Regeneration of Nutritious Hop Components from the Brewing Process or Production Process of Beverages

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This invention provides a method and apparatus for recovering valuable hop components, especially bitter substances like alpha acids, beta acids, and iso-alpha acids, from the trub (solid by-products) generated during brewing or the production of other hop-containing beverages. The process involves separating the trub from the brewing stream and then processing it—particularly under alkaline conditions and elevated temperatures—to extract these hop constituents. The recovered hop compounds can then be reintroduced into the beverage production process or used as extracts for other purposes. This technology also removes unwanted metal ions during recovery, improving product stability.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Recycling hop compounds lost during beer brewing back into the brewing process to enhance bitterness and reduce raw material costs.
• Production of hop extracts or concentrates for use in flavoring, bitterness adjustment, or addition to other beverages.
• Utilizing recovered hop compounds in the manufacture of dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, or cosmetic products due to their potential health benefits (e.g., antioxidant properties).
• Commercial recovery and processing of brewery wastes (trub), turning waste into valuable ingredients for various industries.
• Application in breweries aiming to minimize waste and maximize ingredient utilization.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly improves hop utilization and reduces the amount of hops required, leading to cost savings for beverage producers.
• Decreases waste by enabling the recycling of brewing by-products (trub).
• Produces valuable hop extracts that can be used for flavor, bitterness, or functional benefits in beer or other products.
• Removes pro-oxidative metal ions (like iron) during recovery, enhancing the stability and shelf-life of the final product.
• Allows customization of bitterness and flavor profiles in beverages by adjusting amounts and timing of recovered hop addition.
• Potentially creates new revenue streams from previously discarded brewery residues.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to methods for obtaining hop constituents, in particular bitter hop substances, a product having hop constituents that is obtained by means of said method and use of said product, and a device for recovering hop constituents. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the hop constituents are recovered from a trub that arises in the production of a beverage containing hops, in particular a brewing process. The device according to the invention indicates a trub separator for separating the trub from the beverage production and a trub processor for removing the hop constituents from the trub. The invention further relates to the use of a trub that arises in the production of a beverage containing hops, in particular a brewing process, as a starting material for producing a product having hop constituents, in particular bitter hop substances, and/or for producing an extract of a hop constituent, in particular an extract of a bitter hop substance.