Called Laminex Super 3G, the new addition is more concentrated than its forebear, so a lower dose can be used to speed up wort separation (the separation of wheat and barley mash from the sugar solution) and give higher consistency in beer filtration.
This means that the capacity of the brewhouse is improved, says the Danish company, and longer beer filtration cycles can be achieved. The result is a more cost efficient brewing process.
Danisco constantly looks to update and upgrade its offerings, but this launch is particularly timely given the focus on help the food and beverage industry cope with the tough economy.
The recession has led brewers to play around with the raw materials for their beers in a bid to reduce costs. Beer is usually made from barley and malt, but “if you want to change the traditional raw material it is hard to get a tasty and drinkable beer,” Aart Mateboer, business unit director for Danisco Food Enzymes told FoodNavigator.com.
That said, shifts in drinking habits have not necessarily been detrimental to brewers. According to Mateboer, people have a tendency to trade down from hard liquor to beer in the recession. Vodka and whiskey distillers are suffering, while brewers are still maintaining their market, he said.
People who drink premium beers are drinking cheaper beers – and cheaper beers may use more enzymes. Brewers of premium beers often use their traditional process and craftsmanship as a selling point.
Enzymes are indispensible for specialty beers like low calorie products, though, where the same alcohol content is required but without the calories that would normally accompany it.
An enzyme for every bottleneck
Dansico has a number of other brewing enzymes in its portfolio, such as Alphalase, Amylex and Diazyme.
Mateboer explained that different enzymes are intended for use at different stages of the brewing process. Brewers might pick one to ease a particular bottleneck they are experiencing, or use the whole range to cover all stages.