Low alcohol beer

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The production of beer with a limited alcohol content can be achieved by two approaches: limiting the fermentation process, and hence the alcohol production, or by using physical methods to remove the alcohol at the end of brewing [42].[1] the non-alcoholic brewing process has a detrimental impact on the content of the simple phenols and IX. in the context of non-alcoholic beer consumption, it is worth to mention the role that has been attributed to alcohol in promoting the bioavailability of phenolic compounds. This has been recently demonstrated with a reduced bioavailability of TYR following non-alcoholic beer consumption [31]. Therefore, non-alcoholic beers, which have a low concentration of phenolic compounds from the outset and an absence of alcohol, would represent a minor source of phenolic compounds.

The interest in non-alcoholic beers is increasing due to consumer's concern about the negative impact of alcohol on health. As described by Güzel et al., processes commercially employed for the production of non-alcoholic beverages can be divided into two groups: biological and physical processes. The biological methods comprise alterations on the beer making process, namely on mashing, fermentation or use of special yeasts. The physical methods encompass the removal of ethanol after beer production by heat evaporation or membrane procedures (Güzel, Güzel, & Savaş Bahçeci, 2020). One of the main consequences of beer dealcoholisation is that important beer components may be removed along with ethanol, such as volatile and flavour compounds or other low-molecular-weight and non-volatile compounds. In addition, another strategy to produce alcohol-free beers is to use lower original wort ex­tracts in order to reduce alcohol formation during fermentation. The data shown in Table 3 allows to infer that the TPC of non-alcoholic beer tends to be lower comparing to typical beers. The lower values for alcohol-free beers may be attributed to losses produced by the dealcoholisation processes employed.[2]

In making low-alcohol beers it is usual to mash well-cured malts with caramel malts at high temperatures to minimize saccharification, and so reduce the production of fermentable sugars.[3]

A number of different procedures for manufacturing alcohol-free and low-alcohol beers are available: removal of alcohol by distillation, vacuum distillation, vacuum evaporation, dialysis, reverse osmosis, restricted fermentation, use of special yeasts, production of a wort having a less pronounced flavour, use of spent grains and CO2 extraction.[4] the results of this study have shown the values for the contents of the phenolic compounds in the alcohol-free beers to be lower than the values for the standard beers, attributable to differences in the duration of fermentation and the yeast strains employed in brewing alcohol-free beers (e.g., the case of tyrosol) and to losses brought about by the dealcoholization processes employed (e.g., p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, etc.).


Step Mash Method: Step from below 50°C to over 73°C by adding boiling water over a short period of time. The low step increases the protein content (required for fermentation) and the high step causes rapid inactivation of maltose-producing beta amylase. This creates a wort with a very low attenuation limit. Make sure that the mash does not drop below 73°C after increasing the temperature.[5] See Mashing.


See also[edit]

Potential sources

References[edit]

  1. Boronat A, Soldevila-Domenech N, Rodríguez-Morató J, Martínez-Huélamo M, Lamuela-Raventós RM, de la Torre R. Beer phenolic composition of simple phenols, prenylated flavonoids and alkylresorcinols. Molecules. 2020;25(11):2582.
  2. Carvalho DO, Guido LF. A review on the fate of phenolic compounds during malting and brewing: technological strategies and beer styles. Food Chem. 2022;372:131093.
  3. Briggs DE, Boulton CA, Brookes PA, Stevens R. Brewing Science and Practice. Woodhead Publishing Limited and CRC Press LLC; 2004.
  4. Bartolomé B, Pena-Neira A, Gómez-Cordovés C. Phenolics and related substances in alcohol-free beers. Eur Food Res Technol. 2000;210(6):419–423.
  5. Krottenthaler M, Back W, Zarnkow M. Wort production. In: Esslinger HM, ed. Handbook of Brewing: Processes, Technology, Markets. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA; 2009.