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-methylpropanal, 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.

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-methylpropanal, 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.

It has unexpectedly been found that a low alcohol or alcohol-free beverage, with a flavor profile very close to a beer of at least 4% (vol/vol) alcohol, can be produced by using Pichia kluyveri yeast strains. In particular, Pichia kluyveri yeast strains only use the glucose in the wort, and have the ability of converting this substrate into a high concentration of specific flavor compounds, which are normally produced by Saccharomyces ssp. yeast strains used for the brewing of beer. In this way the Pichia kluyveri yeast strains can be used to produce either a low alcohol or alcohol-free beverage, depending on the glucose levels in the wort. The main flavor compounds produced by Pichia kluyveri in the fermentation of wort are isoamyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate and ethyl octanoate.

It has unexpectedly been found that a low alcohol or alcohol-free beverage, with a flavor profile very close to a beer of at least 4% (vol/vol) alcohol, can be produced by using Pichia kluyveri yeast strains. In particular, Pichia kluyveri yeast strains only use the glucose in the wort, and have the ability of converting this substrate into a high concentration of specific flavor compounds, which are normally produced by Saccharomyces ssp. yeast strains used for the brewing of beer. In this way the Pichia kluyveri yeast strains can be used to produce either a low alcohol or alcohol-free beverage, depending on the glucose levels in the wort. The main flavor compounds produced by Pichia kluyveri in the fermentation of wort are isoamyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate and ethyl octanoate.

A process of preparing a liquid hop extract suspension or a liquid hop extract is disclosed, comprising: (a) providing a hop material selected from hops, dried hops, hop pellets and combinations thereof; (b) combining 100 parts by weight of aqueous liquid with 1-20 parts by weight of the hop material to produce a hop suspension containing at least 95 wt. % water; (c) maintaining the hop suspension at a temperature of 8-40° C. for at least 1 hour to produce a liquid hop extract suspension; and (d) subjecting the liquid hop extract suspension to solid-liquid separation to produce a liquid hop extract and hop residue.

A method of producing a packaged carbonated low alcohol beer having an alcohol content of 0-1.5% ABV with the liquid hop extract suspension or the liquid hop extract is also disclosed.

A process of preparing a liquid hop extract suspension or a liquid hop extract is disclosed, comprising: (a) providing a hop material selected from hops, dried hops, hop pellets and combinations thereof; (b) combining 100 parts by weight of aqueous liquid with 1-20 parts by weight of the hop material to produce a hop suspension containing at least 95 wt. % water; (c) maintaining the hop suspension at a temperature of 8-40° C. for at least 1 hour to produce a liquid hop extract suspension; and (d) subjecting the liquid hop extract suspension to solid-liquid separation to produce a liquid hop extract and hop residue.

A method of producing a packaged carbonated low alcohol beer having an alcohol content of 0-1.5% ABV with the liquid hop extract suspension or the liquid hop extract is also disclosed.

Provided is a beer-taste beverage, comprising less than 0.07 ppm by mass of diacetyl, and 0.4 (v/v) % or more and less than 1.5 (v/v) % of ethanol, having an H.sub.2S content of less than 5 ppb by mass, and comprising 50 to 1000 ppm by mass of lactic acid, or 50 to 1000 ppm by mass of phosphoric acid.

Methods of preparing low alcohol malt beverages that include herbal compositions and that do not involve removal of alcohol to achieve an alcohol level of 2.5% or less are provided. In various implementations, methods of preparing low alcohol beverages can utilize biological approaches to limit alcohol levels in malt beverages containing herbal compositions. Herbal compositions can be selected to provide desired features to the low alcohol malt beverages.

Methods of preparing low alcohol malt beverages that include herbal compositions and that do not involve removal of alcohol to achieve an alcohol level of 2.5% or less are provided. In various implementations, methods of preparing low alcohol beverages can utilize biological approaches to limit alcohol levels in malt beverages containing herbal compositions. Herbal compositions can be selected to provide desired features to the low alcohol malt beverages.

Embodiments are directed to visualizing data using a graphical user interface (GUI) that may include a graph panel and a visualization panel arranged to receive inputs or interactions. A data model may be provided and displayed in the visualization panel. Input information that specifies portions of the data model may be provided to the visualization panel. Transform models may be determined based on the specified portions of the data model such that the determined transform models include a model interface that accepts the input information. The transform models may be employed to generate graph objects based on the data model, the input information such that the graph objects may be included in a graph model. Queries based on the graph model may be executed to provide results from the data model such that the results may be displayed in a visualization.