CA2552693A1 - Novel fermentation process and uses therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of producing a fermentation product using a natural protein concentrate in place of the protein derived from malted grains. The natural protein concentrate can be directly used, in addition with a carbohydrate source, to produce a wort suitable for fermentation, thus avoiding the malting and mash mixing steps in traditional brewing methods. The wort requires less yeast to initiate the fermentation process than in similar alcohol fermentations, and does not require the addition of yeast nutrients. The resulting fermentation product can be processed for bottling without the need for an intervening storage period. Conveniently, the natural protein concentrate can be derived from non-cereal sources such as peas, soy, rice potatoes and the like. Furthermore, using non-cereals sources permits the simplified production of a gluten-free fermentation product that can be used in preparing beverages consumable by persons suffering from gluten-intolerance.

Description

NOVEL FERMENTA7'ION PROCESS AND USES THEREFOR

This invention is in the field of fermentation and brewing processes, and in particular the use of natural protein sources in the form of a concentrate for use in fermentation and brewing processes.

BACKGROUND OF TIiE INVENTION

lo The brewing of beers and like beverages through fermentation has been practiced for centuries. The brewing of beers typically makes use of a malted grain as a pr'imary source of fermentable sugars. The process of malt:ing involves allowing the grain to germinate, followed by drying and in some cases roasting of the germinated ;;rain.
Allowing the grain to germinate results in the activation of enzymes within the grain t5 kernel (e.g. amylases), which convert the starch in the grain into fermentable sugars.
These fermentable sugars are subsequently converted by yeast to alcohol and carbon dioxide during the fermentation process.

After malting, the malted grain is crushed to form grist. The grist is mixed with heated 20 water in a vessel producing a mash. During mashing and mi!cing of the mash, various naturat enzymes operate to hydrolyze starch into sugars, as well as to break down other components of the grain such as beta glucans. Proteinases in the mash are also important to degrade some of the grain proteins that if left unprocessed can result in a hazy appearance to the final fermented product.

Once mashing is completed, the liquid is then separated from the grain in a process termed lautering. Lautering separates the grain extract from the spent grains.
In a sRxond step, additional water may also be used to further rinse the grains free of the desired components, a proces.s ternned sparging.

The liquid at this stage is termed the wort, and it is the wort that is the main ingredient in the fermentation process. Prior to fermentation the wort is typically heated to boiling, and it is cominon at this time to add various flavoring agents, In traditional beers hops, herbs and other sugars may be included at this stage of the brewing process to provide additional flavoring or fermentable materials. Boiling inactivates enzymes, preciipitate proteins and aids in extracting and modifying flavoring compounds derived from added rnaterials (e.g. isomerization of hops resins) prior to starting fennentation.

The wort is next transferred to a fermentation vessel and ferrnentation initiated by the addition of yeast. Yeast converts sugars to atcohoi and carbon dioxide via glycalysis.
The amount of alcohol produced during fcrmentation dcpends on a number of factors, including the ty,pe of yeast, the amount of sugar in the wort, and the time and temperature -Pagc4-of fermentation. For lager style beers fermentation proceeds for 7-10 days, while for ales a shorter fermentation oi: 4-7 days is typical. Following fermenta.tion beers are usually stored for periods ranging from 7-21 days. During storage, yeast and other particulates settle out of the beer. The beer is then subsequently filtered and bottled.

In total, prior art methods of beer production require from 3-4 weeks to complete, and require a number of specialized pieces of equipment, especially for the malting of grain, mixing of the mash, the sparging procedure and for the storage of the product following fermentation. Each step in the brewing process requires time and energy. Thus it would be desirable to have a method that can eliminate some of the steps of brewing without adversely affecting the quality or quantity of the final fermentation product.

It is also desirable on occasion to produce "beers" that are not derived from cereal grains in order to avoid the inclt.Ysion of gluten in the finished product. Gluten is a complex of the proteins gliadin and glutenin and is commonly found in wheat, rye, oats and triticale.

It comprises up to 80% of the protein in the grain. In genetically predisposed persons, gluten causes an autoimmu.ne reaction that may in impairment of nutrient absorption as well as irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, a syndrome known as celiac disease. C'eliac patients are thus required to avoid source of carbohydrate that contain gluten.

Methods for the production of gluten-free beers have been described. For example, German Patent Application DEJ102005020639 (Werner et al.) discloses a method for producing brown malt fi-om gluten-free grains (e.g. millet, buckwheat, amaranth and/or quinoa) suitable for use in a brewing process.

Similarly, Canadian Patent Application No. 2,266,234 (Ragg et al.) discloses a method for producing a gluten-free beer using non-gluten containing grains such as buckwheat, sorghum or miltet. These non-gluten grains are prepared for use in a brewing process by the addition of saccharifying enzymes to convert the starches in the gluten-free grains to fermentable sugats. An analogous process is disclosed in Canadian Patent Application No. 2,268,506 (Ragg et al.) where atnylase and glucanase are added to a mixture comprising buckwheat and rice malt to produce a fermentable mixture.

Likewise, Canadian Patent Applica.tion No. 2,189,268 discloses a method wherein raw potatoes are treated with a strong mineral acid to produce an extract that is then treated enzymatically to produce a clear juice suitable for use in the production of a gluten-free beer.

However, each of these tnethods for producing gluten-free fennentation products requires stcps such as malting, or additional treatments above and beyond that required for regular brewing methods, such as acid treatment or addition of enzymes to break down starches.

Therefore, the production of gluten-free "beer" is generally more complicated than standard brewing techniques, and thus more costly and time-consuming.
Therel:ore, it would be desirable to provide a method of brewing a gluten-free fermentation product that avoided the need for additional chemical or enzymatic treatments, and which does not require a malting step.

Finally, traditional brewing methods usually include a storage or condition step during which time particulates are allowed to settle out of the fermentation product.
Such a step usually takes from 7-2 1 days, adding to the time and thus the cost of producing a fermentation product like a beer. It would be desirable to provide a inethod of brewing that does not require a storage or condition step following fermentation in order to reduce the overall time required for the entire brewing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It has now becn discovered that a natural protein concentrate, along with a carbohydrate source, can be used in place of malted grains in a brewing process to produce a fennentation product with some of the desirable qualities of beers made from grains. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of brewing that makes use of a natural protein concentrate in place of cereal grains to produce a fermentation pi-oduct suitable for consumption.

It has also bccn discoverel that the use of the natural protein concentrate avoids the; need for the malting, mash mixing and wort separation, steps typically used in prior art brewing methods that convert starches in grains to fermentable sugars so that the wort is suitable for fermcntation. Thus, it is an additional object of the invention to provide a brewing method in which the malting, mash mixing and wort separation steps are not required to produce a fermentable wort.

It has been still further discovered that the use of a natural protein concentrate obviates the need for artificially added yeasts nutrients such as di-ammonium phosphate or urea.
These nutrients are frequently added in the course of fermenting to improve yeast viability and proliferation rates. Thus, it is yet another object of the invention to provide a method of fermentation wherein the use of a natural protein concentrate replaccs diammonium phosphate, iarea or other artificial additives as yeast nutrients.
Conveniently, the natural protein concentrate may be produced from sources that are gluten-free. Gluten is a. protein typically found in grains like wheat, rye, oats and zo triticale. In persons who are gluten-intolerant, the consumption of gluten causes a gastrointestinal disorder known as celiac clisease. Thus, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a gluten-free fermentation product, suitable for use in producing alcoholic beverages that may be safely consumed by persons who are gluten-intolerant.

Thus, the overall objects of the present invention is to provide a method of brewing using a natural protein concentrate that removes the need for malting, mash mixing and storage steps during the course of brewing, to produce a fermentation product with many of the qualities of a beer brewed by traditional methods. This simplified method ofbrewir.ig for beer or malt reduces the time and equipment required for brewing, thus resulting in significant cost savings over traditional brewing methods.

Various flavorings and calorings known in the art of brewing may be combined with the fermentation product obtained by the present method.

Furthermore, the fermentation product produced by the method the invention can be made gluten-free if desired. The product so obtainect is thus suitable for blending with other components to pi-oduce a wide range of alcoholic beverages suitable: for consumption be persons suffering from gluten intolerance.

DESCRIPTION OF TtIE DRAWINGS

While the invention is claimcd in the concluding portions hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:

Fig. 1 is a flow chart detailing a prior art method for brewing a fermentation product;

Fig. 2 is a flow chart detailing the brewing of a fermentation product by the method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It has been recently discovered that cereal grains typically used in traditional methods of brewing can be repiaced by a natural protein concentrate, along with a source of fermentable sugar such as a corn syrup, to produce a wort suitable for use in a brewing 2o process. It is thus an object of the invention to provide a method of brewing that makes use of a natural protein concentrate in place of cereal grains.

The natural protein concentrate can be produced by either wet or dry processes known to those skilled in the art. Conveniently, the natural protein concentrate can be derivec( from a number of sources including peas, rice, soy, potatoes and the like. Other sourres of protein will also be readily adaptable for use in the brewing method of the invention, and thus the source of protein is not meant to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

In one aspect of the invention, the brewing method of the invention involves the mixing of the natural protein concentrate with a fermentable sugar such as commercially available corn syrup. The method of the invention is also well-adapted to use other fermentable sugars other than corn syrup, and thus the choice of sugar is not meant to limit the scope of the invention.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method of brewing that makes use of the natural protein concentrate and carbohydrate source and avoids the need for a malting step as part of the brewing process.

The combination of the natural protein concentrate and the fermentable com syrup replaces the malted grains used in traditional brewing methods. Malting is norma[ty required to convert the starches present in grains into simpler sugars that are fermentable by yeast to produce alcohol. Malting of grains requires the germination, then grinding, drying and sometimes roasting of the grain. Removing the need for malting would provide a significant advantage over traditional brewing methods in that the overall process would be simpler, and would avoid the need for specialized equipment required for malting.

In addition, by avoiding the use of grains, the present method likewise eliminates the need for mash mixing and sparging steps that are recluired to produce a wort suitable for fermentation. As mash mixing, and lautering steps are performed in separate vessels and at elevated temperature, the present brewing method provides a savings in terms of'time, equipment and energy expend:iture, thus simplifying and improving the economics of the brewing process.

Thus, the method of the present invention is simpler, avoids the requirement for the specialized equipment needed for malting, and reduces the time needed for the overall brewing process by eliminating the nialting, mash mixing and sparging steps.

Other components may be added to the wort in addition to the natural protein coneentrate and wrn syrup. In one aspect of the invention these would include commonly used flavorings like hop extracts, herbs, brewer's caramel and other additives well known to those ski]Ied in the art. Other embodiments would make use of other additives and flavorings or coloring well known in the art and suitable for preparing alcoholic beverages for consumption. The use of such added materials will thus be chosen based on the desired preference:s of the brewer, or of the consumer for which t.he fermentation product is being prepared The wort produced by the present brewing method is then heated to boiling and held at that temperature for a desired length of time. The boiling process is used to improve extraction of desirable components from the components of the wort, and is also operative to inactivate erLzymes and microorganisms that may be present in the wort, and whose presence is undesirable during fermentation and subsequent steps of processing.
The wort produced by the present method is suitable for boiling using staridard techniques.

The duration of the boiling step will be determined based on the degree of extraction desired, or the time needed to inactivate enzymes or microorganisms. Typically the boiling stage will take from 5-10 minutes, but it is expected that other boiling times may also be used effectively when practicing the present brewing process. Boiling may be performed in a variety of' styles of equipment, inclucling simple kettle, or more modem equipment that includes internal or extemai calandria, all of which arc common to the art of brewing.

Following boiling the hot wort is allowed to rest. The period of time may vary, but conveniently a time ranging from 0-30 minutes may be used. The resting step aliows settling out of solids frorn the boiled wort (e.g. coagulated protein - often referred to as "trub", vegetable matter such as hops or herbs). In one embodiment, a separate whi:rlpool vessel may he used for this stage of the brewing process.

Following boiling, and prior to the addition of the yeast, the wort is cooled in orcier to bring the temperature of the mixture to a temperature suitable for fermentation. Cooling times will vary depending on the volume of the batch., and the specific method of cooling used, neither of which are limiting to the operation of the present method.

For example, in onc aspect of the invention the wort is cooled to a temperaturc in the range of 8-lO C over a peri.od of 60 min. In other embodiments, the final tempei-ature and cooling rate may be ahosers based on the yeast strain used in fermentafion, ffie style of fermentation product to be produced, as well as factors that will be readily known and considered by a skilled brewer.

Fermentation of the wort is initiated by the addition of live yeast cells. The particular strain of yeast added will depend on the style of fermentation product desired, and will be known to one skilled in the art of brewing. In traditional brewing methods, yeast is added a concentration of 1.25 niiffion cells per mL per degree Plato. The Plato system is a measure of the sugar content in a wort commonly used by brewers, with I Plato eclual to 0.004 difference in specific gravity and corresponding to a sucrose concentration of 1%.
Using prior art methods of preparing fennented alcohol bases similar to that produced by the method of the present invention, a yeast pitching rate is typically ten-fold or more, or in the range of 20-30 million cells per mL per degree Plato is required.

Surprisingly, it has been discovered that using the brewing process of the present invention that the amount of yeast need to initiate fermentation may be significantly reduced from similar types of fermentations. For exampfe, in the present process, yeast may be added at of 1.25 million cells per mL per degree Plato and still result in the efficient fennentation of the wort. Thus, it is another object of the invention to provide a method of brewing that requires less input of yeast culture than would be required when practicing traditional methods of brewing.

In order to enhance the onset of fermentation and stimulate proliferation of the yeast, it is often desirable to dissolve additional oxygen into the wort. Commonly, oxygen at 16-20 parts per million is injected to accomplish this purpose. Other nutrients are also typical[y added at this stage. For example, it is common in traditional fennenting methods to add compounds such as di-ammonium phosphate or urea, which are effective as yeast nutrients, in orcEer to improve the rate of growth of the yeast culture during fermentation. It has been discovered that the use of the natural protein concentrate in the present brewing method obviates the need for these artificial additives. Thus, an additional advantage is provided in reducing the handling and materials required in the course of brewing when using the present method. Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a rnethod of brewing that by usitig a natural protein concentrate avoids the need for artificially added yeast nutrients.

In traditional brewing tnethods varying the temperature of fennentation will vary the properties of the resultant fermentation product. For example, in the production of' lagcr io beers, it is common to ferment a temperature of 12-15 C for 7-10 days, while for producing ale a temperature of about 20 C for 4-7 days is typical.

The present method is well-adapted for use at varying temperature and times in order to vary the nature of the resulting fermentation product. The precise time and temperature of fermentation will depend on the particular taste and character desired in the fermentation product. For example, shorter fermentation will result in a product with residual sugar and thus an apparent sweetness. In contrast, allowing fcrmentation to proceed to completion will result in a fermentation product with higher alcohol content, and a"drier" taste. In the present case, fermentation is allowed to proceed for the desired time, and at a desired temperature, both of which will be readily determined by the skilled brewer.

- Paoe 16 -In traditional brewing methods, it is nonnal following fermentation to include a storage step. The storage step typically lasts for 7-21 days. Surprisingly, it has been discovered that a fermentation product made using the brewing method of the present inventiori does not require a storage stel) prior to bottling or use in the formuiation of other beverages.
Thus, it is another object of the invention to provide a method of brewing that avoids the necd for a storage step following the completion of fermentation.

By using the method of the present invention and omitting the storage step a sipificant to economic advantage over prior art methods of brewing is provided in that the overall brewing process can be reduced from 1-3 weeks or more. An additional advantage is also realized in that the present method requires less equipment than traditional methods of brewing. Thus, using the present method a fermentation product can be obtained within about 10 days, as compared to 3-4 weeks when using traditional methods of brewing.

Thus, in one aspect of the invention the fermentation product produced by the present method can be immediately filtered and bottled following fermentation. If dtsired, carbon dioxide can be injected at the bottling stage to enhance the carbonation of the product. In another aspect of the invention, the fermentation product may be filtered and then used in blending with other components to produce various alcoholic beverages. In yet another aspect it is ariticipated that an unfiltered fermentation product might also be useful, and in those cases the fermentation product obtained by the present method could be used immediately.

The fermentation product resulting from the present invention is suitable for consumption as "beer" after the addition of hop extracts for bittering and aroma, as well as coloring.
Alternatively, the ferment:ation product may be used as a neutral base in the production of otlier alcoholic beverages. For example, it may be desirable to add other flavorings, coloring or other suitable additive or to blend the fermentation product with products derived from other processes to produce unique flavors and styles that are desirable to i o consumers. Thus, it is yct another object of the invention to produce a fermentation produce suitable for blending.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified method of brewing a gluten-free fermentation product. In traditional brewing methods, the use of cereals like wheat, rye, oats or triticaJe results in the inclusion of the protein complex gluten in the wort, and thus in the fermentation product. In those who are genetically predisposed to gluten intolerance, otherwise known as celiac disease, the presence of gluten in foodstuffs or beverages can have significant physiological ettects. In those sufferers, ingestioin of gluten causes an autoimmune reaction, leading to impaired absorption of nutrients, and in some gastrointestinal discomfort. Peisons with celiac disease are advised to avoid gi!uten containing Qroduets in order to avoid the sigiiificant health risks that attend this syndrome. However, this also means avoiding consumption of many products which are desirable, one of which is fermentation products such as beer.

Various methods of producing gluten-free beers have bcen disclosed in the patent literature. Typically though, they involve adaptations of traditional brewing methods to grains that lack gluten. For example, it is possible to use millet, buckwheat, rice, amaranth or quinoa to produce a malted product that is adaptable to traditional brewing processes. Alternatively, chemical and enzymatic treatment of non-gluten containing grains or potatoes has also been successful in producing extracts that can be included in l0 wort suitable for fermentation. However, each of these prior art methods require additional steps, handling or materials in order to produce a gluten-free fermentation product. Thus, they add to the cost and complexity of the brewing process.

In contrast, in the present invention the source of the natural protein concentrate may be conveniently chosen fror.n a non-gluten containing source. For example, peas, soy, rice and potatoes are all sources of natural protein that are adaptable to the present brewing process. Likewise, fermentable sugars derived from com will also lack gluten, and certified gluten-free hops are available commercially. Other common additives like brewer's caramel used for coloring can also be obtained gluten-free and user]
in the present brewing process.

When these components are combined and brewed using the method of the present invention, it is thus possibte to produce a gluten-free fermentation product.
T'nis gluten-free fermentation product is useful in the production of a gluten-free beer, or in blending with other gluten-free flavorings or additives produce a gluten-free alcoholic beverage.

Thus, in one aspect the present invention is a brewing method that provides a gluten-free fermentation product. In another aspect, the gluten--free fermentation product may be blended with other components to produce a variety of gluten-free or gluten-reduced alcoholic beverages.

l0 "I'he foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the inverition.
Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 1to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable changes or modifications in structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to faI] within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims