Today in 1882, US Patent 256550 A was issued, an invention of David W. Davis, for his “Cooling Beer.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description states the following:
My invention consists in a new process ot cooling beer, which process can be applied to most of the devices in use for that purpose, und especially to that class of coolers known as the Baudelot Cooler, and the process is produced by the device that will be fully hercinafter described.
I find this series of mostly historical patent grants and patent applications most absorbing. First, there are the elegant design and graphical features of the old sketches and plans. Second, the fact that much of the processes applied for seem related to equipment known at the time (e.g., Baudelot coolers, beer pumps, carbonation systems). I’d guess that making an improvement to an existing process or machine or other device was considered enough to warrant granting a patent.
Also, it is a reminder that the technical aspects of brewing – process, equipment, cleaning materials – are vital to the business, perhaps more so than palate and taste, or the business of beer, which is what consumer writers focus on today.
Who will write a beer book, or blog for that matter, solely on (non-brewing) equipment and materials needed to brew efficiently and safely? Who will laud the genius who invented the cylindro-conical fermenter – his surname was Nathan – used by virtually every brewer today regardless of size?
Gary