Beer, in its very essence, is made from the fermentation of sugars by yeast which creates alcohol and gives beer its flavour. So, how is alcohol-free beer made? It’s a very good question and one that we, here at Nirvana Brewery, are probably the most qualified to answer. Considering we do have an alcohol-free brewery.
No and Low beers have taken off in recent years. With the younger generation drinking less alcohol and the awareness of health issues associated with alcohol consumption growing within the older generation. But another key driving factor behind this increase in No and Low has been great improvements in the taste of alcohol-free beers. This is all down to the new technology and techniques that are being used to produce alcohol-free beer.
Okay but, how is alcohol-free beer made?
There are a variety of different methods that can be used to make a beer alcohol-free. Here at Nirvana Brewery, we use at least three different methods for our different types of beer. We’ll be guiding you through our different methods and which beers are produced using each. So you can learn more about what you’re drinking 😉.
De-Alcoholisation
This is the most common method of producing alcohol-free beers and the one you’ll see alcoholic beer brewers using for their 0.0 versions. This is because you brew the full-strength beer first, and then gently de-alcoholised using vacuum distillation at low temperatures.
Vacuum distillation reduces the boiling point of alcohol from 78.3°C to 34°C. This process has been refined throughout the years to ensure that the low temperature of the distillation doesn’t alter the flavours. The process allows us to create beers true to style – using traditional yeasts that have unique flavours.
You can find us using this process in our Bavarian Helles Lager, Cloudy Lemon Lager and Bavarian Hefeweizen (All available in 500ml Bottles!).
Hybrid Yeast Method
This method is different to the arrested fermentation method, where the fermentation cycle is stopped artificially. Whilst this method can have some benefits, particularly when it comes to body, the lack of fermentation of malt sugars can greatly affect how true to style the final taste is.
We use the hybrid yeast method to make a number of our alcohol-free beers. Classical breeding methods have developed yeasts which allow us to do a complete fermentation whilst only converting a small amount of sugar to alcohol.
Hybrid Yeasts are neutral and allow us to create a wide variety of beers- perfect for ales, stouts & some lagers. Allowing us to brew traditionally, with the best ingredients. No shortcuts or tricks!
We use this hybrid yeast method for our Classic IPA and new Pilsner! In fact, our Pilsner uses a new type of hybrid yeast giving it a great flavour and mouthfeel.
0.0% Method
This method uses no fermentation at all as all the ingredients are mixed together. It’s not an ideal method for lagers or IPAs, but it is perfect for malt-lead beers like a rich Stout. As there is no fermentation we can guarantee 0.0% Alcohol content. The Colour, flavour and sugars are extracted from premium Scottish malts & global hop varieties.
This is an alternative method to the microporous method. Where a very fine filter (0.1 Micrometres) is used to separate the alcohol. It works, but it also strips the beer of its flavour, which is why we prefer the 0.0% method.
Our Stout is made using the 0.0% method, and remains one of our customer's all-time favourites!
Hopefully, you have an understanding of how alcohol-free beer is made, or at least how we do it here at Nirvana. Different methods produce different results for the beers and we’ve optimised them for our different products. Really though, the best way to truly understand the differences in how alcohol-free beers are made is to try them yourself! Take advantage of our discovery mixed case and discover your favourite!
