Improving the taste of beer -- new patent application

The short version:

Watering down beer to make a low alcohol version also waters down the flavor/taste. The "invention" is that if you add minerals to the beer, then it will compensate somewhat for the reduction of flavor/taste. Additionally, if you add minerals to any strength beer, they will enhance the flavor/taste perception..

The minerals listed include: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, sodium, chlorine, boron, chromium, cobalt, copper, iodine, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, tin, vanadium, zinc, and iron.

John.

Sounds strangely like Burton water salts. Does that count as prior art? The USPTO is screwed up.

Reads that way to me too. I'd think you'd want Burtonized water in the boil so maximize hops extraction - at least for a full-strength beer.

Dick

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Midwest Homebrewing's page --

It's not their fault. It's an _application_; the patent has NOT be granted YET, as far as I know. If it's prior art, then I suspect the patent won't be granted.

Bill Velek -- Grow hops? Visit

Epsom salts is a common term for magnesium sulphate; gypsum is calcium sulphate dihydrate. IANAL, but the patent application seems to include substantive differences from existing brewing additives, and additionally that the minimization of dilution's impact on taste is a non-obvious application.

"improve the taste of beer"???? Thats ridiculous, & maybe blasphemous. Beer is perfection. I'm with the Germans, Beer should be water,hops & barley. If it has anything else in it it's not beer (except yeast of course)

Yeah, you're right, those Belgians (sugar and other things) and British (ditto) sure don't know anything about brewing beer.