# US 5,346,706 A · Malt beverage process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,346,706 A - Document ID: US5346706A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/967,275 - Filed: 1992-10-27 - Granted: 1994-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 1991-10-28 - Assignees: John Labatt Limited - Inventors: Cameron R. Murray; William J. Van Der Meer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346706A ## CPC - C12C 12/04: Beer with low alcohol content (methods for reducing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H3/00) - C12C: BEER; PREPARATION OF BEER BY FERMENTATION (ageing or ripening by storing C12H1/22; methods for reducing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H3/00; methods for increasing the alcohol content after fermentation C12H6/00; venting devices for casks, barrels or the like C12L9/00); PREPARATION OF MALT FOR MAKING BEER; PREPARATION OF HOPS FOR MAKING BEER ## Abstract A cold contact process for the production of non-alcoholic malt beverages comprising the steps of preparing a boiled malt wort of about 12-20 degrees Plato; acidifying the wort through the addition of an edible acid, to a pH of greater than about 4.0, and less than 4.6. To the acidified wort is added an amount of about 25% to 75% wet packed yeast slurry suspended in a freshly harvested regularly brewed, barm beer. The slurry is added in sufficient proportions to produce a yeast cell concentration in the resulting wort/slurry mixture, of about 40 million to 80 million yeast cells per milliliter thereof. The yeast and the wort are held in contact in the mixture for greater than 10, up to a maximum of 30 hours, at a temperature of greater than zero up to a maximum of less than 7 degrees Centigrade. The resulting beverage is then aged after separating the thusly contacted wort from all but 0.5-2 million yeast cells per milliliter of the separated wort. The resulting product may be organoleptically supplemented with beer ester flavors to form an ester and beer-flavor supplemented mixture which is then diluted with water to produce a non-alcoholic malt beverage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cold contact process for the production of nonalcoholic malt beverages comprising the steps of: i) adding an amount of yeast slurry containing about 25% to 75% wet packed yeast slurry suspended in a fresh regularly brewed, beer, to a boiled malt wort of from about 12 to 20 degrees Plato and a pH of greater than 4.0 and less than about 5.0 and containing about 150 to 350 ppm w/v of said wort of an edible acid; and wherein said amount of said slurry is sufficient to produce a yeast cell concentration in the resulting wort/slurry mixture of about 40 million to 80 million yeast cells per milliliter thereof; ii) contacting said yeast and said wort in said mixture for greater than about 10, up to a maximum of about 30 hours, at a temperature of greater than about zero up to a maximum of less than about 7 degrees Centigrade; iii) separating the thusly contacted wort from all but from 0.5 to 2 million cells per milliliter of the separated wort and aging the resulting beverage; iv) organoleptically supplementing said wort with beer ester flavors to form a mixture; and, v) diluting the resulting beverage as necessary with water to produce a nonalcoholic malt beverage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said wort/slurry mixture is agitated during said contacting. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said water is dearated and chilled. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein up to 20% by weight of said wort is boiled off. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process according to claim 4 wherein from 7 to 15% by weight of said wort is boiled off. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process according to claim 5 wherein about 10% by weight of said wort is boiled of. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said boiled wort is about 16 degrees Plato. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein the pH of said wort is reduced to about pH 4.5. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said pH is reduced through the addition of citric acid to said wort. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process according to claim 9 wherein said addition in the amount of about 250 ppm of said acid. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said mixture contains between 50 to 70 million yeast cells per milliliter thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process according to claim 11 wherein said mixture contains between 55 to 65 million yeast cells per milliliter thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said contact is continued for greater than 10 hours, up to about 24 hours. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process according to claim 13 wherein said contact is continued for about 16 hours. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said temperature is between about 2 and 5 degrees Centigrade. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The process according to claim 15 wherein said temperature is about 3 degrees Centigrade. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein carbon dioxide is sparged through said mixture. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein aging temperature is reduced, but is above zero degrees Centigrade. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said wet packed yeast slurry is in the range of 25% to 70% by volume. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The process according to claim 19 wherein said wet packed yeast slurry is about 70% by volume. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said fresh regularly brewed beer is less than about twelve hours old. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The Process according to claim 1 wherein said yeast is less than 24 hours old when used in said process. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The process according to claim 22, wherein said yeast is less than 12 hours old when used in said process. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said non-alcoholic malt beverage has an ethanol concentration of less than about 0.5% v/v. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein the step of organoleptically supplementing said wort comprises adding an ester-supplementing amount of regularly brewed beer to said wort to form a mixture having an ethanol concentration of not more than about 2% v/v. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein the ethanol concentration in said mixture is between 1.1 and 1.4% v/v. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The process according to claim 26 wherein the ethanol concentration of said mixture is about 1.3% v/v. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1 wherein said water is fruit juice flavored. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The process according to claim 28 wherein said water is fruit juice.