Flavour Stability of a Cold-Stored Unpasteurized Low-Alcohol Beer Produced by Saccharomycodes ludwigii

Low-alcohol beer (LAB) is a growing part of the brewing industry in terms of market volumes and consumer interest. Universities and research centres are making efforts to improve organoleptic profile and flavour stability of the product. One of the main limitations of such products is the stability. These beers must be severely filtered and pasteurized, causing a significant loss of quality in terms of flavour. Herein, flavour stability of an unpasteurized and unfiltered LAB was checked during 120 days of cold storage (4 +/- 1 degrees C). The results showed that the beer remained stable for 120 days for many observed parameters. The alcohol content increased from 0.5 to 0.7% v/v. The beer without oxygen was more stable than that filled with oxygen in the headspace. The results confirmed the possibility to produce an unpasteurized craft LAB by Saccharomycodes ludwigii by the cold chain.

Automated summary

Low-alcohol beer is a growing segment in the brewing industry, and efforts are being made to improve its flavor stability. Past studies have shown that severe filtering and pasteurization can cause quality loss. This study found that an unpasteurized and unfiltered low-alcohol beer remained stable for 120 days during cold storage. The results also showed that beer without oxygen was more stable. Therefore, it is possible to produce an unpasteurized craft low-alcohol beer using Saccharomycodes ludwigii and a cold chain.