Low alcohol beer comprising a gluconate component
The invention relates to a method of preparing a beer having an ethanol content of 0-3.0% ABV, in situ fermentative production of gluconate component selected from gluconic acid, gluconate, glucono delta-lactone and combinations thereof by: (a) subjecting the boiled wort to two successive fermentation steps, starting with a fermentation step that generates the gluconate component, followed by the yeast fermentation; or (b) subjecting a first boiled wort to yeast fermentation to produce the yeast fermented wort; subjecting a second boiled wort to another fermentation step to generate the gluconate component and to produce a second fermented wort; and combining the yeast fermented wort and the second fermented wort. Also disclosed is a beer having an ethanol content of 0-3.0% ABV, and produced by the method.
1 . A beer having an ethanol content of 0-3.0% ABV, comprising:
(a) 1-6 wt. % of brewing sugars selected from glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, maltotriose and combinations thereof;
(b) 2-100 mg/L of hop acids selected from iso-alpha acids, hydrogenated iso-alpha acids, hulupones and combinations thereof;
(c) 0.5-15 mmol/L of gluconate component selected from gluconic acid, gluconate, glucono delta-lactone and combinations thereof;
(d) 0-500 mg/L palatinose; and
(e) 0-1 mg/L caffeine.
2 . The beer according to claim 1 , having a sweetness of 0.5-3% sucrose equivalent, wherein the sweetness of the beer is calculated as follows:
0.7×[glucose]+1.5×[fructose]+0.4×[maltose]+1×[sucrose]+0.2×[maltotriose];
wherein [carbohydrate] represents the concentration of the carbohydrate in wt. %.
3 . The beer according to claim 1 , having a pH in the range of 3.5 to 5.0.
4 . The beer according to claim 1 , having an ethanol content of 0.2-3.0% ABV.
5 . The beer according to claim 1 , comprising 0-2 wt. % glucose.
6 . The beer according to claim 1 , comprising 0-4 wt. % maltose.
7 . The beer according to claim 1 , comprising DNA originating from Aspergillus niger, Aureobasidium pullulans or a bacterium of the family Acetobacteraceae.