WO2015144173A1

WO2015144173A1 - A beer whisk and method for making beer foam

Info

Publication number: WO2015144173A1
Application number: PCT/DK2014/050075
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen; Kasper RØNN
Original assignee: Menu A/S
Priority date: 2014-03-28
Filing date: 2014-03-28
Publication date: 2015-10-01

Abstract

Method and apparatus for making beer foam on top of a beer, wherein the method comprising the steps of; dividing a beer into a first and a second portion of beer by pouring the first portion of a beer into a drinking glass or container, and pouring the second portion of beer into a cup or container, and whisking the second portion of beer creating beer foam, and transfer the beer foam on top of the first portion of beer, wherein the second portion of beer is whisked only in the lower part of the cup or container.

Description

A beer whisk and method for making beer foam

The present invention relates to a method for making beer foam on top of a beer, wherein the method comprising the steps of; dividing a volume of beer into a first and a second portion of beer by pouring the first portion of a beer into a first container e.g. a drinking glass or container, and pouring the second portion of beer into a second container, e.g. a cup, and whisking the second portion of beer creating beer foam, and transfer the beer foam on top of the first portion of beer.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a beer whisk for making beer foam, said beer whisk comprising a body and a cup, said body comprising a housing, a motor, an on/off button, a battery compartment configured to contain one or more batteries, said housing surrounds said motor and said battery compartment, said motor is connected to a rotary shaft comprising a whisk portion, said rotary shaft extending outside said housing, said body and said cup comprising complementary contact surfaces. Background of the invention

When enjoying a glass of beer, a head of foam on the beer contributes to the experience of enjoying the beer. When the bubbles in the beer foam explode they release aroma and fragrances, which can be registered in both the nose and the mouth. Another opinion is that it is important for the aesthetic look of the beer. Therefore beer foam is a big part of the experience when enjoying a beer from a drinking glass.

Foam on top of a glass of beer is influenced by numerous factors, and has led to extensive academic study, and sophisticated analysis techniques. Many brewers have over time experimented with the composition of the

ingredients, to achieve specific chemical reactions, enhancing and controlling the making of the beer foam .

Both nitrogen and carbon dioxide forms bubbles in a beer. Smaller bubbles also raise more beer foam, and nitrogen forms smaller bubbles in beer than carbon dioxide does. This partially explains the foam on stouts served from nitrogen taps. The beer foam also depends on psychical conditions, such as the way the beer is poured into the glass. For example, when a draft beer is served in a bar, the tap handle is positioned in two positions, firstly the beer is poured slowly into the glass trying to preserve the bubbles in the beer, and secondly creating foam on top of the beer.

Brief description of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for enhancing the taste experience when serving a beer.

This is achieved by a method wherein the second portion of a beer is whisked only in the lower part of the cup or container.

Hereby an enhanced taste experience is achieved; by creating beer foam without the first portion of beer is flattened, thus keeping the freshness of the beer simultaneously providing dense foam, which slowly will release the fragrance of the beer as it dissolves. Hereby both the first portion of the beer and the second portion of the beer contribute to the aroma and the experience when enjoying drinking the beer.

In one embodiment the method comprises the step of whisking the second portion of beer only adjacent the bottom of the cup.

Hereby is achieved that primarily beer volume not whipped into foam is whisked. In an embodiment the method comprising the step of whisking only in a radius smaller than ¾ of the radius of the cup.

Hereby the whipped beer foam accumulates at the periphery of the cup and the beer foam made is not destructed by the whisk.

In an embodiment, wherein the method comprising the step of stopping whisking when beer foam is visibly accumulated along the inner surface of the wall of the cup.

Hereby is achieved the possibility to effectively determine the period for whipping, thus the period for whipping may be shortened.

In an embodiment, wherein the method comprising the step of whisking the second portion of beer for up to 1 minute, preferably approximately 20 seconds.

The present invention further relates to a beer whisk for making beer foam, wherein the whisk portion comprising a main whisk positioned at the extremity of the rotary shaft opposite the motor, wherein the length of the rotary shaft correspond to the height of the wall of the cup, such that when the contact surfaces of the body and cup are in contact the whisk portion is configured to be positioned in the lower part of the cup.

Hereby is achieved that primarily beer volume not whipped into foam is whisked. In an embodiment, wherein the whisk portion comprises one or more side whisks, said side whisks are positioned on said rotary shaft between said motor and main whisk.

Hereby is enhanced that the dense beer foam is forced away from the main whisk and the dense beer foam is accumulated and collected alongside the wall of the cup.

In one embodiment, the one or more side whisks has a proximal end where it is positioned on said rotary shaft, and a distal end being positioned farther away from said rotary shaft than the main whisk in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft. Hereby is achieved that the beer foam is forced away from the main whisk and the dense beer foam is accumulated and collected alongside the wall of the cup.

In one embodiment, the one or more side whisks extends farther than the main whisk both in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft and in a direction parallel to the rotary shaft. Hereby is achieved that the beer foam is forced away from the main whisk and the dense beer foam is accumulated and collected alongside the wall of the cup.

In one embodiment, the whisk portion extends in the direction perpendicular to the rotary axis of the rotary shaft the whisk portion having a radius smaller than ¾ of the radius of the cup. Hereby is achieved that the dense beer foam accumulated alongside the inner wall of the cup is out of reach of the whisk portion.

In a further preferred embodiment the cup is transparent.

Hereby the user of the beer whisk is able to see the made beer foam and the density of the beer foam. Brief description of the drawings

An embodiment of the invention will be described in the following with reference to the drawings wherein

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the beer whisk for making beer foam, Fig. 2 is a side view of the beer whisk comprising a body and a cup, and top view of body and bottom view of cup.

Detail description of the invention with reference to the figures

Fig. 1 shows a beer whisk 10 for making beer foam. The apparatus comprises a body 20 and a cup 40. The body 20 comprises a housing 21, a motor 50 (shown in figure 2), an on/off switch button 22, a battery compartment configured to contain one or more batteries 31. The housing 21 surrounds the motor 50 and the battery compartment. The motor 50 is connected to a rotary shaft 29 that comprises a whisk portion 30.

The rotary shaft 29 extends outside the housing 21 connected to the motor 50 at one end and the whisk portion 30 at the opposite end.

The whisk portion 30 comprising a main whisk 23 positioned at the extremity of the rotary shaft 29 opposite the motor 50, configured to be positioned near the bottom 42 of the cup 40, when the body 20 and cup 40 is connected.

The body 20 and the cup 40 comprise complementary cylindrically shaped contact surfaces at the rim . The contact surface of the body 39 is configured to be

positioned at the contact surface of the cup 41, in figure 1 the cup 40 has an inner flange and the body 20 has and complementary outer flanges at the periphery of the rim .

The whisk portion 30, as illustrated in figure 1, comprises a main whisk 23, in shape of a circular spiral wire whisk and three side whisks 25 in shaped of three single wire loop whisks, the side whisks 25 are positioned on said rotary shaft between the motor and the main whisk. Preferably the cup 40 is transparent, such that the beer foam created by whisking is visibly. The cup 40 may be made of glass.

The bottom surface 42 of the cup 40 is concave in order to achieve a stable stand.

In the figures the housing 21 is configured to encompass two batteries 31 and a lid 27 in the housing enabling access to the battery compartment, enabling battery change.

In figure 2 shows the connection between the motor 50 and the rotary shaft 29, the housing 21 is connected to a separator 26 protecting the interior of the body 20. An adapter 32 connects the rotary pin 29 to the motor 50. An adapter 24 for connecting the three single wire loop whisks 25 to the rotary shaft 29 may be made of aluminium .

Figure 2 illustrates the position of the main whisk 23 adjacent the bottom 42 of the cup 40, when the body 20 and cup 40 is connected via contact surfaces 39, 41.

The beer whisk illustrated in the figures is used for making beer foam. The method for making beer foam comprises the steps of dividing a beer into two portions. The larger first portion of a beer is poured into a drinking glass or container, and a smaller second portion of a beer is poured into the cup 40.

Subsequent, the second portion of beer is whisked to create beer foam . The beer foam is then transferred on top of the first portion of the beer in the drinking glass or container.

The whisking of the beer in the cup 40 is performed in the lower part of the cup or container, as the main whisk 23 is positioned adjacent the bottom 42 of the cup 40.

To obtain a lifelike representation of the beer volume, the beer volume is not introduced to cold or heat neither the first or second portion of the beer, such that the beer and the beer foam has the same physical properties regarding

temperature. After the method of making beer foam is used, the beer foam is created without the first portion of beer is flattened, thus keeping the freshness of the beer simultaneously providing dense foam, which dissolves slowly. Thus, the second portion of the beer is only affected by the ambient temperature surrounding the cup 40.

During whisking the beer at the lower part of the cup 40, the whipped beer foam will accumulate along the inner surface of the wall 43 of the cup 40. The stability of the beer foam is increased by creating small bubbles. More dense beer foam is more stable and will only slowly dissolve. It is therefore desirable to obtain small bubbles in the beer foam in order to create dense and long lasting bubbles.

By making dense beer foam with small bubbles, which slowly will release the fragrance of a beer as it dissolves, and simultaneously preserving the content of carbon dioxide in the first portion of the beer, thus maintaining the freshness of the first portion of beer, both the first and second portion of the beer will jointly enhance the experience when enjoying drinking the beer.

In figure 2 the main whisk is positioned adjacent the bottom of the cup 40. The main whisk 23 extends in the direction perpendicular to the rotary axis of the rotary shaft 29, such that the main whisk 23 has a radius smaller than ¾ of the radius of the cup 40. The side whisks 25, in shaped of three single wire loop whisks, is positioned on the rotary shaft 29 between the motor 50 and the main whisk 23 and extends outwards and downwards towards the bottom of the cup 40. The one or more side whisks has a proximal end where it is positioned on said rotary shaft, and a distal end being positioned farther away from said rotary shaft than the main whisk in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft.

The extent of the side whisk 25 both in the direction perpendicular and parallel to the rotary shaft 29 is larger than the extent of the main whisk 23. As illustrated in figure 2 the beer whisk has three side whisks 25 which extends from the proximal end of the side whisks 25 on the rotary shaft 29 farther than the main whisk 23 both in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft 29 and in a direction parallel to the rotary shaft 29. Thereby the side whisks 25 partially enclosing the main whisk 23. The side whisks extends in the direction perpendicular to the rotary axis of the rotary shaft 29 in a radius smaller than ¾ of the radius of the cup 40.

Hereby the whisk portion 30 extends in a radius smaller than ¾ of the radius of the cup 40, and consequently the whisking is performed in a radius smaller than ¾ of the radius of the cup, avoiding the whisk portion interferes with the beer foam created and collected alongside the inner surface of the wall 43 of the cup 40.

The method ensures that mainly beer in form of liquid is whipped and already whipped beer foam is accumulated along the walls 43 of the cup 40 is not

"destroyed" by the whisk portion. The beer foam is accumulated and clinging to the sidewalls of the cup 40, and the second portion of beer is whisked until the beer is visibly foamed.

Depending on the size of the second portion, the beer is whipped for approximately 20 seconds, normally not more than 1 minute.

An aluminium adapter 24 connects the whisk loops 25 to the rotary shaft 29. The component of the whisk portion is preferably made of stainless steel.

Claims

1. Method for making beer foam on top of a beer, wherein the method comprising the steps of:

- dividing a volume of beer into a first and a second portion of beer by pouring the first portion of a beer into a first container, and

- pouring the second portion of beer into a second container, and

- whisking the second portion of beer to create a beer foam in the second container, and

- transferring the beer foam from the second container on top of the first portion of beer in the first container, characterized in that the second portion of beer is whisked only in the lower part of the second container.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprising the step of - whisking the second portion of beer only adjacent the bottom of the second container.

3. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprising the step of - whisking only in a radius smaller than ¾ of the radius of the second container.

4. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprising the step of

- stopping whisking when the beer foam is visibly accumulated along the inner surface of the wall of the second container.

5. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprising the step of

- whisking the second portion of beer for up to 1 minute, preferably approximately 20 seconds.

6. A beer whisk for making beer foam, said beer whisk comprising a body and a cup, said body comprising a housing, a motor, an on/off button, a battery compartment configured to contain one or more batteries, said housing surrounds said motor and said battery compartment, said motor is connected to a rotary shaft comprising a whisk portion, said rotary shaft extending outside said housing, said body and said cup comprising complementary contact surfaces, characterised in that the whisk portion comprising a main whisk positioned at the extremity of the rotary shaft opposite the motor, wherein the length of the rotary shaft correspond to the height of the wall of the cup, such that the whisk portion is configured to be positioned in the lower part of the cup.

7. A beer whisk according to one or more of the preceding claim 6, wherein the whisk portion comprises one or more side whisks, said side whisks are positioned on said rotary shaft between said motor and main whisk.

8. A beer whisk according to one or more of the preceding claims 6-7, wherein the one or more side whisks has a proximal end where it is positioned on said rotary shaft, and a distal end being positioned farther away from said rotary shaft than the main whisk in a direction perpendicular to the rotary shaft.

9. A beer whisk according to one or more of the preceding claims 6-8, wherein the whisk portion extends in the direction perpendicular to the rotary axis of the rotary shaft the whisk portion having a radius smaller than ¾ of the radius of the cup.

10. A beer whisk according to the preceding claims 6-9, wherein the cup is transparent.