BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION (ageing or ripening by storing C12H1/22; methods for reducing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H3/00; methods for increasing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H6/00; venting devices for casks, barrels or the like C12L9/00); PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER

Introduced: September 1968

Description

C12C covers the production of beer through fermentation processes and the preparation of its key raw materials. This includes malt production (grain steeping, germination, and kilning), hop processing and conditioning, fermentation technology, and beer clarification or stabilization methods. The classification encompasses brewing equipment design, fermentation control, yeast management, and process parameters specific to beer manufacturing. Adjacent classes distinguish beer production from spirits distillation (C12J) and other fermented beverages like wine or vinegar (C12L).

Title

Titles differ between systems:

IPC: BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION; PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER

CPC: BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION (ageing or ripening by storing C12H1/22; methods for reducing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H3/00; methods for increasing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H6/00; venting devices for casks, barrels or the like C12L9/00); PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER

Full Title

Full titles differ between systems:

IPC:

BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION; PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER

CPC:

BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION (ageing or ripening by storing C12H1/22; methods for reducing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H3/00; methods for increasing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H6/00; venting devices for casks, barrels or the like C12L9/00); PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER

Additional Content IPC

Glossary

Beer beers The term beer includes non-distilled alcoholic drinks produced by the fermentation of malted grains (i.e. partially germinated and dried grains) of barley, wheat, sorghum, maize or rice with hop or an equivalent. Brew kettles Apparatus in which the wort is boiled. Caramel/black malt black malt Caramel malt Malt which has been sufficiently heated to caused sugars to caramelise. Fermentation Process whereby yeast converts sugar to ethyl alcohol. Germ The germ is the shoot which has started to grow from a grain. Immobilised yeast The yeast is absorbed on a static material instead of being dispersed throughout the liquid. Low alcohol This is beer which has a lower alcohol content than would be expected from complete fermentation of the beer. Malt Malt is the term used for partially germinated and subsequently dried grains in which part of the starch has been converted to sugar. Mash Mash is a mixture of malt and water. Mashing refers to the process of extracting the sugars from the grains by soaking, often at elevated temperature. Pitching This is the process of adding yeast to the wort. Steeping Soaking the grains in water primarily to stimulate germination. Wort Wort is the liquid part of the mash which is left after removal of the grains.

Limiting references

Preparation of malt for use as foodstuffs Ageing or ripening by storing Methods for reducing the alcohol content after fermentation Methods for increasing the alcohol content after fermentation Venting devices for casks, barrels or the like

Of 9 combined children, 7 exist in both systems.

2 codes are CPC-only extensions.

Note: 1 CPC extensions are marked as secondary classification only.

3 shared codes have differing titles between IPC and CPC.

Child Classifications

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C12C 1/00 Preparation of malt IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
C12C 11/00 Fermentation processes for beer (preparation of wine C12G1/00) +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
C12C 12/00 Processes specially adapted for making special kinds of beer since 1995 +1 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
C12C 13/00 Brewing devices, not covered by a single group of C12C1/00 - C12C12/04 since 1980 IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
C12C 2200/00 Special features 2nd only +4 CPC CPC only CPC only
C12C 3/00 Treatment of hops IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
C12C 5/00 Other raw materials for the preparation of beer +3 CPC IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
C12C 7/00 Preparation of wort (malt extract C12C1/18) IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
C12C 9/00 +1 CPC CPC only CPC only

Top Applicants

Top Applicants (IPC)

Class C12,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 10,330
HARVARD UNIVERSITY US 7,308
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA US 6,383
JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY 5,144
MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY US 4,121
PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL US 3,630
REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS US 3,515
CNRS (CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE) FR 3,499
INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE) FR 3,371
CJ CHEILJEDANG CORPORATION KR 3,361

Top Applicants (CPC)

Class C12,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

HARVARD UNIVERSITY US 8,321
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 7,486
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA US 7,320
REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS US 5,003
INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE) FR 4,292
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA US 4,213
CNRS (CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE) FR 4,113
JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY 3,961
ROCHE CH 3,792
ILLUMINA US 3,692