Method for Creating a Craft Beer with Low Alcohol Content

Abstract

The present invention relates primarily to craft beer, specifically the creation of a method to create flavorful non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic versions of virtually any style of craft beer. It also relates to craft distilled spirits, primarily craft whiskey. Additionally, it relates to the creation of other non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic versions of other beverages such as wine (including grape or other fruit) or cider, and other craft distilled spirits such as brandy and vodka

Claims

1. A method for making craft beer of less than 3.5% alcohol by volume, comprising (a) brewing and fermenting a first wort, creating a first beer; (b) distilling the first beer, producing a distillate and a backset; (c) brewing a second wort, which, when fermented, will create a beer of 3.5% alcohol by volume or less when diluted with the backset; (d) combining the backset and the second wort; (e) fermenting the backset and the second wort combination, creating a combined beer; (f) finishing the combined beer using standard brewing techniques.

2. A method for making craft beer of less than 3.5% alcohol by volume, comprising (a) brewing and fermenting a first wort, creating a first beer; (b) distilling the first beer, producing a distillate and a backset;; (c) re-fermenting the backset; (d) brewing a second wort, which, when fermented, will create a beer of 3.5% alcohol by volume or less when diluted with the backset; (f) fermenting the second wort; (e) combining the re-fermented backset and the fermented second wort, creating a combined beer; (g) finishing the combined beer using standard brewing techniques.

3. The method of claim 1, where the distillate is combined with the distillate of multiple such distillations; then distilled a second time in a pot still; and the result of said second distillation is finished, aged, and packaged as whiskey.

4. The method of claim 1, where the distillate is re-distilled using column distillation or multiple distillations to create a distilled alcoholic beverage other than whiskey.

5. The method of claim 1, where the first beer is distilled by heating it to boiling in a still to remove the alcohol via evaporation, and collecting the evaporated vapors by cooling and condensing them.

6. The method of claim 1, where the first beer is distilled by vacuum distillation.

7. The method of claim 1, where the first beer has its alcohol removed by reverse osmosis.

8. A method of re-using a backset from making whiskey, comprising (a) making a beer for whiskey production, fermenting it, and performing a stripping run on it; (b) re-using the backset from the stripping run as an ingredient in a beer of 3.5% or less alcoholic content, by re-fermenting said backset.

9. The method of claim 8, where the re-fermented backset is combined with a fermented second beer after re-fermentation, where the combination is 3.5% ABV or less.

10. The method of claim 8, where the re-fermented backset is combined with a second beer prior to re-fermentation, where the result of the fermentation is a beer of 3.5% ABV or less.

11. A method of making a fermented alcoholic beverage with low alcoholic content, comprising (a) making a first fermented alcoholic beverage; (b) removing some or all of the alcohol from such first fermented alcoholic beverage; (c) making a second fermented alcoholic beverage; (d) combining the first fermented alcoholic beverage after the alcohol is removed in step (b), with the second fermented alcoholic beverage, and fermenting the combination; (e) finishing or aging the fermented, combined beverage.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0077] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a typical craft beer-making process.

[0078] FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic representation of a typical craft distilled spirit making process.

[0079] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the core process for making non-alcoholic or low-alcoholic craft beer.

[0080] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example method A of implementing the invention that included an ethanol distillation methodology as the Alcohol Removal Process.

[0081] FIG. 5 is an illustration of an example alternate method B of implementing the invention where a distillation is not included in the process.

[0082] FIG. 6 is an illustration of an example alternate method C, which shows a method of implementing the invention wherein the wort for the base and flavor are done simultaneously.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0083] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example embodiment A of the invention, and will be referenced throughout this section. This embodiment combines the process of making an NA/LA beer with the process of making whiskey; both products are produced with little additional marginal effort compared to producing either one separately.

[0084] Base Beer. The first step in the embodiment is to create a Base Wort (FIG. 4, step 1). This wort is created like a standard craft beer wort, but it will include only a subset of the ingredients for the beer. The Base Beer will typically include the Base Malts, or the malts that create most of the Gravity of the final Combined Beer, but contribute only some of the flavors. There is an Original Gravity of the Base Beer, OG.sub.B that is calculated in the same manner as the OG of normal beer, including only the ingredients in the base beer:

[00011]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{OG}}_B=1+\frac{\underset{i=1}{\overset{n}{.Math.}}{W}_i*{\mathrm{GPG}}_i}{V_B}& \left(19\right)\end{array}$

Where

[0085] W.sub.i=Weight of the i.sup.th Base Beer ingredient [0086] GPG.sub.i=Gravity per Pound per Gallon of the i.sup.th Base Beer ingredient including efficiencies [0087] V.sub.B=Volume of the Base Wort after boiling [0088] n=Number of Ingredients in Base Beer

[0089] In addition, the volume for the base beer is adjusted so that the overall volume of the combined beer will be what is desired. The base beer volume can be set to many values, but is typically set so that the gravities for both the base beer and the flavor beer are reasonable (less than 1.070 typically, but can be higher or lower).

[0090] Yeast is prepared in a standard way (FIG. 4, step 2). The Base Wort is then transferred to a fermenting vessel, and yeast is added to it. Base Fermentation (FIG. 4, step 3) then begins, and the sugars are converted to alcohol. We assume a maximum attenuation, so the fermentation will go on until the attenuation is reached. For the base beer, we will use the alternate equation for estimating ABV, as the base beer will tend to be higher in alcohol and thus the alternate will be more accurate.

[00012]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{ABV}}_B=\left(76.08*A_M*\frac{{\Sigma }_n^1{W}_k*{\mathrm{GPG}}_k}{V_B*0.775-{\Sigma }_n^1{W}_k*{\mathrm{GPG}}_k)}\right)*\left(\frac{1+\left(1-A_M\right)*\frac{{\Sigma }_n^1{W}_k*{\mathrm{GPG}}_k}{V_B}}{0.794}\right)& \left(20\right)\end{array}$

[0091] This is the maximum ABV, as AM is the maximum expected attenuation.

[0092] It is important that the Base Beer is fully attenuated. That is, all of the fermentable sugars have been converted to ethanol. Otherwise, additional attenuation may occur during the combined fermentation, which will throw off the ABV calculations for the combined beer. It may be necessary to leave the Base Beer in the fermenter longer, or even introduce additional yeast so that the attenuation is reached.

[0093] As the fermentation comes to an end, a large percentage of the yeast tend to fall to the bottom of the fermenter. They are still living for the most part. In a typical application of this embodiment, the yeast is gathered from the fermenter and ‘washed,’ which is a brewing term for running clean, sterilized water through the yeast in order to cleanse it of any non-yeast material. This results in an amount of yeast that can be re-used, and is typically used for the Combined Ferment (FIG. 4, step 7), though this is not necessary, as fresh yeast can be introduced at that point.

[0094] The Base Beer is now ready for alcohol removal (FIG. 4, step 5). Though this can be accomplished in any way desired, including vacuum evaporation or reverse osmosis, an example method is via a distillation process. An example method is to perform a stripping run identical to that done in a craft spirits methodology. In this way, the amount of ethanol left in the beer can be reduced to any arbitrarily small level, simply by letting the evaporation/distillation process go on long enough.

[0095] The ethanol that is evaporated off will typically be distilled back down into liquid form (FIG. 4, step 12), although it may also be simply discharged into the air, for instance. This distillate will largely be ethanol and water. Only trace amounts of other components end up in the distillate. This process is described below.

[0096] An important measurement in the process described herein is the amount of alcohol remaining in the base beer. This has a direct impact on the amount of ethanol in the final, combined beer. The preferred method for deciding when the AR process is complete is to use equipment that can precisely measure ethanol in a fluid. When the stillage reaches the target amount, the distillation ends. There are multiple such pieces of equipment available for sale in the market. Alternatively, other methods can be used to closely estimate the ethanol left in the Base Liquor, such as boiling point of the liquid.

[0097] In parallel with Alcohol Removal, the flavor wort can be made (FIG. 4, step 6). It can be made with the same basic process as a normal wort, by boiling extracted sugars from malts (gathered either through commercial malt extract or mashing grains), hops, adjuncts such as oats, flaked wheat, crystal malts, fruits, and virtually any other flavoring. The constraint on this is that the Original Gravity of the Flavor Wort should be such that it will produce no more alcohol than is desired. For a non-alcoholic malt beverage, that must be less than 0.5% of the final volume, taking into account any leftover alcohol from the Base Beer. For a low-alcohol beer, it must be designed to have the combined beer have the desired amount. This is discussed in detail below.

[0098] The Original Gravity of the Flavor Wort is calculated in an identical manner as any Original Gravity:

[00013]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{OG}}_F=1+\frac{\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{.Math.}}{W}_j*{\mathrm{GPG}}_j}{V_F}& \left(21\right)\end{array}$

Where

[0099] W.sub.j=Weight of the j.sup.th Flavor Beer ingredient [0100] GPG.sub.j=Gravity per Pound per Gallon of the j.sup.th Flavor Beer ingredient, including efficiency [0101] V.sub.F=Volume of the Flavor Wort after boiling [0102] m=Number of Ingredients in Flavor Beer

[0103] Once the flavor wort is boiled down to its desired volume, it is then combined with yeast and the Base Liquor (the Base Beer with alcohol removed). An example method is to use the yeast as washed from the base ferment (FIG. 4, step4), but it can be fresh yeast, a different strain of yeast, or anything the brewer believes meets the needs of the overall beer.

[0104] This is now a Combined Beer, and it goes through a Combined Ferment (FIG. 4, step 7). During this ferment, the yeast will ferment the sugars from the flavor beer.

[0105] Once the Combined Ferment is complete, the Combined Beer goes into a Conditioning process (FIG. 4, step 8). This is identical to a standard beer brewing conditioning process. The Combined Condition is the time where additional flavors can be added, again in an identical manner as a standard beer. This is especially where the Dry Hop can occur, which adds flavors which are unique to specific craft beers and so are critical to creating flavorful beers that craft beer drinkers have come to expect.

[0106] The Combined Ferment/Combined Condition continues until the brewer decides to stop fermentation for any reason, such as that the Combined Beer has reached its desired alcohol limit, it has reached its desired flavor, or any other reason the brewer deems sufficient.

[0107] The Combined Beer is ready for clarification and carbonation (FIG. 4, step 10), and packaging (FIG. 4, step 11) in a similar manner to that of a standard craft beer.

[0108] In this example method, the ethanol removed from the Base Beer can be used to make craft distilled spirits. In the case of beer, it can be Malt Whiskey, if the base beer is made from primarily malted barley, which it will be in the majority of cases.

[0109] The alcohol removal process example implementation (FIG. 4, step 5) is heating the base beer up to boiling, and slowly boiling the fluid— precisely the first step in the distillation process in making craft distilled spirits. The steam from the boil carries away the ethanol, and makes the base beer's ABV drop to the point where the brewer needs it to be. That steam can be cooled and condensed (FIG. 4, step 12). The combination of the Alcohol Removal and Condensing stages is identical to a stripping run in making craft malt whiskey, and thus produces Low Wines. From this, the process to create the craft malt whiskey is identical to the standard procedure described in the background: The low wines can be stored and multiple batches mixed together (FIG. 4, step 13), the mixed low wines can be run through a still to produce the raw malt whiskey (FIG. 4, step 14), the raw whiskey aged and flavored (FIG. 4, step 15), and then packaged for sale (FIG. 4, step 16).

[0110] There are differences between a typical malt whiskey and a malt whiskey made with this process. A base beer is made primarily from base malts, just like a malt whiskey, but those malts may very well be different from those used to make malt whiskey. Some base malts used for beer are not typically used for whiskey, such as Munich or Vienna malts. The yeasts used to produce a base beer will not likely be the same yeasts used to ferment for malt whiskey, and different types of yeast produce different flavors. In some cases, a base beer will contain crystal malts or other darker malts that again are not used in the typical whiskey. And the base wort is boiled, which might or might not be the case for a whiskey wort. These differences will add up to a taste difference. However, all of these differences are well within the bounds of making craft whiskey.

[0111] An example method is described above. Many other methods using a two-wort, two-fermentation process are possible. Two alternate example methods are described below.

[0112] The first of these alternate methods, called Method B, can be used when a distillation is not possible or necessary. FIG. 5 shows the flow of this method.

[0113] The creation of the Base Wort, through the Base Ferment, is identical to the preferred method. The Flavor Wort creation is a bit different. The brewer can still select the same grains, grind them the same, and mash/sparge them the same. The difference is in how the Alcohol Removal is done, and how the Flavor Boil is done. These two steps are combined in Method B. The Base Beer, after being fermented, is combined with the un-boiled Flavor Wort, and the two are boiled together. This has the effect of removing the alcohol from the base beer (and the boil must be long and vigorous enough to complete that process), at the same time as boiling the flavor wort. Hops are added to this boil at the appropriate times. The combined wort then is cooled and fermented together, accomplishing the same goals as the combined ferment. The beer can then be processed in the same manner. Method B also encompasses when the base beer is boiled separately from the flavor wort, and then combined afterwards in a combined ferment, or when the base beer is boiled for a time and then the flavor wort is added to complete the boil.

[0114] A second alternate example method, called Method C, can be used when a beer is both (1) made in multiple batches at regular intervals, and (2) when the base and flavor grain bill contain the same the same base malts. This is shown in FIG. 6. In this case, instead of two different mash/sparge efforts (one for Base, one for Flavor), there is only one, saving time and effort. The resulting wort of the single mash/sparge is split between the flavor beer and the base beer. Note that this is similar to a Parti-Gyle brewing method, which is used in making some craft beers, though infrequently.

[0115] As shown in the diagram, the first batch (Batch #A) Base beer is done in a similar manner to the previously described example method. A Base wort is created, boiled, fermented, and has the alcohol removed, (FIG. 6, steps 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A). The alcohol removal can be done with any of various methods, including distillation.

[0116] When doing the second batch (Batch #B), however, some or all the grains for both the base and flavor beers are combined into a single mash/sparge (FIG. 6, step 1B). A portion of the wort is separated out for the Base Wort of Batch #B, which is boiled, fermented, and has the alcohol removed, (FIG. 6, steps 1B, 2B, 3B, and 4B), in preparation for the third batch of the beer.

[0117] The other portion of the wort generated when performing this second mash/sparge (FIG. 6, Steps 1B) is then used for the Flavor Beer for Batch #A. Optionally, the brewer can, after the Base Beer wort has been collected, add additional grains into the Mash (FIG. 6, Step 8A) that are Flavor Beer specific. The wort from the continued Mash is then boiled with appropriate hops (FIG. 6, Step 5A), cooled, and combined with the alcohol-removed Base Beer. The combined wort is then fermented in the same manner as in the preferred method (FIG. 6, Step 6A).

[0118] Similarly, the Flavor Wort for Batch #B is generated when doing the combined mash/sparge for Batch #C (FIG. 6, Steps 1C and 8B).

[0119] Thus this simplifies the production of the beers created with this embodiment, needing only one mash/sparge per beer, though that mash/sparge is split between two batches of beer.

[0120] Designing A Beer Using This Embodiment A. A result of this example embodiment is to produce beers with low alcoholic content of 3.5% ABV or less. In order to use this embodiment, the brewer should be able to predict the outcome of the process. An important characteristic, for this embodiment, is the predicted ABV of the Combined Beer, and therefore should be accurately calculated before brewing. Also important are other characteristics such as IBU (bitterness) and Color, which should also be accurately predicted. All of these characteristics, while being similar to a standard craft beer, are calculated somewhat differently because of the two-wort, two-fermentation nature of this embodiment. And Combined Original Gravity (COG) of a beer made using this embodiment is calculated identically to an Original Gravity of a standard craft beer, but it means something different.

[0121] The calculations described below are for the example embodiment A. However, the other example embodiments use the same or very similar calculations.

[0122] Calculation Predicted ABV of a Combined Beer. The percentage of alcohol that will be in the combined beer is given by the equation:

[00014]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{ABV}}_C={\mathrm{ABV}}_{\mathrm{BR}}*\left(\frac{V_{\mathrm{BR}}}{V_C}\right)+{\mathrm{ABV}}_F*\left(\frac{V_F}{V_C}\right)& \left(22\right)\end{array}$

Where

[0123] ABV.sub.C=Alcohol by Volume of the Combined Beer [0124] ABV.sub.BR=Ratio of ethanol to total volume of base beer after alcohol removal [0125] V.sub.BR=Volume of the base beer after alcohol removal [0126] ABV.sub.F=Ratio of ethanol to total volume of flavor beer component after fermentation [0127] V.sub.F=Volume of the flavor beer [0128] V.sub.C=Volume of Combined Beer [0129] ABV.sub.B=Alcohol by Volume of the Base Beer after Base fermentation but before AR process [0130] V.sub.EB=Volume of Ethanol in the Base Beer

[0131] Thus, In order to calculate a predicted ABV, both the residual alcohol left in the base beer after alcohol removal (ABV.sub.BR) and alcohol that will be generated by the flavor wort (ABV.sub.F) in the Combined Ferment should be taken into account.

[0132] We can see that we need to calculate, then, the ethanol concentration of the flavor beer, ABV.sub.F. This is complicated by the fact that some of the constituents added to the flavor beer will add to the gravity, but will not be fermentable. For instance, black malt adds some 27 points per pound per gallon, but since it has been roasted in a kiln, the sugars will be carmelized and oxidized, and thus many of them will not ferment. Other ingredients, such as lactose, are not fermentable at all. In a standard craft beer, this effect is negligible or unimportant. However, when making an NA or LA beer, it becomes significant. Thus, the calculations to predict ABV.sub.F should account for that. Beginning with equation (11):

ABV=(OG−FG)*131.35   (11)

We can use equation (21) for the OG.sub.F calculation, but the FG will have to take the fermentability of each ingredient into account. In this case,

[00015]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{FG}}_F=1+\frac{\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{.Math.}}{W}_j*{\mathrm{GPG}}_j*\left(1-A_M*F_j\right)}{V_F}& \left(23\right)\end{array}$

Where

[0133] F.sub.j=The percentage of gravity that is fermentable for the j.sup.th ingredient.
So we can see that the Final Gravity simply has the attenuation modified for each ingredient. Using that fact, and equation (15), we get

[00016]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{ABV}}_F=131.25*\left(\frac{\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{.Math.}}{W}_j*{\mathrm{GPG}}_j*A_M*F_j}{V_F}\right)& \left(24\right)\end{array}$

[0134] Note that we are using Equation (11) to calculate ABV.sub.F. The determination how to estimate this is up to the brewer. However, this equation is accurate at low ethanol concentrations, which, for this embodiment, will typically be the case, especially in the case of a NA beer. In the case of a reduced-alcohol beer, this equation is still usually accurate. However, the choice between equations 15 and 16 will be up to the brewer and may depend on the specific situation.

[0135] The ethanol by volume of the base beer after alcohol removal can be a constant. That is, the evaporative process can be run until an ABV.sub.BR is reached that is good enough for the particular beer or process. It can be a design point, setting ABV.sub.BR to 0.25%, for instance. The brewer will use samples from the base beer during alcohol removal to measure this, and will quit when it reaches that. A similar methodology can be used if Reverse Osmosis or other methodology is used.

[0136] Volume Calculations. Before proceeding with calculating the estimated ABV of the final beer, the volumes of the various factors should be calculated. Clearly,

V.sub.C=V.sub.BR+V.sub.F+V.sub.MU   (25)

Where

[0137] V.sub.MU=Volume o f Make Up Water (amount of water added to make the volume equal to V.sub.C [0138] if the other two volumes are not sufficient. Assumed to be zero for this discussion)

And

[0139] V.sub.BR=volume of the base beer after ethanol removal

[0140] It is clear that

V.sub.BR=V.sub.B−V.sub.D   (26)

[0141] V.sub.C is generally determined prior to the beer design, as it is the ‘batch size,’ the size of the overall batch to be produced. This is determined largely by the equipment in a brewery, primarily the fermenter size.

[0142] A method is then needed to calculate both V.sub.F, the volume of the flavor beer, and V.sub.D, the volume of the distillate. In order to do this, the volume of the base beer after alcohol removal must be predicted

[0143] So it is necessary to know, or at least closely estimate, what V.sub.D, the volume of the distillate is. Given that it is assumed ABV.sub.BR is a constant,

[00017]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_{BR}=\frac{V_{ER}}{V_{BR}}& \left(27\right)\end{array}$

Where

[0144] V.sub.ER=Volume of Ethanol remaining the the base after alcohol removal

So

[0145] [00018]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_{BR}=\frac{AB{V}_B*V_B-AB{V}_D*V_D}{V_B-V_D}& \left(28\right)\end{array}$

[0146] Solving for the volume of the distillate, we get:

[00019]$\begin{array}{cc}{V}_D=V_B*\frac{AB{V}_B-AB{V}_{BR}}{AB{V}_D-AB{V}_{BR}}& \left(29\right)\end{array}$

[0147] We now need to estimate AVB.sub.B and ABV.sub.D.

[0148] Because the base beer typically has a much higher ethanol concentration, the preferred estimation method for ABV.sub.B is to use equation 16:

[00020]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_B=\left(76.08*A_M*\frac{{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k}{V_B*0.775-{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k)}\right)*\left(\frac{1+\left(1-A_M\right)*\frac{{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k}{V_B}}{0.794}\right)& \left(30\right)\end{array}$

[0149] Note that, for the Base Beer, we assume all malts will be fermentable. This is typically the case. Note also that the Volume of the Distillate, V.sub.D, is dependent on the ethanol concentration of the distillate, ABV.sub.D. While there are some ways to predict the distillate concentration, they depend on such variables as altitude and type of distillation (e.g. pot vs reflux distillation), and even the individual equipment being used and, in a larger sense, the method of alcohol removal. It is thus more practical to estimate ABV.sub.D by experimental methods using the equipment and location in which this embodiment will be used. Thus, ABV.sub.D also becomes a constant with which the brewer will design a beer.

[0150] Once the V.sub.D is estimated, the brewer can then simply calculate the needed volume for the flavor beer:

V.sub.F=V.sub.c−(V.sub.D−V.sub.D)   (31)

Also,

[0151]
V.sub.BR=V.sub.B−V.sub.D   (32)

[0152] In a typical beer design scenario, the brewer would set the volumes for the batch and the base beer, and use this equation to calculate the desired volume of the flavor beer.

[0153] The volumes should be set such that the gravities of both the flavor and base beers are reasonable. Typically, an OG for either a base or combined beer will be less than 1.100, and more likely 1.060 or less. This allows a full attenuation of the base beer, which is critical to creating a NA beer. This volume setting can be done in an iterative manner, setting a base volume, calculating the OGs, and iterating. Of course, it is easy to automate these calculations.

[0154] Now, we can finish calculating the ethanol content of the combined, final beer. Reiterating Equation (22):

[00021]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_C=AB{V}_{BR}*\left(\frac{V_{BR}}{V_C}\right)+AB{V}_F*\left(\frac{V_F}{V_C}\right)& \left(22\right)\end{array}$ [0155] And substituting in equations (31) and (32), we get:

[00022]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_C=AB{V}_{BR}*\left(\frac{V_B-V_D}{V_C}\right)+AB{V}_F*\left(\frac{V_C-\left(V_B-V_D\right)}{V_C}\right)& \left(33\right)\end{array}$

Further substituting equations (29), we get:

[00023]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_C={\mathrm{ABV}}_{\mathrm{BR}}*\left(\frac{V_B-V_B*\frac{AB{V}_B-AB{V}_{BR}}{AB{V}_D-AB{V}_{BR}}}{V_C}\right)+AB{V}_F*\left(\frac{V_C-V_B\left(1-\frac{AB{V}_B-AB{V}_{BR}}{AB{V}_D-AB{V}_{BR}}\right)}{V_C}\right)& \left(34\right)\end{array}$

And, to reiterate: [0156] V.sub.C=Volume of Combined beer going into the fermeter, set by the brewery's batch size [0157] AVB.sub.BR=A constant, the percentage of ethanol left in the base beer after AR, a design point set by the brewer. [0158] V.sub.B=Volume of Base beer going into the fermeter prior to the AR process

[00024]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_B=\left(76.08*A_M*\frac{{\Sigma }_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k}{V_B*0.775-{\Sigma }_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k)}\right)*\left(\frac{1+\left(1-A_M\right)*\frac{{\Sigma }_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k}{V_B}}{0.794}\right)& \left(20\right)\end{array}$

or could use the alternate equation, or the brewer's best estimate. [0159] AVB.sub.D=A constant, the percentage of ethanol in the distillate, which depends on the process and equipment used to perform the AR process

[00025]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_F=131.25*\left(\frac{{.Math.}_{j=1}^m{W}_j*GP{G}_j*A_M*F_j}{V_F}\right)& \left(24\right)\end{array}$
V.sub.F=V.sub.C−(V.sub.B−V.sub.D)   (31)

[0160] Equation (34), along with equations (20), (24), and (31), are the critical ones used in designing a beer using this process as they allow a close prediction of ethanol content. The brewer can plug recipe ingredients into them via the weights and GPGs of the malts, and add constants such as the maximum attenuation and the distillate concentration, and it will give the brewer a closely predicted ABV.

[0161] For comparison, the equivalent equation to simply brew a craft beer with standard methods is:

[00026]$\begin{array}{cc}ABV=\left(76.08*A*\frac{\frac{{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*{\mathrm{GPG}}_k}{V}}{0.775-\frac{{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*{\mathrm{GPG}}_k}{V}})\right)*\left(\frac{1+\left(1-A\right)*\frac{{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k}{V}}{0.794}\right)& \left(35\right)\end{array}$

[0162] Combined Original Gravity. In a standard craft beer, the Original Gravity is an important design consideration, as it will tell the brewer how much body the final beer will have, and is an important indicator of ABV. In this method, there are two original gravities. For this embodiment, the Combined Original Gravity (COG) has a similar function to the OG of a standard craft beer. The COG is simply what an Original Gravity would be if one added up all the gravities of all the ingredients in both the Base and Flavor Beers:

[00027]$\begin{array}{cc}COG=1+\frac{{.Math.}_{j=1}^m{W}_{jF}*GP{G}_{jF}+{.Math.}_{i=1}^n{W}_{iB}*GP{G}_{iB}}{V_C}& \left(36\right)\end{array}$

[0163] The COG is an indicator of the overall body of the Combined Beer, in much the same way as OG is of a standard craft beer. COG does not give an indication of alcoholic content in the same way as OG does, however.

[0164] IBU calculations for combined beer. To calculate the IBU of the combined beer, a similar process can be used. However, in the typical process, hops are not added to the base beer. While this is possible and is covered by this embodiment, doing so complicates the Utilization calculation, especially if the AR process uses heat for evaporation or distillation. Further, there is no need and it adds nothing to the beer. The preferred method is adding hops only to the flavor wort. In this case, the IBU of the combined beer is simply:

[00028]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{IBU}}_C={\mathrm{IBU}}_F*\left(\frac{V_F}{V_C}\right)& \left(37\right)\end{array}$

[0165] Thus, if the flavor beer is half the volume of the combined, the IBU of the combined beer will be half the IBU of the flavor beer. This must be taken into account during the design of the combined beer, as an important factor for taste is the IBU of the combined beer.

[0166] The predicted IBU of the flavor beer must be calculated in the same way as a standard beer, using the equation:

[00029]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{IBU}}_F=\frac{75*{.Math.}_{k=1}^n{\mathrm{AAU}}_k*U_k}{V_F}& \left(9\right)\end{array}$

The utilization calculation will use the gravity and time of boil of the flavor wort as its inputs.

[0167] Combining equations 9 and 37, we get:

[00030]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{IBU}}_C=\frac{75*{.Math.}_{k=1}^{n}AA{U}_k*U_k}{V_C}& \left(38\right)\end{array}$

[0168] Note that while this looks identical to simply adding the hops to a larger beer, the Utilization is affected by the gravity of the flavor boil. Recall that:

U=F(G)*F(T)   (6)

Where

[0169] [00031]$\begin{array}{cc}F\left(G\right)=1.65*0.000125^{\left(Gb-1\right)}& \left(7\right)\end{array}$$\begin{array}{cc}F\left(T\right)=\frac{1-e^{-0.04*T_B}}{4.15}& \left(8\right)\end{array}$

Where T.sub.B is the boil time of the wort.

[0170] So F(G) depends on the gravity of the wort being boiled. In the case of beer made with this process, the gravity of the flavor boil will often be far less than a standard beer, and the IBU calculations are affected similarly.

[0171] If a brewer desires to add hops to the base beer, the combined equation becomes:

[00032]$\begin{array}{cc}IB{U}_C=IB{U}_B*\left(\frac{V_B}{V_C}\right)+IB{U}_F*\left(\frac{V_F}{V_C}\right)& \left(39\right)\end{array}$

Where IBU.sub.B is the IBU of the base beer. In this case the utilization must take not only the wort boil into account but also the AR process. In this case it may be difficult to predict the IBU of the base, and thus of the combined beer.

[0172] Estimating combined beer color. The color of the combined beer will be as if a single beer was made from all the ingredients.

[00033]$\begin{array}{cc}SR{M}_C=1.4922*MC{U}_C^{0.6859}& \left(40\right)\end{array}$$\begin{array}{cc}MC{U}_C=\frac{{.Math.}_{i=1}^{n}M{C}_{iB}*W_{iB}+{.Math.}_{j=1}^{m}M{C}_{jF}*W_{jF}}{V_C}& \left(41\right)\end{array}$

Where

[0173] SRM.sub.C=Standard Reference Method Color of Combined Beer [0174] MCU.sub.C=Malt Color Units of the Combined Beer [0175] MC.sub.iB=Malt Color of ith ingredient of Base Beer [0176] W.sub.iB=Weight of the ith ingrdient of Base Beer [0177] MC.sub.jF=Malt Color of jth ingredient of Base Beer [0178] W.sub.jB=Weight of the jth ingrdient of Base Beer [0179] V.sub.C=Volume of Combined Beer

[0180] In summary, the brewer will design the beer using ingredients of his or her choosing, and use the above equations, supplying the constants, to predict the outcome of the beer. Again, it is possible to use other methods to predict the beer characteristics; the ones above are simply example methods of this embodiment.

[0181] There are additional complications that have been ignored in this discussion, and while they do not affect the process, they should be noted: [0182] The Attenuation number A.sub.M could be different between the Base and Combined ferment. [0183] This ignores such issues as fermenter losses and boil kettle losses. These can complicate the calculation of the parameters above, but does not change the fundamental process.

[0184] Example. To facilitate understanding of the invention, we will use an example of a simple beer—a Blonde American Ale. The volume is to be one barrel, or 31 gallons. Taking into account fermenter loss, we want then the volume of the combined beer to be about 10% higher than that, or 34 gallons. These volumes, of course, can be scaled up or down. The following are the assumptions used in the recipe: [0185] Batch Volume (V.sub.C): 34 Gallons [0186] Base Boil Time (T.sub.B): 30 minutes [0187] Flavor Boil Time (T.sub.B): 60 minutes [0188] ABV of Base after alcohol Removal (ABVBR): 1% [0189] ABV of Distillate (ABV.sub.D): 40%

Recipe

Grains

[0190]

TABLE-US-00001 Weight (lbs) GPG Lovibond Fermentability Base Beer Pale 2-Row Malt 37.0  .028 1.8 100% Flavor Beer Pale 2-Row Malt 25   .028 1.8 100% Crystal 20 3.0 .026 20    80%

[0191] Note here that the GPG includes, per the discussion above, the efficiencies. It is customary to refer to a grain's PPG, or Points per Pound per Gallon. A Point in this case increases the gravity by 1/1000, or 0.001. 2-row is about 37 PPG, so one pound of 2-row would increase the gravity of one gallon by 0.0037. Also, the efficiencies are included. In this case the efficiency is 75%, or we expect to get 75% of the potential gravity from the grain into the fermenter. This is also known as Brew House Efficiency. So, the GPG is 0.75*37/1000=0.028. Similarly for the other grains.

[0192] In practice, this calculation is automated via a spreadsheet or similar tool.

Hops

[0193]

TABLE-US-00002 Weight Boil Time Alpha Acid (ounces) (minutes) percentage Willamette 10 60 4.5

Yeast

[0194]

TABLE-US-00003 Expected Maximum Attenuation (A.sub.M) S-05 85%

[0195] We will first calculate the Combined Original Gravity, given by:

[00034]$\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{COG}=1+\frac{{.Math.}_{j=1}^m{W}_{jF}*GP{G}_{jF}+{.Math.}_{i=1}^n{W}_{iB}*GP{G}_{iB}}{V_C}& \left(36\right)\end{array}$$\mathrm{OR}$$\mathrm{COG}=1+\frac{\left(25*0.028+3*0.026\right)+37*0.028}{34}$

OR

[0196]
COG=1.053

COG is instructive, as it shows the brewer what the beer would be if using the same ingredients to make a beer using the normal craft beer methodology. In this case, a Blonde made from these grains and yeast would be a medium-bodied beer with about 6% ABV. Using the methodology described here, the beer, as shall be shown, will have about half that alcoholic content, yet will have a similar body and taste compared to a standard beer.

[0197] We now wish to calculate the ABV, SRM, and IBU values we would expect from this. The ABV is given by:

[00035]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_C=AB{V}_{BR}*\left(\frac{V_B-V_B*\frac{AB{V}_B-AB{V}_{\mathrm{BR}}}{AB{V}_D-AB{V}_{\mathrm{BR}}})}{V_C}\right)+AB{V}_F*\left(\frac{V_C-V_B\left(1-\frac{AB{V}_B-AB{V}_{\mathrm{BR}}}{AB{V}_D-AB{V}_{\mathrm{BR}}}\right)}{V_C}\right)& \left(34\right)\end{array}$

Where we set V.sub.B to 18 gallons. In practice this is done iteratively, where the equations are in a spreadsheet or similar tool, and the brewer sets V.sub.B to various values, and picks the one where other values are reasonable, such as V.sub.F, and the Original Gravities of the Base and Flavor beers. Note that V.sub.C is the batch size, or 34 gallons.

[0198] We next calculate ABV.sub.B:

[00036]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_B=\left(76.08*A_M*\frac{\frac{{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k}{V_B}}{0.775-\frac{{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k}{V_B})}\right)*\left(\frac{1+\left(1-A_M\right)*\frac{{.Math.}_n^1{W}_k*GP{G}_k}{V_B}}{0.794}\right)& \left(20\right)\end{array}$$\mathrm{OR}$$AB{V}_B=\left(76.08*0.85*\frac{\frac{37*0.028}{18}}{0.775-\frac{37*0.028}{18})}\right)*\left(\frac{1+\left(1-0.85\right)*\frac{37*0.028}{18}}{0.794}\right)$

OR

[0199]
ABV.sub.B=6.5%

[0200] Now, AVB.sub.BR, or the AVB of the base beer after removal of the alcohol, can be set to whatever works for the particular beer. In practice, for low alcohol beer, a value of 1% is very workable.

ABV.sub.BR=1.0%

[0201] AVB.sub.D, or the percentage of alcohol in the distillate, is determined via experimental methods using the equipment available. It is related to AVB.sub.BR, but the brewer can determine a small subset of points for both values needed and measure them. If a brewer is making both low-alcohol beer and non-alcoholic beer, two values will be practical, one for each type of beer. A good rule of thumb is that for low-alcohol beer of 2.5%-3.0%, an AVB.sub.BR of 1% and an AVB.sub.D of 40% is reasonable, while for a non-alcoholic beer, and AVB.sub.BR of 0.25% and an AVB.sub.D of 25% is reasonable. These will result in very close approximations for the volumes wanted with the equipment used to make this beer. Thus, for this example beer, we will use:

ABV.sub.D=40.0%

[0202] Now we desire to calculate AVBF, the percentage of alcohol in the Flavor beer. This is given by Equation 24:

[00037]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_F=131.25*\left(\frac{{.Math.}_{j=1}^m{W}_j*GP{G}_j*A_M*F_j}{V_F}\right)& \left(24\right)\end{array}$

In this case, there are two grains, so

[00038]$AB{V}_F=131.25*\left(\frac{25*0.028*0.85*1+3*0.026*\text{.85}*\text{.8}}{V_F}\right)$

[0203] Now we desire to calculate VF, the volume of the Flavor beer. This is given by:

V.sub.F=V.sub.C−(V.sub.B−V.sub.D)   (31)

Where

[0204] [00039]$\begin{array}{cc}{V}_D=V_B*\frac{AB{V}_B-AB{V}_{BR}}{AB{V}_D-AB{V}_{BR}}& \left(29\right)\end{array}$$\mathrm{So}$$V_D=18*\frac{6.5-1}{40-1}$

So

[0205]
V.sub.D=2.6

OR

[0206]
V.sub.F=34−(18−2.6)

[0207] Thus

V.sub.F=18.6

[0208] Now we can finish the AVBF calculation:

[00040]$AB{V}_F=131.25*\left(\frac{25*0.028*0.85*1+3*0.026*\text{.85}*\text{.8}}{18.6}\right)$

OR

[0209]
ABV.sub.F=4.6%

[0210] Plugging all this into equation 34, or

[00041]$\begin{array}{cc}AB{V}_C=AB{V}_{BR}*\left(\frac{V_B-V_B*\frac{AB{V}_B-AB{V}_{BR}}{AB{V}_D-AB{V}_{BR}}}{V_C}\right)+{\mathrm{ABF}}_F*\left(\frac{V_C-V_B(1-\frac{AB{V}_B-AB{V}_{BR}}{AB{V}_D-AB{V}_{BR}}}{V_C}\right)& \left(34\right)\end{array}$

We get

[0211] [00042]$AB{V}_C=1*\left(\frac{18-18*\frac{6.5-1}{40-1}}{34}\right)+4.5*\left(\frac{34-18\left(1-\frac{6.5-1}{40-1}\right)}{34}\right)$

OR

[0212]
ABV.sub.C=2.96%

[0213] The next step in designing this example beer is to calculate the bitterness, or IBU, derived from the hops. We know from above that:

[00043]$\begin{array}{cc}IB{U}_C=\frac{75*{.Math.}_{k=1}^{n}AA{U}_k*U_k}{V_C}& \left(38\right)\end{array}$

Where

[0214]
U=F(G)*F(T)   (6)

And

[0215] [00044]$\begin{array}{cc}F\left(G\right)=1.65*{0.000125}^{\left(\mathrm{Gb}-1\right)}& \left(7\right)\end{array}$$\begin{array}{cc}F\left(T\right)=\frac{1-e^{-0.04*T_B}}{4.15}& \left(8\right)\end{array}$

[0216] T.sub.B is the time of boil, or 60 minutes. G.sub.b is the gravity of the boiling wort when the hops are put in. Here, the calculations are familiar to anyone who has brewed beer and are dependent upon equipment parameters. So we will simply state that, for the equipment used to make this beer, G.sub.b is 1.036.

[0217] For this simple beer, we have chosen just a single hop addition. The hops we have chosen, Willamette, have an Alpha Acid percentage of 4.5, and the weight it 10 ounces. So,

[00045]$IB{U}_C=\frac{75*\left(10*4.5\right)*1.65*{0.000125}^{\left(1.036-1\right)}*\frac{1-e^{-0.04*60}}{4.15}}{34}$

OR

[0218]
IBU.sub.C=26

[0219] Lastly, we wish to calculate the color of the beer, or SRM:

[00046]$\begin{array}{cc}SR{M}_C=1.4922*MC{U}_C^{0.6859}& \left(40\right)\end{array}$$\begin{array}{cc}MC{U}_C=\frac{{.Math.}_{i=1}^{n}M{C}_{iB}*W_{iB}+{.Math.}_{j=1}^{m}M{C}_{jF}*W_{jF}}{V_C}& \left(41\right)\end{array}$$MC{U}_C=\frac{1.8*37+\left(1.8*25+20*3\right)}{34}$$MC{U}_C=5.05$

AND

[0220] SRM.sub.C=1.4922*5.05.sup.0.6859 [0221] SRM.sub.C=4.53

[0222] This completes the design of the beer. We have a beer that is light-colored (SRM of 4.53), with moderate bitterness (26 IBU), and an alcoholic content of right at 3%.

[0223] The making of the beer is thus straightforward, using the following steps: [0224] Make the Base Wort, using standard techniques, using the materials for the base beer. That is, mash 37 pounds of pale 2-row malt at 152 F. for 60 to 75 minutes. The temperature can be modified to suit the brewer's desires, exactly as making a beer using standard methods. [0225] Boil the Base Wort for 30 minutes, adding no hops. Other ingredients such as clarifier (Whirlfloc or similar) and yeast nutrient are added at brewer's discretion. [0226] Cool the wort to 68 F., and transfer it to a sterilized fermenter. [0227] Pitch 70 grams of the S-05 yeast. [0228] Let ferment until it is fully attenuated, approximately 5-10 days. [0229] Transfer the fermented beer into a pot still, and distill until the remaining beer in the still reaches 1% ABV. Do this by sampling and measuring. Collect the distilled spirits, called Low Wines, and store them. [0230] Cool the remaining beer to 68 F., and transfer into a fermenter for the combined fermentation. [0231] Make the Flavor wort using standard techniques, Mashing the Flavor grains at 152 F. for 60 to 75 minutes. Again, the temperature and mash times can be adjusted based on the brewer's desires. [0232] Boil the Flavor wort for 60 minutes, adding the hops when the boil starts. Add clarifier and yeast nutrient as would be done in a standard beer. [0233] Cool the wort to 68 F., and transfer it to the same fermenter where the base beer with alcohol removed lies. [0234] Pitch 55 grams of yeast into the combined beer, and let ferment and condition for approximately 10-14 days. [0235] At this point, the combined beer is ready to carbonate and package, in an identical manner to any standard beer. [0236] Repeat this process as many times as desired, collecting the Low Wines each time and mixing it with other batches of Low Wines. [0237] When the volume of Low Wines reaches enough to distill an entire batch, transfer them all to the still, and distill these a second time. This is now standard, double-distilled whiskey. If made as described above, it is Malt Whiskey, made with only Malted Barley. [0238] Age as desired before diluting to about 40% ABV and packaging.

[0239] This invention, while focused on the creation of low and non-alcoholic beer, should not be construed as being limited to beer. The two-stage, two-ferment process is applicable to many other alcoholic beverages such as wine, cider, other fruit fermentations, etc.

[0240] The present invention has been described in connection with various example embodiments. It will be understood that the above description is merely illustrative of the applications of the principles of the present invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the claims viewed in light of the specification. Other variants and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.