Plastic Gizmo in Bottle

[Ross Kouhi]

Hi,

I had a rather fine 'authentic' draught in a can the other
day. (Yikes I forget the name of the brew!) It had some
warning about a gizmo in the can that you shouldn't screw
around with. So.... well you got it, I cut open the can
and got my trusty screwdriver.

It was a two piece disc thing about the size of a silver
dollar and about a cm thick. It has arms that keep it centered
in the can. When I pryed it open it went POP! I'm not sure
whether it was pressurized or evacuated.

The latter would seem to make sense, if they made it to somehow
absorb some bubbles and keep the pressure under control. THen
again, they probably want to keep the pressure up, so perhaps
it contains pressurized C02 or something.

HELP - what was it. It's kind of like getting a present in your
cereal but not knowing what it is!!

Ross.

PS. I did enjoy the beer too.

[ccronan]

In <3itg5m$k...@bcarh8ab.bnr.ca> ro...@bnr.ca (Ross Kouhi) writes:

>It was a two piece disc thing about the size of a silver
>dollar and about a cm thick. It has arms that keep it centered
>in the can. When I pryed it open it went POP! I'm not sure
>whether it was pressurized or evacuated.

That sounds like the Whitbread widget. It is actually pressurized with
nitrogen gas. During pasteurization its shape changes slightly and sets up
to spit nitrogen when the can is opened (it won't setup to release until
pasteurized) giving you a fine-bubbled creamy head, but no more carbon
dioxide will be released. There are about 5 or 6 kinds of widgets - Guinness
was the first.
--

Chuck Cronan from Milwaukee
ccr...@mixcom.com

[Phil: No Knife/No Life]

ro...@bnr.ca (Ross Kouhi) writes:

> Hi,
>
> I had a rather fine 'authentic' draught in a can the other
> day. (Yikes I forget the name of the brew!) It had some
> warning about a gizmo in the can that you shouldn't screw
> around with. So.... well you got it, I cut open the can
> and got my trusty screwdriver.
>
> It was a two piece disc thing about the size of a silver
> dollar and about a cm thick. It has arms that keep it centered
> in the can. When I pryed it open it went POP! I'm not sure
> whether it was pressurized or evacuated.
>

> HELP - what was it. It's kind of like getting a present in your
> cereal but not knowing what it is!!
>
> Ross.

Hey isn't that something, the beer pressurizes when you open it and evacuates
when you pour it out.

[Jeffrey Roddin]

> Hi,
>
> I had a rather fine 'authentic' draught in a can the other
> day. (Yikes I forget the name of the brew!) It had some
> warning about a gizmo in the can that you shouldn't screw
> around with. So.... well you got it, I cut open the can
> and got my trusty screwdriver.
>

> HELP - what was it. It's kind of like getting a present in your
> cereal but not knowing what it is!!
>
> Ross.
>
> PS. I did enjoy the beer too.

It was probably a stout in a "pub draught" can. Chances are it was a
Guinness or Murphy's. They've been around for about 3 years now.
I think it is pressurized nitrogen in the bottom of the can. When
you pull the tab open at the top, a lever arm punctures the bottom
and releases the nitrogen. This simulates the effect of having a fresh
beer on tap.

[Michael Warchut]

: It was probably a stout in a "pub draught" can. Chances are it was a

: Guinness or Murphy's. They've been around for about 3 years now.
: I think it is pressurized nitrogen in the bottom of the can. When
: you pull the tab open at the top, a lever arm punctures the bottom
: and releases the nitrogen. This simulates the effect of having a fresh
: beer on tap.

Boddingtons Ale has the DraughtFlo (TM) system also. The bladder is
pressurized with nitrogen and beer when the can is pressurized, then when
you open the can and the pressure is lowered the bladder releases it's
beer and nitrogen through a micro-hole in the plastic that causes the
wonderful, creamy head.
-=- Glenn -=-

[Graham Reaper]

Michael Warchut <mwar...@titan.oit.umass.edu> writes:

> Boddingtons Ale has the DraughtFlo (TM) system also. The bladder is
>pressurized with nitrogen and beer when the can is pressurized, then when
>you open the can and the pressure is lowered the bladder releases it's
>beer and nitrogen through a micro-hole in the plastic that causes the
>wonderful, creamy head.
>-=- Glenn -=-
>

The nitrogen simulates the way that Guinness is dispensed from the tap. Not all
draft beers use nitrogen only the ones that you have mentioned thats why other
beer makers don't use those gizmos. And only the canned beers have the gizmos
not the Guinness in
bottles.
Renard

[ccronan]

>Robert James <bobj...@delphi.com> posted:

>I was doing some patent search work at the Washington library in
>Chicago the other day and I ran across no. 4,832,968, the U.S.
>patent for the Guinness in a can stout. The basics:
>
>Inventors: Alan J. Forage & William J. Byrne
>Assignee: Arthur Guinness Son & Co., Ltd.
>
>Process:

/\/\/\/SNIP/\/\/\/

Only Guinness holds the patent for a liquid spurt. There are about 5 kinds
of widgets on the market. Guinness just came out with a new version. Bass
Brewing uses a fan-fold porous polymer inside the can - the pores are
responsible for forming a frothy, fine-bubbled head. The others, except the
new Guinness one (all aluminum) are plastic pods. One comes with a
stand-pipe to avoid spitting liquid and violating Guinesses' Patent. One
(Theakston) is a multiple part, plastic and metal syringe, with arms that
make it look like a cow IUD, about as large, too. The amount of creativity
involved in these things is incredible.