System and Method for the Production of a Physically Stable High Gravity Beer

A system for reducing haze by creating a physically stable alcoholic beverage that has been obtained via filtration and separation processes, the system comprising:

• a reverse osmosis filter system having a feed stream that receives an initial alcoholic precursor to the alcoholic beverage, and providing a retentate stream from which water has been removed, wherein the reverse osmosis filter system is configured to provide a concentration of alcohol in the retentate of between about 10% and 40% by volume;
• a clarification system having an input and an output, the input coupled to the retentate stream, the clarification system configured to remove particles having a size of about 0.4-0.8 microns and larger to produce a clarified retentate, the clarification system comprising a filter and/or a centrifuge;
• and
• a heat transfer section, disposed between the reverse osmosis system and the clarification system or within the reverse osmosis system, configured to cool the retentate before clarification to a temperature between about 2 degrees below a freezing point of the retentate and a freezing point of the initial alcoholic precursor to the alcoholic beverage in the feed stream.

A method of reducing formation of haze by creating a physically stable alcoholic beverage subjected to filtration and separation processes, the method comprising:

• extracting haze-causing constituents from a feed stream of the alcoholic beverage to produce a concentration of the haze-causing constituents of less than 80% of a first threshold that is sufficient to remove the presence of haze;
• receiving, from a reverse osmosis filter system having the alcoholic beverage in the feed stream, retentate from which water has been removed, wherein a concentration of alcohol in the retentate has reached about 10% to about 40% by volume;
• and
• debrewing the retentate.