PRODUCTION PROCESS OF A BEER CONTAINING A REDUCED CONTENT OF CARBOHYDRATES AND ASSOCIATED BEER

Abstract

A method for producing a beer according to which a wort is prepared by brewing a mixture containing water and the malt of a cereal or a mixture of malts, then after cooling the wort, a yeast is added, selected from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyce carlsbergensis and mixtures thereof. After cooling of the wort, an enzyme is added, selected from the dextrinases and mixtures of dextrinases.

Claims

1. A production process of a beer according to which a wort is prepared by brewing a mixture containing water and malt of a cereal or a malt mixture, then after cooling of said wort, a yeast selected from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces carlsbergensis and mixtures thereof is added, wherein, after cooling said wort, an enzyme selected from the dextrinases and dextrinase mixtures is added.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein said mixture is cooled to a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 13 C. and substantially equal to or less than 21 C. and in particular substantially equal to 19 C.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein said mixture of water and malt(s) is brewed by: heating said mixture with a first stage at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 45 C. and substantially equal to or less than 55 C., in particular substantially equal to 50 C. for a duration substantially equal to or greater than 10 minutes and substantially equal to or less than 20 min, in particular substantially equal to 15 minutes, in order to carry out the proteolysis; heating during a second stage at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 68 C. and substantially equal to or less than 75 C., in particular substantially equal to 72 C., to promote the action of the alpha amylases; filtering said obtained mixture and possibly rinsing the obtained draff; and bringing the liquid phase obtained by filtration to boil for a duration substantially equal to or greater than 1 hour and substantially equal to or less than 3 hours, preferably substantially equal to 2 hours, by possibly adding hop in one or more time(s) during said boiling.

4. The process according to claim 3, wherein, after said first stage, said mixture is heated during an intermediate stage at a temperature greater than or equal to 62 C. and less than or equal to 63 C. and that possibly said mixture is filtered without carrying out said second heating stage.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the pH of the mixture obtained after cooling is maintained at a value substantially equal to or greater than 4.5 and substantially equal to or less than 6.5 and preferably at a value substantially equal to 5.2.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein said mixture obtained after cooling and addition of said enzyme and said yeast is left to ferment and in that the temperature of said mixture during fermentation is allowed to reach a value substantially equal to or greater than 20 C. and substantially equal to or less than 30 C. and in particular substantially equal to 24 C.

7. The process according to claim 6, wherein said adapted yeast is selected from the yeasts of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein said mixture is further fermented a second time for a duration substantially equal to or greater than 7 days and substantially equal to or less than 20 days and in particular substantially equal to 15 days at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 0 C.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein said dextrinase is added in a given amount such that the concentration of added dextrinase(s) is substantially equal to or greater than 5 g/100 L and substantially equal to or less than 30 g/100 L and in particular substantially equal to 10 g/100 L.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein said malt is selected from the barley malt, the wheat malt, the sorghum malt and the mixtures of at least two of these malts.

11. The process according to claim 1, wherein, during the bottling, at least a monosaccharide capable of being consumed by the fermentation of the yeast is added.

12. A beer which can be obtained according to the process according to claim 1, containing a total concentration of carbohydrates substantially equal to or less than 0.2 g/100 mL and in particular substantially equal to 0.17 g/100 mL.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Advantageously, gaseous oxygen is added in the wort before the addition of said yeast. This addition of oxygen allows the yeast to multiply. The addition of oxygen may be done, for example, by bubbling air into the wort.

[0027] Advantageously, said mixture is cooled to a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 13 C. and substantially equal to or less than 21 C. and in particular substantially equal to 19 C. At this temperature, the yeast will consume the oxygen added in the wort, reproduce and then start the fermentation.

[0028] A dextrinase type enzyme or a dextrinase mixture of enzymes and preferably only a dextrinase or a dextrinase mixture is added except for another enzyme type(s). They act exclusively on the dextrins. It is the merit of the Applicants that having found that it is possible to significantly reduce the total content of carbohydrates of the beer by reducing the content of a particular category of sugars while maintaining a drink whose alcohol content is tolerated for a beer (from 2 to 12 and more particularly from 2 to 10 or more particularly from 2 to)8 and which remains pleasant to drink.

[0029] According to a particular embodiment of the brewing step: [0030] heating a mixture of water and at least a malt of a cereal with a first stage at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 45 C. and substantially equal to or less than 55 C., in particular substantially equal to 50 C. for a duration substantially equal to or greater than 10 minutes and substantially equal to or less than 20 min, in particular substantially equal to 15 minutes, in order to carry out the proteolysis; [0031] heating during a second stage at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 68 C. and substantially equal to or less than 75 C., in particular substantially equal to 72 C., to promote the action of the alpha amylases; [0032] filtering said obtained mixture and possibly rinsing the obtained draff; [0033] bringing the liquid phase obtained by filtration to boil for a duration substantially equal to or greater than 1 hour and substantially equal to or less than 3 hours, preferably substantially equal to 2 hours, by possibly adding hops in one or more time(s) during said boiling.

[0034] According to a particular embodiment, after said first stage, said mixture is heated during an intermediate stage at a temperature greater than or equal to 62 C. and less than or equal to 63 C. and that possibly said mixture is filtered without carrying out said second heating stage. This intermediate stage may possibly replace the second stage.

[0035] According to an embodiment, we check that the wort obtained after boiling no longer contains starch. This step may be implemented, for example with an assay with iodinated water.

[0036] According to an embodiment which may be combined with any one of those mentioned above, the pH of the wort obtained after cooling and before the addition of yeast(s) is maintained at a value substantially equal to or greater than 4.5 and substantially equal to or less than 6.5 and preferably at a value substantially equal to 5.2. During the fermentation of the yeast, the pH is maintained at a value substantially equal to or greater than 4 and substantially equal to or less than 5. Such a pH promotes the action of the added enzymes in particular dextrinases.

[0037] According to an embodiment which may be combined with any one of the aforementioned embodiments, said mixture obtained after cooling and adding of said enzyme and said yeast is left to ferment and the temperature of said mixture undergoing the fermentation is allowed to reach a value substantially equal to or greater than 20 C. and substantially equal to or less than 30 C. and in particular substantially equal to 24 C. This exothermic fermentation also allows promoting the action of the enzymes, in particular the dextrinases.

[0038] Advantageously, said mixture is left to ferment for a duration substantially equal to or greater than 1 day and substantially equal to or less than 10 days and in particular a duration substantially equal to 7 days. This duration allows reducing the sugar content of the beer.

[0039] It is also possible to further ferment said mixture a second time for a duration substantially equal to or greater than 7 days and substantially equal to or less than 20 days and in particular substantially equal to 15 days at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 0 C. The temperature of 0 C. allows the decantation of the yeasts and that of polyphenols and anthocyanogens which are associated with high molecular weight proteins: the beer is clarified.

[0040] The amount of enzymes is not limited according to the invention. The Man skilled in the Art is capable of determining the concentration in order to regulate the content of sugar and in particular of remaining dextrins in the beer. Thus, for example, the Applicants have found that at least one dextrinase or a mixture of dextrinases may be added in an amount such that the concentration of added dextrinase(s) is substantially equal to or greater than 5 g/100 L and substantially equal to or less than 30 g/100 L and in particular substantially equal to 10 g/100 L.

[0041] According to an embodiment which may be combined with any one of those mentioned above, a given amount of yeast is added allowing obtaining a yeast concentration in the wort substantially equal to or greater than 15,000,000 yeast cells per cm.sup.3 of wort.

[0042] Advantageously, the yeast(s) is/are allowed to multiply in order to obtain a yeast cell concentration substantially equal to or greater than 45,000,000 yeast cells per cm.sup.3 before the beginning of fermentation.

[0043] The invention is not limited to a particular malt or a particular malt mixture. Thus, said malt may be selected from the barley malt, the wheat malt, the sorghum malt and the mixtures of at least two of these malts. It is also possible to add raw grains of rice and/or corn, possibly mixed with the barley malt. The malt should preferably contain enough natural enzymes for a brewing without addition of enzyme(s).

[0044] It is also possible, according to the invention to add before bottling an additive selected from the flavors, the natural or artificial sweeteners, the gelling agents (gelatin or carrageenan, for example), the pH adjusters, the pre-isomerized hops and/or the foaming agents.

[0045] It is also possible to add during the bottling (in particular before the bottling and after the second fermentation) at least one monosaccharide capable of being consumed by the fermentation of the yeast. This addition will not increase the sugar level because the enzymes added to the wort remain active.

[0046] The present invention also concerns a beer which contains a total concentration of carbohydrates substantially equal to or less than 0.2 g/100 mL and in particular substantially equal to 0.17 g/100 mL.

DEFINITIONS

[0047] The term consume and all affiliated terms refer to the disappearance is of a compound due to a chemical reaction induced by the yeast, whether this reaction is due either to the respiration of the yeast or the fermentation thereof. The term carbohydrate refers to any organic compound containing a carbonyl group (aldehyde or ketone) and at least two hydroxyl groups (OH). The term carbohydrate therefore encompasses simple carbohydrates or monosaccharides, such as glucose, saccharose, lactose, fructose, sorbitol and mannose and the complex carbohydrates or complex sugars, such as, in particular, glycogen, starch and cellulose. With reference to the wort obtained by brewing, the term carbohydrate refers to a mixture of maltose, at least one of the aforementioned simple carbohydrates except for lactose and cellulose. Indeed, conventionally, a wort comprises 40% by weight of maltose, 10% by weight of the aforementioned simple carbohydrates (mixture of monosaccharides) and 50% of complex carbohydrates, including dextrins and residual cellulose. However, the wort contains no more starch.

[0048] The total amount of carbohydrates of the beer is measured according to the method EBC 9.26 by spectrophotometry.

[0049] The term sugar refers to any compound selected from oses, osides including starchy and non-starchy polysaccharides, homosaccharides and hetero saccharides. We can mention non-limiting examples of sugar, the dextrins including maltodextrin, saccharose, maltose, glucose, fructose, maltotetraose, maltotriose and sucrose.

[0050] According to the invention, an enzyme of the dextrinase type is an enzyme which is capable of catalyzing the transformation of the dextrins into glucose and maltose, in particular by hydrolysis of the glycosidic bonds alpha 1-4 and alpha 1-6.

EXAMPLE

[0051] 550 kg of Pilsen-type rank malt 2 having a degree of coloration 4 are crushed. The malt should preferably contain enough natural enzymes for a brewing without addition of enzyme(s). The use of malted barley facilitates the filtering: indeed, the barley keeps its straw to the threshing. The product obtained by crushing contains 15% of flour, 65% of groats and the remainder of straw, which allows having a filtering material.

[0052] The malt is mixed with water at 98 C. to bring the mixture up to 50 C. while stirring it so as to carry out the proteolysis of the malt. Water at 98 C. is then added to the mash accordingly formed so that the temperature of the mash rises up to 63 C. during an intermediate stage to promote the action of the beta amylases. This step is implemented by the method called infusion method (the malt infusing in water) so as to promote the degradation of starch into sugars. More water at 98 C. is added so that the mash reaches a temperature of 72 C. which promotes the action of the alpha amylases contained in the malt. 4 L of water per Kg of malt are used. The mixture is filtered. The absence of starch is checked by an assay with iodinated water. The liquid phase obtained by filtration is boiled for 2 hours which causes the coagulation of high molecular weight proteins. During these two hours of boiling, 2640 g of hop are added. The wort accordingly obtained is cooled by means of a heat exchanger up to 19 C. 11 liters of doughy brewer's yeasts of Saccharomyce cerevisiae strain are then added. Dextrinases (EndozymAGP 120) are also added so that their concentration is equal to 10 g per 100 L of the mixture. The beer accordingly obtained is fermented for 7 days at 24 C. without heat supply because the fermentation is exothermic. The beer is then put into cold storage for 15 days at 0 C. After 15 days, it is bottled and 1 g of at least a monosaccharide is added thereto, capable of being consumed during the fermentation of the yeast, per 100 ml of beer. This monosaccharide may be saccharose, maltose or glucose, for example. The beer is placed in a fermentation chamber at 24 C. for 15 days. This allows the foaming and may further reduce the sugar level because the added enzymes are still active.

ANALYSIS OF THE BEER

[0053] 0.75 L of the beer accordingly obtained have been analyzed.

[0054] The total content of carbohydrates is 0.17 g per 100 ml measured by the method 9.26 EBC (European Brassery Convention). The pH is 3.99. The energy value is 39 Kcal per 100 g. The degree of alcohol is 6.19.