Use of cysteine endoprotease for reducing cloudiness in drinks

1. A method for preparing a fermented cereal-based beverage with increased fermentation yield, comprising treating said fermented cereal-based beverage during its fermentation by adding cysteine endoprotease or a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adding of cysteine endoprotease or of a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease is at the beginning of the fermentation of the fermented cereal-based beverage being prepared.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the malt extract is a processed malt extract that is obtained by recovery and centrifugation filtration of a crude malt extract.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the processed malt extract is treated by differential precipitation with ammonium sulphate.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the malt extract is a concentrated malt extract.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fermented cereal-based beverage is beer.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the beer is selected from the group consisting of low-fermentation beers, high fermentation beers, beers of single, double or triple fermentation, beers with spontaneous fermentation, beers with mixed fermentation, beers prepared with additives, and beers with a range of alcohol levels from 0 to 10%.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein cysteine endoprotease is selected from the group consisting of cysteine endoprotease A and cysteine endoprotease B of malt.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the malt extract is obtained from green malt or dry malt.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the malt extract is made from wheat or barley malt.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein cysteine endoprotease or the malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease is added in a sufficient amount so that said fermented cereal-based beverage reaches up to 1°P on the Plato gravity scale 8 days after the start of the fermentation.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein for the equivalent fermentation time, there are fewer fermentable sugars still present in the fermented cereal-based beverage as compared to an identical amount of an identical fermented cereal-based beverage that has not undergone said treatment.

13. A method of reducing the cloudiness of a fermented cereal-based beverage comprising treating said fermented cereal-based beverage by adding during preparation of said fermented cereal-based beverage a cysteine endoprotease or a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease; wherein the cysteine endoprotease or the malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease is added at any stage of the preparation of the fermented cereal-based beverage and is not followed by destroying the cysteine endoproteasic activity.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein addition of cysteine endoprotease or a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease reduces the cloudiness of the fermented cereal-based beverage by at least 65 EBC units when turbidity is measured at −8° C. as compared to an identical fermented cereal-based beverage that has not undergone said treatment.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein turbidity is measured using the Chapon test.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the malt extract is a processed malt extract that is obtained by recovery and centrifugation filtration of a crude malt extract.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the processed malt extract is treated by differential precipitation with ammonium sulphate.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the malt extract is a concentrated malt extract.

19. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the fermented cereal-based beverage is a beer.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the beer is selected from the group consisting of low-fermentation beers, high fermentation beers, beers of single, double or triple fermentation, beers with spontaneous fermentation, beers with mixed fermentation, beers prepared with additives, and beers with a range of alcohol levels from 0 to 10%.

21. The method according to claim 13 , wherein cysteine endoprotease is selected from the group consisting of cysteine endoprotease A and cysteine endoprotease B of malt.

22. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the malt extract is obtained from green malt or dry malt.

23. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the malt extract is made from wheat or barley malt.

24. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the cysteine endoprotease or a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease is added during the fermentation of the fermented cereal-based beverage.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the cysteine endoprotease or a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease is added during low fermentation, during high fermentation, or during spontaneous fermentation.

26. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the adding of cysteine endoprotease or of a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease is at the beginning of the fermentation of the fermented cereal-based beverage being prepared.

27. A method of reducing the cloudiness of a fermented cereal-based beverage and increasing fermentation yield of a fermented cereal-based beverage comprising treating said fermented cereal-based beverage during its fermentation by adding cysteine endoprotease or a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease.

28. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the adding of a cysteine endoprotease or of a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease is at the beginning of the fermentation of the fermented cereal-based beverage.

29. The method according to claim 27 , wherein cysteine endoprotease or the malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease is added in a sufficient amount so that said fermented cereal-based beverage reaches up to 1°P on the Plato gravity scale 8 days after the start of the fermentation; and

wherein addition of cysteine endoprotease or a malt extract comprising cysteine endoprotease reduces the cloudiness of the fermented cereal-based beverage by at least 65 EBC units when turbidity is measured at −8° C. as compared to an identical fermented cereal-based beverage that has not undergone said treatment.

30. The method according to claim 29 , wherein turbidity is measured using the Chapon test.

31. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the malt extract is a processed malt extract that is obtained by recovery and centrifugation filtration of a crude malt extract.

32. The method according to claim 31 , wherein the processed malt extract is treated by differential precipitation with ammonium sulphate.

33. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the malt extract is a concentrated malt extract.

34. The method according to claim 27 , wherein the fermented cereal-based beverage is beer.

35. The method according to claim 34 , wherein the beer is selected from the group consisting of low-fermentation beers, high fermentation beers, beers of single, double or triple fermentation, beers with spontaneous fermentation, beers with mixed fermentation, beers prepared with additives, and beers with a range of alcohol levels from 0 to 10%.

36. The method according to claim 27 , wherein cysteine endoprotease is selected from the group consisting of cysteine endoprotease A and cysteine endoprotease B of malt.

37. The method according to claim 27 wherein the malt extract is obtained from green malt or dry malt.

38. The method according to claim 27 wherein the malt extract is made from wheat or barley malt.