Compositions and methods are provided comprising acetolactate decarboxylase (ALDC) enzyme variants having higher specific activity. Composition and method are provided where the ALDC variants are used in combination with metal ions to further increase stability and/or activity.

Compositions and methods are provided comprising acetolactate decarboxylase (ALDC) enzyme variants having higher specific activity. Composition and method are provided where the ALDC variants are used in combination with metal ions to further increase stability and/or activity.

Alcoholic spirits may be artificially aged under highly pressurized carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide may form carbonic acid, which may cause various esters to form in the presence of wood as well as to mellow the flavor when no wood is present. Wood may be pretreated with ozone, which may extract lignin which may further convert to vanillin during pressurized CO2 treatment, giving a vanilla note. After processing with pressurized CO2, a post-treatment of ozone may be given to the spirit, which may cause a mild oxidation and further mellowing of the spirit.

Alcoholic spirits may be artificially aged under highly pressurized carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide may form carbonic acid, which may cause various esters to form in the presence of wood as well as to mellow the flavor when no wood is present. Wood may be pretreated with ozone, which may extract lignin which may further convert to vanillin during pressurized CO2 treatment, giving a vanilla note. After processing with pressurized CO2, a post-treatment of ozone may be given to the spirit, which may cause a mild oxidation and further mellowing of the spirit.

Method for the production of a polyphenolic composition from barley malt, including the fundamental steps of: grinding of the malt grains and splitting into two portions, 20% and 80%; mixing each of the two portions with water to obtain an A mixture and a B mixture, the A mixture being prepared with the 20% portion to obtain a mixture of the malt in water at a final concentration between 9.5% and 20%, the B mixture being prepared with the 80% portion to obtain a mixture of the malt in water at a final concentration between 33% and 60%; thermal cycle; separation of the liquid component from the solid component; boiling of the liquid component and the addition of hops; rapid cooling of the wort; storage; in which said thermal cycle consists of a first phase and a second phase, in which the first phase applies to the 20% portion (Mixture A) and the second phase during which Mixture B is added to Mixture A. The relative polyphenolic composition obtained according to this method is characterized by the fact that it can be in liquid, powder, dry, and lyophilized form, its use and relative beverage or beer according to the present method not obtained with fermentation methods.

Method for the production of a polyphenolic composition from barley malt, including the fundamental steps of: grinding of the malt grains and splitting into two portions, 20% and 80%; mixing each of the two portions with water to obtain an A mixture and a B mixture, the A mixture being prepared with the 20% portion to obtain a mixture of the malt in water at a final concentration between 9.5% and 20%, the B mixture being prepared with the 80% portion to obtain a mixture of the malt in water at a final concentration between 33% and 60%; thermal cycle; separation of the liquid component from the solid component; boiling of the liquid component and the addition of hops; rapid cooling of the wort; storage; in which said thermal cycle consists of a first phase and a second phase, in which the first phase applies to the 20% portion (Mixture A) and the second phase during which Mixture B is added to Mixture A. The relative polyphenolic composition obtained according to this method is characterized by the fact that it can be in liquid, powder, dry, and lyophilized form, its use and relative beverage or beer according to the present method not obtained with fermentation methods.

Embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods of extracting liquid from empty barrels. In one aspect, a method includes heating a barrel with less than about 10 ml of free liquid disposed therein to expand pores in the barrel. The method further includes applying, after the heating, a negative pressure to an interior of a vessel in which the barrel is disposed, such that an amount of liquid is extracted from the barrel. The method includes collecting, after the applying, the amount of liquid within a collection container. In some embodiments, collecting the amount of liquid includes pumping the liquid through a tube that is disposed between an outer surface of the barrel and the collection container. In some embodiments, heating the barrel is via a heated blanket wrapped around the barrel. In some embodiments, heating the barrel is via placing the barrel in an oven.

A process for the accelerated aging and integrated flavoring of alcoholic beverages with selective control over the final flavor profile is described using size-reduced wood and plant-based biomass products in a rapidly-recirculating system at or above atmospheric pressure with the availability of gaseous, liquid, or solids introduction and accentuated by solids sonication and/or ultrasonically-enhanced alcoholic beverage homogenization and/or chemical reactions and with a much-reduced consumption of wood and plant-based biomass.

A process for the accelerated aging and integrated flavoring of alcoholic beverages with selective control over the final flavor profile is described using size-reduced wood and plant-based biomass products in a rapidly-recirculating system at or above atmospheric pressure with the availability of gaseous, liquid, or solids introduction and accentuated by solids sonication and/or ultrasonically-enhanced alcoholic beverage homogenization and/or chemical reactions and with a much-reduced consumption of wood and plant-based biomass.

A cask agitator for accelerating the maturation of a cask product. The cask agitator comprises a vibration generator with a fixedly attached magnet for removable attachment to a cask. One or more vibration extenders can be operably connected to a cask agitator to distribute vibration across a greater area of the cask.