Brookston Beer Bulletin

Jay R. Brooks on Beer

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Patent No. 4068005A: Accelerated Fermentation Of Lager Beer

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Today in 1978, US Patent 4068005 A was issued, an invention assigned to Miller Brewing Company, for the “Accelerated Fermentation of Lager Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:

A method of accelerating the fermentation of a lager-type beer comprises conducting the fermentation at an elevated temperature with or without exogenous agitation while maintaining the dissolved carbon dioxide concentration in the fermentation liquor at a level approximating that found in a fermentation liquor during a normal supersaturated lager-type bottom-fermentation. The level of dissolved carbon dioxide is maintained at about 1.5 to about 2.0 cc per cc of beer by use of an overpressure of 2-20 psig of carbon dioxide.

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Patent No. 20140008367A1: Beverage Delivery Can

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Today in 2014, just last year, US Patent 20140008367 A1 was issued, an invention of six people including Jim Koch, and assigned to the Boston Beer Co., for a “Beverage Delivery Can.” Here’s the Abstract:

A beverage delivery can may comprise various configurations. Such configurations may comprise various aperture shapes, sizes, and configurations and various shapes, textures, configurations, and dimensions of the lid and surface of the can. A beverage can may comprise various exterior shapes such as a tapered shape, a faceted shape, a pint glass shape and the like. In embodiments, the beverage can may comprise various types of nucleation devices. In embodiments, various external packaging may be used with one or more beverage delivery cans.

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This not the can, at least not yet, that Boston Beer put their Samuel Adams Boston Lager and other beers in, a prototype for which is below. This can design more resembles their proprietary glass, so perhaps we’ll one day see this can on store shelves.
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Patent No. 640860A: Combination Beer Bottle & Glass

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Today in 1900, US Patent 640860 A was issued, an invention of William Baum Jr., for a “Combination Beer Bottle and Glass.” There’s no Abstract, but it’s described in the application like this. “The invention consists of the combination, with a main body portion or bottle, of a top portion detachably mounted thereon and adapted to be used as a drinking cup or glass, and a base portion also detachable mounted on the body portion and adapted to act as a support for the detachable cup portion.” It seems like an interesting idea, perfect for travel since you wouldn’t have to pack a glass, but I don’t think it ever quite caught on.

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Patent No. 3784059A: Beverage Can Drinking Holder

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Today in 1974, US Patent 3784059 A was issued, an invention of John Katzakian, for a “Beverage Can Drinking Holder.” Here’s the Abstract:

A beverage can drinking holder including an annular sleeve encircling the upper end margin of a beverage can wherein the sleeve has an interior surface gradually tapering radially inwardly progressively upwardly for receiving and seating the upper end edge of the can. The sleeve includes an annular upper end edge forming a drinking lip encircling the sleeve and spaced above the upper edge of the can a distance sufficient to provide an overflow reservoir for receiving an expanding volume of foam and beverage from the can below. In addition, a sharp rigid can-piercing element is carried within the sleeve for driving an opening into the top of the can. A stein or mug-like holder assembly includes a pair of spaced annular members for receiving the opposite ends of the can wherein one of the members is movable between advanced and retracted positions to permit insertion of the can therebetween and subsequent holding of the can by moving the movable member to its advanced position.

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Patent No. 20100000997A1: Double-Ended Openers Beverage Can

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Today in 2010, just five years ago, US Patent 20100000997 A1 was issued, an invention of Erik L. Southers, for a “Double-Ended Openers Beverage Can.” Here’s the Abstract:

The invention relates to a beverage can with an opener at each end allowing the user to drink from the first end while opening the second end which results in the liquid rapidly evacuating the beverage can. The beverage can is particularly useful for chug-a-lugging beer.

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Patent No. D216422S: Beer Can

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Today in 1970, US Patent D216422 S was issued, an invention of Karl Koch, for an ornamental design for a “Beer Can.” There’s no Abstract, but it’s described simply as a “can circular in all cross sections and the side opposite that shown is the same in appearance as the side shown except that the label area is replaced by a continuation of the barrel motif.”

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Patent No. 20110000913A1: Beer Can With Top & Bottom Pull Tabs

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Today in 2011, just four years ago, US Patent 20110000913 A1 was issued, an invention of Todd Allen Bland, for a “Beer Can with Top and Bottom Pull Tabs.” Here’s the Abstract:

The herein invention discloses improvements to the conventional beer, soda or vegetable juice can such as tomato as well as medical or automotive such as oil cans containing fluid. The improvements consisting of one or a plurality of pull tabs on the top and the bottom of the can allowing the liquid to empty out of the cans in a matter of seconds. Prior art only shows one pull tab on the top taking the cans too long to empty for consumers that desire their beverage to flow quicker and to avoid spraying their beverage potentially getting in to the eyes of consumers and destroying property such as clothes and furniture as it is widely known consumers puncture holes toward the bottom of the can to release the liquid quicker endangering themselves and others by spraying beverage and by the sharp objects used to make the holes in the cans. My new invention will improve safety for these types of consumers furthermore if the top tab breaks the bottom pull tab will allow the can to be opened. Additionally, a tomatoe juice can having two pull tabs on the top allows the thick juice to flow more rapidly. This also relieves having a sharp can opener to accomplish this task.

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Patent No. 20120000367A1: Brewery Facility For Producing And Bottling Beer

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Today in 2012, just three years ago, US Patent 20120000367 A1 was issued, an invention of Rudolf Michel and Ludwig Scheller, for a “Brewery Facility for Producing and Bottling Beer.” Here’s the Abstract:

The invention relates to a brewery plant (12) for producing and bottling beer, comprising a brewhouse facility (01) in which wort is produced from raw materials while employing process energy, and further comprising a bottling facility (02) in which beer produced from the wort is filled into packaging containers, in particular bottles, while employing process energy, wherein in order to supply the brewhouse facility (01) with process energy a first energy supply network (16) is provided, into which process heat having a first temperature level is fed from at least one first energy generation facility (17) and is distributed by a heat transfer means to different energy consumers (14, 15) in the brewhouse facility (01), and wherein in order to supply the bottling facility (02) with process energy a second energy supply network (21) is provided, into which process heat having a second temperature level is fed from at least one second energy generation facility (22) and is distributed by a heat transfer means to different energy consumers (23, 24, 25) in the bottling facility (02), wherein the maximum temperature of the heat transfer means in the first energy supply network is above the maximum temperature of the heat transfer means in the second energy supply network.

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If you love this sort of thing, there’s much more about the specifics at the patent application page.

Patent No. 1166599A: Mash And Strainer Tank Machine

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Today in 1916, US Patent 1166599 A was issued, an invention of Andreas R Keller, for a “Mash and Strainer Tank Machine.” There’s no Abstract, but in the description, the overview states the “invention relates to new and useful improvements in mash and .strainer tank machines, and is designed to increase the efficiency of such machines by improving the mixing, percolation, heating or cooking, straining, and drawing-off features, thereby overcoming the predominant and objectionable disadvantages of the machines now in use.”
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Patent No. 5275015A: Container-Cooler

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Today in 1994, US Patent 5275015 A was issued, assigned to Miller Brewing, for a “container-cooler for a beverage, such as beer, includes a conventional keg-shaped outer shell, an inner vessel for containing the beverage retained within the shell, and a space between the inner vessel and the outer shell for receiving a cooling medium, such as ice.”

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