Brewing process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11041139-B2
Application number	US-74520808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2008
Priority date	Dec 12, 2007
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for the production of wort, comprising the enzymatic treatment of grist in up to 100% unmalted (grain) form, for further processing into high quality beverage products. By the addition of a combination of exogenous enzymes (α-amylase, isoamylase/pullulanase, FAN generating activity (proteases) and beta-glucanase activity) to the mash and by the simultaneously thermal activation of the maltose-generating endogenous β-amylase, it is possible to obtain a wort based on up to even 100% barley. The invention further relates to a process for the production of a high quality beer or beer product and to the high quality beer produced according to the process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for the production of a brewer's wort, comprising:
(a) obtaining a mash from a grist, of which at least 70 wt. % is unmalted cereal(s) comprising an endogenous β-amylase and of which less than 30 wt. % is malted cereal(s);
(b) contacting the mash with exogenous enzymes at a temperature at which exogenous enzymes and the endogenous β-amylase are active, wherein the exogenous enzymes comprise:
i. an α-amylase,
ii. a pullulanase,
iii. a protease,
iv. a β-glucanase,
v. a lipase, and
vi. a xylanase;
wherein the pullulanase is a pullulanase having at least 90% identity to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8; and

(c) mashing-off and filtering the mash to obtain the brewer's wort, wherein the wort has a glucose concentration below 10%.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the unmalted cereal(s) are barley, spelt, wheat, rye, corn, oat or rice or any mixture thereof.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the unmalted cereal is barley.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the grist further comprises other carbohydrate sources.

5. The process of claim 1 , where the exogenous enzymes further comprises a phytase.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is in a range optimizing the activity of the β-amylase.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises
a first step carried out between 50 and 58° C.,
a second step carried out between 60 and 65° C., and
a third step carried out between 70 and 80° C.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein step (b) is completed within 160 minutes.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the α-amylase is an α-amylase having at least 70% identity to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pullulanase is thermostable having a relative enzyme activity above 60% over a period of 30 min, at 65° C. and pH 5.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the protease is selected from the group consisting of endo-proteases, exopeptidases, and combinations thereof.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the protease has at least 70% identity to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 3.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the lipase is a lipase from Aspergillus, Fusarium , or Rhizopus.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the grist comprises at least 80 wt. % unmalted cereal(s).

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the grist comprises at least 90 wt. % unmalted cereal(s).

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the grist comprises at least 95 wt. % unmalted cereal(s).

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the grist comprises 100 wt. % unmalted cereal(s).

18. A wort produced of the process of claim 1 .

19. The wort of claim 18 , comprising one or more amino acids selected from:
(a) proline at a concentration at less than 2 mM;
(b) serine at a concentration above 0.1 mM; and
(c) methionine at a concentration above 0.05 mM.

20. The wort of claim 19 , having a maltose concentration above 40% of the total concentration of carbohydrates.

21. The wort of claim 19 , wherein the total of the glucose, maltose and maltotriose concentration is above 60% of the total concentration of carbohydrates.

22. The process of claim 1 , where the pullulanase is a pullulanase having at least 95% identity to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8.

23. The process of claim 1 , where the pullulanase is a pullulanase having at least 98% identity to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8.

24. The process of claim 1 , where the pullulanase is a pullulanase having at least 99% identity to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8.

Assignees

• Elvig Niels
• Novozymes As

Inventors

• Elvig Niels

Classifications

• C12C7/047 Primary

  part of the mash being unmalted cereal mash · CPC title

• C12C5/006

  Beta-glucanase or functionally equivalent enzymes · CPC title

• C12C5/004

  Enzymes · CPC title