How is beer made non-alcoholic? Production technology of non-alcoholic beer

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

How is beer made non-alcoholic? This question worries many fans of this drink today. In addition, in recent years, a he althy lifestyle is being advertised more and more actively in society. Therefore, in television advertising, we increasingly see a call to drink beer, then only non-alcoholic. So what is this drink? How does he manage to convey the taste and aroma of a well-known beer, while not having a single gram of alcohol in the composition?

What is non-alcoholic beer?

Before we learn how beer is made non-alcoholic, let's figure out what it is. Connoisseurs say that this is a drink that is similar to traditional beer only in taste. At the same time, it can either contain no alcohol at all or contain a small amount of alcohol. The strength of the drink in this case, depending on the country, varies from 0.2 to one degree.

This drink is intended primarily for those who cannot afford alcohol. For example, due to poor he alth or the need to drive a car. But at the same time he wants to drink beer.

It is worth noting that this is a very new invention. non-alcoholicbeer appeared only in the 70s of the XX century. This is due to a sharp increase in the number of cars on the roads and an increase in accidents involving drunk drivers. Especially actively it began to be developed in those countries where drinking beer has become one of the traditions.

The production technology of non-alcoholic beer is rather complicated. Beer with a degree is much easier to get. Therefore, the final product is more expensive.

Production technology

In order to understand how beer is made non-alcoholic, let's consider the technology of its production. There are two main options. The first is aimed at reducing alcohol in beer by completely eliminating the fermentation process, the second is aimed at removing alcohol from already finished beer.

In order to exclude fermentation, it is necessary to use special yeast. They won't ferment m altose into alcohol. Another effective way is to stop the fermentation process with refrigeration.

This is not the best option, because the resulting drink contains a lot of sugar, and its taste is not at all like traditional beer.

How to remove alcohol from beer

Another way to make beer alcohol-free is to remove the alcohol from the finished product. Most often, thermal methods are used for these purposes. Vacuum distillation and vacuum evaporation are also very common.

This beer has a so-called "cooked" taste because it is exposed to high temperatures.

There is another wayremoval of alcohol. It is called membrane. In this case, dialysis with the addition of concentrated sulfuric acid or osmosis (one-way diffusion process) is used. This is the only way to remove alcohol from beer without resorting to high temperatures.

Do non-alcoholic beers really have no alcohol?

This question worries those for whom alcohol is contraindicated on the recommendation of doctors, or lovers of a foamy drink who will soon drive.

There is no definite answer to the question of whether there is alcohol in non-alcoholic beer. It may be absent altogether, or it may be present in small amounts. It all depends on the manufacturer and the brand of beer you choose. At the same time, it is worth remembering that in different countries, alcohol is understood as drinks with different alcohol content in them.

For example, in Russia, only beer with an alcohol content of less than 0.5% is not recognized as alcohol.

And in the UK there are even several categories. Soft drinks are considered to be those in which the alcohol content does not exceed 5 hundredths of a percent. Then comes the category of drinks from which the alcohol has been removed. It's just non-alcoholic beer. The third category is low-alcohol drinks with an alcohol content of not more than 1.2%.

So, whether there is alcohol in non-alcoholic beer, you need to control yourself, carefully reading everything that is written on the label.

If beer is non-alcoholic, does it mean that children can drink it?

This is another question that comes up in the minds of everyone who studies this drink. It must be admitted that in Russia there is no special legislation dedicated to non-alcoholic beer: from what age is it allowed to be sold and recommended to be consumed. Russian laws only deal with drinks containing alcohol, so formally there are no violations in the sale of non-alcoholic beer to minors.

But in some countries they decided to fix this moment by law. So, in the USA, only drinks containing less than 0.5% alcohol, and by volume, are considered non-alcoholic. Most states legalize their sale to minors.

Non-alcoholic beer brands

Non-alcoholic beer appeared in the USA for the first time. Among the popular brands that could offer lovers of a foamy drink that does not contain alcohol is, first of all, BUD. It is still considered one of the best on the market today.

It is also necessary to highlight the German non-alcoholic beer brand Clausthaler. The technology of its production at the enterprise is carefully guarded, declaring that this is a trade secret. Many cannot even guess that the beer they were offered does not contain alcohol. The credit for this is the special hop bitterness that manufacturers manage to achieve.

Dutch beer Buckler is also common. To obtain it, special fermentation and filtration processes have been developed. The result is a first-class lager. At the same time, the composition of the drink contains m alt, hops and purifieddrinking water. Manufacturers manage to achieve a soft and balanced taste.

The Belgians entered this market with the Martens brand. True, many people are skeptical about this drink. The aroma is almost completely absent, there is an unpleasant and incomprehensible taste.

In recent years, Russian brewing companies are increasingly involved in the production of non-alcoholic beer. They launch Zhiguli, Trekhgornoye, B altika Barnoye, B altika 0 brands on the market.

Non-alcoholic beer calories

This value also varies depending on the brand of beer. But the averages are about the same. Most often, the calorie content of non-alcoholic beer is 26 kilocalories per 100 milliliters of the drink.

It does not contain proteins and fats. And carbohydrates are about 4.7 grams per 100 milliliters.

Benefits and harms

If you have chosen non-alcoholic beer, you need to know about the benefits and dangers of this drink. We note right away that it can only be safe if you limit the use of one bottle, and not every day, but much less often. If you use it regularly, you will not feel any improvement in he alth.

The fact is that most of the components in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer are the same. The benefits and harms of these drinks are about the same. The main disadvantage is, of course, high calorie content. Both regular beer andnon-alcoholic, promises you serious problems with being overweight.

In addition, non-alcoholic beer is strictly contraindicated for lactating and pregnant women, adolescents and children. Although formally it does not contain alcohol, its components can have a negative impact on a young and developing organism. Beer, even without alcohol, can cause serious harm to people with diseases of the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and gallbladder. It is also carefully worth being a non-drinker and coded alcoholics. Taste can be deceiving, and a person with a weak will can break into a binge even from one can of alcohol-free beer.

Be careful when taking medication. Most diuretics and antibiotics should not be combined with non-alcoholic beer.

It also has a high level of cob alt, which is used to stabilize the foam. Therefore, such beer has a negative effect on the function of the heart muscle, can provoke inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and some other organs.

So don't be fooled by the lack of alcohol in this beer. It can be just as dangerous as normal.