Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Quality Attributes of Low-Alcohol Top-Fermented Beers Produced by Membrane Contactor

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Food and Bioprocess Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The practice of dealcoholization is used nowadays to reduce the alcohol content in beverages, and osmotic distillation seems to be a convenient membrane process due to its mild operating conditions. The focus is on the quality of final beverage which may lack in taste, flavor, and body. The aim of this work was to evaluate the quality attributes of low-alcohol beers, dealcoholized by osmotic distillation and using stripping solutions specific for the beverage composition. Two types of top-fermented beer were used: Weiss beer, with a very fruity aroma and strong phenolic content, and Bitter beer, with a malt aroma. Regarding the stripping solutions, they were obtained by dilution of the original beer with water, in order to limit the volatile compound loss during the process. Moreover, low-alcohol Weiss beer was also produced by using carbonated stripping solutions (i.e., saturated with CO2 at ambient pressure). The results highlighted that color, bitterness, total phenols, and antioxidant activity were unchanged in the low-alcohol beers but volatile compounds were reduced to a different extent. The lower vapor pressure of some volatile compounds (i.e., 2-phenylethanol, aldehydes) can explain their retention in beer. The carbonation of stripping solutions did not significantly reduce CO2 loss, but aldehydes and total alcohols were better retained in low-alcohol Weiss beer. Esters and other volatile compounds were reduced so that the low-alcohol beer may result with a weak sensory profile, which can be compensated by a re-addition of CO2 before bottling.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albanese, D., Cinquanta, L., Cuccurullo, G., & Di Matteo, M. (2013). Effects of microwave and hot-air drying methods on colour, β-carotene and radical scavenging activity of apricots. Int J Food Sci Technol, 48, 1327–1333.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alonso García, A., Cancho Grande, B., & Simal Gándara, J. (2004). Development of a rapid method based on solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorbance detection for the determination of polyphenols in alcohol-free beers. J Chromatogr A, 1054(1–2), 175–180. doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2004.07.092.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Analytica (2008). EBC European Brewery Convention. Fachverlag Hans Carl: CL Druckzentrum GmbH. Nurnberg

  • Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) (2008). Style guidelines for beer, mead and cider, BJCP, Inc.

  • Brand-Williams, W., Cuvelier, M. E., & Berset, C. (1995). Use of a free radical method to evaluate antioxidant activity. Lebensm.-Wiss. Technol., 28, 25–30.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brányik, T., Silva, D. P., Baszczyňski, M., Lehnert, R., & e Silva Almeida, J. B. (2012). A review of methods of low alcohol and alcohol-free beer production. J Food Eng, 108(4), 493–506.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Briggs, D. E., Boulton, C. A., Brookes, P. A., & Stevens, R. (2004). Brewing science and practice. Abington Hall, Abington Cambridge CB1 6AH, England: Woodhead Publishing Limited Eds.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, D. (2010). German Wheat Beer Yeast and Fermentation (Proceedings of Meeting). Asheville, NC: Highland Brewing Com.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caluwaerts, H.J.J. (1995). Process for the manufacture of an alcohol-free beer having the organoleptic properties of a lager type pale beer. United States Patent.

  • Catarino, M., & Mendes, A. (2011). Non-alcoholic beer—a new industrial process. Sep Purif Technol, 79(3), 342–351.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Catarino, M., Mendes, A., & Madeira, L. M. (2007). Alcohol removal from beer by reverse osmosis. Sep Sci Technol, 42, 3011–3027.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R. A., Hewson, L., Bealin-Kelly, F., & Hort, J. (2011). The interactions of CO2, ethanol, hop acids and sweetener on flavor taste in a model beer. Chemosensory Taste, 4(1–2), 42–54.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Francesco, G., Freeman, G., Lee, E., Marconi, O., & Perretti, G. (2014). Effects of operating conditions during low-alcohol beer production by osmotic distillation. J. Agric. Food Chem., 62(14), 3279–3286.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Engan, S. (1991). Off-flavors in beer. Brauwelt International, 3, 217–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fumi, M. D., Galli, R., Lambri, M., Donadini, G., & De Faveri, D. M. (2011). Effect of full-scale brewing process on polyphenols in Italian all-malt and maize adjunct lager beers. J Food Compos Anal, 24, 568–573.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldammer, T. (2008). In T. Goldammer (Ed.), The brewer’s handbook. The complete book to brewing beer (Secondth ed.). USA: Apex publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huige, N.J., Sanchez, G.W., Leidig, A.R. (1990). Process for preparing a nonalcoholic (less the 0.5 volume percent alcohol) malt beverage. US Patent.

  • Jentsch, M. (2007). Top-fermented beer specialties in focus. Brauwelt International, 5, 332–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi, M., Shimizu, H., & Shioya, S. (2008). Beer volatile compounds and their application to low-malt beer fermentation. J Biosci Bioeng, 106(4), 317–323. doi:10.1263/jbb.106.317.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leskosek, I., Nedovic, V., & Petkovska, M. (1997). Effect of convective mass transfer on beer diafiltration. J Inst Brew, 103(5), 279–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liguori, L., De Francesco, G., Russo, P., Albanese, D., Perretti, G., & Di Matteo, M. (2015a). Quality improvement of low craft beer produced by evaporative pertraction. Chem Eng Trans, 43, 13–18. doi:10.3303/CET1543003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liguori, L., De Francesco, G., Russo, P., Perretti, G., Albanese, D., & Di Matteo, M. (2015b). Production and characterization of alcohol-free beer by membrane process. Food Bioprod. Process., 94, 158–168. doi:10.1016/j.fbp.2015.03.003.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liguori, L., Russo, P., Albanese, D., & Di Matteo, M. (2013a). Evolution of quality parameters during red wine dealcoholization by osmotic distillation. Food Chem, 140, 68–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liguori, L., Russo, P., Albanese, D., & Di Matteo, M. (2013b). Effect of process parameters on partial dealcoholization of wine by osmotic distillation. Food Bioprocess Technol., 6, 2514–2524.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malfliet, S., Opstaele, F. V., Clippeleer, J. D., Syryn, E., Goiris, K., Cooman, L. D., & Aerts, G. (2008). Flavour instability of pale lager beers: determination of analytical markers in relation to sensory ageing. J. Inst. Brew., 114(2), 180–192.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meilgaard, M. C. (1975). Flavor chemistry of beer: part II: flavor and threshold of 239 aroma volatiles. Tech. Q. Master Brew. Assoc. Am., 12, 151–168.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Narziss, L., Back, W., & Stich, S. (1993). Alcohol removal from beer by countercurrent distillation in combination with rectification. Brauwelt International, 133(38), 1806–1820.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perpete, P., & Collin, S. (1999). Contribution of 3-methylthiopropionaldehyde to the worty flavor of alcohol-free beers. J. Agric. Food Chem., 47(6), 2374–2378.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pickering, G. J. (2000). Low-and reduced-alcohol wine: a review. Journal of Wine Research, 11(2), 129–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pires, E., Teixeira, J., Brányik, T., Vicente, A. (20149. Yeast: the soul of beer’s aroma—a review of flavor-active esters and higher alcohols produced by the brewing yeast. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 1–13 doi:10.1007/s00253-013-5470-0.

  • Russo, P., Liguori, L., Albanese, D., Crescitelli, A., & Di Matteo, M. (2013). Investigation of osmotic distillation technique for beer dealcoholization. Chem Eng Trans, 32, 1735–1740.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salo, P., Nykänen, L., & Suomalainen, H. (1972). Odor thresholds and relative intensities of volatile aroma components in an artificial beverage imitating whisky. J Food Sci, 37(3), 394–398.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singleton, V., & Rossi, J. (1965). Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic phosphotungstic acid reagents. Am J Enol Vitic, 16, 144–158.

  • Sohrabvandi, S., Mousavi, S., Razavi, S., Mortazavian, A., & Rezaei, K. (2010). Alcohol-free beer: methods of production, sensorial defects and healthful effects. Food Reviews International, 26(4), 335–352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sohrabvandi, S., Mousavi, S. M., Razavi, S. H., & Mortazavian, K. R. (2012). The qualitative aspects of non-alcoholic beer. J Food Sci Technol, 32, 101–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verstrepen, K. J., Derdelinckx, G., Dufour, J. P., Winderickx, J., Thevelein, J. M., Pretorius, I. S., & Delvaux, F. R. (2003a). Flavor-active esters: adding fruitiness to beer. J Biosci Bioeng, 96(2), 110–118.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verstrepen, K. J., Derdelinckx, G., & Delvaux, F. R. (2003b). Esters in beer—part 1: the fermentation process: more than ethanol formation. Cerevisia Belgian Journal of Brewing and Biotechnology, 28, 41–49.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vesely, P., Lusk, L., Basarova, G., Seabrooks, J., & Ryder, D. (2003). Analysis of aldehydes in beer using solid-phase microextraction with on-fiber derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. J. Agric. Food Chem., 51(24), 6941–6944.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Willaert, R., & Nedovic, V. A. (2006). Primary beer fermentation by immobilised yeast—a review on flavor formation and control strategies. J Chem Technol Biotechnol, 81(8), 1353–1367. doi:10.1002/jctb.1582.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, A., & Pyle, D. (1996). An investigation into the use of the spinning cone column for in situ ethanol removal from a yeast broth. Process Biochem, 31(7), 651–658.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, H. (2014). Endogenous antioxidants and antioxidant activities of beers. In Processing and impact on antioxidants in beverages; Publisher: Academic Press, Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-404738-9.01001-1, 15–24.

  • Zhao, H., Chen, W., Lu, J., & Zhao, M. (2010). Phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities of commercial beers. Food Chem, 119(3), 1150–1158.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084, Fisciano, SA, Italy

    Loredana Liguori, Donatella Albanese & Marisa Di Matteo

  2. Department of Economic and Food Science, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo, 06126, Perugia, Italy

    Giovanni De Francesco & Giuseppe Perretti

  3. Department Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza University of Roma, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Roma, Italy

    Paola Russo

Authors
  1. Loredana Liguori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giovanni De Francesco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paola Russo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Giuseppe Perretti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Donatella Albanese
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Marisa Di Matteo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paola Russo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liguori, L., De Francesco, G., Russo, P. et al. Quality Attributes of Low-Alcohol Top-Fermented Beers Produced by Membrane Contactor. Food Bioprocess Technol 9, 191–200 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-015-1612-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-015-1612-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation