tempering Device.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

The object of my invention is to provide a beer tempering device in which the difficulty of cleaning the pipes, or worm, thereof shall be reduced to a minimum and in which, at the same time, it may be done to perfection.l As heretofore constructed these devices were uncleanly and, consequently, unhealthful because there was no known means of cleaning them thoroughly, and; hence, where the government looks after the sanitary properties of such devices, their use has been prohibited, generally, because; even after a thorough cleansing with known methods, their cleanliness was either doubtful, or: ultimately, could be proved to be unsatisfactory. To overcome said difficulties I have devised a `new mechanism which, when used according to my direction will overcome all objections and be perfectly clean.

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Beer In Ads #2037: The Man In Black Drives

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Sunday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1960. In this ad, one of a series featuring a nearly black and white ad, with only the beer in color, and the same man engaged in various activities. This time, he’s leaning against his Bentley, because what other kind of car would the man in black drive? I considered calling this the Man in Black Races, but really, he’s just leaning up against the car, and there’s a picnic basket on the ground by his feet. But then again the Man in Black Picnics didn’t sound too good either. Of course, there are other older, collectible cars behind his, so maybe he’s just attending a car show. They may have been starting to run out of ideas for this series.

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Patent No. 285246A: Hop Drier

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Today in 1883, US Patent 285246 A was issued, an invention of James L. Filkins, for his “Hop Drier.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

I have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driers for Hops and other Substances, of which the following is a complete description.

The invention consists in certain novelties in the construction and arrangement of the parts of which the apparatus is composed, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

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Beer In Ads #2036: The Man In Black Bowls

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Saturday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1960. In this ad, one of a series featuring a nearly black and white ad, with only the beer in color, and the same man engaged in various activities. This time, he’s at the bowling alley. While I’m sure he’ll roll his ball down the lane at some point, right now he’s sitting down and scoring another bowler, with a beer in his hand, of course. Unfortunately, the only versions of this ad I could find were from black and white publications, so the signature feature — that only the beer is in color, making it stand out — so these don’t pop like the others. Best I can tell, they’re maybe in the third frame, and already he’s hitting the sauce, which is awesome, and just how it should be.

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Patent No. 411337A: Means for Boiling, Cooling Beer

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Today in 1889, US Patent 411337 A was issued, an invention of Constantin Hoffmann and Lorenz Ebert, for their “Means for Boiling, Cooling Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

The present invention relates to apparatus for sterilizing and cooling beer-wort, whereby the latter is kept completely protected against any injurious actions of the atmosphere during the whole cooling process-that is to say, from the boiling-copper to the fermenting-vat. According to the present cooling process the beer-wort is cooled either on coolers or by means of special apparatus. This takes place with the admission of ordinary atmospheric air, which has a deleterious effect upon or infects the beer-wort. That such an infection frequently takes place is proved by the many changes in the beer-wort during the cooling processes heretofore practiced, and by the various abnormal phenomena of fermentation which occur despite the employment of sound yeast. In order to obviate these inconveniences, we provide the known cooling apparatus with a casing which can be hermetically closed and bring the beer-wort, which runs boiling hot, and therefore free from germs or sprout, to the cooling apparatus into contact with sterilized air. By the introduction of sterilized air into the casing of the cooling apparatus at a certain overpressure during the cooling the beer wort remains quite free from germs or sprout, and after that the air necessary for the fermentation is introduced according to requirements and the exhalation of the same is effected.

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Beer In Ads #2035: The Man In Black Sails

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Friday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1961. In this ad, one of a series featuring a nearly black and white ad, with only the beer in color, and the same man engaged in various activities. This time, he’s the captain of his own sailboat. He’s sitting at the helm, captain’s hat tossed aside, beer in hand. He’s going place.

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Patent No. 5667832A: Method And Device For Foam Generation By Dispersion Of Bubbles

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Today in 1997, US Patent 5667832 A was issued, an invention of Keith Tromans, assigned to Scottish And Newcastle Plc, for his “Method and Device for Foam Generation by Dispersion of Bubbles.” Here’s the Abstract:

A method and apparatus for the generation of a foaming dispersion of bubbles in a carbonated beverage or other gas-containing liquid packaged in a can (120) or other sealed container. An initially liquid-free device (9) having an internal chamber with an inlet/outlet valve (130/150) assembly is placed in the can, which is then filled with the beverage. The can is sealed and pasteurized, which raises the internal pressure in the can to force some of the gasified beverage into the device through the inlet valve. The outlet valve holds the quantity of beverage in the internal chamber until the can is opened, whereupon the depressurization of the can opens the outlet valve to discharge the internal chamber through an orifice to initiate seed bubbles which form a head on the beverage. The method and apparatus are particularly applicable to producing a head on fermented alcoholic beverages to simulate draught beverages.

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