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Figure 1.
The BREWER & DISTILLER INTERNATIONAL • Volume 4 • Issue 3 • March 2008 • www.ibd.org.uk
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PROCESSING
Wort Fining Agents with positively charged wort proteins, lipids excess foam. The foam produced can have
Likewise, the high nitrogen grains can result in and glucans. As explained from the principle of the effect of reduced overall fermentation
turbid worts, which could cause colloidal Stokes law, the resulting tightly bound capacity, increased fouling of vessels and CO2
problems downstream. Application of electrically neutral aggregates sediment rapidly recovery equipment and at worst overflow of
Whirlfloc a wort-fining agent can in part and form more compact trub in the whirlpool. foam from the vessel resulting in product
alleviate these problems. Whirlfloc is a purified This process is represented schematically in losses. These problems can be alleviated by
form of high molecular weight κ-carrageenan Figure 2 opposite. the use of a foam control agent FermCap
extracted from red marine algae which is a food-grade material consisting of a
(Rhodophycae) and manufactured exclusively Improving Fermentation Efficiencies unique emulsion of an extremely effective
for use as a high performing wort-fining agent. surface-active agent, which prevents foam
When applied 5-10 min before casting, it Foam Control formation by reducing surface tension –
accelerates the formation of dense and The changes in the early vigorous stages of thereby reducing vessel headspace to <10%.
compact trub, saves time, boosts whirlpool primary fermentation can be visually It has been specifically designed for
wort recovery and results in considerably characterised as foam developing on top of application in the brewing process. It is
brighter worts. How does this happen? – The the fermenting wort. Traditionally brewers classified as a processing aid because it is
carrageenan polymers are large negatively have left 20-30% headspace on top of the removed from the beer under normal brewing
charged molecules. These form complexes fermentation vessel to accommodate this process conditions. It is adsorbed onto the
Deactivation or Starch positive wort and Bioferm is a fungal endo-amylase. It can be used in Improves wort fermentability
insufficient concentration slow fermentation the mash (or in fermentation) to reduce starch to low Production of maltose in
of malt amylase molecular weight dextrins and maltose. high adjunct brewing
Eliminates starch hazes
Improves beer filtration
Deactivation or insufficient Slow or incomplete Amylo is a fungal amyloglucosidase. It sequentially Increases wort glucose levels
concentration of fermentation hydrolyses both exo α-1,4 and α-1,6 glycosidic Low carbohydrate beer
malt enzymes linkages and therefore is used to degradestarch production
polymers and maltose to glucose. The addition of Improved Alcohol yield
Amylo in the brew-house, to the cold wort or beer
(in the fermenter) converts dextrin to glucose and
results in high alcohol / ‘low carb.’ beer.
Poor starch hydrolysis/ High mash or cereal Hitempase is an endo-acting liquefaction bacterial Improves starch liquefaction
cooker viscosities and α-amylase which randomly hydrolyses the α-1,4 and subsequent yields in
starch positive wort glycosidic linkages in amylose and amylopectin cereal cooker
resulting in the production of dextrins. It is Control of starch positive worts
characterised by its stability at extremely high in kettle
temperatures (~105°C).
Non-starch Poor mash or beer Bioglucanase is an endo-betaglucanase preparation Reduces mash and wort viscosity
polysaccharides filtration and β-glucan and has a pure lichenase activity and hydrolyses Eliminates β-glucan gums and
released during mashing haze 1,4 glycosidic linkages next to a 1,3 linkage, in mixed hazes
are insufficiently linked β-glucans. Improves filtration
hydrolysed. Biocellulase contains cellulase, hemicellulase and Increases extract yield
betaglucanase activities. The activities present in Compensates for malt quality and
Biocellulase are effective in the degradation of the season to season variations
complex carbohydrates found in plant cell walls. Improves beer shelf life
Presence of a significant Insufficient nitrogen Bioprotease is a proteolytic enzyme. Optimises FAAN (Free Alpha
percentage of unmalted available for yeast Amino Nitrogen) levels in high
barley or use of other growth and slow adjunct brewing
adjuncts fermentation Improves mash lautering/
filtration and extract yield
Improves filterability of the wort
Poor extract yield or Presence of starch and Promalt is an enzyme cocktail providing amylase, A single addition of amylase,
ineffective wort β-glucan residues in the glucanase, cellulase and protease activities. glucanase, cellulase and
filtration in high final product protease
adjunct brewing Improves extract yield and
fermentability
Gives consistent brewhouse
performance
Improves wort stability/clarity
The BREWER & DISTILLER INTERNATIONAL • Volume 4 • Issue 3 • March 2008 • www.ibd.org.uk
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PRODUCTION
Figure 2. Figure 3.
surface of the yeast, vessel walls and filter Yeastex products address these problems by increasing their rate of sedimentation. The
media. supplying combinations of essential amino action of the finings in the sedimentation of
While the primary reason for incorporating acids, peptides, vitamins and co-factors. yeast is shown schematically in Figure 4.
FermCap into the process may be to increase Specific formulations are available for optimal Some of the benefits that the brewer might
fermentation capacity, there are also very end application in high adjunct brews and will expect to see as a result of using such finings
important additional benefits incurred as a be formulated depending on the final wort are related to beer filtration, quality (haze etc)
result of controlling foam formation during composition. and the associated cost benefits such as
fermentation as its use improves hop alpha increased filter run lengths and decreased
acid utilisation. In today’s brewing climate Diacetyl Control costs of filter aid materials.
where hop supplies are challenging and hop Diacetyl levels during fermentation can be
prices have gone through the roof, this controlled by the application of an Improving Final Beer Quality
represents a very interesting benefit for the acetolactate decarboxylase (ALDC). Kerry’s
brewer. Hop utilisation increases between 4- Biomatex products act to convert the diacetyl Protein Stabilisation
11% have been achieved. Likewise, a natural precursor acetolactate directly to acetoin Chill haze formation in beer as a result of
initial concern by brewers is that a foam (Figure 3). Acetoin has a much higher flavour protein precipitation or a combination of
control agent could have a negative effect on threshold than diacetyl. The benefits of this for protein and polyphenols may be controlled by
final beer foam stability. In fact it is the the brewer are a reduction in the time the addition of Profix to the beer prior to
opposite. Foam control during fermentation dependent high temperature stand usually pasteurisation. Profix is a proteolytic enzyme
increases the foam stability of the final beer. employed to reduce diacetyl in the normal (papain) extracted from the fruit of the papaya
Why? – Because foam positive (hydrophobic) fashion. Again, it is an enzymatic method of tree. Its application can be used to prevent
proteins that would otherwise have been increasing fermentation capacity, while also colloidal instability problems imparted by
denatured during fermentation remain in the giving the brewer an alternative way of protein and therefore extend the shelflife of
fermenting wort – and pass through to the final controlling final beer diacetyl levels. beer. It works by hydrolysing protein that
beer. Likewise the hop acids are retained in would otherwise have formed complexes with
the beer in a similar manner and thus Accelerating Yeast Removal polyphenolic materials resulting in chill haze
contribute positively to both foam stability and Once fermentation has ceased it is important and eventually permanent haze.
increased hop utilisation. The summary of to remove as much yeast as possible prior to
benefits of applying a foam control agent filtration as this will significantly reduce the Oxidative Stabilisation
during brewing are outlined in Table 2. solids loading on the filter and therefore Oxidation during packaging causes
prolong filter run times. Yeast sedimentation deterioration of beer quality, haze and flavour
Yeast Nutrition and subsequent removal can be significantly stability. Oxygen both dissolved in the beer
When brewing with high levels of adjuncts, the improved by addition of Biofine to the and also in the package headspace is
supply of adequate levels of vitamins, fermenter. Biofine is a purified form of collagen incorporated into compounds in the beer,
essential salts, amino acids and peptides for isolated from the swim bladder of tropical fish. especially polyphenols, carbonyl compounds
optimal fermentation efficiency can be limiting. This isinglass molecule is a triple helix of and isohumulones during storage. Oxidative
This can result in slow or incomplete amino acids, with an overall net positive staling of beer occurs by a free radical
fermentation and flavour deficiencies in the charge at beer pH. It forms large aggregates process. During storage, even trace amounts
final product. The Kerry Bio-Science range of with the negatively charged yeast cells thereby of metals such as iron or copper will catalyse
the conversion of molecular oxygen to what
Table 2. Major benefits of foam control during brewing operations are known as ‘reactive oxygen species’ (ROS).
One such ROS is the hydroxl free radical that
rapidly oxidizes components of the beer to
Benefit Details
free radicals. Beer-derived free radicals react
Increased fermentation capacity Typically 7–15% further to perpetuate a chain reaction that
Increased utilisation of hop acids Range 4–11% results in carbonyl end products such as
Improved foam stability 5-10% increase in Nibem (30mm) in pilot and production aldehydes and ketones. It is these carbonyl
trials compounds that give rise to the ‘cardboard-
Increased CO2 recovery The desired CO2 purity is reached earlier in the like’ flavour of stale beer. Antioxidants such as
fermentations using FermCap Biox in beer help them resist free radical
Reduced cleaning costs Due to absent or reduced yeast foam head ring in oxidation, by acting to scavenge oxygen
fermenter. directly in the beer and also in the package
headspace. Although oxidation is inevitable
The BREWER & DISTILLER INTERNATIONAL • Volume 4 • Issue 3 • March 2008 • www.ibd.org.uk
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PROCESSING
The BREWER & DISTILLER INTERNATIONAL • Volume 4 • Issue 3 • March 2008 • www.ibd.org.uk
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