Beer clarification

Beer clarification by ceramic membrane crossflow microfiluation has not been commercially practiced yet. But the ongoing application research and development efforts in this area and the potential savings in the diatomaceous earth cost will undoubtedly drive the technology to commercialization. 

Gan Q. Beer clarification by crossflow microfiltration—effect of surface hydrodynamics and reversed membrane morphology. Chem. Eng. Process., 2001 40(5) 413 19. 

The papaya fruit yields a protein-digesting enzyme called papain, which is used in numerous industrial applications, including meat ten-derizers, chewing gum, candies, and beer clarification. It is also used as a potential therapeutic in medicine, where it is being tested for treating skin conditions. Cosmetically, papain appears as an ingredient in shampoos and skin creams, some toothpastes as a whitener, and spa treatments. 

A recent survey [30] has shown that in Swiss breweries, the cold break content of beers varied over a wide range, independent of separating procedure. The effects on fermentation, maturation and beer clarification were not significant.. During the course of successive fermentations, the preference of tasting panels shifted from beers where cold trub had not been removed... 

Self-cleaning clarifiers, in which the solids are discharged at intervals while the centrifuge is operating at full-speed (Fig. 20.12). They are available for both wort and beer clarification with throughputs of up to 600 hl/hr (370 brl/hr). The same machines used for beer recovery from fermenters and tank bottoms operate at up to 40 hl/hr (25 brl/hr). Many of these machines used for beer treatment are hermetically sealed so that neither carbon dioxide is lost nor oxygen taken up. 

Mathews, A.J.D. (1990) Finings and beer clarification. Brewers Guardian 119(3), 23-27. 

Kieselguhr is also used as a filter medium in its own right, again for clarification duties, being used by itself or in combination with cellulose fibres, as in the filter sheets used for beer clarification. 

Wine and beer industry Polyphenols can alter color and flavor of products such as wines. There are many aggressive ways of removing polyphenolic compounds, such as using polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) or sulfur dioxide. However, polyphenol removal should be selective to avoid the undesirable alteration of the wine s organoleptic characteristics. For this reason, one option is to use laccases that polymerize the polyphenolic compounds during the wine-making process and then to remove these polymers by clarification (Morozova and others 2007). Several papers have reported that laccase is able to remove undesirable polyphenols and produce stable wines with a good flavor. 

Uses.—The more common kinds of isinglass, especially the coarse Brazilian, are used by brewers for fining beer, and have been noticed in their application for that purpose. They are also employed for the clarification of wines, and various other liquids. 

Salicylic Acid.—100 c.c. of the beer, acidified with 5 c.c. of dilute sulphuric acid, are shaken in a separating funnel twice with 50 c.c. of a mixture of ether and petroleum ether in equal volumes, a few drops of alcohol being added to facilitate the clarification of the solvent. The ethereal liquids are filtered into a flask and the solvent distilled off on a water-bath, the small amount of hot residue bdng treated with 4 or 5 c.c. of water and, with shaking, a few drops of dilute ferric chloride solution. The liquid is filtered through a moist filter and if the filtrate is violet, the presence of salicylic acid is indicated. 

Representative applications Sterile filtration Clarification/sterilization of beer and Representative applications Continuous culture/cell recycle Filtration of oilfield produced water... 

Food and beverage processing represents an expanding area for process-scale microfiltration. Already in place are clarification systems for wine and beer, sugar, and gelatin, replacing existing practices such as diatomaceous earth filtration. Less attractive economically are miscellaneous waste treatment applications, for which microfiltration is often a sophisticated but expensive alternative. 

Food beverage treatment—clarification of liquids (fruit juices, beer),... 

Such applications appear to be more attractive for the use of bioreactors than traditional uses of endopeptidases for chillproofing beer, juice clarification, and curd formation in cheesemaking which currently use well established soluble enzyme processes. In the case of curd formation, hydrolysis of micellar k-casein by immobilized chymosin is questionable (56). 

Inorganic membranes have also been used in the clarification of other fermented alcoholic beverages such as beer and vinegar in recent years. Two important applications of membrane filtration for beer production are the removal of bacterias and beer recovery from the so-called tank bottoms. They are treated in the following. 

For CMF to be deemed a successful replacement of traditional clarification methods for the main filtration process, a high beer flux is required (generally, a minimum of 100 L/(m h) is considered necessary), with power costs that do not exceed those associated with the traditional filter aids [37]. Gan [32] considered that an average flux rate of 40 kg/(m h) over 10 h of continuous filtration is of commercial interest. 

Noordman TR, van der Noordt M, Hardenbol AFC, Peet Cl, Broens L, and Mepschen A. Practical experiences with membrane filtration for the clarification of beer on an industrial scale. Presentation 0-15 of World Brewing Congress 2004, San Diego, CA, 2004. 

Because of its ability to form complexes with many chemical substances (see Section 3.2.5) and its large surface area in the swollen state, normal crospovidone is a good filtration auxiliary. It is particularly useful for selectively binding polyphenols, e.g. tannins in the form of an insoluble complex. As in the clarification of beer and wine, this feature can be used in the preparation of galenical products, particularly tinctures, aqueous and alcoholic extracts and medical wines, to extend their long-term stability by preventing precipitation. 

Use Pharmaceuticals blood plasma expander cast films adherent to glass, metals, and plastics com-plexing agent detoxification of chemicals such as dyes, iodine, phenol, and poisonous drugs. Tablet-ing, photographic emulsions, cosmetics (hair sprays, shampoos, hand creams, skin lotions), dentifrices, dye-stripping, textile finishes, protective colloid, detergents, adhesives, beer and wine clarification. 

Clarifying agents or flocculants are used to eliminate turbidity or suspend particles from liquids, e.g., chill haze in beer, precipitates in fruit juices and wines, and haze in oils. Often, they provide a nucleation site for suspended fines. Examples of clarifying agents are lime in sugar juice clarification, pectic enzymes to break down pectins in fruit juices, and gelatin for clarification of fruit juices. 

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