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The Technology Behind Alcohol-Free Beer: Stopped Fermentation – The Art of Timing

Stopped fermentation and cold fermentation have long been known methods in the world of alcohol-free beer, but they have experienced a modern revival thanks to refined control mechanisms. These techniques revolve around a deep understanding of the fermentation process and perfectly timed actions.

Stopped Fermentation – The Art of Timing

It all starts with understanding the fundamental principles: following the natural fermentation process, closely monitoring the temperature, and monitoring sugar conversion. The technique lies in the timing and control: identifying critical control points, applying the right measurement methods, and mastering effective intervention techniques to guide the process to the desired outcome.

Cold fermentation or “cold contact gisting” is a special variant within these methods, in which the yeast is dosed into the wort at lower temperatures, which slows down their action and makes the process more controllable.

It is crucial to understand the behavior of the yeast at low temperatures. Metabolic changes, the development of the taste profile, and the activity control of the yeast play a role here.

Quality control and monitoring are indispensable in stopped fermentation. The alcohol content, the sugar content, and the temperature are continuously monitored. Intervention protocols, clear quality standards, and good documentation are essential for a successful and reproducible process.

 

Advantages

This method does not require large investments, allowing most breweries to experiment with it.

 

Challenges

  1. Stopping the fermentation process at the right time requires intensive monitoring. If the fermentation is stopped too late, the alcohol content rises above 0.5%, and there is no longer an alcohol-free beer.
  2. Strong process knowledge is needed to ensure that the alcohol-free beer no longer tastes like wort. It is a common phenomenon that alcohol-free beers produced in this way still contain the undesirable taste of wort.
  3. To make it easier to monitor the fermentation process, brewers often choose to start from a wort with a low extract content (i.e., with few sugars), which often results in a lack of mouthfeel (watery beers).

 

Conclusion

Stopped fermentation and cold fermentation are traditional methods that are refined with modern techniques. They require knowledge of the fermentation process and precise control. Although these methods are less suitable for achieving 0.0% alcohol, they can produce unique flavor profiles.

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