Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 3776260A: Beer Kegs And Like Containers

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Today in 1973, US Patent 3776260 A was issued, an invention of Maurice Ruddick, for his “Beer Kegs and Like Containers.” Here’s the Abstract:

A spear and closure assembly which is arranged to be fitted as a single unit in the neck of a beer keg or like container comprises a tubular housing having one end open and the spear fixed to the housing and projecting from its other end, and a valve seat which is fixed to the housing so that it is located adjacent the open end of the housing and projects radially inwards with respect to the open end. The housing, the spear, and the valve seat are connected to form a unitary structure, such as by welding or by a combination of welding and being formed integrally. A spring located within the housing acts on a disc like closure member so that a resilient valve ring is pressed by the closure member against the valve seat, hence closing the opening bounded by the valve seat. Assembly of the spring, the closure member, and the valve ring within the structure is made easy by arranging that the size and shape of the spring and closure member allow these to be passed through the opening bounded by the valve seat, and by providing the valve ring with sufficient resilience to allow it to be deformed and squeezed through this opening. In use, application of a filling or dispensing fitting moves the valve ring and the closure member axially inwards against the action of the spring, the valve ring being displaced axially relative to the closure member and forming a seal against a second valve seat formed on the housing so that two separate passages are formed through the fitting and into the container, one through the housing and the spear and the other outside the housing via an aperture between the two valve seats.

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Patent No. 6326185B1: Method For Decontaminating Yeast

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Today in 2001, US Patent 6326185 B1 was issued, an invention of Michael C. Barney, Kathleen M. Carrick, Alfonso Navarro, and David S. Ryder, assigned to Miller Brewing Company, for their “Method For Decontaminating Yeast.” Here’s the Abstract:

An improved method for reducing colony forming units bacteria in yeast is disclosed. The method involves contacting the yeast with a hop acid in an amount sufficient to give a final concentration of the hop acid of at least about 40 ppm.

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Patent No. 837608A: Beer-Tap

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Today in 1902, US Patent 837608 A was issued, an invention of Manley J. Chaplin, for his “Beer-Tap.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

My invention relates to taps for beer-casks, and has for its principal objects to provide a tap having simple and effective means for locking it in place, to provide a tap that will be locked in place by the insertion of the discharge-pipe, to provide means for simultaneously packing the joints around the discharge-pipe and around the bung-hole, and other objects hereinafter more fully appearing.

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Patent No. 2772975A: Injecting Of Hops In The Brewing Of Beer

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Today in 1956, US Patent 2772975 A was issued, an invention of Frank Otto Rickers, assigned to the Geo Wiedemann Brewing Co. Inc., for his “Injecting Of Hops In The Brewing Of Beer.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

It is an object of the present invention to provide for the addition of the hops to a brew kettle in a manner such that the hops will be uniformly distributed through the brew and for greatly increased control over this step of the brewing so any deteriorating effect is prevented by storing in cold temperature so that the loss of hops up the flue will be minimized. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide process to the end that each successive brew will have undergone the same length of time in the cooking of the same amount of hops.

Briefly, in the practice of my invention I provide means for insuring that the hops, as they are added to the kettle, are wetted down and caused to enter below the surface of the brew in a rather closely confined area and I provide for a localized ebullition and circulation of the brew such that the lumps or fragments of hops are carried by this localized ebullition and circulation down into the bottom of the kettle whence they are uniformly distributed by the general circulation in the kettle.

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Patent No. 2022952A: Beer Dispensing System

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Today in 1935, US Patent 2022952 A was issued, an invention of Abraham Cohen, assigned to Beer Control Systems Inc., for his “Beer Dispensing System.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention relates to beer dispensing systems.

An object of this invention is to provide a system of the character described, provided with 5 highly improved means for returning the beer within the beer coils to the barrels and for flushing the coils with water and draining the water from the coils.

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Patent No. PP13311P2: Hop plant named ‘Millennium-Late’

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Today in 2002, US Patent PP13311 P2 was issued, an invention of Eugene G. Probasco, assigned to John I. Haas, Inc., for his “Hop plant named ‘Millennium-Late.'” Here’s the Abstract:

A new and distinct triploid hop, Humulus lupulus, plant named ‘Millennium-Late’ selected from the progeny of tetraploid ‘Nugget’×proprietary line No. ‘833-53M’, characterized by a high percentage of alpha-acids, a higher alpha/beta ratio, significantly higher percentages of humulene and caryophyllene, coupled with a high yield and resistance to powdery mildew. Harvest maturity is late, similar to ‘Nugget’ and following ‘Galena’ by about 1 week.

A few weeks before, also in 2002, Probasco was also granted Patent Nos. PP13128P2, PP13129P2 & PP13132P2: Millennium Hops, specifically for Millennium-48, Millennium-MiddleLate and Millennium-44.

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Patent No. 20100304005A1: Pouring Spoon For Producing Layered Beverages

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Today in 2010, US Patent 20100304005 A1 was issued, an invention of James M. Beale, for his “Pouring Spoon For Producing Layered Beverages.” Here’s the Abstract:

A pouring spoon (301) is provided which comprises a bowl (303) and a handle attached to said bowl. The handle has first (321), second (323) and third (325) segments, wherein said second segment is attached to said first segment by way of a first bend (322), wherein said second segment is attached to said third segment by way of a second bend (324), and wherein said third segment is attached to said bowl by way of a third bend (326).

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Patent No. 2620064A: Hop Stem Remover

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Today in 1952, US Patent 2620064 A was issued, an invention of Edouard Thys, for his “Hop Stem Remover.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes this summary:

This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a novel apparatus for removing free stems or twigs from hops during the course of `processing the latter after harvest; the hops having been detached from but remaining intermingled with such stems or twigs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hop `stem remover which is operative to remove both forked or crooked and straight stems from the hops; straight stems being the most difficult to separate from the hops.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hop stem remover which includes a novel assembly of a table, a foraminous conveyor having a run thereof working along the top of the table, and a feeder positioned to deliver mixed hops and stems or twigs on the conveyor; the stems or twigs remaining on. the conveyor, while the hops pass through the forminations onto the table. whence they feed to one edge of the latter and discharge downwardly therefrom.

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