Sunday’s ad is for Carlsberg, advertising for the James Bond movie, the Living Daylights, which premiered July 31, 1987. In the ad, a torso in a tuxedo is pouring a glass of Carlsberg for himself, while a pair of female hands caress the man. He’s obviously meant to be James Bond, and the ad carries the tagline “He’s dangerous and he takes chances. Except when it comes to his beer.”
Today in 1962, US Patent 3047190 A was issued, an invention of August H. Bayer, for his “Beer Fermenting Tank.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
This invention relates to storage tanks and is particularly directed to a novel closed fermenting tank for use in the brewing industry.
It is common practice in breweries to use fermenting tanks in which beer is fermented for an appreciable length of time under controlled pressure and temperature conditions. While the size of these tanks varies, a typical fermenting tank is adapted to contain 1300 barrels of beer. The tank is substantially filled with beer except for an air space at the top of the tank to permit collection of gases produced during the fermentation process. It will readily be appreciated that the walls of the fermentation tank are thus subjected not only to the hydrostatic loads caused by the contained liquid, but in addition are subjected to stresses induced by the resultant gas pressure.
In the past, it has been conventional in breweries to construct fermentation tanks of rectangular cross-section and to provide a plurality of spaced reinforcing ribs which extend completely around the tank; i.e., across the top and bottom Walls and upwardly along the side walls of the tank. While tanks of this type have proved to be satisfactory from a strength standpoint, they utilize an excessive amount of floor space for a given capacity because of the reinforcing members on the sides of the tank.
It is an important object of the present invention to provide a fermenting tank in which a maximum usable capacity is obtained for the door space occupied by the tank. Thus, a tank constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides approximately eight percent more capacity than a tank having the same overall dimensions of the conventional type referred to above.
The present invention is predicated in part upon the concept of providing a tank structure in which only the upper and lower portions of the side walls are reinforced to resist stresses as a beam, while the center portions of the side walls are intentionally left unreinforced, are slightly curved, and are made of a relatively thin material so that these walls undergo large deflections and thus function as membranes.
More particularly, one preferred form of tank constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention comprises a bottom member which is supported on a plurality of spaced transverse beams, or box type sections. Two arcuate side walls are welded to the bottom, and to a top, and end members to form a closed tank. The side walls are reinforced by a plurality of spaced upper and lower stiffener members which extend upwardly approximately of the height of the tank from the bottom of the tank and downwardly approximately of the height of the tank from the top. Thus, the upper and lower portions of the side walls of the tank adjacent to these stiffeners function as a beam; i.e., members adapted to resist sizable bending stresses. The center portions of the tank side walls, however, are completely unreinforced and these portions of the side walls, which are curved outwardly and are thinner than the side walls of conventional tanks, are adapted to deflect outwardly an appreciable amount; for example, more than one inch for a of an inch side wall. This portion of each side wall thus functions mechanically as a membrane; that is, a member which may be subjected to ant liquid is circulated to remove excess heat and main large tensile stresses (which the side walls can readily resist without yield), but is not subjected to sizable bending stresses (which the side walls could not resist without yield).
Additionally, in accordance with the present invention, the lower stiffener members are of tapered configuration having a wide base adjacent to the bottom portion of the tank and a narrow upper end. Thus, these reinforcing members function as cantilever beams having a greater outward deflection adjacent at their upper ends than at their lower ends so that the reinforcing members help to provide a smooth transition in the side walls between the areas of the side walls which function as a beam and those areas of the side wall which function as a membrane. 7
in further accord with this invention, each of the upper stiffener members is of double tapered configuration including one arm extending downwardly along the upper portion of the side walls, and a second arm extending particularly, it is well known that during the fermenting process a certain amount of heat is developed which tends to raise the temperature of the beer above the optimum temperature for fermentation. Accordingly, it is conventional to provide on the interior of a fermentation tank an elongated at temperator coil through which a cool train the beer at a predetermined temperature. One of the obvious difficulties with interior coils of this type is that of cleaning the surface of the coil to keep it in a sanitary condition.
Saturday’s ad is entitled Dad Rehearses His Speech, and the illustration was done in 1956 by Douglass Crockwell. It’s #119 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. This is the final ad in the series. In this ad, Dad Rehearses His Speech while his wife and kids have to endure hearing it for the umpteenth time. I assume the beer must be helping.
Today in 1872, US Patent 129938 A was issued, an invention of Patrick Francis Donnelly, for his “Improvement in Beer Faucets.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
Referring to the drawing, A is a bush or socket-piece, which tapers slightly from the shoulder ato the end. From the shoulder a to the end a fine-threaded screw is cut. This piece accommodates the valve B, which controls the flow of the liquid, and is screwed into the head of the barrel. The valve B rests against a rubber seat, C, being held, when closed, against this seat by the spiral spring b wound round the stem of the valve. D is a plug having several holes through it to permit the liquid to pass through. This plug is screwed into the end of the bush-piece, which projects into the barrel. At the outer end of the bush-piece, which projects outside of the barrel, there is an internal screw cut, and into this the conduit-stem E of the faucet is screwed. F is the operating-rod, which terminates, after passing beyond the conduit stem, in a little wheel, G. This rod F has a double-threaded screw at f, which screws into a corresponding thread cut in the interior of the conduit-stem. H is a packing-box of usual form, supplied, where the rod F passes out of the conduit-stem, to prevent leakage. I is the exit-passage for the liquid.
The operation is as follows: The bushpiece is inserted in the barrel-head, and may remain there until the barrel is worn out. The stem’ part of the faucet is applied when the liquid is to be drawn off, the flow being regulated by screwing the rod F against the valve B.
Instead of the double-threaded screw being supplied on the rod F, this rod may be pushed forward and drawn back by other suitable mechanism not necessary to describe.
Today in 1968, US Patent 3394647 A was issued, an invention of Fritz Reiter, for his “Apparatus For the Production of Wort.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
In an apparatus for the production of wort, a filter drum for the separation of the wort from the spent grains comprises suction means to draw the wort into the drum and means cutting the cake of spent grains accumulating on the periphery of the drum, while it is being sparged, into small readily extracted pieces.
Today in 1935, US Patent 2009382 A was issued, an invention of George Blaufuss, for his beer “Filter.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:
The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction and operation of filters of the character described; to provide a filter in which a filtering medium such as diatomaceous earth, or the like, is used and applied to the surface of a cylinder to form a thick filter cake through which the liquid to be filtered must pass; to provide means for continuously removing impurities collected on the surface of the filter cake and also a portion of the filter cake so as to gradually decrease the thickness of the cake; and further, to provide means for continuously discharging the impurities and material removed from the surface of the filter cake.
Friday’s ad is entitled Do-It-Yourself Decorators, and the illustration was done in 1956 by Pruett Carter. It’s #118 in a series entitled “Home Life in America,” also known as the Beer Belongs series of ads that the United States Brewers Foundation ran from 1945 to 1956. In this ad, two couples are Do-It-Yourself Decorators and appear to be fans of artist Piet Mondrian. Because it looks like they’re following one of his paintings and using to make a rug matching it. How much beer have they been drinking?
Today in 1975, US Patent 3897569 A was issued, an invention of Ronald Horgan, for his “Malting.” Here’s the Abstract:
An improved malting process comprises the steps of steeping barley or other cereal grain to initiate germination thereof, subjecting the germinated grain to a treatment to restrict further growth and respiration of the grain, and malting the grain in a relatively short period. The treatment may be a mechanical treatment such as pumping the grain in water, or it may be a temperature or chemical treatment. The subsequent malting may be carried out at a temperature between 20 DEG and 40 DEG C and the malting period is less than 48 hours.
MillerCoors announced today that they’ve acquired a majority interest in Hop Valley Brewing of Springfield and Eugene, Oregon.
Here’s the press release:
Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the craft and import division of MillerCoors, announced today an agreement to obtain a majority interest in Eugene, Ore.-based Hop Valley Brewing Company. Hop Valley is known as a leader in the IPA space, producing a wide variety of acclaimed beers including Alphadelic, its flagship IPA, Citrus Mistress and Alpha Centauri.
“We are very proud of what we have achieved to date, and even more excited about the future for our company and our employees,” said Charles “Chuck” Hare, Hop Valley Brewing Company co-founder. “From the get-go, it has always been about the beer, and we are looking forward to working with Tenth and Blake to get our beers – made right here – to even more consumers.”
Since opening their original brew pub in Springfield, Ore. in 2009, Hop Valley has stayed true to its name producing award-winning IPAs throughout the Pacific Northwest region. The brewer has since added to its production with a 30,000-square-foot brewery and tap room in Eugene, Ore. and currently distributes in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Vermont.
“We’re thrilled to join forces with the Hop Valley team, to add an incredible roster of brands that complement our portfolio perfectly,” said Scott Whitley, president and CEO of Tenth and Blake. “I’m looking forward to working with Chuck and his team to support the continued growth and success of their innovative IPAs and award-winning beers.”
“This is a great opportunity for us and our brewery,” said Trevor Howard, Hop Valley co-founder and brewmaster. “We will continue to craft all of our core brands and innovate with seasonal and small-batch brews like we always have – with the same commitment to quality, taste, and creativity.”
Hop Valley Brewing Company joins other leading crafts in the Tenth and Blake portfolio, including Blue Moon Brewing Company, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Saint Archer Brewing Company and, following an expected closing in August 2016, Terrapin Beer Company. For more information on Hop Valley Brewing Company and its portfolio of brands, visit HopValleyBrewing.com.
Hop Valley Brewing Company will operate as a separate business unit of Tenth and Blake. The management team at Hop Valley will continue to lead the business and will retain an ownership interest. The transaction is expected to complete in the third quarter of 2016. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
This is actually the second acquisition this month for Tenth and Blake, MillerCoors’ craft division. Back in 2011, they bought a minority stake in Georgia’s Terrapin Brewing, but last week they acquired a majority stake.
For our 114th Session, our host will be Alistair Reece, who is Fuggled. For his topic, he’s opening up a bottle or bottles of pilsners, and states his goals quite simply in his announcement, all about Pilsners:
What I want folks to do is put down their IPAs, their Belgians, their sours, their barrel aged stuff, and hunt out a few pilsners to compare and contrast, whether they be Czech, German, Belgian, American, etc, etc. Try to get examples of Czech and German in particular to see the differences. Most of all though I just want people to re-discover what I consider the pinnacle of the brewing craft, so off hunting you go!
So before next Friday, pick up a couple of pilsners, or more, and get with the drinking and the tasting and the note-taking. Then come back by Friday, August 5, and report on the results of pilsner fact-finding mission. Post your findings, and then post a comment with a link to your post at the original Fuggled announcement.
