Application of pasteurization in craft beer industry

Today we will talk about the application of pasteurization in the craft beer industry. When people talk about bottled beer, they usually mean pasteurized bottled beer. This is not always the case, but it is the norm. Pasteurization is a method for killing microorganisms in food and drink products.

This process has been used for hundreds of years to make certain beverages safer for human consumption. Pasteurization occurs at varying temperatures, depending on the product being processed.

1. The principle of pasteurization

First, we need to know what pasteurization is. Pasteurization, also known as low-temperature sterilization, is a cold sterilization method invented by French microbiologist Pasteur. The constant disinfection method is a heat treatment method that is widely used to kill various pathogenic bacteria.
The degree of pasteurization heat treatment is relatively low. Generally, the food is heat treated at a temperature lower than the boiling point of water (60-82°C) within a specified time, and the medium is hot water.

2. the application of pasteurization in the wine industry

Pasteurization solves the problem of rancidity and long-term preservation of low-alcohol alcohol such as wine and beer. At that time, the French winemaking industry was faced with a very difficult problem, that is, the wine would become sour after brewing, and it was not drinkable at all, and this sour phenomenon still occurred from time to time.

Pasteur was invited to study this question. After a long period of observation, he discovered that the culprit that made the wine sour was Lactobacillus; nutrient-dense wine is simply a paradise for Lactobacillus to grow. Simple boiling can kill the lactobacilli, but then the wine loses its original style and flavor.

At that time, Pasteur tried to use different temperatures to kill Lactobacillus without destroying the wine itself; in the end, Pasteur’s research result is that the wine can be killed by heating the wine at 63.5 ℃ for half an hour, which can kill the lactic acid in the wine bacilli without having to boil. This method saved the French winemaking industry and shocked the world.

3. Application of pasteurization method in craft beer industry

Pasteur invented that the application of sterilization temperature in beer is generally 60~62℃, and the time is 10~20min. Under the sterilization time, the sterilization unit will increase by 10 times for every 7″C increase in temperature.

At present, bottled beer and canned beer on the market, especially exported beer, are mostly pasteurized for storage and transportation at room temperature.

First, let’s look at pasteurization units. Pasteurization unit means that the sterilization effect obtained by keeping beer at 60°C for 1min is 1 PU value: measuring the PU value can accurately control the sterilization of beer. PU=1.393 (sterilization temperature -60℃) x sterilization time (minutes). In the sterilization test in the laboratory, the amount is small and uniform, and the lethal value of yeast is generally 5-6PU to receive good results, but it is difficult to achieve uniform sterilization in large-scale production. The minimum PU value in practical experience is 13.7; for safety, The pasteurization unit of beer is generally controlled between 15~25PU.

Of course, the smaller the pasteurization unit used, the better the taste of the beer; but for product safety reasons, most breweries usually control the PU value around the upper limit. Glass bottle filling is generally controlled at 20-25PU, and cans filling is generally controlled at around 15PU.

Okay~ The above is the relevant content of pasteurization in craft beer! Welcome everyone to discuss the knowledge of craft beer with me!