Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 399200A: Apparatus For The Pasteurization Of Beer

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Today in 1889, US Patent 399200 A was issued, an invention of Charles V. Koehler, for his “Apparatus For the Pasteurization of Beer.” There’s no Abstract, but the description states that the “invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Pasteurization of Beer, of which the following is a specification.”

My invention relates to improvements in the mode of introducing steam into the steaming-vats, in which the bottles tilled with beer from the brewery are placed and covered with cold water, and then subjected to heat by introducing steam into the vat containing the bottled beer and water and heating the contents to a sufficient degree to destroy the yeast molecules in the beer contained in the bottles and arrest fermentation, thus bringing about that condition of the beer called pasteurization; and the object of my invention is, first, to provide a continuous distribution of the heat throughout the water from the top downward, thus saving breakage; second, to afford facilities for obtaining an equalization of the heat of the water and bottled contents of the vat; third, to reduce the amount of the surface of steam-pipe heretofore used and dispense with the holes or perforations therein; fourth, to insure the direct contact of every part-0t the water in the vat to the steam-supply.

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Patent No. 3079925A: Machine For Plucking Hops Or Like Plants

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Today in 1963, US Patent 3079925 A was issued, an invention of Albert Edward Brookes, for his “Machine for Plucking Hops or Like Plants.” There’s no Abstract, but the description claims that the “The object of this invention is to provide a convenient machine more particularly for plucking hop flowers from their bines, but also usable for analogous purposes, such, for example, as the plucking of beans from their bines, or for separating seeds from herbs and the like.” The description continues:

A machine according to the invention comprises in combination a plurality of endless conveyor chains each incorporating a plurality of spaced and outwardly extending conveyor fingers, means supporting complementary runs of the plurality of conveyor chains for traverse through substantially straight parallel paths, a plurality of fixed parallel channels within which the outer ends of the conveyor fingers are adapted to engage during movement along said substantially straight paths, and a plurality of endless plucking chains each having a substantially straight run extending parallel to the straight runs of the conveyor chains, said plucking chains having outwardly extending plucking fingers adapted to pass between the conveyor fingers, and being adapted to be driven at a speed such that the plucking fingers on the straight run will move in the same direction as, but at a greater speed than the conveyor fingers.

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Patent No. 2233904A: Bottle Cap

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Today in 1941, US Patent 694584 A was issued, an invention of William G. Wagner, for his “Bottle Cap.” There’s no Abstract, but the description claims that the “object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle cap for use on conventionally shaped or conventionally formed bottle mouths wherein the cap is of such design that it may be readily applied to the bottles by means of conventional bottle capping machines, the cap being advantageous in that it forms and maintains a superior seal with the bottle mouth.”
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Patent No. 694584A: Process Of Converting Wort Into Beer

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Today in 1902, US Patent 694584 A was issued, an invention of Otto Selg and Carl Guntrum, for their “Process Of Converting Wort Into Beer.” There’s no Abstract, but the description begins by explaining that in their new invention the “body of the yeast has been withdrawn [and] it is impregnated with carbonic-acid gas and simultaneously clarified. Thus the separate processes heretofore carried on in the fermenting-tub, the storage-tub, and the chipcask are all combined and the latter two processes are carried on simultaneously.”
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Patent No. 4253878A: Light Protective Bottle Glass

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Today in 1981, US Patent 4253878 A was issued, an invention of Robert L. Weaver and Alastair M. Jamieson, assigned to The Molson Companies Limited, for their “Light Protective Bottle Glass.” Here’s the Abstract:

A light protective bottle glass for use in beer bottles to prevent or reduce flavor deterioration by exposure to light is prepared by adding 0.065 percent by weight of nickel oxide to the Ultraviolet Absorbing Green glass usually used in green beer bottles.

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Patent No. 3123476A: Production Of Hopped Wort

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Today in 1964, US Patent 3123476 A was issued, an invention of Michael Edward Ash, assigned to Arthur Guinness Son and Company for his “Production of Hopped Wort.” Here’s the Abstract:

The invention relates to the hopping of wort, a stage in the brewing process which takes place prior to fermentation. The object of the hopping process is to extract from the hops and transfer to the Wort certain desirable flavouring substances particularly humulone, or substances derived therefrom, which are generally considered to provide the bitter flavour in finished beer, and which in some cases may exercise a preservative function.

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Patent No. 3498313A: Beer Keg Tap

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Today in 1970, US Patent 3498313 A was issued, an invention of Daniel E. Belich, for his “Beer Keg Tap.” Here’s the Abstract:

This application discloses a tap in which the portion of the tap from the head to the bottom of the keg may remain in place during merchandising. The user needs only a small coaxial outlet unit attached to tap beer and gas pressure lines. The outlet unit is small and easily cleaned, and represents only a modest investment for the tavern keeper. The portion of the device which is retained in the barrel contains valving arrangements which prevent the escape of beer or gas pressure from a partially used keg when the outlet is withdrawn, and provide improved Valve arrangements which rely on elastic valve members for admission of air under pressure.

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Patent No. 2290089A2: Barley For Production Of Flavor-Stable Beverage

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Today in 2011, US Patent 2290089 A2 was issued, an invention of Søren Knudsen, Lene Mølskov Bech, Klaus Breddam, Finn Lok, Ole Olsen, and Birgitte Skadhauge, assigned to Carlsberg A/S, for their “Barley for Production of Flavor-Stable Beverage.” Here’s the Abstract:

According to the invention, there is provided null-LOX-1 barley and plant products produced thereof, such as malt manufactured by using barley kernels defective in synthesis of the fatty acid-converting enzyme lipoxygenase-1. Said enzyme accounts for the principal activity related to conversion of linoleic acid into 9-hydroperoxy octadecadienoic acid, a lipoxygenase pathway metabolite, which – through further enzymatic or spontaneous reactions – may lead to the appearance of trans-2-nonenal. The invention enables brewers to produce a beer devoid of detectable trans-2-nonenal-specific off-flavors, even after prolonged storage of the beverage.

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Patent No. 3171746A: Production Of Brewers’ Wort

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Today in 1965, US Patent 3171746 A was issued, an invention of David Teignmouth Shore, for his “Production of Brewers’ Wort.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description Shore explains that his “invention relates to the production of brewers wort at the mashing stage in which a reaction is created between water and goods, i.e., ground solids or grist to obtain as a product of the stage a wort which is known as sweet wort: the sweet Wort is passed on for further treatment including heating, hopping and fermentation treatment to produce beer of one grade or style or another.”
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Patent No. 4728010A: Keg Tapper

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Today in 1988, US Patent 4728010 A was issued, an invention of Mack S. Johnston, for his “Keg Tapper.” Here’s the Abstract:

A keg tapper for use with a keg having a neck with a closure valve carried therein and a flange with a tapered edge on the neck. An arrangement for attaching the tapper at the flanged neck so that completion of the attachment opens the inner valve of the keg closure. A plunger carried in the keg tapper with an arrangement for moving the plunger axially within the tapper body to engage the keg closure and open the outer valve. A keg tapper which can be utilized in the tavern configuration and in the picnic configuration.

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