Today in 1889, US Patent 414673 A was issued, an invention of Axel Bergh, for his “Process of Aerating and Purifying Beer Wort or Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it appertains, and it will be particularly seen that the wort is led to the fermenting-house in an absolutely-sterilized condition, while at the same time it is cooled, aerated to the required degree, and freed from impurities, and the losses due to residual wort are avoided.

The herein-described process of freeing wort from suspended particles by simultaneously subjecting the Wort to centrifugal action and a regulated supply of sterilized air, and subsequently cooling the wort preparatory to fermentation, all to be carried out in contact with sterilized air, substantially as described.