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.

The present invention relates to the unexpected discovery of a new strain of yeast, dubbed GY7B, which is related to, but genetically and phenotypically distinct from, Lachancea thermotolerans. The invention provides methods of brewing sour beer using GY7B, wherein the methods do not require use of lactic acid or lactic acid producing bacteria.

The present invention relates to the unexpected discovery of a new strain of yeast, dubbed GY7B, which is related to, but genetically and phenotypically distinct from, Lachancea thermotolerans. The invention provides methods of brewing sour beer using GY7B, wherein the methods do not require use of lactic acid or lactic acid producing bacteria.

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.

The present invention is directed to methods for making fermented beverages and other fermentation products including lactic acid and ethanol for fuel and the products produced therefrom.

Methods, compositions, and systems for fermentation, particularly large scale operations for production of ethanol and dried distiller's grain are provided. Addition of a transglutaminase source to a process stream aids in removing protein from the system in order to provide a high protein feed product and/or provide clarified backset for fermentation. Transglutaminase can be in reagent form or can be produced by microorganisms added to the process stream.

Provided herein are genetically modified yeast cells that recombinantly express a gene encoding an alcohol-O-acyltransferase (AAT) enzyme and a gene encoding a fatty acid synthase a subunit (FAS2) enzyme. Also provided are methods of producing fermented beverages and compositions comprising ethanol using the genetically modified yeast cells described herein.

Methods and systems for making refined fermented beverages, including neutral malt beverages, having reduced or negligible levels of organic acids, particularly acetic acid, relative to bright beer and other untreated fermented beverages. The refined fermented beverages are produced using a caustic dosing system to neutralize naturally-present organic acids typically present in untreated fermented beverages and convert them into their respective conjugate bases as salts. The salts of the neutralized organic acids are then removed or separated from the treated fermented beverage to form the refined fermented beverage.

The invention provides a hybrid ale strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and uses thereof.