Progressive stirred freeze concentration: effect of operative parameters on vital statistics of beer

Abstract

Freeze concentration (FC), a low-cost alternative technology to separate and concentrate high-value compounds, was applied to three distinct craft ale beer styles—Witbier, Bitter, and Porter—to investigate its impact on vital beer statistics. A central composite design with freezing temperature and ice fraction as factors was employed, with response surface analysis revealing significant effects on the average ice growth rate ((Formula presented.)), concentration index (CI), and average distribution coefficient ((Formula presented.)) of ethanol, total solids, color, and bitterness in the liquid fraction. Results showed that ice fraction primarily influenced solute concentrations and increased with ice fraction due to water removal. Freezing temperature affected (Formula presented.). The type of beer had a significant impact on color and bitterness, reflecting the specific style parameters. Furthermore, response optimization yielded conditions that significantly altered beer statistics, leading to changes in ethanol content, total solids, color, and bitterness, possibly classifying them as new beer styles. The study demonstrates the potential of FC to influence the beer characteristics and broaden the range of beer styles. Practical applications: Innovations in science and technology, added to the search for new beer styles, promote the development of new products in the beer industry. In this article, a potential use of the freeze concentration technology was identified for the development of new concentrated beer products. The impact of progressive stirred freeze concentration in three craft beers was studied. First, obtaining a concentrated beer from this technique was possible, with a higher concentration of total solids and ethanol. In addition, the vital statistics of beer could be modified using freeze concentration to obtain novel concentrated beer products. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.