Modern Machines Used In Dealcoholization - Optimize The Process
There are cutting-edge machines used in dealcoholization. What’s the technology behind this process? Discover the innovations reshaping the beverage industry.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuNov 09, 20238.6K Shares183.1K Views
In recent years, the beverage industry has witnessed a significant transformation with the advent of modern machines used in dealcoholization.
This innovative approach has revolutionized the way we manage and optimize the removal of alcohol from various beverages and products.
The integration of state-of-the-art machines into the dealcoholization process has not only improved efficiency but has also opened new possibilities for enhancing the quality and consistency of the final product.
This article delves into the fascinating realm of modern machines used in dealcoholization.
Learn about the key role they play in refining the overall process and the broader implications for industries and consumers alike.
What Does Dealcoholization Mean?
Dealcoholizationis also known as alcohol removal or dealcoholization process.
It’s a technique used to reduce or eliminate the alcohol content in alcoholic beverages while preserving the flavor, aroma, and other desirable characteristics of the beverage.
This process involves separating the alcohol from the base liquid (e.g., wine, beer, or spirits) using various methods. Different machines used in dealcoholization are involved in these methods.
Some of the reasons for creating dealcoholized beverages include:
a. Regulatory Compliance
Many countries have regulations governing the maximum permissible alcohol content for certain beverages.
Dealcoholization can help producers comply with these regulations.
b. Market Demand
There is a growing demand for non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beverages, driven by health-conscious consumers and those who want to enjoy the taste of alcoholic beverages without the intoxicating effects.
Dealcoholized products cater to this demand.
c. Flavor Preservation
Dealcoholization allows producers to create non-alcoholic or low-alcohol versions of their products while maintaining the original flavor profile.
Thus, making it suitable for consumers who want an alcohol-free option without sacrificing taste.
Modern machines used in dealcoholization help make this possible.
d. Versatility
The process enables producers to experiment with new flavors and variations of their alcoholic products, offering consumers a wider range of choices.
e. Increased Market Share
By offering dealcoholized versions of their products, alcoholic beverage companies can tap into a larger consumer base.
The potential consumers include:
- those who abstain from alcohol
- designated drivers
- pregnant women
- individuals who need to avoid alcohol for medical reasons
Thanks to the existence of modern machines used in dealcoholization, they can now drink non-alcoholic drinks and low-alcohol beer and wine; still, in moderation, of course.
The benefits of dealcoholization for consumers include:
a. Health and Safety
Non-alcoholic and low-alcohol options provide consumers with safer alternatives that don’t carry the risks associated with alcohol consumption.
b. Variety
Dealcoholized products offer consumers a broader choice of flavors and beverage types, allowing them to enjoy the taste of alcoholic beverages without the alcohol content.
c. Social Inclusion
Those who abstain from alcohol for any reason can still participate in social gatherings and enjoy the same or similar beverages as others.
d. Reduced Intoxication
Low-alcohol options enable consumers to moderate their alcohol intake, reducing the risk of overindulgence.
For the alcoholic beverage industry, the machines used in dealcoholization and the process itself bring several advantages:
a. Market Expansion
The production of non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beverages allows alcoholic beverage companies to diversify their product lines, potentially capturing a larger share of the market.
b. Brand Loyalty
Companies that offer both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options may foster brand loyalty among consumers who appreciate the consistency in taste and quality across their product range.
c. Compliance
Dealcoholization helps companies meet regulatory requirements regarding alcohol content in their products.
d. Innovation
The process opens doors for innovation, as companies can experiment with new flavors and products while leveraging their existing expertise in beverage production.
It likewise led to the creation of modern machines used in dealcoholization.
e. Sustainability
By reducing alcohol content in certain products, companies may contribute to sustainability efforts, as alcohol production can be resource-intensive.
By reducing alcohol content in certain products, companies may contribute to sustainability efforts, as alcohol production can be resource-intensive.
This process is driven by:
- regulatory compliance
- market demand
- versatility
- flavor preservation
- the desire to expand the consumer base
The process and the machines used in dealcoholization benefit the consumers by offering health-conscious and non-alcoholic options.
They also do the alcoholic beverage industry a favor by opening new market opportunities and promoting innovation.
Dealcoholization Process
There are various machines used in dealcoholization.
1. Distillation
Distillation involves heating the alcoholic beverage to evaporate the alcohol, which has a lower boiling point than water.
The alcohol vapor is then condensed and collected, leaving behind a non-alcoholic beverage.
2. Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis uses a semipermeable membrane to separate alcohol and water molecules based on their size.
Alcohol molecules are smaller and pass through the membrane, while the non-alcoholic components are retained on one side.
3. Vacuum Distillation
In vacuum distillation, the pressure is reduced to lower the boiling point of alcohol.
This allows for the separation of alcohol from the beverage at a lower temperature, minimizing flavor loss.
4. Heat Evaporation
Heat evaporation involves gently heating the alcoholic beverage to encourage alcohol evaporation.
The vapor is then collected and condensed, leaving a dealcoholized product.
5. Membrane Filtration
Membrane filtration methods use various types of membranes to separate alcohol from the beverage based on molecular size.
These membranes allow small alcohol molecules to pass through while retaining larger flavor compounds.
6. Spinning Cone Column
The spinning cone column uses spinning cones to increase the surface area of the alcoholic beverage.
As the beverage passes through the cones, the alcohol evaporates, and the vapor is collected and condensed.
7. Centrifugation
Centrifugation uses centrifugal force to separate alcohol from the beverage.
The denser alcohol is separated from the non-alcoholic components, and the two are collected separately.
8. Fermentation Inhibition
By introducing microorganisms that consume the alcohol (e.g., yeast or bacteria), it’s possible to encourage fermentation and convert alcohol into other substances, such as acetic acid or water.
There are machines used in dealcoholization that can do this.
9. Gas Stripping
In this method, gases like nitrogen or carbon dioxide are bubbled through the beverage.
The alcohol readily evaporates and is collected, while the remaining beverage is left dealcoholized.
10. Supercritical Fluid Extraction
Supercritical carbon dioxide is used as a solvent to extract alcohol from the beverage.
The carbon dioxide becomes supercritical at specific conditions, allowing it to dissolve alcohol, which can later be separated.
11. Freeze Distillation
Freeze distillation involves freezing the beverage and then removing the ice crystals that form.
Alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, so it remains in liquid form while the ice is removed.
12. Enzymatic Conversion
Certain enzymes can be added to the beverage to catalyze the conversion of alcohol into other compounds. This method is more commonly used in low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beer production.
Each of these methods has its advantages and limitations, and the choice of which to use depends on factors like the:
- type of beverage
- desired level of alcohol removal
- preservation of flavor and aroma
Dealcoholization Equipment
The machines used in dealcoholization vary depending on the beer and wine companies. Many of them developed their own dealcoholization equipment.
Some of them are:
a. Equalizer
This filtration equipment promises to preserve the aroma and flavor as well as the color of the beverages that will be made into non-alcoholic drinks.
b. GoLo
This one is by BevZero from Santa Rosa, California, a supplier of dealcoholization equipment.
The GoLo equipment is environment-friendly as it doesn’t use a lot of water and electricity.
Aside from being “low maintenance,” according to its website, it aims to reduce costs by ensuring high quality production.
c. ProBrew Alchemator
This one is by ProBrew from Waukesha, Wisconsin, a manufacturer of machines used in dealcoholization of beer.
According to its website, here are some of its features:
- “fully automated”
- versatile and can be customized
- mobile - can be move around easily
- its filtration technology makes it easy to clean
- with pressure transmitters and digital meters for quick and easy monitoring
- only has one motor, making it “energy efficient” (doesn’t require to heat up the water)
Those are some of the machines used in dealcoholization.
Modern Machines Used In Dealcoholization - People Also Ask
What Does Non-Alcoholic Beer Taste Like?
An August 2021 report by The Times of India said that traditional beer and dealcoholized beer (non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer) taste nearly the same.
That’s what the people at PerfecDraft.com also claim.
Well, according to a January 2023 article by Surely, an American non-alcoholic winemaker that uses California grapes, the latter tend to taste sweeter.
Is It OK To Drink Non-Alcoholic Wine Every Day?
According to a 2022 Healthline article, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sets the suggested amount of alcohol intake at one serving/drink per day only.
For wine, one serving is equivalent to 148 milliliters (ml.) or 5 ounces (oz.).
As for low-alcohol or non-alcoholic wine, HalalWineCellar.com stated that some studies indicate that consuming 150-ml.-glass of dealcoholized wineper day can potentially reduce the likelihood of experiencing a stroke by as much as 14 percent.
In addition, Medical NewsToday reported that a recent study shows that drinking two glasses of a certain dealcoholized wine can be beneficial for those with aging skin.
It was presented at NUTRITION 2023 (July 22-25) in Boston, Massachusetts, an annual event by the American Society for Nutrition.
The authors are Lindsey Christman, a senior scientist at the Emerging Scienceand Technology department of Ocean Spray in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Liwei Gu, a professor from University of Florida.
The wine referred to is the dealcoholized muscadine wine (DMW).
Muscadine wine is a type of wine made from the muscadine grape, a variety of grape native to the southeastern United States.
The authors concluded that:
“„This randomized controlled trial demonstrated that consumption of polyphenol-rich DMW improved skin conditions associated with aging. This is likely due to decreases in inflammationand oxidative stress.- Lindsey Christman, Ph.D. and Liwei Gu, Ph.D.
Polyphenols are a group of naturally occurring compounds that have antioxidant properties that help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body.
They can also help protect the skin from oxidative stress and UV radiation, which are known to cause premature aging and skin damage.
Is Non-Alcohol Wine High In Sugar?
According to Tipple Zero, a site dedicated to non-alcoholic beverages, dealcoholized wine contains less sugarthan traditional wines.
Per 100 ml. of non-alcoholic wine, there is only less than 4 grams of sugar. In addition, a 100-ml. dealcoholized wine usually has no more than 20 calories.
Final Thoughts
The evolution of modern machines used in dealcoholization represents a remarkable stride forward in the beverage and food processing industries.
These pioneering technologies have reshaped the landscape of dealcoholization, making the process more efficient, precise, and sustainable.
They benefit both manufacturers and consumers.
As we continue to explore and refine these advancements, the potential for even greater improvements in dealcoholization methods and the quality of resulting products seems limitless.
Embracing these modern machines used in dealcoholization serves as a testament to the relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence in the ever-evolving world of food and beverage production.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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