Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of hulupones, in particular for the production of hulupones products, suitable for beer bittering, essentially free of compounds, typically formed as side-products during the lupulones oxidation, that can cause negative impact in terms of aroma, taste or haze upon brewing application. The invention also relates to hulupones products, suitable for beer bittering and obtainable by the method of the invention, essentially free of compounds with negative aroma, taste or haze impact upon addition of the hulupones products during the brewing process. The invention also relates to beer bittering with hulupones products, obtainable by the method of the invention, not causing an undesirable or unacceptable aroma, taste or haze impact in the bittered beer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing a brewed beverage, in particular a light-coloured lager or ale beer, (to be) bottled, (to be) stored, (to be) offered, (to be) served or (to be) consumed in a UV-VIS-transmittant bottle, comprising the addition of hulupones and/or reduced hulupones during the brewing process in an effective amount to obtain a brewed beverage, wherein the fraction of hulupones and/or reduced hulupones in the total of isohumulones and (reduced) hulupones is at least 25 mol %, The invention further relates to a brewed beverage, in particular a light-coloured lager beer or ale beer, bottled, (to be) stored, (to be) offered, (to be) served or (to be) consumed in a UV-VIS-transmittant bottle, comprising (reduced) hulupones and wherein the frac-tion of hulupones and/or reduced hulupones in the total of isohumulones and (reduced) hulupones is at least 25 mol %.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for extraction into an aqueous medium of hop acids from a hop acids containing matter and for dissolution in an aqueous medium of hop acids, comprising contacting a hop acids containing matter with carbon-containing chemical substances having at least one functional group containing a nitrogen atom with a lone electron pair and at least one other polar and/or hydrophilic functional group, thereby forming complexes of hop acids with the carbon-containing chemical substances with at least one functional group containing a nitrogen atom with a lone electron pair and at least one other polar and/or hydrophilic functional group. The present invention further relates to a method for preparing a brewed beverage, particularly for brewing a beer, and in particular to a method to improve the utilization of hop acids, including alpha-acids and iso-alpha-acids, in the brewing process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of iso-alpha-acids starting from alpha-acids in which an alpha-acid containing hop extract is mixed with a carbon-containing chemical compound with one or more functional groups containing a (basic) nitrogen atom with a lone pair (or mixtures thereof), either in solvent-free conditions or in the presence of solvents and preferably under an oxygen-free atmosphere. The resulting mixture is subjected to a temperature of at least 278 K for a time sufficient to effect the intended conversion of the alpha-acid reactant into the iso-alpha-acid product. The present invention further relates to iso-alpha-acid compositions obtained by said improved isomerisation process and to the use of said iso-alpha-acid compositions as bittering formulation and/or as source to obtain reduced or hydrogenated iso-alpha-acid compositions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of iso-alpha-acids starting from hop alpha-acids in which an hop alpha-acid containing feed is contacted with a heterogeneous alkaline earth metal based catalyst, that essentially does not dissolve in the alpha-acid containing feed or in the iso-alpha-acid product phase, either in solvent-free conditions or in the presence of water, carbon dioxide, or an organic solvent or a mixture thereof. The resulting mixture is subjected to a temperature of at least 293 K, preferably under an inert atmosphere, for a time sufficient to effect high conversion of the alpha-acid reactant into the iso-alpha-acid product. The molar ratio of alpha-acid to earth alkaline metal (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) varies preferably between 0.2 and 20. After the isomerization process, the heterogeneous alkaline earth metal based catalyst can be quantitatively separated from the iso-alpha-acid product phase by liquid-solid separation techniques.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of iso-alpha-acids starting from alpha-acids in which an alpha-acid containing hop extract is mixed with a carbon-containing chemical compound with one or more functional groups containing a (basic) nitrogen atom with a lone pair (or mixtures thereof), either in solvent-free conditions or in the presence of solvents and preferably under an oxygen-free atmosphere. The resulting mixture is subjected to a temperature of at least 278 K for a time sufficient to effect the intended conversion of the alpha-acid reactant into the iso-alpha-acid product. The present invention further relates to iso-alpha-acid compositions obtained by said improved isomerisation process and to the use of said iso-alpha-acid compositions as bittering formulation and/or as source to obtain reduced or hydrogenated iso-alpha-acid compositions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of hexahydro-iso-alpha-acids starting from iso-alpha-acids (or tetrahydro-iso-alpha-acids) in which iso-alpha-acids (or tetrahydro-iso-alpha-acids) are mixed with a heterogeneous ruthenium containing catalyst, that catalyzes the hydrogenation from iso-alpha-acids or tetrahydro-iso-alpha-acids to hexahydro-iso-alpha-acids, either in solvent-free conditions, or in the presence of a solvent phase (e.g. carbon dioxide, water, ethanol or another organ-ic solvent, or mixtures thereof), and in the absence or presence of other hop compounds (such as beta-acids).

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of iso-alpha-acids starting from hop alpha-acids in which an hop alpha-acid containing feed is contacted with a heterogeneous alkaline earth metal based catalyst, that essentially does not dissolve in the alpha-acid containing feed or in the iso-alpha-acid product phase, either in solvent-free conditions or in the presence of water, carbon dioxide, or an organic solvent or a mixture thereof. The resulting mixture is subjected to a temperature of at least 293 K, preferably under an inert atmosphere, for a time sufficient to effect high conversion of the alpha-acid reactant into the iso-alpha-acid product. The molar ratio of alpha-acid to earth alkaline metal (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) varies preferably between 0.2 and 20. After the isomerisation process, the heterogeneous alkaline earth metal based catalyst can be quantitatively separated from the iso-alpha-acid product phase by liquid-solid separation techniques.