Chr. Hansen’s latest strains offer flavour variety for non-alcoholic brewing
Time to raise the beer game, Chr Hansen unveils two strains for more flavours in non-alcoholic brew.
Chr. Hansen is providing brewers with top-notch technology to cater to a growing demand for non-alcoholic beer options and flavour variety with two new strains for non-alcoholic brewing.
“With new strains in our portfolio, brewers can now offer an even greater variety of flavours to consumers who are seeking non-alcoholic options,” said Sofie Saerens, senior commercial development manager at Chr. Hansen.”
SmartBev Neer technology provides a “full beer experience”, creating a well-integrated body and mouthfeel that rivals traditional alcoholic beers. According to Chr. Hansen, the yeast technology streamlines the brewing process, enabling cost savings and sustainability benefits.
Saerens added: “We believe that every consumer deserves a great-tasting beer, regardless of their choice to consume alcohol or not. Our new strains, Neer Poly and Neer Punch, are a testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of flavour in the non-alcoholic beer market. We’re excited to offer brewers the tools they need to meet the growing demand for high-quality, flavourful non-alcoholic options.”
With the addition of Neer Poly and Neer Punch, the SmartBev Neer technology range now comprises three distinct Pichia kluyveri yeast strains, each thoroughly selected to bring the full beer experience without the alcohol.
The new strains perfectly complement the original strain in our portfolio recommended for a refreshing balanced beer, giving brewers an expanded palette of flavours to customise their beers according to taste preferences:
- Neer Poly – Ideal for those who prefer a more neutral impact of the yeast, allowing the malt and hops to shine in the beer’s flavour profile. Excellent choice for pilsner, stout, and ale beers.
- Neer Punch – Best suited for a fruit-forward beer, this strain rolls out full ester characters, adding depth and complexity to the flavour. Ideal yeast for IPAs, wheat, and fruit beers.
These new strains have been sourced from the VIB-KULeuven Center for Microbiology, known for its extensive collection of yeast and a longstanding experience in yeast fermentation.
Chr. Hansen notes consumers are increasingly motivated to explore low/no alcohol beverages due to health and wellness concerns, as well as the diminishing stigma around non-drinkers.
Flavour and taste remain crucial factors in consumer acceptance of these beverages, highlighting the importance of offering diverse flavour options to meet market demand. In fact, recent data from Euromonitor indicates the global non-alcoholic beer market has seen a 5% compound annual growth rate from 2018-22 and is forecasted to grow by 7% over the next five years (2023-27).
The most common method of making alcohol-free beer require brewing full-strength beer as one would with a traditional beer, then removing the alcohol and adding flavouring. Brewing with SmartBev Neer transforms wort flavours directly into beer flavours without producing alcohol.
In addition to enhancing flavour variety, brewing with Chr. Hansen’s SmartBev Neer technology offers several business benefits:
- Malt and energy savings: direct fermentation reduces malt needs up to 65%, leading to significant energy savings and a decreased carbon footprint.
- Water conservation: reduced malt usage means less water consumption during production.
- Accelerated production: with a consistent fermentation time of 2-3 days and no maturation needed, production is expedited.
- Swift market entry: with Neer, the time from initial contact to final product can be shortened to six months, allowing for a rapid response to flavour trends.
Chr. Hansen will be at the BrauBeviale fair coming up, and our experts would be happy to meet you. Come by our booth, learn more about new strains, and not the least try out the non-alcoholic beer brewed with SmartBev Neer.
