Technical documentary illustrates the brewing plant installed in 1945 on board a converted Blue Funnel Line Amenities ship for the supply of beer to British servicemen in the Far East.

View of white-painted MV Menestheus in port (presumably at Hebburn-on-Tyne after return in 1946 from maiden cruise from Vancouver via Far East to UK) introduces detailed views of the technical processes and equipment necessary to brew beer at sea. Diagrammatic flowsheet dated 31 August 1945 summarises the elements of brewing: distillation plant, dissolving vessel for malt extract, hop concentrate, fermenting vessel (Head Brewer Lieutenant Commander George Brown RNVR pointing), Bright Beer Tank, container filling, pasteuriser and container cold room (with Chinese coolies at work). (Rust marks under the pumps indicate that the plant had been in successful operation.) Technical examination of installation concludes with view of Lieutenant Ken Morison and Captain Peter Purkis consuming English Mild Ale at 9d per pint on 'the world's only floating brewery' in the ship's own Davy Jones bar.

Notes

Summary: identification and background details provided by Dr Oliver's colleague in Briant & Harman, Jimmy Walker, and by Ken Morison, assistant to George Brown during the ship's single voyage. For further details see "The Devices of War" (pp 166-173) by Norman Kemp, 1956, and article by Owen Morris in "The Brewer" Vol 78 No. 937 Nov 1992, pp 497-499.