Low Alcohol (LA) and No Alcohol (NA) beers are quickly gaining traction with health-conscious consumers, volume growth is forecasted to be double digits over the next 3-4 years.

However, crafting a recipe with a flavor profile that is on par with a full strength beer has proven to be a significant challenge. Worty off-flavors associated in the final product, often described as vegetal, grassy, and dusty, can make these beers unappealing. In addition, the lack of alcohol correlates with increased microbial contamination events, which can lead to flavor instability and pose a threat to human health and safety.

This presentation will cover best practices to produce consistently delicious, stable, and safe no- and low-alcohol beer. Topics will include recipe design, selection of yeast, and process variables and techniques to produce desirable flavor profiles and to limit or eliminate worty off-flavors. In addition, a discussion of food safety will include regulations, pathogen detection, and methods to preserve and stabilize no- and low-alcohol products.

Nathan is a PhD scientist specializing in biochemistry and microbiology with years of product development and technical application of yeast and enzymes in the beverage industry.

Berkeley Yeast bioengineers yeast strains with new properties that benefit fermentation for brewers and beyond.