GUIDE TO MAKING
NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEERS THROUGH
FERMENTATION
PREPARED BY
@escarpmentlabs Richard Preiss
[email protected]
escarpmentlabs.com UPDATED: 23/01/24
PAGE 01
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Why Make Non-Alcoholic Beers? 2
Introduction to Non-Alcoholic Beers 3
How Do Brewers Make NA Fermented Beers? 5
Food Safety Risks of Non-Alcoholic Beer 7
Pasteurization Requirements for Non-Alcoholic Beer 8
Can I Homebrew a Non-Alcoholic Beer? 9
Yeast Options 10
Key Characteristics of NAY 10
Testimonials 11
Key Characteristics of LalBrew® LoNa™ 12
Instructions for Making a Non-Alcoholic Beer 13
NAY & LalBrew® LoNa™ — Additional FAQ 16
Low and Non-Alcoholic Beer Recipes 17
Non-Alc Pale Ale 18
Low or No-Alcohol IPA 19
Non-Alc Lager 21
Non-Alc Dry Hopped Sour 22
Additional Considerations 24
PAGE 02
WHY MAKE NON-
ALCOHOLIC BEERS?
Non-alcoholic beers are now one of the biggest trends in craft brewing. There are many
reasons for this trend. Many beer consumers are cutting back on alcohol consumption, but
do not want to settle for grocery store brands of NA beer.
As a result, craft brewers are starting to explore production of non-alcoholic beers at an
accelerating rate. If this sounds like you, congratulations! You’ve found the right place.
Before you proceed with adding a bunch of NA beers to your brew schedule, please
consider the following questions:
1. Why are you making a non-alcoholic beer?
The answer should not be “because everyone else is doing it”. Producing
NA beer is challenging!
2. Who will you be selling your non-alcoholic beer to?
What channels will you sell through? Onsite? Local distro? Looking to go
country-wide? What audience are you appealing to? Are you looking to
grow sales from existing customers or add a new customer base?
3. Are you prepared to dump a few batches of beer?
These beers are not easy to make. We are here to help guide you, but you
can still expect a lot of trial and error when developing your non-alc brew.
4. Are you sure this is the best use of your brewery’s R&D time?
Consider if the time would be better spent working on other projects that
will contribute more to the bottom line of your business.
If these questions didn’t scare you off, or if you’re just curious about how to make NA
beers, read on! Our goal is to provide the best guidance for producing non-alcoholic beers
through fermentation.
PAGE 03
INTRODUCTION TO
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER
By most definitions, non-alcoholic beers (or “NA Beers”, or “Non Alc Beer”) are
generally considered to contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV). Alcohol-free
beers by comparison contain zero alcohol (0.0%).
There are several different methods a brewer can use to make non-alcoholic beers:
Dealcoholization through evaporation (e.g. vacuum distillation)
Dealcoholization through membranes (e.g. reverse osmosis)
Arrested fermentation with standard yeast
Limited fermentation with maltose-negative or maltotriose-negative
yeast
Cold contact fermentation
Broadly speaking, we can divide NA beer production into two categories: dealcoholized
beers, and fermented NA beers.
There are two subcategories of dealcoholization methods. The first is dealcoholization
through evaporation, otherwise known as vacuum distillation. In this method, the beer is
heated under vacuum and distilled to remove the ethanol. This reduces the alcohol
content of the beer, but can also strip some of the volatiles (such as yeast esters). This
method has been used for many decades to produce non-alcoholic beers.
The second dealcoholization method uses fine membranes to separate the alcohol
molecules from other soluble molecules, similar to how a reverse osmosis device
operates. Since pressure is used rather than heat and the separation can be more precise
than some older vacuum distillation methods, membrane dealcoholization can be an
effective way to produce full-flavour dealcoholized beer. The tradeoff for this method is
typically that there are high capital costs associated with units capable of high throughput.
Overall, most dealcoholization technologies are not accessible to smaller craft brewers.
However, new solutions such as contract beer producers investing in dealcoholization and
pasteurizing equipment, as well as the possibility of mobile or rental dealcoholization and
pasteurization outfits (a similar business model to mobile canning).
PAGE 04
INTRODUCTION TO
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER
By contrast, producing non-alcoholic beers through fermentation can be accessible
to smaller craft breweries, especially if they have access to shared or contract
pasteurization equipment.
This guide pulls from several different resources created by Escarpment Labs and
others, including:
Approaches to Non-Alcoholic Beer Fermentation
How to Homebrew a Low Alcohol IPA
PAGE 05
HOW DO BREWERS MAKE
FERMENTED NA BEERS?
There are four major strategies used for producing non-alcoholic beers through
fermentation:
1. Standard yeast using arrested fermentation (full attenuation is
interrupted)
Benefits: You can use any yeast.
Drawbacks: Missing the cold-crash and removal of yeast by a couple
of hours can mean your beer is over 0.5% ABV. Risk of fermentation
intermediates such as acetaldehyde, DMS.
2. Maltose-negative yeast (MNY; only ferments glucose/fructose/sucrose,
attenuation 10-25%)
Benefits: Easy process, “set it and forget it” for a few days.
Drawbacks: Limited flavour expression possibilities compared to many
Saccharomyces yeasts. Low or no flocculation is typical.
3. Maltotriose-negative yeast (MTNY; does not ferment maltotriose,
attenuation 50-60%)
Benefits: Can use maltotriose-negative S. cerevisiae yeasts and their
benefits (flocculation and flavour).
Drawbacks: Also at risk of over-fermenting or over-attenuating the
wort.
4. Cold Contact Fermentation (wort and yeast are mixed while cold)
Benefits: simple process.
Drawbacks: Very little fermentation actually occurs - just enough
contact between yeast and wort to call the resulting product “beer”.
PAGE 06
HOW DO BREWERS MAKE
FERMENTED NA BEERS?
Attenuation comparison of maltose-negative, maltotriose-
negative, and regular yeast
The differences in fermentation profiles for a maltose-negative yeast (H. uvarum),
maltotriose negative yeast (T. delbrueckii), and ale yeast (S. cerevisiae).
At Escarpment Labs we have focused on maltose-negative yeasts as this is the easiest
way to reliably yield a beer of less than 0.5% ABV. However, all these methods can
produce good beer with enough practice.
In general, for most fermented NA beers, we recommend the following:
Use ALDC enzyme to reduce the risk of diacetyl formation
Make a low-gravity wort with a high mash temperature to reduce
fermentability
Use yeast nutrients in the whirlpool to make up for the low-nutrient wort
Pre-acidify wort to maintain a safe pH
Pasteurize the finished beer (and read our other notes on the safety of
NA beer)
Looking to get started with brewing alcohol-free beer? Check out the next sections on
Yeast Options and Recipes.
PAGE 07
FOOD SAFETY RISKS OF
NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER
To ensure food safety of non-alcoholic beers, you need to do at least one of the following:
Flash Pasteurize
Tunnel Pasteurize
Sterile Filtration
Acidify to below pH 3.5
Even so, there are risks associated with the production of non-alcoholic beers.
When it comes to producing a safe food product, there are several factors you can control
to keep fermented foods safe for consumption. They are:
pH/acidity
Products with a pH below 4.2 have a lower risk of harbouring foodborne
pathogens.
Alcohol
makes the product stable as many pathogenic organisms cannot survive in the
presence of alcohol.
Preservatives
use various chemical means to restrict the growth of microbes. This includes
options such as potassium sorbate (most active below pH 4.5) and sodium
benzoate (most active between pH 2.5 and 4). Additional options include
solutions based on chitosan (a yeast inhibitor) or dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC; a
yeast inhibitor).
Salinity
Many pathogens cannot survive in brine solutions which allows preserving
bacteria (such as Lactobacillus) to thrive and create acid. While great for pickles,
this isn’t as relevant for non alcoholic beer.
For products that are missing these elements, you need to introduce something into your
process to reduce or eliminate the risk of pathogens. Often this comes in the form of
pasteurization or other means of stabilization.
PAGE 08
PASTEURIZATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-
ALCOHOLIC BEER
What is Pasteurization?
Pasteurization involves heating a product in order to achieve greater microbial stability. For
beer, there are two main types of pasteurization: flash pasteurization and tunnel
pasteurization.
Flash pasteurization involves passing the beer through a heat exchanger inline, to heat
and then rapidly cool the product to achieve reduction in the concentration of viable
microbes. With flash pasteurization, note that the cooled product will typically be passed
through common hoses, filling equipment, and cans/bottles, all of which mean that flash
pasteurized non-alcoholic beers are still at risk of being contaminated with regular S.
cerevisiae house yeast.
Tunnel pasteurization involves passing packaged product through a tunnel that has a
heated section and a cooled section, to achieve heating and cooling of the packaged
product. In general, tunnel pasteurization is safer for sensitive products such as non-
alcoholic beer.
How much to I need to pasteurize an NA beer?
Pasteurization Units required depend on several other variables in your beer, including the
alcohol content (ABV) and bittering units (IBU) of your beer.
The less alcohol and
the less IBU, the
more Pasteurization
Units are required.
This table is based
on analysis of the
available scientific
literature.
PAGE 09
CAN I HOMEBREW A NON-
ALCOHOLIC BEER?
Yes, with some caveats including the safety considerations previously explained. Our main
reason for avoiding the homebrew distribution of non-alcoholic yeast products is safety.
In order to make safe low and no alcohol products at home, we suggest the following two
categories:
Non-Alcoholic Sours using heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (L. brevis)
Acidity (pH less than 3.5) ensures the product is safe as long as it is kept cold
Low Alcohol IPAs using regular yeast (ABV >1%)
Slightly higher ABV will reduce risk of contamination
High IBU or hop content will reduce risk of contamination
Ensure you acidify the final beer to below 4.2 pH
Ensure product is kept cold
Two of the recipes in this guide are compatible with homebrewing.
PAGE 10
NAY
(NON-ALCOHOLIC YEAST)
Do you want to start making non-alcoholic beers?
Introducing NAY (Non-Alcoholic Yeast), the yeast for making delicious non-alcoholic beer!
Whether you want a clean, refreshing lager or a fruitier, hoppier IPA, NAY will help you
achieve the perfect results. With excellent flavour and performance in beers below 0.5%
ABV, NAY is your new go-to yeast for alcohol-free brewing.
Scientifically, it is a strain of Hanseniaspora uvarum yeast we isolated from spontaneously
fermenting crabapples here in Guelph. NAY is a maltose-negative yeast, meaning it does
not ferment most of the sugars in wort. It is non-phenolic and non-diastatic.
Key Characteristics of NAY
ATTENUATION:
ATTENUATION: 10-20%
TEMPERATURE:
TEMPERATURE: 20-25ºC (68-77ºF)
DIASTATIC:
DIASTATIC: No
FERMENTATION
FERMENTATION RATE:
RATE: Medium (4-6 days)
SPECIES:
SUITABLEHanseniaspora uvarum
FLOCCULATION:
FLOCCULATION: Low
ALCOHOL
ALCOHOLTOLERANCE:
TOLERANCE: Low
PHENOLIC:
PHENOLIC: No
BIOTRANSFORMATION:
BIOTRANSFORMATION: Low
FLAVOUR
FLAVOURPROFILE:
PROFILE: From Clean to Fruity
NAY vs. Typical Non-
Alc Strain Preference
NAY was preferred by
trained tasters in a blind
comparison to the industry
standard Saccharomycodes
ludwigii WSL-17 strain.
PAGE 11
NAY
(NON-ALCOHOLIC YEAST)
NAY Testimonials
NAY was tested by a craft brewer in Ontario who is exploring the non-alcoholic trend.
Here’s what they had to say:
"Overall, I’d say the yeast did exactly what I wanted it to! Our goal was to start at a
much lower Plato wort than would be typical so that the beer would finish drier and
still ferment to 0.3-0.5% abv (finished at 0.32% abv), and that it did."
Sid Ruhland at Firehall Brewing in British Columbia says:
"The Fire Drill N.A.I.P.A. is refreshing and hoppy, with strong aromas of citrus fruit
and evergreen from the hop varieties chosen. The wortiness is mild, and if anything
lends a pleasant sweetness to balance the bitterness. I'm sure lager drinkers won't
be fans of it, so it's a NAB suited for true craft beer enthusiasts."
PAGE 12
LALBREW® LONA™
DISTRIBUTED BY ESCARPMENT LABS
Dry yeast option for making non-alcoholic beers.
LalBrew® LoNa™ is a maltose-negative hybrid strain that has been selected to have ideal
characteristics for the production of low and non-alcoholic beers. Advanced classical and
non-GMO breeding methods were used to select a strain that does not consume maltose
or maltotriose, resulting in very low attenuation. LalBrew® LoNa™ is the first maltose-
negative Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain specifically selected for beer fermentations. As
a S. cerevisiae strain, LalBrew® LoNa™ performs like an ale, producing a clean and neutral
aroma profile, no phenolic flavors, and significantly reducing aldehydes that cause worty
flavors.
Pasteurization is required when brewing with LalBrew® LoNa™ to avoid fermentation after
packaging and ensure beer stability.
Escarpment Labs is distributing LalBrew® LoNa™ because we found it to be an excellent
strain for neutral flavour NA beer production, and it is available in a convenient dry format.
Key Characteristics of LoNa™
ATTENUATION:
ATTENUATION: 16-20%
TEMPERATURE:
TEMPERATURE: 20-25ºC (68-77ºF)
DIASTATIC:
DIASTATIC: No
PITCHING
FERMENTATION
RATE: 50 - 100g/hL
SPECIES:
SUITABLESaccharomyces cerevisiae
FLOCCULATION:
FLOCCULATION: Medium
BIOTRANSFORMATION:
BIOTRANSFORMATION: Low
FLAVOUR
FLAVOURPROFILE:
PROFILE: Neutral
PAGE 13
MAKING FERMENTED
MAKING FERMENTED NA BEER
NA BEER
Instructions for making non-alcoholic beer using maltose-
negative yeasts
Looking to ensure success with maltose negative yeasts? Read on below.
Recipe Formulation and Ensuring <0.5% ABV
Target Original Gravity between 1.016-1.022 (4-5.5ºP).
Include malts that will add body to the beer, such as Vienna and Munich.
Use a hot and short mash of 72-74ºC for 15-30 minutes. This helps produce some
fermentable sugars for the yeast but ensures fermentation to below 0.5% ABV.
Since your wort will be low strength, its nutrient content will also be low. We
recommend dosing Yeast Lightning Nutrient at 1.5x the standard rate (equalling 6g/hL
or 7 g/bbl) for optimal performance.
Oxygenate the wort normally (target 8-10ppm if you have a wort level dissolved
oxygen meter).
Acidify your wort to a starting pH of below 4.5 for the purpose of food safety. We
recommend using phosphoric acid or lactic acid.
Fermentation
Pitch NAY or LalBrew® LoNa™ as you would any other yeast.
We recommend adding ALDC (alpha acetolactate decarboxylase) at the
manufacturer’s recommended rate at the start of fermentation to reduce the risk of
diacetyl formation.
Take extreme care to ensure sanitation of all cold-side processing equipment,
including heat exchangers, hoses, and fermentors. Contamination by regular
Saccharomyces yeast in the brewery environment will result in your beer being over
0.5% ABV. Contamination by wort spoilers will result in instability and off-tastes.
Since this yeast only ferments glucose/fructose/sucrose, do not expect a vigorous
ferment or blowoff. You should use specific gravity readings with a hydrometer or
portable density meter as your guide.
Specific gravity will drop between 0.5-1ºP after 4-6 days of fermentation at 20-25ºC.
Cold crash once you have not observed any gravity drop for 2 days.
PAGE 14
MAKING FERMENTED
NA BEER
Instructions for making non-alcoholic beer using maltose-
negative yeasts
Fermentation cont’d:
Beer clarification will be accelerated with fining, filtration, or centrifugation.
You can use any fining agent that will drop out yeast to clarify beer made using NAY.
LalBrew® LoNa™ is more flocculent.
Dry Hopping and Fruiting Fermented NA Beer
Hop Creep is a significant risk for over-attenuating NA beer. This is because enzymes
from dry hops can release dextrose from the longer chain sugars in the beer, resulting
in additional fermentation.
For a dry hop/aroma hop addition, we recommend liquid aroma hop products or other
products that have been shown not to cause hop creep. Another option is “dip
hopping” where hops are heated before being added to the beer.
Any fruit additions must happen after chilling the beer to below 2ºC to avoid over-
attenuation. Any fruit additions before or during fermentation will alter the ABV of the
final product as maltose-negative yeasts can still ferment the glucose and fructose
found in the fruit. Any fruited NA beers must be pasteurized to ensure safety and
stability.
Processing Fermented NA Beer
Acidify the beer to below pH 4.2 for food safety.
Force carbonate the beer. Do not consider bottle conditioning or spunding.
Take extreme care when transferring non-alcoholic beers as they are exceptionally
prone to any contamination including by regular Saccharomyces yeasts in your
brewery environment.
We strongly encourage thermal processing such as flash pasteurization or tunnel
pasteurization for non alcoholic beers. Beer fermented with maltose-negative yeast will
contain maltose, making the beer extremely sensitive to cross-contamination by
standard brewing yeasts anywhere in the brewery including the packaging line.
PAGE 15
MAKING FERMENTED
NA BEER
Instructions for making non-alcoholic beer using maltose-
negative yeasts (cont'd)
Processing Fermented NA Beer cont’d:
We have found that thermal processing helps to reduce “worty” flavours in NA beers,
and that pasteurized NA beers often taste better.
Some brewers have reported success from sterile filtration.
Preservatives such as potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate are not as effective at
beer pH but are an option for stabilizing sour NA beers.
Storing and Serving Fermented NA Beer
Take extreme care if serving NA beer on draft. Studies have shown there is a potential
for pathogens to grow in draft lines used to serve NA beer.
Packaged and thermally processed NA beer should be cold stored to elongate shelf
life.
Avoid international, inter-provincial, or inter-state shipping of more than 7 days or in
uncontrolled temperature conditions.
PAGE 16
FERMENTED NA BEER - FAQ
Additional FAQ
Can maltose-negative yeasts be repitched in the brewery?
We don’t recommend repitching maltose-negative yeasts unless you are extremely
confident in the microbiological control of your facility (all equipment and hoses steam-
sterilized and agar plating on every batch). This is because any Saccharomyces yeast
getting into the batch will result in a higher than desired %ABV.
Can maltose-negative yeasts be propagated in-house?
We don’t recommend in-house propagation of maltose-negative yeasts unless you are
extremely confident in your facility's microbiological quality control. This is because any
Saccharomyces yeast getting into the batch will result in a higher than desired %ABV.
Is it going to infect my brewery?
No. NAY is maltose-negative, non-phenolic, and non-diastatic, it poses an extremely low
risk of contaminating anything in your brewery. LalBrew® LoNa™ is regular S. cerevisiae
yeast.
What do I do if my NA beer is slightly over alcohol?
If the beer is between 0.5-1% ABV, you may be able to dilute the beer with deaerated
water to adjust ABV. If the beer is over 1% ABV we suggest blending down with very low
ABV beer to achieve a final ABV at or below 0.5% alcohol.
Can I make non alcoholic wine, cider, or mead using maltose negative yeasts?
These yeasts are not suited to the goal of producing a non-alcoholic cider or wine. They
are maltose-negative but not fructose or glucose-negative, which are the dominant sugars
in cider and wine musts. As a result, they will produce alcohol in these environments,
creating a cider/wine over 0.5% ABV (up to 4-5% ABV).
Can I serve my NA beer on draft?
Draft lines can be an area of risk for non-alcoholic beers. pH is a critical control point.
Ensure pH is below 4.2 and ideally below 4.0. Ensure draft lines are cleaned before/after
NA beer is dispensed. In general, we recommend tunnel pasteurizing cans as a safer
alternative to keg filling for NA beers, including flash pasteurized keg filling.
PAGE 17
LOW AND NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEER RECIPES
Recipes suitable for professional brewing:
Non-Alc Pale Ale
Low or No Alcohol IPA
Non-Alc Lager
Non-Alc Sour
Recipes suitable for homebrewing:
Low or No Alcohol IPA
Non-Alc Sour
Non-Alc Recipe Legend
Recommended Recipe for Maltose
for Professional Negative Yeast
Brewers Only
Recommended for
Recipe for Hydra
Homebrewers
PAGE 18
LOW AND NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEER RECIPES
Non-Alc Pale Ale
Adjust malt quantities to match your own brewhouse efficiency. You may get slightly lower
than normal efficiency from the hot mash.
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.020
Original Gravity: 1.022
Final Gravity: 1.018-1.020
IBU (Tinseth): ~20
Color: 4.4 SRM
Mash
Hot Mash — 73 °C — 30 min
Malts
40% — Weyermann Carahell — Grain — 13 SRM
40% — Simpsons Pale Ale Finest Maris Otter — Grain — 2.5 SRM
20% — Weyermann Carapils/Carafoam — Grain — 2 SRM
Hops
12 IBU — Magnum 12% — Boil — 60 min
200g/hL — Cascade 5.5% — Aroma — 15 min hopstand or whirlpool
Yeast & Fermentation
Escarpment Labs NAY or LalBrew® LoNa™
Ferment at 25ºC for 6 days or until gravity has dropped 0.5-1ºP and is stable
Dry hop with Cascade aroma extract
Additional Notes
Add ALDC enzyme with the yeast, at the manufacturer’s recommended rate Add Yeast
Lightning at 6g/hL to the whirlpool Follow all other instructions for fermenting and
processing NA beers
PAGE 19
LOW AND NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEER RECIPES
Low or No-Alcohol IPA
This recipe is based on our advice for making wort for fermentation by NAY. If you are a
home brewer and do not absolutely require your low-alcohol beer to be under 0.5% ABV
like professional brewers do, we recommend using a low-attenuation S. cerevisiae yeast
such as Hydra rather than NAY, which is not available to homebrewers.
We brewed the same recipe using both NAY and Hydra. NAY yielded an ABV of
approximately 0.3% while Hydra yielded an ABV of approximately 1.2%.
Original gravity: 1.021
Final gravity: 1.012 with Hydra, 1.018 with NAY
Final Gravity:
ABV (predicted): 1.2% or 0.3%
IBU: 32
Color: 4 SRM
Water profile and additions
Ca 65 Mg 19 Na 32 Cl 75 SO 65
Target first wort pH of 5.3, then acidify the whirlpool to 5.0 if using Hydra and to 4.5 if
using NAY.
Mash profile
Hot and Fast
73 °C - 30 min
78 °C - 15 min - Mash Out
Malts
40% Maris Otter Ale Malt
40% Munich Malt
20% Carapils
PAGE 20
LOW AND NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEER RECIPES
Low or No-Alcohol IPA (Cont'd)
Hops/boil
Bittering
60 min - 25 IBU - Galena - 14%
Whirlpool
200g/hL (0.5lb/bbl or 40g per 20L homebrew batch) - El Dorado or other fruity New World
6 g/hL (1.5g per 20L homebrew batch) - Yeast Lightning Nutrient
Dry Hops
Hop aroma extract (Spectrum, etc) at the manufacturer’s suggested rate (equivalent to
200-300 g/hL)
Fermentation profile
Escarpment Labs NAY/ LalBrew® LoNa™ (for <0.5% ABV and professional brewing) or
Hydra (for <1.5% ABV and homebrewing)
Ferment at 22ºC for 6 days or until gravity has dropped 0.5-1ºP and is stable
Dry hop with aroma extract if possible, or consider “dip hopping” to reduce impact of hop
enzymes
Cool out to 22°C and pitch yeast and monitor for stable FG, dry hopping once stable FG
has been achieved.
PAGE 21
LOW AND NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEER RECIPES
Non-Alc Lager
Adjust malt quantities to match your own brewhouse efficiency. You may get slightly lower
than normal efficiency from the hot mash.
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.020
Original Gravity: 1.022
Final Gravity: 1.018-1.020
IBU (Tinseth): 10
Color: 3.2 SRM
Mash
Hot Mash — 73 °C — 30 min
Malts
40% — Weyermann Carahell — Grain — 13 SRM
40% — Weyermann Pilsner Malt — Grain — 2.5 SRM
20% — Weyermann Carapils/Carafoam — Grain — 2 SRM
Hops
7 IBU — Magnum 12% — Boil — 60 min
3 IBU — Hallertau Tradition 5.5% — Aroma — 15 min hopstand or whirlpool
Yeast & Fermentation
Escarpment Labs NAY or LalBrew® LoNa™
Ferment at 20ºC for 6 days or until gravity has dropped 0.5-1ºP and is stable
Additional Notes
Add ALDC enzyme with the yeast, at the manufacturer’s recommended rate Add Yeast
Lightning at 6g/hL to the whirlpool Follow all other instructions for fermenting and
processing NA beers
PAGE 22
LOW AND NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEER RECIPES
Non-Alc Dry Hopped Sour
Some Lactobacillus bacteria are capable of producing small amounts of alcohol. These are
known as heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria. This includes Levilactobacillus brevis
(formerly Lactobacillus brevis), which is capable of producing up to 0.5% ABV during wort
souring.
Therefore, to make a non-alcoholic sour beer, you don’t need to use yeast! You can make
a low-gravity, unhopped wort and inoculate it with L. brevis. You can then reboil to kill off
the Lactobacillus, and then cool down and dry hop while cool or cold, then proceed with
carbonating.
Additionally, this beer could be considered “yeast-free” and may be suitable for individuals
with yeast sensitivity or allergy, but further validation is required.
Adjust malt quantities to match your own brewhouse efficiency. You may get slightly lower
than normal efficiency from the hot mash.
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.020
Original Gravity: 1.022
Final Gravity: 1.018-1.020
IBU (Tinseth): Dry hop only
Color: 3.2 SRM
Mash
Hot Mash — 73 °C — 30 min
Malts
40% — Weyermann Carahell — Grain — 13 SRM
40% — Weyermann Pilsner Malt — Grain — 2.5 SRM
20% — Weyermann Carapils/Carafoam — Grain — 2 SRM
PAGE 23
LOW AND NON-ALCOHOLIC
BEER RECIPES
Non-Alc Dry Hopped Sour (Cont'd)
Hops
Dry Hop 400g/hL (~1 lb/bbl, or 80g in a 20L homebrew batch) aromatic New World hops
such as Citra, Mosaic, etc
Fermentation
Lactobacillus brevis or other heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria
Ferment at 35ºC for 24-48 hours or until the desired pH
For safety, wort pH must be below 4.5
Reboil, cool to lower than 15ºC, and dry hop for 2-3 days
Cold crash and carbonate
Follow all other instructions and precautions for producing fermented NA beers
PAGE 24
ADDITIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS
Document v3 Jan 24
Change Log (Document last updated January 2024):
We updated the temperature recommendation for NAY from 15-25ºC to 20-25ºC in
January 2023 based on user feedback and experience. We find this improves the
rate of success when using NAY.
Some recipes were modified slightly from their original versions published on our
blog to reflect new opportunities in ingredients and processes.
Updated to include information on LalBrew® LoNa™ strain.
If using dark malts, stick with dehusked malts such as Carafa III or consider extracts
such as Sinamar. We find that there is a high risk of astringency with dark malts in NA
beers.
We strongly encourage testing finished NA beers using a laboratory service provider
accredited for pathogen screening in food products.
Escarpment Labs is a provider of yeast cultures and the knowledge required to use
yeast cultures. Purchasers of NAY and other maltose-negative yeasts accept all liability
for the use of these products and must adhere to a Terms of Service agreement in
order to purchase these products.
All information contained herein is for educational purposes. Escarpment Laboratories
is not liable for any damages resulting from the production of beer using these
instructions or failing to use these instructions. Brewers are responsible for producing
alcohol-free beers in accordance with the current state of knowledge surrounding food
safety as well as all state, provincial, and federal food safety laws.
escarpmentlabs.com
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