Abstract: A process for enhancing yeast growth during the fermentation of beer which comprises adding to the wort ashed trub. The ashed trub is obtained by heating whole trub until all organic combustibles have been removed or destroyed. The ashed trub contains valuable trace elements, including zinc.

Abstract: An improved package machine includes a vertically adjustable compression belt for maintaining the top of a carton flat while forces which might cause the top to bow upwardly are being exerted on the end flaps to hold them in contact until an adhesive takes hold.

Abstract: A divider for a tunnel oven converts the moving surface of the oven into at least two lanes so that two or more different brands or types of articles can be dried without intermixing. The divider comprises at least one cable guide mounted to the tunnel oven housing at the inlet and the outlet of the oven. The cable guides extend downwardly to a point adjacent to and above the moving surface. A cable extends the length of the oven from one cable guide to the other and effectively divides the moving surface of the oven into two lanes. In a preferred embodiment there is a pulley wheel at one end for reversing the direction of the cable to provide a two strand divider and a ratchet wheel for adjusting the cable.

Abstract: A method of preparing anactinic hop extracts comprising three stages: pre-purification of a liquid CO.sub.2 hop extract using liquid-liquid extraction to isolate pure humulones or alpha acids; isomerization/reduction of the humulones to obtain a mixture consisting of reduced isohumulones and non-isohumulone light unstable products (NILUPS); then adding alkali and water to the mixture of reduced isohumulones and NILUPS, heating and stirring to extract the reduced isohumulones into an aqueous phase and to leave the NILUPS in an oil phase. The aqueous phase is an anactinic hop extract which can be used to prepare light stable malt beverages.

Abstract: A hopping material useful as a kettle additive in preparing anactinic malt beverages is prepared by a method which includes first forming an aqueous suspension of crude hops, containing alpha acids and cellulosic material and alkali hydroxide and an alkali borohydride. The suspension, which has a pH above about 10.5, is heated to isomerize and reduce the alpha acids initially present in the hops. The pH is lowered to about 2 to convert the reduced iso-alpha acids to their free acid forms so that they are adsorbed on cellulosic hop material in the reaction mixture. The cellulosic material which now contains the free isomerized and reduced alpha acids is isolated and is useful as an anactinic kettle additive which can be stored for prolonged periods with no decomposition.

Abstract: A sugar syrup is prepared by saccharifying a liquefied starch hydrolyzate at a pH of about 4 to about 5.5 and a temperature above 55.degree. C. with a heat stable, aciduric, pullulanase obtained from rice and an .alpha.-1,4 carbohydrase. The pullulanase employed is substantially free of maltase and transglucosidase activity. In one embodiment, a dextrose syrup is prepared by saccharifying a thinned starch hydrolyzate with glucoamylase and the rice pullulanase. Maltose syrup is prepared using the rice pullulanase and a maltogenic enzyme.

Abstract: A cap for covering the open end of a Barnes neck surrounding the outlet of a keg for malt beverages includes a circular, flat, resilient top; a skirt depending downwardly from the top and having an inwardly directed annular sealing bead for gripping the outside of the Barnes neck and vent means at the junction of the top and skirt. The top, annular bead and vent means cooperate to keep the cap in place when small amounts of fluid are accidentally released from the keg. The cap, in addition, to covering the outlet can bear information as to the keg contents.

Abstract: A superattenuated low calorie beer is prepared from a wort containing as a liquid adjunct a starch-derived syrup which contains dextrins by adding to the wort during fermentation a glucoamylase type debranching enzyme obtained from Schwanniomyces castellii.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuous monitoring of the relative dynamic surface activity of a liquid in which the surface activity can be rapidly changing is disclosed. The liquid is flowed through an orifice at a constant volume flow rate to produce liquid drops. The time intervals between successive drops from the orifice are measured. Variations in the time intervals of pairs of two successive drops provide an indication of the volume of the second drop of each pair and thus provide an indication of the relative dynamic surface activity of the second drop. The measured time intervals are converted into electrical signals which are representative of the respective measured time intervals. The method and apparatus can be applied to liquid chromatography separations to continuously and quickly provide information about surface active components of the liquid and is especially applicable when only a small volume of the sample liquid is available.

Abstract: Tetrahydroisohumulones are prepared from beta-acids without using objectionable organic solvents by treating the beta-acids to form desoxytetrahydrohumulones which are dissolved in an aqueous alcoholic caustic solution and then oxidized and isomerized with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of metallic ion to form the desired tetrahydroisohumulones.

Abstract: A traditional flavored fermented alcoholic beverage of low alcohol content is prepared by reverse osmosis with a thin layer composite membrane which has a support layer of polysulfone, a barrier layer of polymer prepared from a polyamine and a polyacyl, and a fiber backing. The membrane has a molecular weight cut-off of less than about 100 for organics and rejects the volatile components which contribute to flavor and aroma and permits about 25 to about 30% alcohol in the beverage to pass.

Abstract: A brew kettle in which the upper portion of the kettle wall includes a manhole and a vent hole and in which a door is pivotally mounted inside the upper wall portion such that, in its closed position, it closes off the manhole. The door is normally open due to the force of its own weight, and a counterweight arm is mounted on the door and extends inside the kettle so as to substantially reduce the force necessary to close the door.

Abstract: Beta-acids are separated from alpha-acids in a hop extract without using organic solvents by bubbling CO.sub.2 through an aqueous hop extract having a pH of about 9.6 to about 13 to lower the pH to about 8.5 to about 9.5 to precipitate the beta-acids and leave the alpha-acids in the extract.

Abstract: A bottle decapper for removing twist-type bottle caps from bottles is disclosed. A conveyor means moves the bottles relative to a frame while holding the bottles rotationally stationary relative to the frame. A cap engaging means positioned above the conveyor means and fixed to the frame includes a primary segment and a back-up segment. The primary segment has a hard file surface positioned in a plane to engage a sidewall of a passing bottle cap in rolling contact to unscrew the bottle cap from the bottle. The back-up segment has a softer surface than the primary segment surface and is positioned downstream from the primary segment surface with the back-up segment surface in approximately the plane of the primary segment surface. The primary segment surface loosens the bottle caps from passing bottles and the back-up segment surface completes unscrewing any caps which were not completely unscrewed by the primary segment surface.

Abstract: An aqueous extract containing .alpha.-1,6 and .alpha.-1,4 carbohydrases obtained from diastatic malt is treated with an adsorbent to remove yeast lethal factors and can be used to produce a superattenuated low calorie beer. The enzyme-containing extract preferably is introduced into a pitched aerated wort during fermentation. Crude aqueous extracts of diastatic malt cannot be used because they contain factors lethal to yeast which adversely affects the yeast viability throughout the fermentation.

Abstract: The over-pasteurization of a product in a tunnel pasteurizer can result when the normal movement of the product through the pasteurizer is delayed. Over-pasteurization is prevented by cooling the product in the pasteurizing zone to reduce its temperature to a temperature at which no appreciable pasteurization occurs. The temperature of the product may be returned to pasteurizing temperatures when the delay no longer exists. An improved tunnel pasteurizer is described for preventing over-pasteurization by spraying the product with cool water to reduce its temperature. The preferred pasteurizer also includes an automatic level control system for the regenerative paired zones, an external water tank to recover and reuse energy and water usually wasted and a closed cooling system which provides for cooling of the pasteurizer water without the risk of cross-contamination of the cooling source and the pasteurizer.

Abstract: The over-pasteurization of a product in a tunnel pasteurizer can result when the normal movement of the product through the pasteurizer is delayed. Over-pasteurization is prevented by cooling the product in the pasteurizing zone to reduce its temperature to a temperature at which no appreciable pasteurization occurs. The temperature of the product may be returned to pasteurizing temperatures when the delay no longer exists. An improved tunnel pasteurizer is described for preventing over-pasteurization of spraying the product with cool water to reduce its temperature. The preferred pasteurizer also includes an automatic level control system for the regenerative paired zones, an external water tank to recover and reuse energy and water usually wasted and a closed cooling system which provides for cooling of the pasteurizer water without the risk of cross-contamination of the cooling source and the pasteurizer.

Abstract: A method of preparing a stable citrus flavored alcoholic malt beverage which does not form off aromas on storage comprises subjecting a feed or beer which contains components which can in the presence of citrus flavoring agents cause off aromas upon storage to reverse osmosis employing a membrane having a molecular weight cutoff of up to about 200 to remove substantial amounts of sulfur containing amino acids and other labile components which in the presence of citrus flavoring can cause off aromas, collecting the permeate which passes through said membrane and using it as the alcoholic base to which the citrus flavoring is added to obtain a stable citrus flavored alcoholic malt beverage.

Abstract: A superattenuated low caloric beer is produced by passing fermenting beer through an immobilized glucoamylase reactor having active glucoamylase immobilized on a ceramic monolith. The ceramic monolith has open ended passages ranging from 50 to 3,000 microns in diameter through which the beer passes, and glucoamylase is covalently bonded to internal surfaces of the passages. The glucoamylase is preferably covalently bonded by reacting an aldehydic derivative of glucoamylase with an aminofunctional group on the internal surfaces of the passages to form an aldimine which is reduced to a secondary amine. The reactor can sustain high flow rates of beer containing yeast and other particulate matter without plugging or fouling, and it is operationally stable under fermentation conditions over a long period of time.