Two-Stage Hop Boiling Process for Beer Bittering and Aroma Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beer brewing methods have limited flexibility in heating conditions, leading to difficulties in achieving desired beer qualities such as bitterness, aroma, foam retention, and oxidation resistance, as they require a balance between extracting bittering components and removing malt and hop aroma components.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a two-step boiling method where hops are initially treated with a solvent to extract bittering components and reduce hop aroma, followed by adding the treated hop liquid to wort under controlled high-temperature conditions to optimize bittering component extraction and aroma removal, allowing for more flexible heating conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the boiling time is shortened to improve foam retention and oxidation resistance, then foam retention and oxidation resistance are improved, but the extraction of bittering component becomes insufficient and bitterness is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The boiling process is divided into two distinct stages: a first boiling stage for extracting bittering components from hop, and a second boiling stage for removing malt aroma components and optimizing foam retention. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently for its specific purpose.
Solution Approach 2:
The first boiling stage performs preliminary extraction of bittering components from hop before the second boiling stage removes malt aroma components. This preliminary action ensures sufficient bittering component extraction is completed before the final aroma removal stage.
2Reliability
If the boiling time is shortened to improve oxidation resistance, then oxidation resistance is improved, but the evaporation of malt aroma component becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The boiling process is divided into two distinct stages: a first boiling stage for extracting bittering components from hop, and a second boiling stage for removing malt aroma components. This segmentation allows the second stage to be optimized specifically for aroma removal while the first stage handles extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The first boiling stage performs preliminary extraction of bittering components before the second boiling stage removes malt aroma components. This ensures that the shorter second stage can focus exclusively on aroma removal without compromising extraction efficiency.
3Quantity of substance
If α-acid is sufficiently isomerized by heating to efficiently use bittering component, then bittering component utilization is improved, but S-methyl methionine is converted to dimethyl sulfide with unpleasant aroma
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is segmented into two distinct boiling stages: the first stage promotes isomerization of α-acid to extract bittering components, while the second stage removes the resulting dimethyl sulfide aroma components through evaporation. This segmentation allows both processes to occur sequentially without interfering with each other.
Solution Approach 2:
The two boiling stages are performed continuously in sequence, with the first stage completing the extraction of bittering components and the second stage continuously removing the harmful aroma components. This continuous process ensures complete utilization of beneficial components while eliminating harmful byproducts.
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 approach enables efficient extraction of bittering components while reducing hop aroma, improving foam retention and oxidation resistance, and allowing for more energy-efficient brewing with reduced hop and malt aroma content.
Implementation Method 1
Since α-acid(s), which is a bittering component of hop, is solubilized by isomerization under a high temperature
Implementation Method 2
boiling hop together with a solvent... obtaining a hop-treated liquid matter
Implementation Method 3
remove an aroma component derived from malt (hereinafter simply referred to as a 'malt aroma component') by evaporation
Implementation Method 4
heating a mixture of the wort and the hop to raise its temperature, and continuously heating the mixture to boil
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention aims to provide a novel process for producing beer or beer-like beverage in which setting of heating conditions with enhanced flexibility can be allowed and in which hop flavor components can be reduced or eliminated. In the step (a), hop together with a solvent of which amount is, per kg of pelletized raw hop, 25 to 100 liters and an additional amount corresponding to evaporation loss thereof is boiled so that 1 to 15 kg of evaporation loss is attained per kg of pelletized raw hop. In the step (b), the hop-treated liquid matter obtained by the preceding step (a) is added to a raw material liquid, and the mixture of the raw material liquid and the hop-treated liquid matter is boiled.