Kerry has introduced two new sustainable plant-based processing aids for enhancing beer quality, improving process efficiency and delivering cost savings in brewing.
These products, Biofine Eco and FermCap Eco, are part of Kerry’s new Eco Range family of plant-based and sustainable brewing solutions, a collection of tools designed to help brewers create exceptionally consumer-friendly beers while reducing their impact on the environment.
Biofine Eco is an aid that greatly improves beer clarification, while FermCap Eco is a foam-control product that optimises process efficiency by increasing fermenter capacity, improving hop utilisation and eliminating over foaming and beer waste. The products deliver significant benefits, providing clean, environmentally friendly and cost saving solutions for brewers globally.
Commenting on the new brewing solutions, Deborah Waters, PhD, Product Director Brewing Ingredients, Kerry said: “We are proud to introduce Biofine Eco and FermCap Eco which have been specifically designed as environmentally friendly solutions to replace traditional fining and antifoam options with plant-based alternatives. These innovative ingredients are better for the planet and the production process by enhancing the beer quality, increasing production efficiencies, reducing carbon footprint and increasing throughput.
“They are also compatible with both membrane and crossflow filtration, proven to reduce membrane fouling and being plant-based processing aids, are appealing to the vegan consumer. The Eco Brewing Range is a result of Kerry’s commitment to clean and environmentally friendly brewing solutions.”
Biofine Eco is a new, innovative, allergen-free, plant-derived clarification aid that greatly improves beer clarification by delivering almost instant flocculation of yeast. It works well both with and without a centrifuge and has been developed as a chemical and allergen-free alternative to traditional clarification aids.
We are proud to introduce Biofine Eco and FermCap Eco which have been specifically designed as environmentally friendly solutions
A consistent performer, Biofine Eco delivers a more compact yeast sedimentation, removes haze during the brewing process and is more economical to use. It is a natural, plant-based product that delivers two invaluable brand-building benefits: sustainability advances and the ability for brewers to produce beer with vegan-friendly claims.
Biofine Eco has been found to quickly reduce turbidity, outperforming traditional brewery fining options. It also improves beer recovery and enhances product quality. In its work to optimise process efficiencies, Biofine Eco leaves no impact on flavour or beer foam. Importantly, through targeted binding of multiple haze-forming actions, Biofine Eco produces a compact sediment that delivers easy cleaning and reduces the cost of disposal.
FermCap Eco is an innovative, plant-based, foam-control product that optimises process efficiencies by increasing fermenter capacity, eliminating overfoaming and enhancing hop utilisation, as well as improving beer foam stability. It is compatible with crossflow membrane filtration and extends filter run length and membrane life significantly. FermCap Eco delivers up to 15% increase in fermenter capacity versus untreated beer.
When compared to traditional antifoam, FermCap Eco reduces cleaning-in-place (CIP) time and frequency, and allows longer filter run lengths without membrane fouling.
FermCap Eco is a processing aid that has been developed to be a more sustainable alternative to traditional silicon-based antifoam products, in particular when crossflow filtration is used. In addition to maximising fermentation vessel capacity and increasing CO2 recovery while reducing wort losses, FermCap Eco is not sensitive to cold temperature storage. This last feature provides an important logistical advantage for freight and storage in the Northern Hemisphere during colder months.
The optimised process efficiencies delivered by FermCap Eco include raising fermenter capacity by reducing foam height by up to 15% in the vessel. FermCap Eco also enhances hop (alpha-acid) utilisation by up to 10% while maximising CO2 recovery and reducing expensive wort losses.