How to keep non-alcoholic beer safe and flavorful

The sustainable alternative to tunnel pasteurization

There’s a tricky challenge facing today’s brewers. How do you ensure the safety and shelf life of alcohol free and low alcohol brews without the decreased flavor and carbonation caused by tunnel pasteurization? The answer is an exciting new fiber extracted from white button mushrooms.

Innovative brewers have figured out how to make beer with all the great flavor and taste but none of the alcohol. Peruse store coolers and you’ll find crisp lagers, smooth IPAs, and even malty stouts that are low ABV or even totally alcohol free. But take away all that alcohol, and beer becomes the perfect environment for spoilage-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and mold. If left unchecked, these microorganisms can cause exploding cans, nasty off-flavors, and even make beer drinkers sick.

Moving Beyond Tunnel Pasteurization

Photo by jakubgojda.

There’s no denying that tunnel pasteurization is really good at killing spoilage causing microorganisms and helping beer producers sleep at night. At the most basic level, pasteurization is a process of heating liquid to a temperature high enough to kill yeast, mold, and bacteria, and then quickly cooling it back down. But it’s time consuming and expensive, and the process uses a lot of energy, making it not an ideal solution, especially for sustainability focused brewers. 

“Perhaps an even bigger downside is that it really mutes the flavor of beverages, especially beers,” says David Brown, Co-founder and COO of Chinova Bioworks. “Brewers are so passionate about the ingredients they use and the flavors they achieve, and tunnel pasteurization destroys all those flavorful volatile compounds.”

Tunnel pasteurization also limits the amount of carbonation in a non-alcoholic (NA) beer, leaving it a little flat. That’s where the natural antimicrobial Chiber™ Mushroom Extract comes in. Made from a fiber from white button mushrooms, it’s a natural alternative to tunnel pasteurization that delivers long-term shelf-life, but maintains the vibrant flavor and carbonation beer drinkers expect. What’s more, it's an upcycled ingredient made in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner. Compared to tunnel pasteurization, Chiber provides a vastly more sustainable option for brewers. 

Proof is in the Testing

In one antimicrobial challenge study, NA beer that was tunnel pasteurized was compared with the same NA beer with 0.1% Chiber Mushroom Extract and a non-treated control. When screened for four common spoilage microorganisms, results showed Chiber Mushroom Extract at 0.1% achieved the same level of antimicrobial efficacy as tunnel pasteurization. “When it comes to using Chiber, testing equals peace of mind,” says Brown. “We work with our clients to make sure they’re using it properly and getting the best results for the best quality beers.” 

One of those innovative clients is Eddyline Brewing in Buena Vista, Colorado, who’s dipping their toes into the NA beer world after decades of making crowd pleasing full-proof brews. “We make a lot of hop-heavy IPAs that are susceptible to heat and can lose their great flavor in the pasteurizer,” says Production Manager Greg Daughenbaugh. “For our NA beer, we’re excited to try some new things, and I love that Chiber is all natural and comes from mushrooms.”

To start, Eddyline is serving their NA beer out of their state-of-the-art production facility in the mountains of Colorado. “So far Chiber is proving very protective, and there is no change to smell or taste,” says Daughenbaugh. “We’re all excited for this innovation to grow within the industry,” says Daughenbaugh. By using a natural microbial in place of tunnel pasteurization, companies can safeguard the quality of their beverages, while saving money, time, and scarce natural resources.