Innovative Brewing Process for Non-Alcoholic

Beer production
Alberto Sun and David De Schutter
Wroclaw, September 2016

1
 Outline of this presentation

 Introduction

 Definition of the technical challenge

 Solution development

 Conclusions
 Smart Drinking Goals
Our Vision
INDEPENDENT
EXPERTS

To foster a culture
of smart drinking CHANGING INCREASING
BEHAVIORS CHOICE
globally to reduce
the harmful use of
alcohol
10 –YEAR PARTNERSHIP
APPROACH
 NABLAB and the SMART DRINKING GOALS
AB INBEV VISION ON SMART DRINKING:
To foster a culture of smart drinking globally to reduce the harmful use of alcohol

EMPOWERING CONSUMERS THROUGH CHOICE

NABLAB
Ensure No- and Lower-Alcohol
Beer / Beyond Beer products represent at
least 20% of AB InBev’s
global Beer by end 2025
Place a Guidance Label on all of our beer products
in all of our markets by end 2020 and increase
alcohol health literacy by end 2025

CHANGING BEHAVIORS THROUGH SOCIAL NORMS

Influence social norms and individual behaviors

Reduce the harmful use of alcohol by
to reduce harmful alcohol use by investing at least
at least 10% in six cities 1 billion USD across our markets in dedicated
by end 2020 and implement the best practices
social marketing campaigns and related
globally by end 2025
programs by end 2025
 NABLAB DEFINITION

Non Alcoholic Beer Low Alcoholic Beer

or Beyond Beer or Beyond Beer
ANY LIQUID BREWED
OR LEVERAGING TRADITIONALLY BREWING INGREDIENTS
WITH 3.5% ABV OR LESS
 Outline of this presentation

 Introduction

 Definition of the technical challenge

 Solution development

 Conclusions
 Non-Alcoholic: The Challenge

STIGMA TASTE
Non-alcoholic beer is often The flavor of non-alcoholic beer does
considered a compromise. not meet people’s expectations.
 Exploring the available options

No alcohol is formed Alcohol is removed from

during production beer

Traditional NA beer Both

production processes

Too
No warming Watery / thin
Malty/grainy
effect from
GAPS alcohol Too acidic
Too sweet
compared
to lager Product Lack of “beer”
Lack of “beer” balance character
flavors
 Root cause analysis of problem statements

Too
Malty/grainy why Lack of fermentation
No Alcohol Formed

Too sweet why Too many fermentable sugars

Lack of “beer”
flavors why Lack of fermentation

No warming
effect from why Absence of alcohol
alcohol
Product
Alcohol removal

why Modulation of sweetness/acidity

balance

Watery / thin why

Lack of sugars
Too acidic why
Lack of body
Lack of “beer”
character why
 Relate sensory to technical markers
Analytical Taste (sensory)
components Find how components drive sensory

Contour Plot of Sweet vs ABV; Sweetnes index

5 Sweet
< 2
2 – 3
3 – 4
4 4 – 5
> 5

5 ABV <0,5 ABV 3

Hold Values
TBU 16,5
RE 4,79

ABV
2

Alcohol level Body

0
Sugar level 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 Sweetness
Sweetnes index
Acid level Sourness
Bitterness level Bitterness
Real extract
Optimize composition
to match taste of 5 ABV lager
 Outline of this presentation

 Introduction

 Definition of the technical challenge

 Solution development

 Conclusions
 Route to solution

Lack of fermentation

Too many fermentable sugars

No Alcohol Formed

adding sweetness

Lack of fermentation

COMBINE BEST OF 2 WORLDS:

CREATE A WORT WITH LOW

Absence of alcohol how FERMENTABLE SUGARS,
FERMENT, AND THEN
DEALCOHOLIZE
Alcohol removal

Modulation of sweetness/acidity

Lack of sugars

Lack of body
 Innovative brewing process for low fermentability
(patent EP2566944B1)

 Avoidance of activity of endogenous enzymes

 Addition of thermostable alpha-amylase
 The process is sufficient for starch breakdown without production of high amount of
fermentable sugars
 Analytical profile of sugar composition
(patent EP2566944B1)

• As a result, the sugar profile of wort and beer shows high amounts of penta-, hexa- and heptaose
which cannot be found back in regular beers (below the curve)
• The graph shows the correlation of the level of above mentioned sugars in wort in relation to
unfermentable composition
 Optimizing AROMA-
Analyse difference between lager and NA beer
100%

90%

80%
Flavor orgin in final product

70%

60%
GAP
50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
ALE STOUT LAMBIC LAGER NA BEER

Beer flavor profile is defined in large part by the Fermentation, a very complex natural process creating hundreds of aroma
components

Mainly the aroma molecules from fermentation are missing in NA beer.

 Optimizing AROMA - adding back aroma to NA beer (patent EP 2615159A1)

1. 10 aroma components from fermentation were identified to be key for the flavour of regular beer and lacking in NA beer.
2. Lets close the gap by adding them back in the form of a natural flavour

OK  NOK
 NOK
 OK

2 mg/L 0.1 mg/L 2 mg/L 0.6 mg/L
Iso Amyl IAA IAA IAA
Acetate CLOSE CLOSE
GAP: GAP by
+ 1.9 mg/L 28%

5 ABV 0.4 ABV 0.4 ABV 0.4 ABV

3. Closing the gap “too simply” does not work
 Aroma release from NA beer is much stronger compared to regular beer
4. How to match flavour of regular beer?
 components need be present at much lower levels compared to lager
 the reduction vs lager depends on the component
 Outline of this presentation

 Introduction

 Definition of the technical challenge

 Solution development

 Conclusions
 Conclusions

• AB InBev launched the use of the technology first in Brazil with Brahma 0.0
• It tripled the category in no time.
 New Non-Alcoholic Launches in 2016

INTRODUCING INTRODUCING

Corona Prohibition
Cero Brew
NO ALCOHOL. ALL BUDWEISER.
NO BOUNDARIES. NO ALCOHOL.
Initial focus – only CND
Initial focus – only MEX
QUESTIONS?