The present invention describes appliances for preparing and dispensing beverages, such as beers, featuring a transparent window that allows a user of the appliance to view the beverage in a chamber of the appliance as that beverage is being prepared. The chamber in which the beverage is prepared can be either an integral part of the appliance or a disposable chamber that can be removed and replaced with a new disposable chamber after one or more servings of a. beverage has been prepared in the disposable chamber. The appliances can have methods for cleaning the chamber, or the chamber can be self-cleaning. If the chamber for preparing the beverage is a disposable container, it may come with a concentrated beverage already prepackaged in the container, and the casing of the container can prevent oxygen and light from penetrating the container and affecting the concentrated beverage contained within.

The present invention describes appliances for preparing and dispensing beverages, such as beers, featuring a transparent window that allows a user of the appliance to view the beverage in a chamber of the appliance as that beverage is being prepared. The chamber in which the beverage is prepared can be either an integral part of the appliance or a disposable chamber that can be removed and replaced with a new disposable chamber after one or more servings of a. beverage has been prepared in the disposable chamber. The appliances can have methods for cleaning the chamber, or the chamber can be self-cleaning. If the chamber for preparing the beverage is a disposable container, it may come with a concentrated beverage already prepackaged in the container, and the casing of the container can prevent oxygen and light from penetrating the container and affecting the concentrated beverage contained within.

A method, and related apparatus, for producing beer from any types of grains includes activating phenomena of controlled hydro-dynamic cavitation during all the steps of the process, from mashing to hopping, and possibly after yeast inoculation. The present method and apparatus provide a number of advantages over traditional techniques, for example, avoiding the pre-crushing of the malts or the grains, thereby increasing the efficiency of saccharification and of starch extraction, and avoiding the boiling at equal efficiency of the hopping. Another advantage is the opportunity of causing the concentration of gluten to fall in the final product simply with controlled hydraulic processes through electromechanics, and of possibly extending fermentation.

A method, and related apparatus, for producing beer from any types of grains includes activating phenomena of controlled hydro-dynamic cavitation during all the steps of the process, from mashing to hopping, and possibly after yeast inoculation. The present method and apparatus provide a number of advantages over traditional techniques, for example, avoiding the pre-crushing of the malts or the grains, thereby increasing the efficiency of saccharification and of starch extraction, and avoiding the boiling at equal efficiency of the hopping. Another advantage is the opportunity of causing the concentration of gluten to fall in the final product simply with controlled hydraulic processes through electromechanics, and of possibly extending fermentation.

Provided herein is a method of improving the taste profile of a glucosylated terpene glycoside (GTG) comprising: a) mixing a malted cereal with a glucosylated terpene glycosides in water to form a GTG cereal mixture wherein the cereal comprises an amylase; b) adjusting the temperature of the mixture to a temperature sufficient to activate the amylase and for a time sufficient to form a mixture comprising glycosylated steviol glycosides wherein the average number of glucose units of the GTG in the GTG cereal mixture is reduced.

The invention relates to methods for preparing a beverage comprising at least 2 g/L β-glucan, wherein said β-glucans have an average molecular weight in the range of 80 to 200 kDa. The methods involve mashing barley kernels comprising at least 10% β-glucans and having a ratio of DP3/DP4 in said β-glucan of at least 3 in the presence of α-amylase and endo-1,3(4)-β-glucanase activity. The beverages have a viscosity providing a good mouth-feel, and at the same time they comprise β-glucans, which are able to aid in lowering LDL cholesterol levels. The beverages are generally stable and can be stored for months at room temperature without a significant decrease in β-glucan content.

The invention relates to methods for preparing a beverage comprising at least 2 g/L β-glucan, wherein said β-glucans have an average molecular weight in the range of 80 to 200 kDa. The methods involve mashing barley kernels comprising at least 10% β-glucans and having a ratio of DP3/DP4 in said β-glucan of at least 3 in the presence of α-amylase and endo-1,3(4)-β-glucanase activity. The beverages have a viscosity providing a good mouth-feel, and at the same time they comprise β-glucans, which are able to aid in lowering LDL cholesterol levels. The beverages are generally stable and can be stored for months at room temperature without a significant decrease in β-glucan content.

A process for preparing a cereal-based beverage, the method comprising: —providing malt or unmalted cereal grains; ˜mashing said malt or unmalted cereal grains to solubalize fermentable sugars therein the mashing comprising: —a first step wherein the malt or unmalted cereal grains are exposed to protease activity and optionally glucanase activity, the first step being carried out in a temperature interval A; —a subsequent second step wherein the malt or unmalted cereal grains are exposed to beta-amylase and alfa-amylase activity carried out in a temperature interval inhibiting the protease activity of the first step; —filtering the mashed malt or unmalted cereal grains to obtain a wort; —fermenting said wort to obtain the malt-based beverage; wherein the process comprises the addition of malt rootlets to the wort, characterised in that said malt rootlets are added to the malt or unmalted cereal grains during the second step of the mashing process at which protease activity is inhibited.

The invention provides a process of producing a non-alcoholic beer comprising the steps of: fermenting the wort with live yeast to produce a fermented wort; subjecting the fermented wort to one or more further process steps to produce a non-alcoholic beer; and introducing the non-alcoholic beer in a sealed container; wherein either the fermentation produces a non-alcoholic fermented wort or wherein the fermentation produces an alcoholic fermented wort and alcohol is subsequently removed to produce a non-alcoholic fermented wort or a non-alcoholic beer; and wherein the heated wort, the non-alcoholic fermented wort and/or the non-alcoholic beer is contacted with a hydrophobic silicate-based molecular sieve.

Flavour substances contributing to undesirable flavour notes in non-alcoholic beer can be removed effectively during production by contacting wort before or after fermentation with a hydrophobic silicate-based molecular sieve, provided the wort contains virtually no alcohol.

The present invention discloses a method for preparing beer having an ethanol content of 0-1.0 vol. %, comprising providing a medium having an ethanol content of 0-20 vol. %, which medium comprises restricted-fermentation beer; subjecting said medium to a distillation step, thereby reducing the quantity of one or more aldehydes selected from the group consisting of 2-methyl-propanal, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, 3-methylthiopropionaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, hexanal, trans-2-nonenal, benzaldehyde and furfural in the medium, and thereby also reducing the ethanol content, if present, to a content in the range of 0-1.0 vol. %. The invention furthermore discloses beer obtained with the said process.