This invention relates to the preparation and utility of proliferous polymer compositions comprising repeating units derived from (a) a monomer comprising at least one functionalized or unfunctionalized acryloyl moiety and at least one lactam moiety, (b) an optional monomer comprising at least one double bond, and (c) a at least one cross-linker.

Caffeine-adsorbing materials, caffeine-adsorbing systems, and decaffeination system suitable for removing caffeine from a solution; methods for removing caffeine from a solution; and methods of making the caffeine-adsorbing materials are described.

A method for reducing the concentration of smoke taint compounds in smoke tainted fermented fruit juice (e.g., wine) is described. The method can include removing volatile flavor and/or aroma compounds from the affected fermented fruit juice and then removing smoke taint compounds by contacting the affected fermented fruit juice with a resin that absorbs smoke taint compounds. After removal of the smoke taint compounds, the previously removed volatile flavor and/or aroma compounds are recombined with the remaining fermented fruit juice. Also described is an apparatus for reducing the concentration of smoke taint compounds in smoke tainted fermented fruit juice, as well as the reduced smoke taint fermented fruit juices themselves.

A method of producing beer having a tailored flavour profile is provided comprising the successive steps of: (a) fermenting wort containing fermentable sugars with yeast to produce beer containing 1-10 vol. % ethanol and flavour substances diacetyl; acetaldehyde; dimethyl sulfide; ethyl acetate; isoamyl acetate; ethyl valerate; ethyl hexanoate; iso-amyl alcohol and 2-methylbutan-1-ol; (b) contacting the fermenting wort or beer with porous adsorbent particles, selectively adsorbing the beer flavour esters ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl valerate and isoamyl acetate; (c) separating the adsorbent particles; (d) desorbing a portion of the beer flavour esters from the adsorbent particles; and (e) adding a fraction of the desorbed beer flavour esters to the flavour adjusted beer or to another beer, wherein the amount of beer flavour esters added is 5-95 wt. % of the amount of beer flavour esters removed by the adsorbent particles.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a method of preparing a modified distilled alcoholic spirit, comprising contacting a corresponding starting distilled alcoholic spirit with a base under conditions that cause at least one free carbonyl compound in the starting distilled alcoholic spirit to be reduced, to provide the modified distilled alcoholic spirit that has at an alcohol by volume (ABV) of at least 15%. Certain embodiments also provide a modified distilled alcoholic spirit prepared by the methods described herein.

A method of producing beer having a tailored flavour profile is provided comprising the successive steps of: (a) fermenting wort containing fermentable sugars with yeast to produce beer containing 1-10 vol. % ethanol and flavour substances diacetyl; acetaldehyde; dimethyl sulfide; ethyl acetate; isoamyl acetate; ethyl valerate; ethyl hexanoate; iso-amyl alcohol and 2-methylbutan-1-ol; (b) contacting the fermenting wort or beer with porous adsorbent particles, selectively adsorbing the beer flavour esters ethyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl valerate and isoamyl acetate; (c) separating the adsorbent particles; (d) desorbing a portion of the beer flavour esters from the adsorbent particles; and (e) adding a fraction of the desorbed beer flavour esters to the flavour adjusted beer or to another beer, wherein the amount of beer flavour esters added is 5-95 wt. % of the amount of beer flavour esters removed by the adsorbent particles.

The present invention relates primarily to a method for obtaining a volatile fraction from a juice and/or an alcohol-containing beverage, comprising or consisting of the following steps: (a) distilling a mixture of substances from the juice and/or the alcohol-containing beverage, wherein the distillation is performed by a spinning cone column; (b) contacting the mixture of substances from step (a) with a sorbent to obtain a loaded sorbent; and (c) contacting the loaded sorbent from step (b) with a liquid desorbent to obtain the volatile fraction, wherein desired ingredients of the volatile fraction are concentrated as compared to the juice and/or alcohol-containing beverage such that an addition of 0.1% by mass or less of the volatile fraction to any food preparation produces a perceptible odor impression and/or taste impression in a test subject.

The invention discloses a separation matrix with a porous solid support and a plurality of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer chains covalently attached to the solid support. The polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer chains are either vinylpyrrolidone homopolymer chains or copolymer chains which comprise at least 70 mol % vinylpyrrolidone monomer residues and less than 2 mol % negatively charged monomer residues.

A method of removing a phenol contaminant from a beer or wine comprising contacting the beer or wine with a surface comprising a phenol contaminant effective removing amount of a poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone).

In a clarification method for a beverage liquid, in particular for producing beer, the beverage liquid, after it passes through a fermentation stage, is subjected to a clarification which serves for removing active haze components from the beverage liquid, and fed to a maturation vessel in which the beverage liquid is stored for a maturation time. In a further method step, the beverage liquid is charged with at least one pectin-containing clarification agent for increasing a filtration performance. In this case it is provided that the pectin-containing clarification agent is introduced into the beverage liquid on the path from the fermentation stage to the maturation vessel and the pectin present therein, before the feed to the maturation vessel, is at least for the most part removed again from the beverage liquid.