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Dynamic fermentation and the making of non-alcoholic beers
Targeted adjustments to recirculation and sedimentation processes in the fermentation tank make it possible to achieve high quality in the beers produced and increase the efficiency of individual processes. Steinecker offers the Poseidon recirculation unit for precisely such dynamic fermentation. And now it’s being tested for yet another application: the production of non-alcoholic beers using crabtree-negative yeasts.
In order to use its Poseidon recirculation unit with crabtree-negative yeasts, Steinecker developed a variant featuring an integrated aeration system and oxygen sensor. Here, too, recirculation keeps the yeast in a more homogeneous suspension in the beer, which in turn improves flavor development and speeds maturation. Even more important, though, is its use for aerating the tank: During the maturation process, Poseidon recirculates the wort continuously and maintains a consistent oxygen content of between 1.0 and 1.5 parts per million (ppm). To develop the desired aroma profile, it is important that a high temperature be maintained for as long as possible – all the while in an aerobic environment. In trials conducted in the Steinecker Technology Center in collaboration with Novenesis, a producer of crabtree-negative NEER yeasts, these conditions could be maintained for well over 20 hours using Poseidon. In the end, these tests produced fully flavored beer containing 0 percent alcohol in just two days’ time.