"Glass of bear...."

Yes, Hamm's was bear piss.

When I was in college Hamm's sold for $8 a case.  That's 24 cans of bear piss for eight bucks.  Way overpriced.

Scott Chatfield

I live in the Bay area from 1958-1966, but don't remember

the Hamms Brewery.  I think your idea is correct.  That would be the way most any sign showing a glass being filled would operate.  I think the only question would be how long did the "full glass" stay illuminated before it went out and then how long would it be out before it would restart the fill cycle.  The other question is would the entire sign go on and off, or just the beer glass?  If you don't get any other responses, I would recommend that you just do it.

Fond memory

Funny how things we thought we remember well start to evaporate when we try to recall specific details. It seems to me there was a bit of razzle-dazzle in the head when the golden body got near the top of the glass. I do remember that it was hypnotic and made me thirsty when I was first learning to drive. Not a good thing, but very effective from their point of view!

Jeff Allen

A couple of sources of info

I remember, as a little guy, watching it from the back seat of the car at night on the way home...

Here is some info about the sign:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/oursf/article/Pour-a-little-out-for-SF-s-greatest-sign-ever-7393865.php#photo-9945825

Scroll down about half way:
https://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/tag/photography/page/2/

3D printed frame and Crystal Clear

I can't see too many pictures regarding this, but my first off-the-cuff idea is to 3D print a frame of the glass (design yourself or contract out), then use Gallery Glass - Crystal Clear to fill in the spaces between it. It makes for very good frosted glass, and I made a small shed-sized greenhouse in HO a few months ago. A couple of SMD LED's and some Arduino programming, and you should be good to go. You might be able to grab other colors of Gallery Glass if you need to change the tint of the glass, btw.

Thanks for the info guys. I

Thanks for the info guys.

I have already printed the beer (not bear) glass and my intent was to do something similar to the actual display using Micro Litz Wired Leads Golden Yellow SMD Led 0603. These LEDs are only .03"x.03" so I was going to make rows of these LEDs around the glass connecting the LEDs in each row in series. I would then use an arduino to light each row of LEDs in sequence until they were all on. It is going to be about 200 LEDs so I am going to order a few to see if it's feasible. If not I can use the LEDs to produce signals.

Cheers

Greg

I had no idea Hamm's had a

I had no idea Hamm's had a brewery in SF (and LA apparently) that is decidedly not the land of sky blue waters. 

What a fun trip through Wikipedia.

It was a former Rainer brewery which just reinforces the incestuous nature of these things since Hamms got bought by Olympia which got bought by Pabst which currently owns Rainer (though not Hamms.)

Before you go crazy

Miller Engineering made an animated Hamm's sign with the glass of beer.  Their website is:

https://www.microstru.com/index.html

Couldn't find the Hamm's sign in their product listing so it may be out of production but they can be found online at hobby shops and on ebay.  Here is one example:

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/miller-engineering-ho-o-88-3451-large-hamms-billboard-animated-neon-style-sign-kit/?gclid=CjwKCAiAtK79BRAIEiwA4OskBgGNONb57QUlHOW909m_vug_85YTgwHVcs3PKHmmfir9sLdpgPwvRRoCifAQAvD_BwE

Can't tell if the size would be right for the San Francisco Brewery but it might be an easier solution then making your own.

I'm not associated with the manufacturer or retailer in any way.  Just know about the products from prior research on other industries

Hamm's Brewery Sign

Hello Greg:  that sign was erected in January of 1954, and was dismantled in 1975 - a victim of the energy crisis dimouts of 1974-75.  The beer glass "filled" from the bottom to the top, and had lighter lights about 3/4 of the way up and on top of the glass to show the "foam head."  The whole sequence took about 10 to 15 seconds.   -Tony Arioli