A high gravity non-alcoholic beverage is disclosed having an ABV between about 0.1% to about 0.8% or between about 3% to about 6%, a real extract by weight between about 15% to about 70%, and an ethyl acetate amount between about 1 to about 500 mg/l. A method for producing the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a starting liquid includes providing a set of reverse osmosis pressure vessels, each pressure vessel having a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, the set having a first pressure vessel, providing the starting liquid to the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel, adding water at a blend point when ABV content in a selected one of the permeate streams exceeds ABV content of a retentate stream at the blend point, and obtaining the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a selected one of the retentate streams.

A high gravity non-alcoholic beverage is disclosed having an ABV between about 0.1% to about 0.8% or between about 3% to about 6%, a real extract by weight between about 15% to about 70%, and an ethyl acetate amount between about 1 to about 500 mg/l. A method for producing the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a starting liquid includes providing a set of reverse osmosis pressure vessels, each pressure vessel having a feed inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, the set having a first pressure vessel, providing the starting liquid to the feed inlet of the first pressure vessel, adding water at a blend point when ABV content in a selected one of the permeate streams exceeds ABV content of a retentate stream at the blend point, and obtaining the high gravity non-alcoholic beverage from a selected one of the retentate streams.

Various systems and processes are directed to filtering organic compounds using nanoporous membranes and osmosis. In various implementations, the nanoporous membrane can be trained on one or more organic compounds such that the nanoporous membrane preferentially allows the one or more organic compounds to permeate the nanoporous membrane to the exclusion of other compounds. In some implementations, the nanoporous membrane is trained on ethanol such that the nanoporous membrane preferentially allows ethanol to permeate the nanoporous membrane to the exclusion of other compounds, such as water or other compounds or mixtures. In some implementations, the selective ethanol permeation of the nanoporous membrane may occur even where the other compounds have smaller molecules than ethanol.

Various systems and processes are directed to filtering organic compounds using nanoporous membranes and osmosis. In various implementations, the nanoporous membrane can be trained on one or more organic compounds such that the nanoporous membrane preferentially allows the one or more organic compounds to permeate the nanoporous membrane to the exclusion of other compounds. In some implementations, the nanoporous membrane is trained on ethanol such that the nanoporous membrane preferentially allows ethanol to permeate the nanoporous membrane to the exclusion of other compounds, such as water or other compounds or mixtures. In some implementations, the selective ethanol permeation of the nanoporous membrane may occur even where the other compounds have smaller molecules than ethanol.

Producing a dealcoholized beverage from its alcoholic beverage starting product and plant for implementing the method, which comprises the following steps: separating the beverage starting product into an alcoholic and aromatic permeate and into an aromatic and almost alcohol-free retentate in a permeation module by non-thermal permeation, dealcoholizing the permeate in a module intended for that task, and finally mixing the dealcoholized permeate with the almost alcohol-free retentate in a final-mixing module. Prior to the dealcoholizing, aroma compounds are removed from the aromatic and alcoholic permeate by cold adsorption in an aroma adsorber, resulting both in an aroma phase and in an aroma-free but alcoholic permeate which, however, has the alcohol removed from it by alcohol separation, resulting in an aqueous, largely dearomatized and dealcoholized permeate water phase. Final mixing of aroma phase, permeate water phase and retentate takes place in the final-mixing module to give a dealcoholized beverage.

Producing a dealcoholized beverage from its alcoholic beverage starting product and plant for implementing the method, which comprises the following steps: separating the beverage starting product into an alcoholic and aromatic permeate and into an aromatic and almost alcohol-free retentate in a permeation module by non-thermal permeation, dealcoholizing the permeate in a module intended for that task, and finally mixing the dealcoholized permeate with the almost alcohol-free retentate in a final-mixing module. Prior to the dealcoholizing, aroma compounds are removed from the aromatic and alcoholic permeate by cold adsorption in an aroma adsorber, resulting both in an aroma phase and in an aroma-free but alcoholic permeate which, however, has the alcohol removed from it by alcohol separation, resulting in an aqueous, largely dearomatized and dealcoholized permeate water phase. Final mixing of aroma phase, permeate water phase and retentate takes place in the final-mixing module to give a dealcoholized beverage.

An apparatus for reducing the alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage. According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a primary circuit through which the alcoholic beverage circulates, a secondary circuit through which an alcohol extracting liquid circulates, and at least one filter with a gas-permeable hydrophobic membrane, the filter being configured so that one of the sides of the membrane is in contact with the alcoholic beverage circulating through the primary circuit and so that the other side of the membrane is in contact with the alcohol extracting liquid circulating through the secondary circuit. The apparatus also includes an extraction and filling circuit configured to guide the alcoholic beverage from a container to the primary circuit and for guiding the alcoholic beverage, once its alcohol content has been reduced, from the primary circuit to the container.

An apparatus for reducing the alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage. According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a primary circuit through which the alcoholic beverage circulates, a secondary circuit through which an alcohol extracting liquid circulates, and at least one filter with a gas-permeable hydrophobic membrane, the filter being configured so that one of the sides of the membrane is in contact with the alcoholic beverage circulating through the primary circuit and so that the other side of the membrane is in contact with the alcohol extracting liquid circulating through the secondary circuit. The apparatus also includes an extraction and filling circuit configured to guide the alcoholic beverage from a container to the primary circuit and for guiding the alcoholic beverage, once its alcohol content has been reduced, from the primary circuit to the container.

A system for simultaneously preparing alcohol-free wine and high-alcohol liquor, comprising a primary membrane separation system and a secondary membrane separation system. An inlet of the primary membrane separation system is connected to raw materials, and a permeation side of the primary membrane separation system is connected to an inlet of the secondary membrane separation system; both the primary membrane separation system and the secondary membrane separation system comprise an organic matter preferentially-permeable pervaporation membrane. The method for simultaneously preparing the alcohol-free wine and the high-alcohol liquor comprise the following steps: feeding the wine produced by fermentation into the primary membrane separation system, ethanol and aromatic substances therein permeating the membrane in a vapor form to form a primary permeating fluid with alcohol content of 28-32°, and a primary residual permeating fluid being the alcohol-free wine with alcohol content of less than 0.5°.

Methods of separating components traditionally considered as waste material from mold-fermented compositions are described. The waste components can be separated either from unfiltered compositions or from a separation stream separated from a composition. In some embodiments, filamentous fungus used in the production of the mold-fermented composition is specifically targeted for separation. Incorporation of separated waste components into various products are also described herein. In some embodiments, the separated components are used in alternative meat products and other foods designed for human consumption. Separated components can also be used in animal feed, as feed stock for other fermentation processes, or for use in treating food, creating cosmetics, or chemical processes.