WO2023281453A1 - A process and apparatus for producing a continuous flow of decolourised wort - Google Patents

A process and apparatus for producing a continuous flow of decolourised wort Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2023281453A1
WO2023281453A1 PCT/IB2022/056326 IB2022056326W WO2023281453A1 WO 2023281453 A1 WO2023281453 A1 WO 2023281453A1 IB 2022056326 W IB2022056326 W IB 2022056326W WO 2023281453 A1 WO2023281453 A1 WO 2023281453A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
continuous flow
resins
decolourised
flow
wort
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2022/056326
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Thiago Pedro ROSINI
Gabriel Gomes Da Silva
Gabriel Lengruber CARESTIATO
Luciano Renato HORN
Konstantin BELLUT
Pierre Adam
Original Assignee
Anheuser-Busch Inbev S.A.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
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Application filed by Anheuser-Busch Inbev S.A. filed Critical Anheuser-Busch Inbev S.A.
Priority to BR112023025898A priority Critical patent/BR112023025898A2/en
Publication of WO2023281453A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023281453A1/en

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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12C—BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION; PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER
    • C12C7/00—Preparation of wort
    • C12C7/28—After-treatment, e.g. sterilisation
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
    • A23L2/00—Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor; Their preparation
    • A23L2/70—Clarifying or fining of non-alcoholic beverages; Removing unwanted matter
    • A23L2/78—Clarifying or fining of non-alcoholic beverages; Removing unwanted matter by ion-exchange
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12C—BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION; PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER
    • C12C7/00—Preparation of wort
    • C12C7/28—After-treatment, e.g. sterilisation
    • C12C7/282—Concentration or beerwort
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12H—PASTEURISATION, STERILISATION, PRESERVATION, PURIFICATION, CLARIFICATION OR AGEING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; METHODS FOR ALTERING THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF FERMENTED SOLUTIONS OR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
    • C12H1/00—Pasteurisation, sterilisation, preservation, purification, clarification, or ageing of alcoholic beverages
    • C12H1/02—Pasteurisation, sterilisation, preservation, purification, clarification, or ageing of alcoholic beverages combined with removal of precipitate or added materials, e.g. adsorption material
    • C12H1/04—Pasteurisation, sterilisation, preservation, purification, clarification, or ageing of alcoholic beverages combined with removal of precipitate or added materials, e.g. adsorption material with the aid of ion-exchange material or inert clarification material, e.g. adsorption material

Definitions

  • the present invention provides a process and apparatus for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid.
  • a concentrated decolourised wort liquid is also provided.
  • a grain or mixture of grains is suspended in water so that enzymes in the grain may partially break down the starch in the grain to sugars.
  • the sugar-containing solution obtained is known as the wort.
  • the wort is boiled and the sugars are fermented to ethanol and carbon dioxide by the action of yeast.
  • the grain primarily used is malted barley. This can be mixed with other malted or unmalted grains, such as wheat, corn, rice, sorghum, cassava, and unmalted barley.
  • the only grain used is malted barley.
  • Concentrating wort can have a negative impact on its physical and chemical properties. For example, reactions may take place in the wort (such as the Maillard reaction) during concentration that darken the colour of the wort and increase certain flavours such as burnt notes and ester flavours. These changes are carried through to the final brewed beer and impact its colour, flavour and turbidity.
  • WO 02/04593 A1 discloses the removal of off-flavours during the production of an alcoholic beverage by using an adsorbent, such as an ion exchange resin or synthetic absorbent.
  • an adsorbent such as an ion exchange resin or synthetic absorbent.
  • EP 2 395 858 A1 discloses clarifying wort using ion-exchange resins.
  • the efficacy of many absorbents will decrease over time as the absorbent becomes loaded with filtered components.
  • the physical and organoleptic properties of the resulting filtered wort will also change over time as a result of the reduced efficacy of the absorbent. It is therefore desirable to provide a process that provides a continuous flow of treated wort that has a reduced and consistent colour as well as other consistent properties such as flavour and turbidity.
  • the present invention provides a process and apparatus for treating a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid that has a reduced and consistent colour as well as other consistent properties such as flavour and turbidity.
  • the process may further comprise a step of concentrating the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid and a concentrated decolourised wort liquid obtained by this process is also provided.
  • the present invention provides a process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid, wherein the process comprises:
  • the process may further comprise a step of concentrating the decolourised wort liquid to provide a concentrated decolourised wort liquid.
  • the present invention provides a concentrated decolourised wort liquid obtained by the process described above.
  • the present invention provides an apparatus for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid
  • the apparatus comprises: piping for providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid; an adjustable flow regulator for dividing the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid into first and second continuous flow portions and for adjusting the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions at a ratio varying over a time period; a controller for controlling the adjustable flow regulator; piping for the first and second continuous flow portions; a first system of decolourising resins fed by the piping for the first continuous flow portion, piping between an exit port of the first system of decolourising resins and the piping for the second continuous flow portion, for conveying decolourised first continuous flow portion and for combining it with the second continuous flow to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid, piping for the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid; and, a colourimeter for measuring the colour of the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid;
  • Figure 1A shows an embodiment of apparatus for a process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid (A); and, apparatus for concentrating a decolourised wort liquid (B); and, apparatus for replacing a used system of decolourisation resins (C).
  • Figure 1 B shows another embodiment of apparatus for the process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid, in which the first system of decolourising resins comprises two sets of identical resins in production for decolourisation arranged in parallel.
  • An optional second system of decolourising resins in regeneration which comprises at least one set of resins for replacing at least one of the sets of resins of the first system in production is also shown.
  • Figure 2 shows relative rates of flow over time of first and second continuous flow portions in an embodiment of a process of the present invention, with the ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing over time.
  • the present inventors have discovered that, by dividing an incoming coloured wort liquid into a first continuous flow portion and a second continuous flow portion, treating the first continuous flow portion with a system of decolourising resins and recombining the first and second continuous flow portions in a certain ratio, which is adjusted over time to account for the reduced efficacy of the resins as they decolourise the first continuous flow portion, a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid that has a reduced and consistent colour can be provided.
  • Other properties of the decolourised wort liquid are also reduced and consistent, such as its turbidity and the concentration of flavour compounds.
  • the process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid comprises:
  • the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions may be adjusted to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from at least 10:90, for example, at least 20:80, at least 30:70, at least 40:60, at least 50:50, or at least 58:42 over a time period.
  • the ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion may increase over the time period to a maximum of, for example, 95:5, 98:2, or 100:0.
  • the time period may be from 5 to 168 hours, preferably from 10 to 100 hours, more preferably from 13 to 60 hours, more preferably from 15 to 25 hours, for example 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 , 20, 21 , 22, 23, 24, or 25 hours.
  • the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions may be adjusted to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from 30:70 to 100:0 over a time period of from 10 to 100 hours, preferably from 40:60 to 100:0 over a time period of from 13 to 60 hours, more preferably from 50:50 to 100:0 over a time period of from 15 to 25 hours, more preferably from 58:42 to 98:2 over 18 to 20 hours.
  • the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions may be adjusted so that the relative rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion increases at a rate of from 0.25 to 18%/hr, preferably 0.7 to 7%/hr, more preferably 1 to 4.7%/hr, more preferably 1.2 to 3.33%/hr, more preferably 1.5 to 2.5%/hr, more preferably 1.75 to 2.25%/hr, for example 1 .80, 1 .85, 1 .90, 1 .95, 2.00, 2.05, 2.10, 2.15, 2.20, or 2.25%/hr.
  • the colour level of the decolourised wort liquid is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid, and may be constantly no more than 75%, preferably no more than 65%, more preferably no more than 60%, more preferably no more than 55%, more preferably no more than 53%, more preferably 48% to 52%, more preferably 49% to 51%, for example, 49, 50, or 51%, of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid.
  • the first system of decolourising resins may comprise at least one set of resins, each set comprising at least 2 resins arranged in sequence with respect to the flow of the first continuous flow portion, preferably each set comprising 3 resins arranged in sequence with respect to the flow of the first continuous flow portion.
  • Each set of decolourising resins may comprise at least one strong base anion resin and one weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow, preferably wherein each set of decolourising resins in the first system of decolourising resins comprises a first strong base anion resin, a second strong base anion resin and a weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow.
  • the first system of resins may comprise more than one set of resins and these sets may be arranged in series or in parallel, for example, the first system may comprise two sets arranged in parallel, each set comprising at least 2 resins. Each set of resins may be identical.
  • the first continuous flow portion is sub-divided so that it can flow through each of the parallel sets of resins simultaneously. The sub-division may be equal or unequal, and may be varied. The output of each set of resins is recombined into the first continuous flow portion.
  • the first system of decolourising resins comprises two sets of 3 resins, wherein the two sets are arranged in parallel and the 3 resins within each set are arranged in sequence with respect to the flow of the first continuous flow portion.
  • Each set of decolourising resins in the present embodiment may comprise at least one strong base anion resin and one weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow, preferably wherein each set of decolourising resins in the first system of decolourising resins consists of a first strong base anion resin, a second strong base anion resin and a weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow.
  • the strong base anion resins may be, for example, polystyrenic macroporous strong base anion resins, wherein the functional group is a Type I quaternary ammonium and the ionic form is chloride.
  • the weak base resin may be, for example, a hyper-crosslinked polystyrenic macroporous adsorbent resin with a weak base tertiary amine functional group in the free base form.
  • Suitable strong base anion resins include, for example, Purolite® A502PS, Purolite® A420S, Purolite® A503S, Purolite® A860S, or Purolite® SSTA64.
  • Suitable weak base resins include, for example, Purolite® MN100, Purolite® MN102, Purolite® MN152, Purolite® MN502.
  • Further strong base anion resins include Mitsubishi DIAIONTM SA10A, Mitsubishi DIAIONTM SA11A, and Dow® AmberliteTM HPR4100 Cl.
  • Further weak base anion resins include Mitsubishi DIAIONTM WA21J, Mitsubishi DIAIONTM WA30LL and Dow® AmberliteTM HPR9500.
  • the process and apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the decolourising resins discussed above and may comprise further resins.
  • the process and apparatus of the present invention may comprise a strainer guard resin for preventing blockages, which may be positioned at any point in the apparatus.
  • This strainer guard may be a Purolite® IP4 resin, for example.
  • the first system of decolourising resins has a maximum combined decolourising capacity. This is the measure of the combined ability of the resins to decolourise an incoming fluid.
  • the first system of decolourising resins has a maximum combined decolourising capacity that is effective to reduce the colour of the first continuous flow portion, for example by at least 40%, preferably by at least 60%, more preferably by at least 70%, more preferably by at least 80%. It will be appreciated that the combined decolourising capacity of the first system of decolourising resins will decrease from its maximum over time in use, as the resins become more saturated.
  • the present inventors have discovered that strong base anion resins are useful in reducing the colour of a coloured wort.
  • the use of two strong base anion resins in sequence provides exceptional colour reduction.
  • the use of a weak base resin has been found to remove certain flavour compounds. This improves the flavour and reduce malt notes in a beverage made using wort that has been processed according to the present invention.
  • the use of two strong base anion resins and a weak base resin provides exceptional colour reduction and consistency and improves flavour.
  • the coloured wort liquid is not particularly limited and may be derived from any grain, which may be malted or unmalted.
  • the grain is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of malted or unmalted barley, malted or unmalted wheat, corn, rice, oat, malted or unmalted sorghum, cassava, and rye.
  • the wort liquid is derived from barley and most preferably the wort liquid is 100% malted barley.
  • the coloured wort liquid may have a colour of from 6 to 15 EBC units at 12 °P, preferably from 7 to 12 EBC units at 12 °P.
  • the coloured wort liquid may have an original gravity of from 10 to 35 °P, more preferably 13 to 25 °P, most preferably from 15 to 19 °P. Additionally, the coloured wort liquid may have a turbidity of 3 EBC or less, preferably 2 EBC or less, most preferably 1 EBC or less.
  • the process of the present invention may provide a decolourised wort liquid having a colour of from 1 to 6 EBC units at 12 °P, preferably from 2 to 5 EBC units at 12 °P, more preferably from 3 to 4 EBC units at 12 °P, for example 3, 3.5, or 4 EBC units at 12 °P.
  • the coloured wort liquid has a colour of 6 to 12 EBC at 12 °P and the decolourised wort liquid has a colour of 2 to 5 EBC at 12 °P.
  • the improvement in flavour and reduction in malt notes may be the result of the reduction in the concentration of one or more of the following components in the wort: aliphatic aldehydes, octanal, heptanal, hexanal, nonanal, propanal, 2-methylbutan-1-ol, 3- methylbutan-1-ol, 2-methyl butyric acid, 2-phenylethanol, gamma-nonalactone, guaiacol, isovaleric acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, hydroxymethylfurfural and furfuryl alcohol. These components may be reduced by at least 70%.
  • 2-methylbutan-1-ol, 3- methylbutan-1-ol, 2-methyl butyric acid, 2-phenylethanol, gamma-nonalactone, guaiacol, isovaleric acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid and furfuryl alcohol may be substantially completely removed from the wort by the process of the present invention.
  • Figure 1 A shows an embodiment of apparatus for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid.
  • the apparatus comprises piping for providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid (101); an adjustable flow regulator (102) for dividing the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid into first and second continuous flow portions and for adjusting the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions at a ratio varying over a time period; a controller (not shown) for controlling the adjustable flow regulator; piping for the first (103) and second (104) continuous flow portions; a first system (111) of decolourising resins, comprising one set of resins (111a) in production for decolourisation, which contains three resins (105, 106, 107) fed by the piping for the first continuous flow portion, piping (108) between an exit port of the first system of decolourising resins and the piping for the second continuous flow portion, for conveying decolourised first continuous flow portion and for combining it with the second continuous flow to obtain the continuous flow
  • Figure 1 B shows an alternative embodiment, in which the first system (111) of decolourising resins comprises two sets of decolourising resins (111 a, 111 b) in production for decolourisation arranged in parallel.
  • Each of the two sets of resins (111 a, 111 b) may contain the same decolourising resins (105, 106, 107) shown in the set of resins (111 a) in Figure 1 A.
  • These two sets of resins (111 a, 111b) are in production.
  • An optional second system (112) of decolourising resins is in regeneration or on stand-by.
  • the second system of decolourising resins (112) comprises at least one set of resins (112a) for replacing at least one of the sets of resins (111a, 111 b) of the first system (111) that is in production. Accordingly, the at least one set of resins (112a) in the second system (112) may contain identical resins to the at least one set of resins (111 a, 111 b) in the first system (111) that it replaces.
  • the use of an optional second system is not limited to an embodiment wherein the first system contains two sets of resins in parallel and may be used where the first system contains one set of resins or more than two sets of resins.
  • the process of the present invention may further comprise a step of concentrating the decolourised wort liquid to provide a concentrated decolourised wort liquid.
  • the concentration process may take place at pressures below atmospheric pressure (i.e. under vacuum) and temperatures above room temperature.
  • the present invention provides a concentrated decolourised wort liquid obtained by the concentration process.
  • an evaporator (B) can have three falling film evaporators (201 , 202, and 203).
  • the concentration process may increase the total solids content of the decolourised wort liquid from a total solids content of 5 to 20%, preferably 10 to 15%, to a total solids content of 50 to 90%, preferably 65 to 75%.
  • the evaporators preferably concentrate the decolourised wort liquid at an absolute pressure of 120 to 300 mbar, preferably 200 to 250 mbar, more preferably 215 to 235 mbar.
  • the first two falling film evaporators (201 , 202) concentrate the decolourised wort liquid at a pressure of 220 to 230 mbar and the final falling film evaporator (203) concentrates the decolourised wort liquid at 150 to 175 mbar.
  • the decolourised wort may be concentrated at a temperature of less than 75° C, preferably less than 65° C, more preferably 50 to 64° C, more preferably 60 to 64° C, for example, 60, 61 , 62, 63, or 64° C.
  • the present inventors have discovered that concentrating the decolourised wort at a temperature below 65° C reduces or prevents the production of hydroxymethylfurfural, which commonly forms when sugar-containing compositions are heated. Hydroxymethylfurfural affects the flavor of the concentrated wort and may have a negative impact on the organoleptic properties of a beverage made using the concentrated wort.
  • the process of the present invention may further comprise steps to replace the used decolourising resins with a new system of decolourising resins, wherein the second system comprises the same resins in the same sequence as the first system of decolourising resins.
  • the resins that may be used in the first system are described hereinabove.
  • the second system of resins may be arranged in parallel with the or a set of resins of the first system of decolourising resins.
  • Replacing the resins allows the process of the present invention to operate continuously for longer with minimal interruption.
  • the replacement process may be performed when the decolourising capacity of the first system of decolourising resins has reduced such that the combined decolourising capacity of the resins is no longer effective to reduce the colour of the first continuous flow portion by at least 70%; and/or, when a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid having a colour level that is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid can no longer be provided (i.e. when the colour level of continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid becomes more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid).
  • the process for replacing at least one set of decolourising resins of the first system of decolourisation resins may comprise the steps of:
  • This process may further comprise a step of regenerating the first system of decolourising resins such that they return to their maximum decolourising capacity, which may be performed after or in parallel with steps (vi) to (viii) above.
  • steps (vi) to (viii) above Following the regeneration of the first system of decolourising resins, the following steps may be performed: (ix) diverting the at least a portion of the flow from the first continuous flow portion from the second system of decolourising resins to the first system of decolourising resins; and,
  • the process of the present invention may be performed ad infinitum with minimal interruption, thus improving the efficiency of the process and the amount of wort that can be processed in a given timeframe.
  • a second system of decolourising resins may be held on standby.
  • the second system of decolourising resins may comprise piping for the first continuous flow portion (301 ) (which can be connected to the piping for providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid (101) and the adjustable flow regulator (102)); decolourising resins (302, 303, 304) fed by the piping for the first continuous flow portion, piping (305) from an exit port of the system of decolourising resins (which can be connected to the piping for the second continuous flow portion (104)), for conveying decolourised first continuous flow portion and for combining it with the second continuous flow to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid.
  • Turbidity The turbidity of the wort liquid was measured according to the European Beer Convention (EBC) system of turbidity measurement. That is, a nephelometer is used to measure the scattering (90° & 25°) of visible light at 650 nm, as it passes through 1 cm of liquid contained in a standard 1 cm by 1 cm cuvette. The measurement is performed against a defined formazine standard at known EBC turbidity.
  • EBC European Beer Convention
  • a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid was provided from a brewhouse.
  • the coloured wort liquid was produced from 100% malted barley had an original gravity of 17° P, a pH of 5.2, a turbidity of less than 1 EBC, and a colour of 7 EBC at 12° P.
  • the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid was divided into a first continuous flow portion and a second continuous flow portion by a real-time flow regulator.
  • the first continuous flow portion was passed through a set of resins.
  • the set of resins contained a first strong anion base resin, followed by a second strong anion base resin, followed by a weak base resin in that order with respect to the direction of flow.
  • the second continuous flow portion did not undergo any resin treatment.
  • the decolourised first continuous flow portion and the second continuous flow portion were combined to obtain a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid.
  • the colour of the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid was measured using an inline colourimeter.
  • the data from the colourimeter were used by the real-time flow regulator to adjust the relative flow rates of the first and second continuous flow portions so as to provide a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid having a 50% reduction in colour compared to the colour of the coloured wort liquid (i.e. a colour of 3.5 EBC at 12° P).
  • the first and second continuous flow portions were combined by the real-time regulator in the percentages over time recited in Table 1 .
  • Figure 2 shows the data of Table 1 in a scatter chart.
  • the linear trend line of the first continuous flow portion which intercepts the y-axis at 58% (i.e. the starting percentage of the first continuous flow portion) has a gradient of 2.10, indicating that the rate of increase of the first continuous flow portion was 2.10%/hour.
  • the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid had a colour of 3.5 EBC at 12° P.
  • the decolourised wort liquid that was treated according to the process of Example 1 was concentrated to provide a concentrated decolourised wort liquid.
  • the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid flowed into an evaporation system with a falling film evaporator having three columns: two evaporator columns and a finisher column.
  • the wort passed through the first two columns three times each and the finisher column four times.
  • the concentration process increased the original gravity of the decolourised wort liquid from 16° P to 72° P.
  • T able 2 A comparison of properties of the concentrated decolourised wort of the present invention compared to the properties of a concentrated coloured wort (i.e. a wort that has not been processed according to the present invention) is shown in T able 2 below.
  • Table 2 Table 2

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Abstract

The present invention provides a process and apparatus for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid.

Description

A process and apparatus for producing a continuous flow of decolourised wort
Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a process and apparatus for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid. A concentrated decolourised wort liquid is also provided.
Background to the Invention
During the brewing process, a grain or mixture of grains is suspended in water so that enzymes in the grain may partially break down the starch in the grain to sugars. The sugar-containing solution obtained is known as the wort. Next, the wort is boiled and the sugars are fermented to ethanol and carbon dioxide by the action of yeast. When brewing beer, the grain primarily used is malted barley. This can be mixed with other malted or unmalted grains, such as wheat, corn, rice, sorghum, cassava, and unmalted barley. In an all-malt wort, the only grain used is malted barley.
It can be desirable to prepare the wort in one location, perhaps due to local grain supply, and then transport the wort to another location for fermentation and further processing. Transporting large volumes of liquid can be expensive and inefficient and, as a result, it is known to concentrate the wort prior to its transportation. Concentrating wort can have a negative impact on its physical and chemical properties. For example, reactions may take place in the wort (such as the Maillard reaction) during concentration that darken the colour of the wort and increase certain flavours such as burnt notes and ester flavours. These changes are carried through to the final brewed beer and impact its colour, flavour and turbidity.
WO 02/04593 A1 discloses the removal of off-flavours during the production of an alcoholic beverage by using an adsorbent, such as an ion exchange resin or synthetic absorbent. Similarly, EP 2 395 858 A1 discloses clarifying wort using ion-exchange resins. However, the efficacy of many absorbents will decrease over time as the absorbent becomes loaded with filtered components. In a continuous process, the physical and organoleptic properties of the resulting filtered wort will also change over time as a result of the reduced efficacy of the absorbent. It is therefore desirable to provide a process that provides a continuous flow of treated wort that has a reduced and consistent colour as well as other consistent properties such as flavour and turbidity.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention provides a process and apparatus for treating a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid that has a reduced and consistent colour as well as other consistent properties such as flavour and turbidity. The process may further comprise a step of concentrating the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid and a concentrated decolourised wort liquid obtained by this process is also provided.
In an aspect, the present invention provides a process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid, wherein the process comprises:
(i) providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid;
(ii) dividing the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid into first and second continuous flow portions;
(iii) adjusting the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions at a ratio varying over a time period;
(iv) passing the first continuous flow portion sequentially through a first system of decolourising resins, to obtain a decolourised first continuous flow portion;
(v) combining the second continuous flow portion with the decolourised first continuous flow portion to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid, wherein the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions are adjusted to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from at least 10:90, wherein the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion increases at a rate of from 0.25 to 18%/hr, whereby the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid is obtained having a colour level that is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid, based on colour levels quantified in terms of EBC units, as measured at 430nm as determined by the EBC system of colour measurement. The process may further comprise a step of concentrating the decolourised wort liquid to provide a concentrated decolourised wort liquid.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a concentrated decolourised wort liquid obtained by the process described above.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid, wherein the apparatus comprises: piping for providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid; an adjustable flow regulator for dividing the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid into first and second continuous flow portions and for adjusting the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions at a ratio varying over a time period; a controller for controlling the adjustable flow regulator; piping for the first and second continuous flow portions; a first system of decolourising resins fed by the piping for the first continuous flow portion, piping between an exit port of the first system of decolourising resins and the piping for the second continuous flow portion, for conveying decolourised first continuous flow portion and for combining it with the second continuous flow to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid, piping for the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid; and, a colourimeter for measuring the colour of the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid; wherein the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions are adjustable to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from at least 10:90, wherein the relative rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion increases at a rate of from 0.25 to 18%/hr, whereby the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid is obtainable having a colour level that is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid, based on colour levels quantified in terms of EBC units, as measured at 430nm as determined by the EBC system of colour measurement.
Brief Description of the Figures Figure 1A shows an embodiment of apparatus for a process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid (A); and, apparatus for concentrating a decolourised wort liquid (B); and, apparatus for replacing a used system of decolourisation resins (C).
Figure 1 B shows another embodiment of apparatus for the process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid, in which the first system of decolourising resins comprises two sets of identical resins in production for decolourisation arranged in parallel. An optional second system of decolourising resins in regeneration, which comprises at least one set of resins for replacing at least one of the sets of resins of the first system in production is also shown.
Figure 2 shows relative rates of flow over time of first and second continuous flow portions in an embodiment of a process of the present invention, with the ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing over time.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The present inventors have discovered that, by dividing an incoming coloured wort liquid into a first continuous flow portion and a second continuous flow portion, treating the first continuous flow portion with a system of decolourising resins and recombining the first and second continuous flow portions in a certain ratio, which is adjusted over time to account for the reduced efficacy of the resins as they decolourise the first continuous flow portion, a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid that has a reduced and consistent colour can be provided. Other properties of the decolourised wort liquid are also reduced and consistent, such as its turbidity and the concentration of flavour compounds. When the decolourised wort is concentrated, it has a reduced colour compared to a concentrated wort liquid that has not undergone the process of the present invention. The concentration of certain flavour compounds is also reduced in the concentrated wort. This allows a beverage having a desired colour and desired organoleptic properties to be made from the concentrated decolourised wort. A. Process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid
The process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid comprises:
(i) providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid;
(ii) dividing the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid into first and second continuous flow portions;
(iii) adjusting the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions at a ratio varying over a time period;
(iv) passing the first continuous flow portion sequentially through a first system of decolourising resins, to obtain a decolourised first continuous flow portion;
(v) combining the second continuous flow portion with the decolourised first continuous flow portion to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid, wherein the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions are adjusted to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from at least 10:90, wherein the relative rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion increases at a rate of from 0.25 to 18%/hr, whereby the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid is obtained having a colour level that is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid, based on colour levels quantified in terms of EBC units, as measured at 430nm as determined by the EBC system of colour measurement.
The relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions may be adjusted to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from at least 10:90, for example, at least 20:80, at least 30:70, at least 40:60, at least 50:50, or at least 58:42 over a time period. The ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion may increase over the time period to a maximum of, for example, 95:5, 98:2, or 100:0. The time period may be from 5 to 168 hours, preferably from 10 to 100 hours, more preferably from 13 to 60 hours, more preferably from 15 to 25 hours, for example 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 , 20, 21 , 22, 23, 24, or 25 hours. In particular embodiments, the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions may be adjusted to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from 30:70 to 100:0 over a time period of from 10 to 100 hours, preferably from 40:60 to 100:0 over a time period of from 13 to 60 hours, more preferably from 50:50 to 100:0 over a time period of from 15 to 25 hours, more preferably from 58:42 to 98:2 over 18 to 20 hours.
The relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions may be adjusted so that the relative rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion increases at a rate of from 0.25 to 18%/hr, preferably 0.7 to 7%/hr, more preferably 1 to 4.7%/hr, more preferably 1.2 to 3.33%/hr, more preferably 1.5 to 2.5%/hr, more preferably 1.75 to 2.25%/hr, for example 1 .80, 1 .85, 1 .90, 1 .95, 2.00, 2.05, 2.10, 2.15, 2.20, or 2.25%/hr.
The colour level of the decolourised wort liquid is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid, and may be constantly no more than 75%, preferably no more than 65%, more preferably no more than 60%, more preferably no more than 55%, more preferably no more than 53%, more preferably 48% to 52%, more preferably 49% to 51%, for example, 49, 50, or 51%, of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid.
The first system of decolourising resins may comprise at least one set of resins, each set comprising at least 2 resins arranged in sequence with respect to the flow of the first continuous flow portion, preferably each set comprising 3 resins arranged in sequence with respect to the flow of the first continuous flow portion. Each set of decolourising resins may comprise at least one strong base anion resin and one weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow, preferably wherein each set of decolourising resins in the first system of decolourising resins comprises a first strong base anion resin, a second strong base anion resin and a weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow.
The first system of resins may comprise more than one set of resins and these sets may be arranged in series or in parallel, for example, the first system may comprise two sets arranged in parallel, each set comprising at least 2 resins. Each set of resins may be identical. In the embodiment wherein the first system of resins comprises more than one set of resins arranged in parallel, the first continuous flow portion is sub-divided so that it can flow through each of the parallel sets of resins simultaneously. The sub-division may be equal or unequal, and may be varied. The output of each set of resins is recombined into the first continuous flow portion. In an embodiment, the first system of decolourising resins comprises two sets of 3 resins, wherein the two sets are arranged in parallel and the 3 resins within each set are arranged in sequence with respect to the flow of the first continuous flow portion. Each set of decolourising resins in the present embodiment may comprise at least one strong base anion resin and one weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow, preferably wherein each set of decolourising resins in the first system of decolourising resins consists of a first strong base anion resin, a second strong base anion resin and a weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow.
The strong base anion resins may be, for example, polystyrenic macroporous strong base anion resins, wherein the functional group is a Type I quaternary ammonium and the ionic form is chloride. The weak base resin may be, for example, a hyper-crosslinked polystyrenic macroporous adsorbent resin with a weak base tertiary amine functional group in the free base form.
Suitable strong base anion resins include, for example, Purolite® A502PS, Purolite® A420S, Purolite® A503S, Purolite® A860S, or Purolite® SSTA64. Suitable weak base resins include, for example, Purolite® MN100, Purolite® MN102, Purolite® MN152, Purolite® MN502. Further strong base anion resins include Mitsubishi DIAION™ SA10A, Mitsubishi DIAION™ SA11A, and Dow® Amberlite™ HPR4100 Cl. Further weak base anion resins include Mitsubishi DIAION™ WA21J, Mitsubishi DIAION™ WA30LL and Dow® Amberlite™ HPR9500.
The process and apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the decolourising resins discussed above and may comprise further resins. For example, the process and apparatus of the present invention may comprise a strainer guard resin for preventing blockages, which may be positioned at any point in the apparatus. This strainer guard may be a Purolite® IP4 resin, for example.
The first system of decolourising resins has a maximum combined decolourising capacity. This is the measure of the combined ability of the resins to decolourise an incoming fluid. The first system of decolourising resins has a maximum combined decolourising capacity that is effective to reduce the colour of the first continuous flow portion, for example by at least 40%, preferably by at least 60%, more preferably by at least 70%, more preferably by at least 80%. It will be appreciated that the combined decolourising capacity of the first system of decolourising resins will decrease from its maximum over time in use, as the resins become more saturated.
The present inventors have discovered that strong base anion resins are useful in reducing the colour of a coloured wort. In particular, the use of two strong base anion resins in sequence provides exceptional colour reduction. The use of a weak base resin has been found to remove certain flavour compounds. This improves the flavour and reduce malt notes in a beverage made using wort that has been processed according to the present invention. Thus, the use of two strong base anion resins and a weak base resin provides exceptional colour reduction and consistency and improves flavour.
The coloured wort liquid is not particularly limited and may be derived from any grain, which may be malted or unmalted. The grain is preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of malted or unmalted barley, malted or unmalted wheat, corn, rice, oat, malted or unmalted sorghum, cassava, and rye. Preferably the wort liquid is derived from barley and most preferably the wort liquid is 100% malted barley. The coloured wort liquid may have a colour of from 6 to 15 EBC units at 12 °P, preferably from 7 to 12 EBC units at 12 °P. The coloured wort liquid may have an original gravity of from 10 to 35 °P, more preferably 13 to 25 °P, most preferably from 15 to 19 °P. Additionally, the coloured wort liquid may have a turbidity of 3 EBC or less, preferably 2 EBC or less, most preferably 1 EBC or less.
The process of the present invention may provide a decolourised wort liquid having a colour of from 1 to 6 EBC units at 12 °P, preferably from 2 to 5 EBC units at 12 °P, more preferably from 3 to 4 EBC units at 12 °P, for example 3, 3.5, or 4 EBC units at 12 °P. In a particular embodiment, the coloured wort liquid has a colour of 6 to 12 EBC at 12 °P and the decolourised wort liquid has a colour of 2 to 5 EBC at 12 °P.
The improvement in flavour and reduction in malt notes may be the result of the reduction in the concentration of one or more of the following components in the wort: aliphatic aldehydes, octanal, heptanal, hexanal, nonanal, propanal, 2-methylbutan-1-ol, 3- methylbutan-1-ol, 2-methyl butyric acid, 2-phenylethanol, gamma-nonalactone, guaiacol, isovaleric acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, hydroxymethylfurfural and furfuryl alcohol. These components may be reduced by at least 70%. 2-methylbutan-1-ol, 3- methylbutan-1-ol, 2-methyl butyric acid, 2-phenylethanol, gamma-nonalactone, guaiacol, isovaleric acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid and furfuryl alcohol may be substantially completely removed from the wort by the process of the present invention.
Figure 1 A shows an embodiment of apparatus for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid. The apparatus comprises piping for providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid (101); an adjustable flow regulator (102) for dividing the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid into first and second continuous flow portions and for adjusting the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions at a ratio varying over a time period; a controller (not shown) for controlling the adjustable flow regulator; piping for the first (103) and second (104) continuous flow portions; a first system (111) of decolourising resins, comprising one set of resins (111a) in production for decolourisation, which contains three resins (105, 106, 107) fed by the piping for the first continuous flow portion, piping (108) between an exit port of the first system of decolourising resins and the piping for the second continuous flow portion, for conveying decolourised first continuous flow portion and for combining it with the second continuous flow to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid, piping (109) for the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid; and, a colourimeter (110) for measuring the colour of the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid.
Figure 1 B shows an alternative embodiment, in which the first system (111) of decolourising resins comprises two sets of decolourising resins (111 a, 111 b) in production for decolourisation arranged in parallel. Each of the two sets of resins (111 a, 111 b) may contain the same decolourising resins (105, 106, 107) shown in the set of resins (111 a) in Figure 1 A. These two sets of resins (111 a, 111b) are in production. An optional second system (112) of decolourising resins is in regeneration or on stand-by. The second system of decolourising resins (112) comprises at least one set of resins (112a) for replacing at least one of the sets of resins (111a, 111 b) of the first system (111) that is in production. Accordingly, the at least one set of resins (112a) in the second system (112) may contain identical resins to the at least one set of resins (111 a, 111 b) in the first system (111) that it replaces. The use of an optional second system is not limited to an embodiment wherein the first system contains two sets of resins in parallel and may be used where the first system contains one set of resins or more than two sets of resins. B. Process for providing a concentrated decolourised wort liquid
The process of the present invention may further comprise a step of concentrating the decolourised wort liquid to provide a concentrated decolourised wort liquid. The concentration process may take place at pressures below atmospheric pressure (i.e. under vacuum) and temperatures above room temperature.
In an aspect, the present invention provides a concentrated decolourised wort liquid obtained by the concentration process.
As shown in Figure 1A, an evaporator (B) can have three falling film evaporators (201 , 202, and 203). The concentration process may increase the total solids content of the decolourised wort liquid from a total solids content of 5 to 20%, preferably 10 to 15%, to a total solids content of 50 to 90%, preferably 65 to 75%.
The evaporators preferably concentrate the decolourised wort liquid at an absolute pressure of 120 to 300 mbar, preferably 200 to 250 mbar, more preferably 215 to 235 mbar. In a particular embodiment, the first two falling film evaporators (201 , 202) concentrate the decolourised wort liquid at a pressure of 220 to 230 mbar and the final falling film evaporator (203) concentrates the decolourised wort liquid at 150 to 175 mbar. The decolourised wort may be concentrated at a temperature of less than 75° C, preferably less than 65° C, more preferably 50 to 64° C, more preferably 60 to 64° C, for example, 60, 61 , 62, 63, or 64° C. The present inventors have discovered that concentrating the decolourised wort at a temperature below 65° C reduces or prevents the production of hydroxymethylfurfural, which commonly forms when sugar-containing compositions are heated. Hydroxymethylfurfural affects the flavor of the concentrated wort and may have a negative impact on the organoleptic properties of a beverage made using the concentrated wort.
C. Process for replacing the first system of decolourisation resins
Over time, the capacity of the resins to decolourise the wort may reduce as the resins becomes loaded with the components that they filter out. The process of the present invention may further comprise steps to replace the used decolourising resins with a new system of decolourising resins, wherein the second system comprises the same resins in the same sequence as the first system of decolourising resins. The resins that may be used in the first system (and therefore may be used in the second system) are described hereinabove. The second system of resins may be arranged in parallel with the or a set of resins of the first system of decolourising resins.
Replacing the resins allows the process of the present invention to operate continuously for longer with minimal interruption. The replacement process may be performed when the decolourising capacity of the first system of decolourising resins has reduced such that the combined decolourising capacity of the resins is no longer effective to reduce the colour of the first continuous flow portion by at least 70%; and/or, when a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid having a colour level that is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid can no longer be provided (i.e. when the colour level of continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid becomes more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid).
Once the resins have been replaced, the decolourising capacity of the resins is at its maximum and the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions can be reset to those used at the beginning of the process. The process for replacing at least one set of decolourising resins of the first system of decolourisation resins may comprise the steps of:
(vi) providing a second system of decolourising resins comprising at least one set of decolourising resins;
(vii) diverting at least a portion of the flow from the first continuous flow portion to the second system of decolourising resins, wherein the first and second systems of decolourising resins may comprise the same decolourising resins; and,
(viii) repeating steps (i) to (v) using the second system of decolourising resins.
This process may further comprise a step of regenerating the first system of decolourising resins such that they return to their maximum decolourising capacity, which may be performed after or in parallel with steps (vi) to (viii) above. Following the regeneration of the first system of decolourising resins, the following steps may be performed: (ix) diverting the at least a portion of the flow from the first continuous flow portion from the second system of decolourising resins to the first system of decolourising resins; and,
(x) repeating steps (i) to (v) using the first system of decolourising resins.
By regenerating the first system of decolourising resins, the process of the present invention may be performed ad infinitum with minimal interruption, thus improving the efficiency of the process and the amount of wort that can be processed in a given timeframe.
As shown in Figure 1A, a second system of decolourising resins (C) may be held on standby. The second system of decolourising resins may comprise piping for the first continuous flow portion (301 ) (which can be connected to the piping for providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid (101) and the adjustable flow regulator (102)); decolourising resins (302, 303, 304) fed by the piping for the first continuous flow portion, piping (305) from an exit port of the system of decolourising resins (which can be connected to the piping for the second continuous flow portion (104)), for conveying decolourised first continuous flow portion and for combining it with the second continuous flow to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid.
Examples
The invention will now be illustrated by means of the following examples, which are intended to explain the invention and in no way limit its scope.
Test methods
Colour- The colour of the wort liquids was measured according to the European Beer Convention (EBC) system of colour measurement. That is, a photometer or spectrophotometer is used to measure the attenuation of deep blue (violet) light at 430 nm, as it passes through 1 cm of liquid contained in a standard 1 cm by 1 cm cuvette. The absorption ( A430 ) is the log of the ratio of the intensity of the light beam entering the sample to the intensity leaving. This difference is multiplied by the dilution factor (D) and by 25 in the EBC system. EBC = 25 x D x A430
Turbidity -The turbidity of the wort liquid was measured according to the European Beer Convention (EBC) system of turbidity measurement. That is, a nephelometer is used to measure the scattering (90° & 25°) of visible light at 650 nm, as it passes through 1 cm of liquid contained in a standard 1 cm by 1 cm cuvette. The measurement is performed against a defined formazine standard at known EBC turbidity.
Example 1
Process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid
A continuous flow of coloured wort liquid was provided from a brewhouse. The coloured wort liquid was produced from 100% malted barley had an original gravity of 17° P, a pH of 5.2, a turbidity of less than 1 EBC, and a colour of 7 EBC at 12° P. The continuous flow of coloured wort liquid was divided into a first continuous flow portion and a second continuous flow portion by a real-time flow regulator. The first continuous flow portion was passed through a set of resins. The set of resins contained a first strong anion base resin, followed by a second strong anion base resin, followed by a weak base resin in that order with respect to the direction of flow. The second continuous flow portion did not undergo any resin treatment. The decolourised first continuous flow portion and the second continuous flow portion were combined to obtain a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid. The colour of the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid was measured using an inline colourimeter. The data from the colourimeter were used by the real-time flow regulator to adjust the relative flow rates of the first and second continuous flow portions so as to provide a continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid having a 50% reduction in colour compared to the colour of the coloured wort liquid (i.e. a colour of 3.5 EBC at 12° P). To obtain this continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid, the first and second continuous flow portions were combined by the real-time regulator in the percentages over time recited in Table 1 .
Table 1
Figure imgf000015_0001
Figure imgf000016_0001
Figure 2 shows the data of Table 1 in a scatter chart. The linear trend line of the first continuous flow portion, which intercepts the y-axis at 58% (i.e. the starting percentage of the first continuous flow portion) has a gradient of 2.10, indicating that the rate of increase of the first continuous flow portion was 2.10%/hour.
The continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid had a colour of 3.5 EBC at 12° P.
Example 2 Concentration of the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid
The decolourised wort liquid that was treated according to the process of Example 1 was concentrated to provide a concentrated decolourised wort liquid. Following the resin treatment process, the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid flowed into an evaporation system with a falling film evaporator having three columns: two evaporator columns and a finisher column. The wort passed through the first two columns three times each and the finisher column four times. The concentration process increased the original gravity of the decolourised wort liquid from 16° P to 72° P. A comparison of properties of the concentrated decolourised wort of the present invention compared to the properties of a concentrated coloured wort (i.e. a wort that has not been processed according to the present invention) is shown in T able 2 below. Table 2
Figure imgf000017_0001

Claims

CLAIMS:
1 . A process for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid, wherein the process comprises:
(i) providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid;
(ii) dividing the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid into first and second continuous flow portions;
(iii) adjusting the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions at a ratio varying over a time period;
(iv) passing the first continuous flow portion sequentially through a first system of decolourising resins, to obtain a decolourised first continuous flow portion;
(v) combining the second continuous flow portion with the decolourised first continuous flow portion to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid, wherein the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions are adjusted to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from at least 10:90 wherein the relative rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion increases at a rate of from 0.25 to 18%/hr, whereby the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid is obtained having a colour level that is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid, based on colour levels quantified in terms of EBC units, as measured at 430nm as determined by the EBC system of colour measurement.
2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions are adjusted to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from 10:90 to 100:0 over a time period of from 5 to 168 hours, preferably 30:70 to 100:0 over a time period of from 10 to 100 hours, preferably from 40:60 to 100:0 over a time period of from 13 to 60 hours, more preferably from 50:50 to 100:0 over a time period of from 15 to 25 hours.
3. The process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the colour level of the decolourised wort liquid is constantly no more than 75%, preferably no more than 65%, more preferably no more than 60%, more preferably no more than 55%, more preferably no more than 53%, more preferably 48% to 52%, more preferably 49% to 51%, of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid.
4. The process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first system of decolourising resins comprises at least one set of resins, each set comprising at least 2 resins arranged in sequence with respect to the flow of the first continuous flow portion, preferably each set comprising 3 resins arranged in sequence with respect to the flow of the first continuous flow portion.
5. The process according to claim 4, wherein the first system of decolourising resins comprises at least two sets of resins arranged in parallel.
6. The process according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each set of resins comprises at least one strong base anion resin and a weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow, preferably wherein each set of resins comprises a first strong base anion resin, a second strong base anion resin and a weak base resin in that order sequence in the direction of flow.
7. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the relative rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion increases at a rate of from 0.7 to 7%/hr, preferably 0.5 to 5.0%/hr, more preferably 1 to 4.7%/hr, more preferably 1 .2 to 3.33%/hr, more preferably 1 .5 to 2.5%/hr, more preferably 1 .75 to 2.25%/hr.
8. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coloured wort liquid has a colour of from 6 to 15 EBC units at 12 °P, preferably from 7 to 12 EBC units at 12 °P.
9. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coloured wort liquid has an original gravity of from 10 to 35 °P, more preferably 13 to 25 °P, most preferably from 15 to 19 °P.
10. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the decolourised wort liquid has a colour of from 1 to 6 EBC units at 12 °P, preferably from 2 to 5 EBC units at 12 °P.
11. The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the process further comprises a process for replacing at least one set of decolourising resins of the first system of decolourisation resins comprising the steps of:
(vi) providing a second system of decolourising resins comprising at least one set of decolourising resins;
(vii) diverting at least a portion of the flow from the first continuous flow portion to the second system of decolourising resins; and,
(viii) repeating steps (i) to (v) using the second system of decolourising resins.
12. The process according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a step of concentrating the decolourised wort liquid to provide a concentrated decolourised wort liquid.
13. A concentrated decolourised wort liquid obtained by the process of claim 12.
14. Apparatus for treating a continuous flow of a coloured wort liquid to provide a continuous flow of a decolourised wort liquid, wherein the apparatus comprises: piping for providing a continuous flow of coloured wort liquid; an adjustable flow regulator for dividing the continuous flow of coloured wort liquid into first and second continuous flow portions and for adjusting the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions at a ratio varying over a time period; a controller for controlling the adjustable flow regulator; piping for the first and second continuous flow portions; a first system of decolourising resins fed by the piping for the first continuous flow portion, piping between an exit port of the first system of decolourising resins and the piping for the second continuous flow portion, for conveying decolourised first continuous flow portion and for combining it with the second continuous flow to obtain the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid, piping for the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid; and, a colourimeter for measuring the colour of the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid; wherein the relative rates of flow of the first and second continuous flow portions are adjustable to provide a ratio of the rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion to the rate of flow of the second continuous flow portion increasing from 10:90, wherein the relative rate of flow of the first continuous flow portion increases at a rate of from 0.25 to 18%/hr, whereby the continuous flow of decolourised wort liquid is obtainable having a colour level that is no more than 85% of the colour level of the coloured wort liquid, based on colour levels quantified in terms of EBC units, as measured at 430nm as determined by the EBC system of colour measurement.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the apparatus further comprises an evaporator for concentrating the decolourised wort liquid to provide a concentrated decolourised wort liquid, preferably wherein the evaporator is a falling film evaporator.
PCT/IB2022/056326 2021-07-09 2022-07-08 A process and apparatus for producing a continuous flow of decolourised wort WO2023281453A1 (en)

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EP0601362A1 (en) * 1992-11-25 1994-06-15 Cultor Ltd. Process for the production of non-alcoholic beer and device for effecting this process
WO2002004593A1 (en) 2000-07-11 2002-01-17 Sapporo Breweries Limited Process for producing malt alcoholic drink
EP2395858A1 (en) 2009-02-13 2011-12-21 Harboes Bryggeri A/S Method for producing clear and soluble cereal-based extract
US20180116254A1 (en) * 2016-10-27 2018-05-03 Red Bull Gmbh Pasteurization plant having an ion exchange device and method of operating a pasteurization plant

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0601362A1 (en) * 1992-11-25 1994-06-15 Cultor Ltd. Process for the production of non-alcoholic beer and device for effecting this process
WO2002004593A1 (en) 2000-07-11 2002-01-17 Sapporo Breweries Limited Process for producing malt alcoholic drink
US7135200B2 (en) * 2000-07-11 2006-11-14 Sapporo Breweries Limited Process for producing malt alcoholic drink
EP2395858A1 (en) 2009-02-13 2011-12-21 Harboes Bryggeri A/S Method for producing clear and soluble cereal-based extract
EP2395858B1 (en) * 2009-02-13 2017-10-04 Harboes Bryggeri A/S Method for producing clear and soluble cereal-based extract
US20180116254A1 (en) * 2016-10-27 2018-05-03 Red Bull Gmbh Pasteurization plant having an ion exchange device and method of operating a pasteurization plant

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