Brewing method of sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of beer brewing, and provides a brewing method of sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer, which realizes complete metabolism of maltose (residual sugar is less than or equal to 0.5 g / L) and alcohol control (less than or equal to 0.5% vol) by breeding non-saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and optimizing step saccharification, low-temperature pressurized fermentation and membrane filtration termination processes. Meanwhile, typical flavor substances of craft beer are reserved. The method does not need chemical additives and conforms to the healthy consumption trend, and the sensory quality of the product is remarkably superior to that of existing alcohol-free beer. Alcohol-free beer yeast strains are adopted for fermentation, fermentation is terminated in combination with a physical method, the alcohol content can be effectively controlled, and no alcohol is achieved; and meanwhile, no carbohydrate is added in the fermentation process, and the sugar of the malt is utilized for fermentation, so that the sugar-free effect is finally realized. According to the sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer brewed by the method disclosed by the invention, the rich flavor and taste of the craft beer are reserved to the greatest extent, and the requirements of consumers on healthy drinks are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of beer brewing, and specifically, to a brewing method for sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous strengthening of health concepts in modern society, consumers pay more attention to the health attributes of products when purchasing beverages, including characteristics such as low sugar, low calories, and alcohol-free. They expect to meet the standards of a healthy diet while enjoying deliciousness and avoid excessive intake of sugar and alcohol. However, although traditional craft beer is deeply loved for its mellow taste, rich flavor, and unique aroma, its high sugar and high alcohol content often limit the choices of some consumers who pursue a healthy lifestyle.

[0003] Most of the sugar-free and alcohol-free beers currently available on the market are produced by dilution or dealcoholization methods, with problems such as weak flavor and poor taste. In order to conform to this trend and meet the needs of different consumer groups, there is an urgent need to innovate a new type of sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer. This kind of beer not only abandons the sugar and alcohol in traditional brewing, but also achieves the perfect combination of health and deliciousness on the basis of retaining the original flavor of beer. Through unique brewing processes and innovative technologies, this beer has successfully broken through traditional limitations, brought a new development direction to the beer industry, and provided consumers with more diverse healthy beverage choices. In view of this, the present invention proposes a brewing method for sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention proposes a brewing method for sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer, specifically involving a brewing method for sugar-free (residual sugar ≤ 0.5 g / L) and alcohol-free (≤ 0.5% vol) craft beer by combining the selection and breeding of special yeast strains, a stepped saccharification process, and physical fermentation termination technology. The aim is to create a beverage that not only meets the standards of a healthy diet but also retains the original flavor of craft beer.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A brewing method for sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer, comprising the following steps:

[0007] a) Mix and crush pale malt, crystal malt, and caramel malt in a mass ratio of (85 - 90%):(5 - 10%):(3 - 5%);

[0008] b) Perform stepped saccharification treatment on the crushed malt, maintaining at 45°C for 15 - 25 min, 63°C for 35 - 45 min, and 72°C for 25 - 35 min in sequence;

[0009] c) Filter to obtain wort and boil it, adding 10 - 20 g / 100 L of bitter hops and 5 - 10 g / 100 L of aroma hops;

[0010] d) Cool the wort to 18 - 20 °C and inoculate with a strain of non - *Saccharomyces* yeast that has been acclimated with a wort gradient, with an inoculation amount of 1×10^7 - 2×10^7 CFU / mL;

[0011] e) Ferment at a pressure of 0.8 - 1.5 bar and a temperature of 17 - 19 °C for 72 - 96 h, and monitor the alcohol and residual sugar content in real - time;

[0012] f) When the alcohol content ≤ 0.5% vol and the residual sugar content ≤ 0.5 g / L, use a 0.2 - 0.45 μm ceramic membrane filtration to terminate fermentation;

[0013] g) Pasteurize the filtrate and fill it with carbon dioxide to 4.0 - 5.0 g / L, and perform aseptic filling.

[0014] Preferably, the strain is a mutant of *Saccharomycodes ludwigii* obtained by adaptive evolution, with a maltose utilization rate ≥ 98% and an alcohol production amount ≤ 0.1 g / L / °P.

[0015] Preferably, the heating rate of the step - wise saccharification is 1 °C / min.

[0016] Preferably, the transmembrane pressure of the membrane filtration is 2.0 - 3.0 bar, and the membrane flux ≥ 50 L / (m 2 ·h).

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0018] The present invention uses a non - alcoholic beer yeast strain for fermentation and combines a physical method to terminate fermentation, which can effectively control the alcohol content to achieve non - alcoholic; at the same time, no sugar substances are added during the fermentation process, and the sugar in the malt itself is used for fermentation, ultimately achieving sugar - free. The sugar - free and non - alcoholic craft beer brewed by the method of the present invention retains the rich flavor and taste of craft beer to the greatest extent, meeting the needs of consumers for healthy beverages. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] The following further elaborates on the present invention in detail in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a process flow chart of a brewing method for a sugar - free and non - alcoholic craft beer of the present invention; Detailed Description of the Embodiments

[0021] Next, in combination with the embodiments of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] As Figure 1 shown, this embodiment proposes a brewing method for sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer, including the following steps:

[0023] a) Mix and crush pale malt, crystal malt and caramel malt in a mass ratio of (85 - 90%):(5 - 10%):(3 - 5%);

[0024] b) Perform stepwise saccharification on the crushed malt, maintaining at 45°C for 15 - 25 min, 63°C for 35 - 45 min, and 72°C for 25 - 35 min in sequence;

[0025] c) Filter to obtain wort and boil it, adding 10 - 20 g / 100L of bitter hops and 5 - 10 g / 100L of aroma hops;

[0026] d) Cool the wort to 18 - 20°C, inoculate with a strain of non - Saccharomyces yeast acclimated with wort gradient, and the inoculation amount is 1×10^7 - 2×10^7 CFU / mL;

[0027] e) Ferment at a pressure of 0.8 - 1.5 bar and a temperature of 17 - 19°C for 72 - 96 h, and monitor the alcohol and residual sugar content in real - time;

[0028] f) When the alcohol content ≤ 0.5% vol and the residual sugar content ≤ 0.5 g / L, use a 0.2 - 0.45 μm ceramic membrane filtration to terminate fermentation;

[0029] g) Perform pasteurization on the filtrate and fill it with carbon dioxide to 4.0 - 5.0 g / L, and perform aseptic filling.

[0030] Preferably, the strain is a *Saccharomycodes ludwigii* mutant obtained by adaptive evolution, with a maltose utilization rate ≥ 98% and an alcohol production amount ≤ 0.1 g / L / °P.

[0031] Preferably, the heating rate of the stepwise saccharification is 1°C / min.

[0032] Preferably, the transmembrane pressure of the membrane filtration is 2.0 - 3.0 bar, and the membrane flux ≥ 50 L / (m 2 ·h).

[0033] Example 1

[0034] Raw materials and equipment:

[0035] Malt: 8.5 kg of pale malt (EBC 3.5), 1 kg of crystal malt (EBC 150), 0.5 kg of caramel malt (EBC 50);

[0036] Fermentation tank: 50 L stainless steel tank (with pressure control function);

[0037] Testing instruments: Agilent 7890B GC-MS, HPLC 1260.

[0038] Process parameters:

[0039] Mashing: 45°C (20 min) → 63°C (40 min) → 72°C (30 min), filter after iodine test is qualified;

[0040] Boiling: Add hops (Magnum 15 g / 100 L, Saaz 8 g / 100 L), boiling time 60 min;

[0041] Fermentation: Inoculation amount 1.5×10^7 CFU / mL, ferment at 18°C and 1.2 bar for 78 h;

[0042] Termination: Conduct membrane filtration when the alcohol content is 0.4% vol and the residual sugar is 0.3 g / L.

[0043] Specific finished product indicators are shown in Table 1:

[0044] Item Test Value Test Method Alcohol Content 0.38%vol GB5009.225 Residual Sugar 0.28g / L GB5009.8 Bitterness Value (IBU) 22 ASBCBeer-23A Foam Stability ＞250s NIBEM Method

[0045] Table 1

[0046] It can be seen from Table 1 that this sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer has the following beneficial effects:

[0047] 1. Strictly meet the health standards

[0048] Alcohol-free: The alcohol content is 0.38% vol (far lower than the international non-alcoholic beverage standard of ≤0.5% vol), suitable for pregnant women, drivers and people who need to control alcohol intake.

[0049] Sugar-free: The residual sugar content is only 0.28 g / L (meeting the international sugar-free beverage standard of ≤0.5 g / L), meeting the needs of diabetic and sugar-control consumers.

[0050] 2. Retain the traditional beer flavor

[0051] Bitterness balance: The bitterness value is 22 IBU (International Bitterness Unit), belonging to the medium-low bitterness range of craft beer. It retains the typical bitterness of beer and avoids excessive irritation, suitable for the general taste.

[0052] Excellent foam quality: The foam stability > 250 seconds (far exceeding 100 - 200 seconds of ordinary beer), indicating that the product retains the dense foam of traditional beer through process optimization (such as pressure fermentation), enhancing the drinking experience.

[0053] 3. Process technology advantages

[0054] Efficient metabolism control: The extremely low residual sugar and alcohol content indicate precise fermentation technology (such as special strain selection or physical termination technology), ensuring complete conversion of sugar and controlled alcohol production.

[0055] Quality stability: Verified by national standard methods such as GB 5009.225 (alcohol detection) and GB 5009.8 (sugar detection), the data is reliable and meets the requirements of industrial production.

[0056] 4. Market competitiveness

[0057] The high foam stability verified by the NIBEM method is significantly superior to commercially available alcohol - free beers (usually with foam stability < 150 seconds), enabling a differentiated positioning in the high - end healthy beverage market.

[0058] Therefore, this product achieves a balance between health attributes (sugar - free, alcohol - free) and sensory qualities (flavor, foam) through technological innovation, meeting consumers' dual demands for health and taste.

[0059] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for brewing sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: a) mixing and grinding pale malt, crystal malt and caramel malt in a mass ratio of (85-90%): (5-10%): (3-5%); b) performing step-wise saccharification on the crushed malt, maintaining at 45°C for 15-25 min, 63°C for 35-45 min, and 72°C for 25-35 min in sequence; c) filtering the wort, boiling it, and adding 10-20 g / 100 L of bitter hops and 5-10 g / 100 L of aromatic hops; d) cooling the wort to 18-20° C. and inoculating a non-Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain acclimated with the wort gradient, with an inoculation amount of 1×10^7 to 2×10^7 CFU / mL; e) Fermentation at a pressure of 0.8-1.5 bar and a temperature of 17-19°C for 72-96 hours, with real-time monitoring of alcohol and residual sugar content; f) when the alcohol content is ≤0.5% vol and the residual sugar content is ≤0.5 g / L, the fermentation is terminated by filtration using a 0.2-0.45 μm ceramic membrane; g) The filtrate is pasteurized and filled with carbon dioxide to 4.0-5.0 g / L, and aseptically filled.

2. The method for brewing sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The strain is a *Saccharomycodes ludwigii* mutant strain obtained through adaptive evolution, and its maltose utilization rate is ≥98%, and the alcohol production is ≤0.1 g / L / °P.

3. The method for brewing sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating rate of the step saccharification was 1°C / min.

4. The method for brewing sugar-free and alcohol-free craft beer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmembrane pressure of the membrane filtration is 2.0-3.0 bar, and the membrane flux is ≥50L / (m 2 h).

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