Impact of falling‐film freeze concentration in a commercial Lager beer

Abstract

AbstractInnovations and technology are the driving forces for new beer industry products, especially in exploring new flavor profiles. Freeze concentration (FC) emerges as an alternative to take advantage of this opportunity. This work studied the falling‐film freeze concentration (FFFC) application on ethanol–water solutions and commercial beer. The effect of flow rate, freezing temperature, and initial concentration of ethanol in the model solution was studied, and the best conditions were found with a surface response analysis and then applied to a commercial beer. The effect on the sensory profile was determined by multidimensional approximation for the lager beer and the concentrated liquid. A significant effect of initial concentration and freezing temperature were found in the ethanol–water solutions, and the best condition was found at −25°C, 400 L/h, and 0.03 w/w, with a concentration index of 1.35. This condition was evaluated for commercial beer, where a concentration index of 1.18 was achieved, caused by solids in beer and molecular interactions of ethanol with other compounds. The sensory profile of a commercial lager beer was modified by increasing the intensity in 38% of the flavor descriptors and the preservation of the other 41% after applying FFFC. The effect of this technique in beer could be a novel method to produce beer products with new flavor profiles.Practical applicationsInnovations in science and technology added to the search for new flavors promote the development of new products in the beer industry. In this article, a potential use of this freeze concentration (FC) technology was identified for the development of new concentrated beer products. The impact of falling‐film FC in a commercial lager beer was studied. First, obtaining a concentrated beer from this technique was possible, with a higher concentration of total solids and ethanol. In addition, the beer's sensory profile was modified by applying FC, which resulted in an increase in the intensity of 38% of the descriptors and the preservation of 41%. It also allowed the appearance of new flavors and aromas.