Patents Examined by Vera Stuli
  • Patent number: 9476020
    Abstract: A method of preparing a yeast fermented beverage is provided, which method comprises (a) fermenting wort with a biologically active yeast to produce a fermented liquid; (b) combining the fermented liquid with polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) particles to bind at least a fraction of the polyphenols and/or proteins contained in the fermented liquid; (c) removing a slurry containing the PVPP particles and yeast from the fermented liquid; (d) separating said slurry into a yeast-enriched fraction and a PVPP-enriched fraction a technique selected from flotation separation, settling separation and separation using a hydrocyclone; (e) regenerating the PVPP particles before, during and/or after the separation by desorbing polyphenols and/or protein from said PVPP-particles; and (f) recirculating the regenerated PVPP particles to step (b). The method can be operated with single use PVPP as well as regenerable PVPP and does not require sophisticated filter hardware for regenerating the PVPP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Heineken Supply Chain B.V.
    Inventors: Tom Reinoud Noordman, Marcel Van Der Noordt, Anneke Richter