Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 8646660B2: Reusable Beer Keg

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Today in 2014, just one year ago, US Patent 8646660 B2 was issued, an invention of Thomas W. Bates, Dan Morgan, and Leslie W. Ross, for their “Reusable Beer Keg.” Here’s the Abstract:

A reusable beer keg is disclosed including a hollow beer keg body with a dispenser tube assembly having a dispenser valve, dispenser tube, and a disposable bladder. The dispenser valve is releasably attached to a top portion of the keg body and the dispenser tube and bladder extend into the interior of the keg body. When beer flows through the open dispenser valve and into the bladder, the beer causes the bladder to expand until it contacts the inside surface of the keg body. When the beer keg has been emptied it can be returned to the brewery for reuse by cleaning the dispenser valve, dispenser tube and disposing of the used bladder. The beer keg parts can then be reassembled, using a new bladder in place of the used bladder.

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Patent No. 3865276A: Portable Keg Tapper

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Today in 1975, US Patent 3865276 A was issued, an invention of Hank A. Thompson, for his “Portable Keg Tapper.” Here’s the Abstract:

Portable apparatus is provided for tapping a beverage container such as a beer keg. A portable ice container adapted to be supported by the top of the keg has an opening in the bottom communicating with the tapping aperture of the keg. A dispensing faucet is carried by the ice chamber. A beverage delivery conduit is formed into a cooling coil inside the ice chamber. The inlet of the conduit terminates in a releasable coupling adapted to be attached to a conventional tapping pipe. The outlet of the conduit communicates with the dispensing faucet.

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Patent No. 2823125A: Apparatus For And Process Of Fermenting Beer

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Today in 1958, US Patent 2823125 A was issued, an invention of Frank H. Schwaiger, assigned to Anheuser-Busch, for his “Apparatus for and Process of Fermenting Beer.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description it states the following:

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an improved fermenter which can be fabricated from stainless steel and which requires no overhead chamber for capturing foam which must necessarily rise upwardly into said chamber. Another object is to provide an improved fermenter which requires no special housing, which is easily housed on a single floor of a building, which can be easily cleaned, which requires less space per unit capacity, and which separates the foam from the beer more completely and more efficiently. Another object is to provide a fermenter construction which moves the foam automatically toward the foam chamber. Another object is to provide a fermenter which without moving parts automatically prevents beer from spilling over a baffle into the foam chamber even though the beer increases in volume during fermentation. Another object is to provide a fermenter which can be fabricated in a metal fabricating shop, shipped to the brewery, and placed upon a suitable base therein.

Another principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved process wherein the foam condensate is directed back into the manufacturing process at a different point from where the foam was taken. Another object is to provide a process wherein the foam condensate can be filtered or treated before it is redirected into the process.

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Beer In Ads #1462: Enjoy Life

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Tuesday’s ad is for Miller High Life, from 1961. “Enjoy Life with Miller High Life.” Certainly the man is enjoying his, he gets the rocking chair and a book, while the little woman sits at his feet peeling carrots. I guess she shouldn’t complain, he did allow her to have a beer, too.

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Patent No. 2628009A: Tap Box

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Today in 1953, US Patent 2628009 A was issued, an invention of Edward D. Idzi, for his “Tap Box.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description it states the following:

My invention consists in a new and useful improvement in tap boxes and is designed to provide improved apparatus for chilling and dispensing draught beer tapped from kegs. The particularly novel and useful features of my improved device are the non-metallic composition beer conduits composed of a suitable plastic, such as Lucite, with suitable coupling means of the same composition for connecting the conduits to the kegs and by which the beer is conducted from the keg to the dispensing faucet entirely free of any contact with metal; the novel refrigeration system by means of which the temperature of the beer is reduced to the desired degree by being subjected to the effect of a refrigerant throughout the entire course of flow from the keg to the faucet; novel chilling units through which the beer flows immediately prior to reaching the faucets; novel mounting means by which the chilling units, beer conduits and faucets are disposed in the tap box; a freeze box for making ice, associated with the chilling units; and a beer glass trackway associated with the freeze box and having a blower for chilling the glasses passed there along.

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The Orchid Of Beer: Women’s Beer Circa 1953

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I believe we tend to think of marketing efforts to create a beer specifically aimed at women as a more recent development, but apparently that’s not the case. I recently discovered that in 1953 the Storz Brewing Co. of Omaha, Nebraska was trying to sell beer to women using the same tired tricks that are often still being used today.

Apparently, in 1953, Storz created the “Storzette,” a smaller package designed for the ladies to be “calorie controlled” and less bitter, and which also had a pink and lavender package with orchids on them, and whose slogan was — believe it or not — “The Orchid of Beer.” Rusty Cans has the full story, from 2004, of the brewery and this dalliance into women’s marketing.

In 1953 Storz tried to market a new product for women, “Storzette.” Designed to be a beer for the ladies it was supposedly not too bitter and was calorie controlled. It also came in a smaller can, 8 ounces, which Storz called “Queen sized” and it came in four can packs called “Princess Packs.” The brewery noted that market studies showed that many women felt that the standard 12 oz can provided too large a serving. The beer inside was also different, made to be less bitter than standard beers. The can even had a pink orchid pictured on it to help it appeal to women. It’s initial test market results in San Diego seemed positive, but in the end the effort was not successful and Storzette did not last long on the market. As a result, the little can with the orchid is very scarce. Storz also used a slogan on its regular cans for awhile in the 1950s, “the Orchid of Beer” which has to be one of the more unusual beer advertising slogans.

Absent any additional information, I can only assume “Calorie Controlled” is done through offering a smaller size can. Smaller portions equals less calories. Of course, you could just drink less, couldn’t you? The control aspect of their claim seems entirely up to the drinker rather than anything designed by the packaging or the beer itself.

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According to orchid websites, the particular type of orchid on the label is a cattleya. Not only do they use a flower, but the color palate is soft pastels, pinks and purple.

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I presume this is a vintage grocery display using a cart filled with six-packs and surrounded by banners. Notice on the side there’s a gal wearing glasses saying the beer is “Strictly for the Girls.”

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And finally, here’s an ad for the beer using an orchid in the advertisement.

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Interestingly, a group of local folks from Omaha revived the Storz brand and opened a newer version of the brewery in 2013.

Patent No. 1086931A: Fluid-Separator

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Today in 1914, US Patent 1086931 A was issued, an invention of George Anton Orth and Joshua J. White, for their “Fluid-Separator.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description it states the “object of the invention is to provide a separator, particularly adapted for use in connection with ales and beers, for separating sediment from the body of the fluid.” The description continues:

The invention embodies among other features a device provided with an inlet pipe for connection with the main barrel or the keg and an outlet pipe for connection with the tap or faucet, the mentioned pipes terminating in a container, with an end of the inlet pipe terminating in a separator cup provided with a valve operable by a float arranged within the container and movable upwardly therein as the depth of the fluid in the container increases, the float in its upward movement being adapted to close the inlet pipe to prevent the entrance of additional fluid and in its downward movement being adapted to permit the valve to open to admit more fluid to the container.

By connecting our device directly with the keg or barrel, the pressure in the device will be the same as in the keg or barrel, so that when the fluid is taken from the tap it will be as fresh as if it were taken directly from the keg.

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SF Beer Week Opening Gala 2015

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Friday night, the 7th annual SF Beer Week kicked off. This year’s gala was held at Fort Mason, and although I had some trepidation about the site, it actually worked fairly well. The acoustics were as bad as ever, and I think the decision to forgo live music was a good one. That also allowed two additional breweries over last year. We would have preferred to allow everyone who wanted to pour that opportunity, but the new space was much more limited than the concourse had been so we were sadly unable to accommodate every brewery. The concourse is being torn down to be replaced by a mixed use space, so we couldn’t return there this year. It’s an unfortunate truth of San Francisco that their simply aren’t a lot of spaces available to suit the needs of the opening gala, at least not and keep the price of a ticket within the reach of the average beer lover. But Brian and the San Francisco Brewers Guild did a great job of making the space work. Below are a few photos I took at this year’s gala, and for a lot more check out Gamma Nine, who took the official photos for beer week.

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The entrance at this year’s SF Beer Week opening Gala.

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Outside it was still raining, as the time to let everyone in approached.

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All of the glassware waiting for the arrival of everyone for the gala.

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Then the doors opened, and people streamed in.

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The hall filled up quickly, though it never really felt overcrowded.

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Ted Viviatson, from Eel River, and Daniel Del Grande, from Bison Brewing.

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J.J. from Petaluma Hills Brewing.

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John Martin and Kelsey Williams, sporting a six-pack hat, both from Drake’s and Triple Rock.

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San Francisco mayor Ed Lee also came to say a few words at the beginning of the gala. Before his remarks, we took him on a short tour of the hall, stopping by a couple of booths to sample a few beers. Here he’s sharing a laugh with SF Brewers Guild director Brian Stechschulte.

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Brian, mayor Lee and me at the front of the Gala. (Photo by Mike Condie.)

Patent No. 5716653A: Process For Brewer’s Yeast Debittering

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Today in 1998, US Patent 5716653 A was issued, an invention of Ronald E. Simard and Mohammed Bouksaim, for their “Process For Brewer’s Yeast Debittering.” Here’s the Abstract:

This invention relates to a process for debittering spent brewer’s yeast, aiming at maximal efficiency with minimal impact on yeasts for their further use as live cells. The process consists in bringing a yeast suspension in contact with a surfactant containing unsaturated fatty acids, like Tween 80® (0.2% to 20% v/v), adjusting pH to 10.0 with NaOH 2N and agitating during 5 minutes at 50 rpm and 50° C. A bitterness reduction of 98% is obtained, without affecting yeast viability or protein content. Furthermore, the debittered yeasts treated with 20% Tween 80® can be reactivated (viability of 100% and increased production of CO2) by growing them in a suitable medium for a sufficient time (about two to six hours). These reactivated yeasts have restored biological properties which are expected to allow the use of these spent yeasts in complete or partial replacement of new yeasts in bakery industry and in spirit and beer fabrication. This application for an industrial by-product brings a plus-value by exploiting its biological activity and its nutritional value and furthermore, represents an interesting solution for an environmental problem.

So essentially this idea is to take yeast after it’s been used in brewing beer, removing any bitter compounds and then using it again to bake bread. I know in England, at Marston’s in Burton-on-Trent, for example, sells their spent yeast to the nearby plant that makes Marmite, and is similar to the Australian Vegemite.
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Beer In Ads #1461: The Sensible Choice

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Monday’s ad is yet another one for Budweiser, this one from maybe the late 1930s. “The Sensible Choice of those who guard their health.” According to the ad, Budweiser is the “favorite beer of athletes and sportsmen everywhere.” That’s because “Pure, wholesome food and drink are necessary to have and to keep a healthy body.” And Bud is made with a mixture of American hops and “imported Saazer hops.” Which apparently makes it “strength-building but not fattening.”

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