Method for producing liquid beer concentrate

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate, comprising the steps of: providing a low-alcohol beer having an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV, a free amino nitrogen content of 8-400 mg / L, and containing 0.1-4 g / L maltotriose and 0.5-6 g / L maltotetraose; removing at least 70% by weight of water present in the low-alcohol beer by means of membrane separation selected from nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis to produce a low-alcohol beer concentrate; combining the low-alcohol beer concentrate with an alcoholic liquid having an ethanol content of at least 30% by weight to produce a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate having an ethanol content of 10-60% by weight. The method offers the advantage that the operation is relatively easy and at the same time the loss of small organic molecules (e.g., acids) is effectively minimized.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to providing a low alcohol beer having an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV, a free amino nitrogen content of 8-400 mg / L, and containing 0.1-4 g / L maltotriose and 0.5-6 g / L maltotetraose; removing at least 70% by weight of the water present in the low-alcohol beer by means of membrane separation selected from nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis to produce a low-alcohol beer concentrate; combining the low-alcohol beer concentrate with an alcoholic liquid having an ethanol content of at least 30% by weight to produce a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate having an ethanol content of 10-60% by weight; The present invention relates to a method for producing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate, comprising:

[0002] The present invention also relates to a liquid beer concentrate obtainable by the process described above. [Background technology]

[0003] Home appliances for preparing and dispensing carbonated beverages from concentrated syrups, such as Sodastream®, are rapidly growing in popularity. These appliances produce carbonated beverages by carbonating water and mixing the carbonated water with flavored syrups. Given the high versatility and convenience offered by these appliances, it would be desirable to have available beer concentrates that can be used to produce beer using similar appliances.

[0004] Since beer typically contains more than 90% water, the beer can be concentrated considerably by removing most of the water. The advantages of producing beer from concentrates are recognized in the art. However, the production of beer concentrates that can be suitably used to produce high quality beer is a difficult task.

[0005] First of all, water should be selectively removed to avoid loss of flavor substances, color, and / or beer components that contribute to foam head formation and stability. Furthermore, precipitation of solutes (e.g. proteins, sugars) must be avoided during water removal.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,920 states: (a) a first step of separating substantially all of the alcohol and the more volatile flavor components from the majority of the aqueous solution by a distillation process at a strong reduced pressure, in which the vapors containing the alcohol and the more volatile flavor components obtained by the distillation process are condensed in a condenser; (b) a second step of concentrating the aqueous solution obtained in step (a) by removing water in a freeze concentration process while keeping the aroma components remaining in solution from step (a); (c) a third step of mixing the condensate containing alcohol and more volatile aroma components obtained in step (a) with the concentrate obtained in step (b); This application describes a method for concentrating an aqueous alcoholic beverage solution, which contains alcohol and small amounts of volatile flavor components in addition to non-volatile components, by selectively removing water, comprising:

[0007] WO 2016 / 083482 brochure a) subjecting beer or cider (1) to a first concentration step comprising nanofiltration (A) or reverse osmosis to obtain a retentate (2) characterized by a concentration of unfilterable compounds equal to or greater than 20% (w / w), calculated from density measurements corrected for the amount of alcohol, and a fraction (3) comprising alcohol and volatile flavor components; b) subjecting the fraction (3) comprising alcohol and volatile flavour components to a subsequent concentration step (B) consisting of freeze concentration, fractionation, preferably distillation or reverse osmosis, to obtain a concentrated fraction (4) consisting of alcohol and volatile flavour components and a remainder fraction (5); c) combining (C) the residual liquid (2) from a) with the concentrated fraction (4) comprising alcohol and volatile flavor components from b); The present invention describes a method for producing a beer concentrate, comprising:

[0008] The WO 2018 / 134285 brochure is A) subjecting beer or cider (1) to a first concentration step to obtain a retentate (2) and a permeate (3) containing alcohol (3a) and volatile flavor components (3b); B) subjecting the permeate (3) to an adsorption process, whereby the permeate containing volatile flavors and alcohol passes over or through an adsorption unit; C) recovering the flavor component (3b) from the adsorption unit in a further recovery step; D) combining the retentate (2) with the flavor component (3b); The present invention describes a method for producing a concentrate, comprising:

[0009] US Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 230133 discloses: subjecting the alcoholic beverage to a membrane treatment whereby at least a portion of the water and alcohol pass through the membrane and become part of the permeate and other components of the alcoholic beverage do not pass through the membrane and become part of the retentate; freezing water in the residual liquid to form ice; removing ice from the remaining liquid to reduce the water content and form a beverage concentrate having a solids concentration of at least 30% and an alcohol concentration of no more than 20%; The present invention describes a method for preparing a concentrate from an alcoholic beverage, comprising: Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The inventors have developed a method for producing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate, in which a low alcohol beer is subjected to membrane separation to produce a low alcoholic beer concentrate, which is subsequently combined with an alcoholic liquid to produce a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate.

[0011] More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for producing a medicament for use in a method for producing a medicament comprising the steps of: providing a low alcohol beer having an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV, a free amino nitrogen content of 8-400 mg / L, and containing 0.1-4 g / L maltotriose and 0.5-6 g / L maltotetraose; removing at least 70% by weight of the water present in the low-alcohol beer by means of membrane separation selected from nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis to produce a low-alcohol beer concentrate; combining the low-alcohol beer concentrate with an alcoholic liquid having an ethanol content of at least 30% by weight to produce a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate having an ethanol content of 10-60% by weight; The present invention relates to a method for producing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate, comprising:

[0012] The membranes used in nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis retain substantially all components of low alcohol beer except water and possibly monovalent ions and very small organic molecules. Thus, membrane separation offers the advantage that components important to the taste, mouthfeel, and stability of beer are effectively retained in the low alcohol beer concentrate.

[0013] Due to the fact that the low-alcohol beer is subjected to membrane separation in this method, it is not necessary to use a membrane that retains substantially all of the ethanol, as is the case when reverse osmosis membranes are used to produce an alcoholic beer concentrate in a single step. The method also does not require the use of a membrane with a cut-off that allows most of the ethanol to pass through the membrane, as is necessary when nanofiltration is used to produce a low-alcohol beer concentrate and an alcohol-containing permeate.

[0014] As a result, the membrane separation step of the present method is relatively easy to operate while effectively minimizing the loss of small organic molecules (eg, acids).

[0015] The present invention further relates to a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate obtainable by the process described above. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 provides a schematic diagram of a method for preparing single-serving capsules containing liquid alcoholic beer concentrate according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a beverage preparation device containing a unit-serving capsule according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Thus, one aspect of the present invention is Providing a low alcohol beer having an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV; removing at least 70% by weight of the water present in the low-alcohol beer by means of membrane separation selected from nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis to produce a low-alcohol beer concentrate; combining the low-alcohol beer concentrate with an alcoholic liquid having an ethanol content of at least 30% by weight to produce a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate having an ethanol content of 10-60% by weight; The present invention relates to a method for producing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate, comprising:

[0018] As used herein, the term "beer" refers to a yeast-fermented malt beverage, optionally with hops. Beer is typically - grinding a mixture comprising malted barley, optionally auxiliary grains, and water to produce a mash; Separating the mash into wort and spent grains; Boiling the wort to produce boiled wort; Fermenting the boiled wort with live yeast to produce a fermented wort; - subjecting the fermented wort to one or more further process steps (e.g. maturation and filtration) to produce beer; packaging the beer in sealed containers, such as bottles, cans or kegs; It is manufactured through a process consisting of the following basic steps.

[0019] Hops or hop extracts may be added during the wort boil to impart bitterness and floral fruity aromas to the beer.

[0020] As used herein, the term "beer concentrate" refers to beer from which the water has been removed, for example by means of nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, or forward osmosis.

[0021] As used herein, the term "membrane separation" refers to a separation method in which molecules are separated by passing a feed stream through a membrane and separating it into two separate streams known as the permeate and the retentate. Examples of membrane separation include nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis.

[0022] As used herein, the term "distillation" refers to the removal of ethanol by boiling low-alcohol beer and collecting the evaporated components after condensation. The term "distillation" includes vacuum distillation as well as percolation distillation.

[0023] As used herein, the term "capsule" refers to a compartmentalized container suitable for separately holding two liquid components according to the present invention.

[0024] As used herein, the term "single serving" is synonymous with "monoportion" or "unit dose" and refers to a capsule containing a sufficient amount of beer concentrate and alcoholic liquid to prepare one serving of reconstituted beer. Typically, one serving of reconstituted beer ranges from 120 ml to 1000 ml.

[0025] As used herein, the term "free amino nitrogen" refers to the combined concentration of individual amino acids and small peptides as measured by EBC Method 9.10.1-Free Amino Nitrogen in Beer by Spectrophotometric (IM) Method.

[0026] The concentrations of acids described herein, unless otherwise specified, also include the dissolved salts of those acids, as well as the dissociated forms of those same acids and salts.

[0027] As used herein, the term "iso-alpha acids" refers to substances selected from the group of isohumulone, isoadhumulone, isocohumulone, pleisohumulone, postisohumulone, and combinations thereof. The term "iso-alpha acids" encompasses various stereoisomers (cis-iso-alpha acids and trans-iso-alpha acids). Iso-alpha acids are typically produced in beer by adding hops to boiling wort. They may also be introduced to beer in the form of pre-isomerized hop extracts. Iso-alpha acids have a strong bitter taste and an estimated threshold value in water of approximately 6 ppm.

[0028] The term "hydrogenated isoalpha acids" refers to materials selected from dihydroisoalpha acids, tetrahydroisoalpha acids, hexahydroisoalpha acids, and combinations thereof.

[0029] As used herein, the term "hulupone" refers to a material selected from cohulupone, n-hulupone, azulupone, and combinations thereof. Hulupone is an oxidation product of hop β-acids.

[0030] The low-alcohol beer subjected to membrane separation in the present method preferably has an ethanol content of 0-0.5% ABV, more preferably 0-0.3% ABV, even more preferably 0-0.1% ABV, and most preferably 0-0.05% ABV.

[0031] The low alcohol beers used in the present process typically contain sugars, proteins, peptides, amino acids, riboflavin, free fatty acids, and volatile flavor substances such as ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, phenylethyl acetate, and acetaldehyde.

[0032] The riboflavin content of low-alcohol beer is preferably within the range of 40 to 1,000 μg / L, more preferably 60 to 800 μg / L, and most preferably 100 to 600 μg / L.

[0033] Low-alcohol beer preferably contains 20 to 1,500 μg / L, more preferably 40 to 1,200 μg / L, and most preferably 50 to 800 μg / L of linoleic acid.

[0034] In addition to linoleic acid, low-alcohol beers typically also contain other fatty acids, such as oleic acid and / or α-linolenic acid. Oleic acid is preferably present in low-alcohol beers at a concentration of 60-900 μg / L, more preferably 80-700 μg / L, most preferably 100-600 μg / L.

[0035] α-Linolenic acid is present in low-alcohol beer at a concentration of preferably 20 to 800 μg / L, more preferably 40 to 600 μg / L, and most preferably 50 to 500 μg / L.

[0036] The free amino nitrogen (FAN) content of the low-alcohol beer is preferably in the range of 8 to 400 mg / L, more preferably in the range of 12 to 300 mg / L, and most preferably in the range of 20 to 250 mg / L.

[0037] Low-alcohol beer preferably contains 0.5 to 6 g / L, more preferably 1 to 5.5 g / L, and most preferably 2 to 5 g / L of maltotetraose.

[0038] Preferably, the low-alcohol beer contains maltose at a concentration of 0 to 1 g / L, more preferably 0 to 0.5 g / L, and most preferably 0.05 to 0.2 g / L.

[0039] Low-alcohol beer contains maltotriose at a concentration of preferably 0.1 to 4 g / L, more preferably 0.2 to 3.5 g / L, and most preferably 0.4 to 3 g / L.

[0040] Preferably, the low-alcohol beer contains 10 to 500 mg / L of acetic acid, more preferably 20 to 300 mg / L of acetic acid, and most preferably 25 to 200 mg / L of acetic acid.

[0041] Iso-α-acids, as well as hydrogenated and oxidized α-acids (hulopones), contribute to the pleasant bitterness of beer, which is appreciated by consumers. Since the solubility of hop acids in low-alcohol beer concentrates is very low, it is preferable in the method of the present invention to incorporate these hop acids into the alcoholic liquid. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the low-alcohol beer contains 0 to 10 mg / L, more preferably less than 3 mg / L, most preferably less than 1 mg / L of hop acids selected from iso-α-acids, hydrogenated iso-α-acids, hulupones, and combinations thereof.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present invention, the low alcohol beer comprises: Providing an alcoholic beer having an ethanol content of 3-12% ABV; removing ethanol from the beer, preferably by means of distillation, thereby producing a low-alcohol beer and an ethanol-containing distillate; Manufactured by.

[0043] The alcoholic beer used as starting material according to the above-described embodiments preferably has an ethanol content of 3.5-10% ABV, more preferably 4-8% ABV.

[0044] The pH of the alcoholic beer measured after degassing is preferably in the range of 3.5 to 5.5, more preferably in the range of 3.8 to 5.2, and most preferably in the range of 4.0 to 5.0.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the alcoholic beer has an original extract concentration of 4-17% (m / m), more preferably 7-15% (m / m), most preferably 9-14% (m / m), as measured by the Alcolyzer method. The original extract concentration may be measured using the Alcolyzer Beer Analyzing System from Anton Paar GmbH. In the Alcolyzer program, the original extract, P (in % (m / m)), is calculated according to Balling's formula: Raw extract = 100 x (2.0665 x A + E R) / (1.0665×A+100) During the ceremony, A = alcohol content of beer measured by Alcolyzer Beer Analyzing System, in % (m / m); E R = beer berry extract, in % (m / m). Fruit extract, E R The % (m / m) units are calculated from the extract density at 20° C. as determined by the Tabarie formula (Goldiner et al., Alcohol-, Stammwuerze- und Korrektionstafel, Berlin, Institute für Gaerungsgewerbe, 1996) using the same tables from Goldiner, Klemann, and Kaempf. The Tabarie formula used in the Alcolyzer Beer Analyzing System is as follows: ρ extract(20℃) =ρ sample(20℃) +ρ water(20℃) -ρ alcohol(20℃) During the ceremony, ρ extract(20℃) = density of the extract (residual liquid) at 20°C; ρ sample(20℃) = density of the sample at 20°C; ρ water(20℃) = density of water at 20°C (= 0.998204 g / cm 3 ); ρ alcohol(20℃) = density of alcohol (distillate) at 20°C; The alcoholic beer is preferably decarbonated prior to distillative removal of ethanol to avoid excessive foaming during dealcoholization. Preferably, the dissolved carbon dioxide content of the alcoholic beer is reduced by decarbonation to 0-4 g / L, more preferably 0-3.5 g / L, most preferably 0-3 g / L of dissolved carbon dioxide.

[0046] The removal of ethanol by distillation is preferably carried out at a temperature in the range of 10 to 100°C, more preferably in the range of 20 to 65°C, even more preferably in the range of 30 to 50°C, and most preferably in the range of 40 to 46°C.

[0047] The removal of ethanol by distillation is preferably carried out at a pressure in the range of 0.01 to 500 mbar, more preferably in the range of 1 to 200 mbar, even more preferably in the range of 5 to 150 mbar, most preferably in the range of 80 to 110 mbar.

[0048] The ethanol-containing distillate obtained after distillative removal of ethanol from alcoholic beer preferably has an ethanol content of 10 to 80% by weight, more preferably 15 to 75% by weight, most preferably 20 to 70% by weight.

[0049] The water content of the ethanol-containing distillate is preferably 10 to 87% by weight, more preferably 15 to 75% by weight, and most preferably 18 to 60% by weight.

[0050] Preferably, water and ethanol together constitute 85-100% by weight of the ethanol-containing distillate, more preferably 90-100% by weight, and most preferably 95-100% by weight.

[0051] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the ethanol-containing distillate is applied in an alcoholic liquid which is combined with the low-alcohol beer concentrate.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, a distillate having a high ethanol content of 40-80% by weight, more preferably 45-75% by weight, most preferably 50-70% by weight, is obtained by distilling off ethanol from alcoholic beer, which may be suitably applied as it is in the alcoholic liquid to be combined with the low-alcohol beer concentrate.

[0053] In an alternative embodiment, a distillate with a low ethanol content of 10-40% by weight, more preferably 12-35% by weight, most preferably 15-30% by weight, is obtained by distilling off ethanol from the alcoholic beer. Preferably, this low ethanol content distillate is concentrated to a high ethanol content of 40-80% by weight, more preferably 45-75% by weight, most preferably 50-70% by weight, before being applied to the alcoholic liquid. The ethanol content of the distillate with a low ethanol content can be suitably increased to a concentration of 40% by weight or more by means of distillation or membrane separation.

[0054] The ethanol-containing distillate having a high ethanol content is preferably applied to the alcoholic liquid in an amount such that the alcoholic liquid contains 60-100% by weight of said distillate, more preferably 80-100% by weight, most preferably 90-100% by weight.

[0055] In an alternative embodiment of the method, low alcohol beer is produced using yeast fermentation with limited ethanol production (eg, cold contact fermentation).

[0056] The low-temperature contact fermentation is carried out at a temperature preferably below 7°C, more preferably from -1 to 4°C, more preferably from -0.5 to 2.5°C.

[0057] The cold contact fermentation preferably lasts for a period of 8 to 72 hours, more preferably for a period of 12 to 48 hours ("cold contact fermented beer").

[0058] Another form of limited ethanol fermentation that may be used to produce low alcohol beer involves a very short (e.g., less than 2 hours) yeast fermentation at a temperature of 7°C or higher, followed by rapid temperature inactivation, such as rapid cooling to -0.5 to 1°C, optionally followed by pasteurization ("stopping the fermentation").

[0059] Another form of limited ethanol fermentation that can be used utilizes yeast strains that produce relatively small amounts of ethanol under the fermentation conditions applied, such as yeast strains that produce less than 0.2 g ethanol per g fermentable sugar in the wort, preferably less than 0.1 g ethanol per g fermentable sugar. Suitable strains (e.g., Crabtree-negative strains) are known in the art, and the amount of ethanol produced under various fermentation conditions can be determined by routine experimentation ("yeast-limited beer").

[0060] Another form of limited ethanol fermentation that can be used uses a first ethanol-producing yeast strain in the presence of a sufficient amount of a second yeast strain to consume substantially all of the ethanol produced by the ethanol-producing yeast strain. Saccharomyces rouxii is one example of an ethanol-consuming yeast strain.

[0061] Yet another form of limited ethanol fermentation that can be utilized uses wort having a fermentable sugar content such that after the fermentation is completed, a maximum of 1.0% by volume of alcohol is produced, where the wort generally has a fermentable sugar content of less than 17.5 g / L, preferably less than 12 g / L, more preferably less than 8 g / L ("sugar-depleted wort beer").

[0062] Preferably, the membrane separation used in the process is reverse osmosis or nanofiltration. Most preferably, the process uses reverse osmosis to remove water from the low alcohol beer.

[0063] Membrane separation of low-alcohol beer is preferably carried out at a temperature in the range of -2°C to 40°C, more preferably in the range of 3 to 22°C.

[0064] The pressure used during the membrane separation is preferably in the range of 6 to 80 bar, more preferably in the range of 10 to 75 bar, most preferably in the range of 15 to 70 bar.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment, membrane separation is carried out using a membrane having a magnesium sulfate rejection of 80 to 100%, more preferably 90 to 100%, and most preferably 95 to 100%, when measured using a 2,000 mg / L aqueous magnesium sulfate solution at 0.48 MPa, 25°C, and a recovery rate of 15%.

[0066] In a further preferred embodiment, the membrane separation is carried out using a membrane having a glucose rejection rate of 80 to 100%, more preferably 90 to 100%, and most preferably 95 to 100%, when measured using a 2,000 mg / L aqueous glucose solution at 1.6 MPa, 25°C, and a recovery rate of 15%.

[0067] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, membrane separation is carried out by means of reverse osmosis or forward osmosis using a membrane with a sodium chloride rejection of 80-100%, more preferably 90-100%, most preferably 95-100%, when measured using a 2000 mg / L sodium chloride solution at 10.3 bar, 25° C., pH 8 and 15% recovery.

[0068] Reduction of the water content of low-alcohol beer by means of membrane separation is hindered by the presence of a large amount of dissolved carbon dioxide in the low-alcohol beer, and therefore it is preferred to use low-alcohol beer containing 0-500 mg / L, more preferably 0-100 mg / L, and most preferably 0-20 mg / L of dissolved carbon dioxide.

[0069] In a preferred embodiment, the water content of the low alcohol beer is reduced by membrane filtration by at least 70%, more preferably at least 75%, and most preferably at least 80%.

[0070] The low-alcohol beer concentrate obtained as intermediate product in the process is preferably liquid.

[0071] The ethanol content of the low alcohol beer concentrate produced by this process preferably does not exceed 1.0% ABV, more preferably does not exceed 0.5% ABV, even more preferably does not exceed 0.3% ABV, and most preferably does not exceed 0.1% ABV.

[0072] The pH of the low-alcohol beer concentrate is preferably in the range of 3.0 to 6.0, more preferably in the range of 3.2 to 5.5, and most preferably in the range of 3.5 to 5.0.

[0073] The low-alcohol beer concentrate preferably has a water content in the range of 35-80% by weight, more preferably in the range of 40-75% by weight, most preferably in the range of 45-70% by weight.

[0074] In a preferred embodiment, the low alcohol beer concentrate has a density of 20-60°P, more preferably 24-50°P, most preferably 28-42°P.

[0075] Riboflavin, free fatty acids (e.g. linoleic acid), amino acids, and small peptides are naturally occurring substances in barley malt and are typically present in low-alcohol beers in significant concentrations. Similarly, maltotetraose is also present in significant concentrations in low-alcohol beers, since this oligosaccharide is produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of starch during mashing and is not digested by yeast. Due to the fact that the low-alcohol beer concentrate in capsules is obtained from low-alcohol beer using a concentration method that removes only water or only water and low molecular weight substances and ions, the low-alcohol beer concentrate typically contains measurable levels of riboflavin, linoleic acid, amino acids, peptides, and / or maltotetraose.

[0076] The riboflavin content of the low-alcohol beer concentrate is preferably in the range of 250 to 3,000 mg / L, more preferably 300 to 2,500 μg / L, more preferably 350 to 2,200 μg / L, and most preferably 400 to 2,000 μg / L.

[0077] The low-alcohol beer concentrate preferably contains 150 to 5,000 μg / L, more preferably 200 to 4,000 μg / L, even more preferably 250 to 3,500 μg / L, and most preferably 300 to 3,000 μg / L of linoleic acid.

[0078] In addition to linoleic acid, the liquid beer concentrate typically also contains other fatty acids, such as oleic acid and / or α-linolenic acid. Oleic acid is preferably present in the low-alcohol beer concentrate in a concentration of 300-3,000 μg / L, more preferably 400-2,500 μg / L, even more preferably 500-2,000 μg / L, most preferably 600-1,800 μg / L.

[0079] α-Linolenic acid is preferably present in the low-alcohol beer concentrate in a concentration of 100-1,200 μg / L, more preferably 120-1,100 μg / L, even more preferably 150-1,000 μg / L and most preferably 180-900 μg / L.

[0080] The free amino nitrogen (FAN) content of the low-alcohol beer concentrate is preferably in the range of 60-1,000 mg / L, more preferably 80-800 mg / L, even more preferably 90-700 mg / L, and most preferably 100-600 mg / L.

[0081] The low-alcohol beer concentrate preferably contains 10-100 g / L, more preferably 12-80 g / L, even more preferably 15-60 g / L, most preferably 18-40 g / L of maltotetraose.

[0082] Preferably, the low-alcohol beer concentrate contains maltose at a concentration of 0 to 20 g / L, more preferably 0 to 15 g / L, even more preferably 0.5 to 10 g / L, and most preferably 1 to 8 g / L.

[0083] The low-alcohol beer concentrate preferably contains maltotriose in a concentration of 1-30 g / L, more preferably 2-25 g / L, even more preferably 2.5-22 g / L, most preferably 3-20 g / L.

[0084] Preferably, the low-alcohol beer concentrate contains 100-1,200 mg / L acetic acid, more preferably 120-1,000 mg / L acetic acid, even more preferably 150-900 mg / L acetic acid, most preferably 180-800 mg / L acetic acid.

[0085] The low alcohol beer concentrate may be suitably combined with one or more other ingredients other than the alcoholic liquid before being packaged.

[0086] Preferably, water and ethanol together constitute 85 to 100% by weight of the alcoholic liquid, more preferably 90 to 100% by weight, and most preferably 95 to 100% by weight.

[0087] The alcoholic liquid that is combined with the low-alcohol beer concentrate in the present method preferably contains measurable levels of beer flavor volatiles derived from alcoholic beer (e.g., ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, phenylethyl acetate, amyl alcohol, and phenylethyl alcohol).

[0088] Preferably, the alcoholic solution contains 50 to 2,000 mg, more preferably 70 to 1,500 mg, even more preferably 90 to 1,200 mg, and most preferably 100 to 800 mg of ethyl acetate per kg of ethanol.

[0089] Preferably, the alcoholic liquid contains 5 to 200 mg, more preferably 7 to 150 mg, even more preferably 9 to 120 mg, and most preferably 10 to 80 mg of isoamyl acetate per kg of ethanol.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, the alcoholic solution contains 400-5,000 mg, more preferably 600-4,000 mg, even more preferably 700-3,500 mg, and most preferably 800-3,000 mg of amyl alcohol per kg of ethanol. Here, the term "amyl alcohol" refers to a compound of the formula: 12 Refers to alcohols containing O.

[0091] In another preferred embodiment, the alcoholic liquid contains 8 to 240 mg, more preferably 11 to 170 mg, even more preferably 13 to 140 mg, and most preferably 15 to 100 mg of phenylethyl alcohol per kg of ethanol.

[0092] Preferably, the alcoholic solution contains 2 to 50 mg, more preferably 3 to 40 mg, even more preferably 3.5 to 32 mg, and most preferably 4 to 25 mg of phenylethyl acetate per kg of ethanol.

[0093] As already mentioned above, in a preferred embodiment, the alcoholic liquid is combined with hop acids selected from iso-alpha acids, hydrogenated iso-alpha acids, hulpons, and combinations thereof, prior to being combined with the low-alcohol beer concentrate. More preferably, the alcoholic liquid is combined with iso-alpha acids. The iso-alpha acids may suitably be provided in the form of a pre-isomerized hop extract.

[0094] Preferably, hop acids are added to the alcoholic liquid to achieve a concentration of 50 to 2,000 mg / L, more preferably 100 to 1,500 mg / L, and most preferably 200 to 1,000 mg / L.

[0095] Flavours are one example of ingredients that may be suitably added to the alcoholic liquid and / or the low-alcohol beer concentrate before combining them and / or to the alcoholic beer concentrate.

[0096] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the method comprises mixing a low-alcohol beer concentrate with an alcoholic liquid.

[0097] In the present method, the low alcohol beer concentrate and the alcoholic liquid are preferably combined in a weight ratio of from 7:1 to 1:1, more preferably from 6:1 to 1.2:1, and most preferably from 5:1 to 1.5:1.

[0098] The liquid alcoholic beer concentrate obtainable by this process preferably has an ethanol content of 10-60% by weight, more preferably 15-50% by weight, most preferably 20-40% by weight.

[0099] The liquid alcoholic beer concentrate obtained by combining the low-alcohol beer concentrate with the alcoholic liquid and optionally an additional source of ethanol is preferably packaged in containers or single-serving capsules.

[0100] The single serving capsules are preferably filled with 12-70 mL, more preferably 15-65 mL, most preferably 20-60 mL of liquid alcoholic beer concentrate.

[0101] The container is preferably filled with 250-3,000 mL, more preferably 400-2,000 mL, most preferably 500-1,500 mL of liquid alcoholic beer concentrate.

[0102] Another aspect of the present invention relates to an alcoholic beer concentrate obtainable by the process of the present invention.

[0103] Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram of a method for preparing single-serving capsules containing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate according to the invention starting from a non-hopped alcoholic beer (1). Step A of the depicted method comprises dealcoholizing the non-hopped alcoholic beer (1) to produce a non-alcoholic beer (2) and an alcoholic liquid (3). Step B comprises concentrating the non-alcoholic beer (2) by means of a reverse osmosis membrane to produce a low-alcoholic concentrate (4). Step C comprises mixing a pre-isomerized hop extract (5) with the alcoholic liquid (3) to produce an alcoholic liquid containing dissolved hop acids (6). Step D comprises mixing the low-alcoholic beer concentrate (4) with the alcoholic liquid (6) containing dissolved hop acids, thereby producing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate (7). Step E comprises filling the liquid alcoholic beer concentrate (7) into single-serving capsules (8). Step F involves sealing the single-serving capsule with a seal (9) to produce a sealed single-serving capsule (10) containing the liquid alcoholic beer concentrate (7).

[0104] Figure 2 shows a diagram of an apparatus (10) for preparing reconstituted beer. The apparatus includes a housing (11) that houses the mechanical and electronic components of the apparatus (10). The housing (11) may be made of plastic and / or metal.

[0105] The device (10) comprises a power source (20) and a control system (30) operable to activate the device and control its functions (e.g., the volume, temperature, and / or alcohol content of the reconstituted beer dispensed). Also shown is an empty glass (40) positioned beneath the dispensing unit (50).

[0106] The device (10) also includes a water source in the form of a tap (60) and a cooling unit (70). The device (10) further includes a cylinder (80) containing pressurized carbon dioxide, a carbonation unit (90), a mixing unit (100), and a container (110) for receiving a two-compartment single-dose capsule (120).

[0107] The single serving capsule (120) contains a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate (121). The single serving capsule (120) is sealed with a foil (122).

[0108] The device (10) is provided with means for opening the dosage capsule (120).

[0109] In use, a consumer can place a single-serving capsule (120) into the receptacle (110) of the device (10). The consumer can then operate the device (10) using the control system (30) and wait for the reconstituted beer to be dispensed from the dispensing unit (50) into the glass (40).

[0110] When the device (10) is operated, water from the tap (60) and pressurized carbon dioxide from the cylinder (80) are dispensed into the carbonation unit (90). During passage through the carbonation unit (90), the water is cooled by the cooling unit (70). Once the appropriate amounts of water and carbon dioxide are mixed within the carbonation unit (90), the carbon dioxide is released from the carbonation unit (90) and flows through the single-dose capsule (120) to the mixing unit (100).

[0111] During passage through the single-serving capsule (120), the carbonated water flushes the liquid alcoholic beer concentrate (121) into the mixing unit (100), where the carbonated water and the flushed liquid alcoholic beer concentrate are intimately mixed to produce clear reconstituted beer.

[0112] The clear reconstituted beer is then discharged from the mixing unit (100) through the dispensing unit (50) into the glass (40) under the formation of a foam head.

[0113] The present invention is further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples. EXAMPLES

[0114] Example 1 The non-hopped lager (containing 5% ABV) was dealcoholized by vacuum distillation (Schmidt-Bretten, Bretten, Germany - Feed rate: 5 hL / hr; Steam mass flow rate: 100 kg / h; Exit pressure: 3.5 bar; Vacuum setting: 90 mbar; Exit temperature: 3°C). The resulting dealcoholized beer had an ethanol content of 0.01% ABV.

[0115] The distillate produced during dealcoholization was collected and analyzed, and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0116] Table 1 Ethanol 60% by weight Ethyl acetate 50.2mg / L Isoamyl acetate 4.56mg / L Amyl alcohol 206mg / L Phenylethyl alcohol 5.09mg / L Phenylethyl acetate 2.77mg / L

[0117] The dealcoholized non-hopped lager was concentrated by means of nanofiltration using the following settings:

[0118] Nanofiltration Membranes Type Configuration: Spiral wound Membrane polymer: Composite polyamide Brine Spacer Material: Polypropylene Specifications Permeate flow rate: MgSO4: 7.6m 3 / d NaCl: 9.5m 3 / d Stabilized salt rejection rate 1 : MgSO4:>97% (2000ppm, 4.8 bar, 25°C, 15% recovery, pH 6.5) NaCl: 89-95% (500 ppm, 4.8 bar, 25°C, 15% recovery, pH 7.0) Nominal membrane area: 7.9m 2 1 This corresponds to a MW cutoff of approximately 200 Da.

[0119] The nanofiltration device configuration used is shown in Figure 3. The dimensions of the depicted device are as follows: A (total length) = 1016mm B(ATD diameter)=100.3mm C (connection diameter) = 19.1 mm D F (Core tube extension - supply side) = 26.7mm D C (Core tube extension - concentrated side) = 26.7 mm

[0120] Maximum Operating Limits Pressure: 80 bar ·Temperature: 28℃ Pressure drop: 0.7 bar ·Supply flow rate: 3.6m 3 / h Chlorine concentration: <0.1ppm Water Supply SDI (15 min): 5.0 ·Feed water turbidity: 1.0NTU ·Water supply pH: 3.0~10.0 Maximum ratio of concentrate flow rate to permeate flow rate for any element: 5:1

[0121] Filtration execution The circulation of the beer was provided by a piston pump with a capacity of 1 m 3 / h, with a maximum discharge pressure of 20-80 bar. The test unit was limited to approximately 30 bar and was protected by an overpressure relief valve with a set point of 40 bar.

[0122] Initial permeate production was started at a pressure (osmotic pressure) of about 15 bar.

[0123] A total of 100 liters of beer was filtered, yielding 84.6 liters of permeate and 16.1 liters of liquid concentrate, resulting in an achieved concentration factor of 100 / 15.4 = 6.5.

[0124] The composition of the beer concentrate thus obtained is shown in Table 2.

[0125] Table 2 Acetic acid 310mg / L Riboflavin 890μg / L Oleic acid 1040μg / L Linoleic acid 980μg / L α-Linolenic acid 630μg / L Free amino nitrogen 310mg / L Maltose 1.1g / L Maltotriose 7.0g / L Maltotetraose 22g / L

[0126] Comparative example A A commercial hopped lager beer with an alcohol content of 5.0% ABV and an iso-alpha acid content of 19 mg / L was concentrated by means of nanofiltration using the same settings as in Example 1.

[0127] The initial permeate production was started at a pressure (osmotic pressure) of about 4 bar. A total of 200 liters of beer was filtered, resulting in 172.3 liters of permeate and 27.7 liters of concentrate. The concentration factor achieved was therefore 200 / 27.7=7.2.

[0128] The hopped alcoholic beer concentrate thus obtained was hazy and had an ethanol content of 4.71% ABV and a specific gravity of 1.8298 (20° P). The concentrate contained 78.7 mg / L of iso-α-acids, which means that 42.5% of the iso-α-acids were lost during the nanofiltration process.

[0129] Example 2 A substantially alcohol-free liquid beer concentrate was prepared as in Example 1. In addition, an alcoholic liquid containing 210 mg / L of iso-α-acids was prepared by mixing a pre-isomerized hop extract (Isohop, ex Barth Haas) containing 30% by weight of iso-α-acids with 95% ethanol.

[0130] Two types of alcoholic beer concentrates were prepared: Beer concentrate I containing 55 mg / L iso-α-acids was prepared by mixing 32 mL of liquid beer concentrate with 11.4 mL of iso-α-acids-containing alcoholic liquid. Beer concentrate II, also containing 55 mg / L iso-α-acids, was prepared by mixing 32 mL of liquid beer concentrate with the pre-isomerized hop extract described above, followed by mixing, then adding 11.4 mL of 95% ethanol, followed by mixing again.

[0131] Both beer concentrates were stored at room temperature for several days and then mixed with 150 mL of carbonated water (Royal Club Soda Water) to obtain reconstituted beer I and reconstituted beer II, respectively.

[0132] Reconstituted Beer I was clear with a good foam head and good bitterness. Reconstituted Beer II was found to have a good foam head, a mild bitterness (not as strong as Reconstituted Beer I) and contained some sediment.

[0133] Example 3 Single-serving capsules containing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate according to the invention are prepared as follows: The alcohol distillate of Example 1 and the pre-isomerized hop extract are mixed to produce a solution containing 210 mg / L of iso-alpha acids.

[0134] The alcoholic distillate containing the added hop extract is mixed with the liquid beer concentrate of Example 1 in a volume ratio of 18:32 to produce a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate. 50 mL of this liquid alcoholic beer concentrate is filled into a capsule with an internal volume of 55 mL, and the capsule is then sealed with a flexible foil.

[0135] The liquid alcoholic beer concentrate does not exhibit haze formation.

[0136] Example 4 The liquid alcoholic beer concentrate of Example 3 is mixed with 150 mL of carbonated water to produce a reconstituted beer having a temperature of 5°C.

[0137] The reconstituted beer thus obtained is clear (i.e. not cloudy) and has the typical yellow colour of a lager as well as satisfactory foam properties.

[0138] Evaluation of the reconstituted beer by an expert panel shows that this beer has a pleasant taste similar to that of regular lager beer.

Claims

1. - Providing an alcoholic beer having an ethanol content of 3 to 12% ABV and a wort content of 7 to 14% (m / m); - Removing ethanol from the beer by means of distillation in the range of a temperature of 20 to 65°C and a pressure of 1 to 200 mbar to produce a low-alcohol beer and an ethanol-containing distillate; - Producing a low-alcohol beer having an ethanol content of 0 to 1% ABV, a free amino nitrogen content of 8 to 400 mg / L, containing 0.1 to 4 g / L of maltotriose and 0.5 to 6 g / L of maltotetraose; - Using a membrane with a glucose blocking rate of 80 to 100% when measured using an aqueous glucose solution of 2,000 mg / L at 1.6 MPa, 25°C, and a recovery rate of 15%, and using a pressure in the range of 6 to 80 bar, removing at least 70% by weight of the water present in the low-alcohol beer by means of membrane separation selected from nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and forward osmosis to produce a low-alcohol beer concentrate; - Combining 1 to 5 parts by weight of the low-alcohol beer concentrate with 1 part by weight of an alcohol solution having an ethanol content of at least 30% by weight to produce a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate having an ethanol content of 10 to 60% by weight; A method for producing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate, comprising: By the distillation removal of ethanol, a distillate having an ethanol content of 40 to 80% by weight, or a distillate having an ethanol content of 10 to 40% by weight further concentrated to an ethanol content of 40 to 80% by weight is obtained; The method wherein the ethanol-containing distillate having an ethanol content of 40 to 80% by weight is applied to the alcohol solution in an amount such that the alcohol solution contains 60 to 100% by weight of the distillate.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the low-alcohol beer preferably contains 1 to 5.5 g / L of maltotetraose, preferably 2 to 5 g / L of maltotetraose.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the low-alcohol beer preferably contains 0.2 to 3.5 g / L of maltotriose, preferably 0.4 to 3 g / L of maltotriose.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ethanol content of the low-alcohol beer does not exceed 0.5% ABV, preferably does not exceed 0.3% ABV, and more preferably does not exceed 0.1% ABV.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the membrane separation is carried out using a membrane having a sodium chloride rejection rate of 80-100%, more preferably 90-100%, and most preferably 95-100% when measured using an aqueous sodium chloride solution of 2000 mg / L at 10.3 bar, 25 °C, pH 8, and a recovery rate of 15%.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the membrane separation is carried out at a pressure of 10-75 bar, preferably 15-70 bar.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein water is removed from the low-alcohol beer by means of reverse osmosis.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the low-alcohol beer contains 0-10 mg / L of hop acid selected from iso-α acids, hydrogenated iso-α acids, humulones, and combinations thereof.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol solution contains hop acid at a concentration of 50-2,000 mg / L, and the hop acid is selected from iso-α acids, hydrogenated iso-α acids, humulones, and combinations thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the low-alcohol beer concentrate and the alcohol solution are combined at a weight ratio of 7:1 to 1:

1.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the low-alcohol beer concentrate contains 250-3,000 μg / L of riboflavin.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alcohol solution contains 50-2,000 mg of ethyl acetate per kg of ethanol.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid alcohol beer concentrate is filled into a single-dose capsule or container.

14. A liquid alcohol beer concentrate obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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