Technology Transfer Services

A novel technology for high quality beer making using a home-based kit

Code: 21-UP-03

The Opportunity
Home brewing has become more than a hobby – is it now a lifestyle obsession. Beer enthusiasts are always in the search for new and easy ways to brew beer at home, saving on time and cost, but without compromising the quality and taste, always indenting to produce a fine drink.

Our Offer
The conventional yeast starter or dry yeast methods used have limitations and often require expensive equipment, many steps and precision in controlling the process. Our novel beer brewing home kits use yeast immobilization as an alternative vehicle to increase product quality and reduce production costs, as there is less energy consumed.
Our method is currently the only one that can lead to high quality beer production using a domestic refrigerator, simply by adding a powder-based product to water.
In comparison to the commercially available beer brewing kits, our technology offers a beer brewing process that is much easier and less complicated.
Additionally, the lower temperature fermentation results in less ester production and hence, offers a final high-quality product – a bright, clean, clear, crisp lager with minimal phenolics and a satisfying finish.

The Technology
A powder-based product has been developed enabling consumers to use a home brewing kit to produce high quality beer in their refrigerator at home. While, the beer brewing kits available in the market use a yeast starter or dry yeast, our technology differs: Cellulose and wort are processed and added to a psychrophilic yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae AXAZ-1). The mixture is then fermented and freeze dried. The lyophilized preparation is simply dissolved in water and after six weeks (fermentation) in the refrigerator, a clear, high quality, beer is ready to be consumed.
The principle of this technology is based on the immobilization of cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae AXAZ-1 on a tubular cellulose carrier. The positive effect of tubular cellulose during low-temperature brewing is that the freeze-dried immobilized yeast cells reduce the fermentation rates in contrast to freeze-dried free cells. Immobilization also enhances yeast resistance at low-temperature fermentation, reducing the minimum brewing temperature value.
The tubular cellulose, a nano/microporous cellulosic material obtained after delignification of sawdust, is a suitable material for use in food bioprocessing as a cell immobilization carrier. It is an abundant, low-cost, food-grade material that can be easily prepared and handled. The immobilized cells are entrapped or attached to tubular cellulose and act as promoters of alcoholic fermentation even at very low temperatures.

Advantages & Innovations
The home scale application of the technology provides the opportunity for a consumer to produce good quality, home-made beer easily and at low cost in a domestic refrigerator. In addition, the immobilization of cells on a tubular cellulose matrix, an abundant and low-cost support, results in a clearer final product with improved aroma characteristics. The proposed technology is an interesting alternative to conventional home brewing methods and can provide potentially high-quality beer with possible commercialization potential.

• Easy beer making at home
• Cost effective process
• No need for expensive equipment and process control
• Bright, clean, clear, crisp lager
• Minimal phenolics, less esters, improved taste
• Environmentally friendly, as less energy is required
• Based on a unique disruptive technology
• Economically viable investment
• High quality product

Stage of Development
This novel technology is an innovative process validated in a lab environment. The next step requires industrial setting validation and production in order to ensure the effectiveness of the process in large-scale manufacturing.

Partner Search
FOOD INNOVATION RI is seeking for Partners with the capacities to develop this technology. The ideal Partner shall be an equipment manufacturer or a beer ingredient producer with a strong retail network eager to further develop this technology in a relevant and operational environment. Alternative options may also be considered.

Offered by
Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, University Campus 26504 Rio Achaia, Greece

Contact

Prof Athanasios KOUTINAS
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Food Chemistry and Biotechnology Group