Liquid Beer Concentrate Manufacturing via Membrane Separation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge lies in producing a beer concentrate that retains flavor and foam stability while removing a significant amount of water from beer, as existing methods often result in loss of essential components and require complex membrane selection for ethanol retention.

Innovation Solution

A process involving low alcohol beer with membrane separation to produce a concentrate, followed by combination with high ethanol liquid, utilizing nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, or forward osmosis to achieve a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate with 10-60% ethanol content, effectively retaining key beer components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If water is removed from beer by conventional methods, then water content is reduced, but flavor substances and foam stability components are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater contentVSAvoidflavor substances and foam components

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the beer components into two groups: small molecules (water, ethanol, flavor compounds) that pass through the membrane, and larger molecules (proteins, polysaccharides, foam stabilizers) that are retained by the membrane. This selective separation allows water removal while preserving essential beer components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies a membrane with specific pore size and selectivity properties to achieve localized separation. The membrane's local quality (its molecular weight cutoff and selectivity) enables it to differentiate between water molecules and larger beer components, allowing selective water removal while retaining flavor and foam stability substances.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If membrane separation is used to remove water, then water removal efficiency is improved, but complex membrane selection and operation are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater removal efficiencyVSAvoidmembrane selection and operation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the key parameter from membrane molecular weight cutoff to membrane pore size and hydrophilicity. By selecting membranes with specific pore sizes (0.1-10 micrometers) and hydrophilic properties, the patent achieves effective water removal without requiring complex membrane selection criteria, simplifying the overall process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of substance

If ethanol-retaining membranes are used, then ethanol loss is reduced, but specific membrane requirements and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveethanol lossVSAvoidmembrane operation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of trying to retain ethanol through the membrane, the patent inverts the approach by allowing both water and ethanol to pass through the membrane while retaining larger beer components. This simplifies membrane selection and operation, as no special ethanol-retaining membranes are needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts ethanol from the beer before concentration, producing a low-alcohol beer that is then concentrated by water removal. This preliminary extraction step eliminates the need for complex ethanol-retaining membranes during the concentration process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method allows for easy operation with minimal loss of small organic molecules, maintaining taste and mouthfeel, and avoids the need for specific ethanol-retaining membranes, resulting in a high-quality beer concentrate suitable for reconstitution.

Implementation Method 1

removing at least 70 wt. % of the water present in the low alcohol beer by means of membrane separation to produce a low alcohol beer concentrate, wherein the membrane separation is selected from nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and forward osmosis

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNanofiltration:

Implementation Method 2

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReverse osmosis: Reverse Osmosis

Implementation Method 3

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectForward osmosis: Osmosis

Implementation Method 4

removing at least 70 wt. % of the water present in the low alcohol beer by means of membrane separation to produce a low alcohol beer concentrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMembrane separation:

Data Source

PatentUS20240254418A1Process of manufacturing a liquid beer concentrate

Publication Date: 2024.08.01 HEINEKEN SUPPLY CHAIN BV

AI summary

The present invention relates to a process of manufacturing a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate, said process comprising: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 of maltotetraose;removing at least 70 wt. % of the water present in the low alcohol beer by means of membrane separation to produce a low alcohol beer concentrate, wherein the membrane separation is selected from nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and forward osmosis;combining the low alcohol beer concentrate with alcoholic liquid having an ethanol content of at least 30 wt. % to produce a liquid alcoholic beer concentrate having a an ethanol content of 10-60 wt. %.The present process offers the advantage that it is relatively easy to operate, whilst at the same time losses of small organic molecules (e.g. acids) are minimized effectively.