Today in 1986, US Patent 4622224 A was issued, an invention of Joseph L. Owades, for his “Preparation Of Wort Extracts.” This appears to be an earlier patent than his “Preparation Of Wort Extracts” that was patented two years later, in 1988. Joe is most well-known for having invented low-calorie light beer. Here’s the Abstract:
A method for producing a wort containing a reduced level of fermentable sugars is described. The method consists of providing a warm aqueous suspension of ground malt, and adding the warm suspension to a boiling aqueous suspension of cereal adjuncts while avoiding temperatures between about 52° and 72° C. The resulting wort is useful for producing a beer with a lower-than-normal alcohol content, or a malt beverage lacking sweetness usually associated with malt beverages.
