The invention relates to a bitter acids concentrate, method of obtaining the same and use thereof.

The invention relates to a bitter acids concentrate, method of obtaining the same and use thereof.

This method for producing a beer-tasting beverage is provided with: a step in which a starting-material juice is boiled; a step in which the juice, having been boiled, is cooled; a step in which a hop suspension, i.e. a mixture of hops and an aqueous solvent, is boiled, and a hop transpiration component is recovered; a step in which the hop suspension, having been boiled, is added to the juice during or after the boiling step; and a step in which the recovered hop transpiration component is added to the cooled juice.

A beer-taste beverage containing (A) γ-octanolactone, (B) 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), (C) trans-oaklactone, and (D) 4-ethylguaiacol, wherein the components satisfy the following (1) and (2): (1) a concentration ratio of the component A to the component B, A/B (ppb/ppb), is 0.009 or more; and (2) a concentration ratio of the component C to the component D, C/D (ppb/ppb), is 0.1 or more. In the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, rich sweetness and a smoky feel are given in an excellent balance, and off-flavors distinctively owned by the beer-taste beverages or a degradation odor generated with the change over time is masked (reduced), so that a new taste can be provided as a luxury product.

The present invention relates to novel applications of hop acids and formulations using hop acids. More specifically, the present invention relates to formulations comprising hop acids to stabilise or emulsify hop oils or other essential oils in aqueous media. We describe an aqueous emulsifiable composition comprising 0.01-5.00 wt % of at least one essential oil and 0.005-10.0 wt % of at least one hop acid, the balance being water. We also describe a method of stabilising or emulsifying an essential oil or mixture of essential oils. The method comprises mixing the essential oil or mixture of essential oils with at least one hop acid to form an essential oil and hop acid mixture and mixing the essential oil and hop acid mixture with water. We further describe the use, as an emulsifier, of a composition comprising at least one hop acid and beverages obtainable with the composition.

One embodiment of the present invention is a nested fermentation method for making a beverage, such as an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer, a wine, or the like, the method comprising the steps of: creating a first solution, wherein creating the first solution comprises fermenting first fermentation ingredients; creating a second solution, wherein creating the second solution comprises removing a first portion of alcohol from the first solution; creating a third solution, wherein creating the third solution comprises removing a first portion of water from the second solution; creating a fourth solution, wherein creating the fourth solution comprises adding second fermentation ingredients to the third solution and fermenting the second fermentation ingredients in the third solution.

One embodiment of the present invention is a nested fermentation method for making a beverage, such as an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beer, a wine, or the like, the method comprising the steps of: creating a first solution, wherein creating the first solution comprises fermenting first fermentation ingredients; creating a second solution, wherein creating the second solution comprises removing a first portion of alcohol from the first solution; creating a third solution, wherein creating the third solution comprises removing a first portion of water from the second solution; creating a fourth solution, wherein creating the fourth solution comprises adding second fermentation ingredients to the third solution and fermenting the second fermentation ingredients in the third solution.

A method for preparing hop extract emulsions is provided. One to two parts hop extract is combined with eight to nine parts diluent oil as an oil mixture. The oil mixture is heated until reaching a viscosity threshold when the heated oil mixture is combined with an emulsifying solution. The emulsifying solution includes an emulsifying agent dispersed in water. Upon combining the oil mixture and emulsifying solution, the emulsifying agent enrobes droplets of the hop extract. The combined oil mixture and emulsifying solution is mixed and homogenized.

A method for preparing hop extract emulsions is provided. One to two parts hop extract is combined with eight to nine parts diluent oil as an oil mixture. The oil mixture is heated until reaching a viscosity threshold when the heated oil mixture is combined with an emulsifying solution. The emulsifying solution includes an emulsifying agent dispersed in water. Upon combining the oil mixture and emulsifying solution, the emulsifying agent enrobes droplets of the hop extract. The combined oil mixture and emulsifying solution is mixed and homogenized.

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.