Wilbert Heijne (1),
Hans Jansen (1), Marcel Jansen (1), Jozé Mutsaers (1), Sylvie Van
Zandycke (2); (1) DSM, Delft, Netherlands; (2) DSM, South Bend, IN,
U.S.A.
Finishing and Stability
Poster
Every brewer wishes to present their product at its best, even at the
end of its shelf life. Brewers spend a lot of time and resources on
producing beer that is bright since the first thing a consumer notices
is the appearance. The challenge the brewmaster is facing is to keep
presenting the highest quality beer, while meeting the requirements for
consistency and efficiency, as well as sustainability of production,
that are (albeit indirectly) demanded by the consumer these days. A lot
of factors and process steps have to be managed and controlled before a
beer can leave the brewery completely bright and stable. Beer brewing is
a biological process involving raw materials with variable quality
(impacted by weather and season), but also dictated by yeast strain and
process. Beer turbidity or haze, initially or occurring during the shelf
life of the packaged beer, can be caused by many substances and
deviations from ideal process conditions and may present a challenge to
diagnose, as well as to identify the root of the problem and resolve the
issue. This paper discusses the many causes of beer haze and
instability, with special focus on the organic substances that originate
from malt, hops and yeast, such as the (haze-sensitive) proteins,
polysaccharides including beta-glucans, arabinoxylans, starch, as well
as polyphenols derived from both malt and hops. Many types of haze
involve light scattering by specific substances or even particulates
that arise in the final product before, but also after, packaging.
Proper raw material conversion is key to clear beer and is impacted by
many steps in the brewhouse. Also issues occurring from yeast management
and specific strains used in relation to sometimes stressful process
conditions may play a key role. These factors may be better diagnosed
with the latest analytical techniques such as, but not limited to,
microscopy and spectrometry, thus leading to adequate root-cause
analyses in the brewery. Our observations and conclusions are based on a
collection of beer samples with particular haze defects from all over
the globe. Based on the latest scientific research and analytics, we
propose best practices to deliver a bright beer, and highlight the most
state-of-the-art beer stabilization approaches; with this, brewers will
be able to greatly increase their capacity using existing equipment,
while enjoying significant savings in energy and raw materials and
reducing extract losses. The sustainability of beer brewing can be
significantly improved with the latest technology implemented.
Born the grandson of a brewer, Wilbert studied molecular science
in Wageningen, Netherlands, and specialized in biotechnology,
biochemistry and bioinformatics. Wilbert joined DSM in 2005 in R&D
to study industrial yeasts and fungi to improve food enzyme, biofuel and
antibiotic production. Currently, Wilbert is dedicated to brewing as
global coordinator of product application for DSM enzyme solutions. He
manages the technical customer service and connects product innovations
to the needs of the brewing industry.
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