Abstract: A process for preparing a fermented malt beverage wherein brewing materials are mashed with water and the resulting mash is heated and wort separated there from. The wort is boiled, cooled and fermented and the beer is subjected to a finishing stage, which includes aging, to produce the final beverage. The improvement comprises subjecting the beer to a cold stage comprising rapidly cooling the beer to a temperature of about its freezing point in such a manner that ice crystals are formed therein in only minimal amounts. The resulting cooled beet is then mixed for a short period of time with a beer slurry containing ice crystals, without any appreciable collateral increase in the mount of ice crystals in the resulting mixture. Finally, the so-treated beer is extracted from the mixture.

Abstract: A cold contact process for the production of non-alcoholic malt beverages comprising the steps of preparing a boiled malt wort of about 12-20 degrees Plato; acidifying the wort through the addition of an edible acid, to a pH of greater than about 4.0, and less than 4.6. To the acidified wort is added an amount of about 25% to 75% wet packed yeast slurry suspended in a freshly harvested regularly brewed, barm beer. The slurry is added in sufficient proportions to produce a yeast cell concentration in the resulting wort/slurry mixture, of about 40 million to 80 million yeast cells per milliliter thereof. The yeast and the wort are held in contact in the mixture for greater than 10, up to a maximum of 30 hours, at a temperature of greater than zero up to a maximum of less than 7 degrees Centigrade. The resulting beverage is then aged after separating the thusly contacted wort from all but 0.5-2 million yeast cells per milliliter of the separated wort.

Abstract: A process for preparing a fermented malt beverage wherein brewing materials are mashed with water and the resulting mash is heated and wort separated therefrom. The wort is boiled, cooled and fermented and the beer is subjected to a finishing stage, which includes aging, to produce the final beverage. The improvement comprises subjecting the beer to a cold stage comprising rapidly cooling the beer to a temperature of about its freezing point in such a manner that ice crystals are formed therein in only minimal amounts. The resulting cooled beer is then mixed for a short period of time with a beer slurry containing ice crystals, without any appreciable collateral increase in the amount of ice crystals in the resulting mixture. Finally, the so-treated beer is extracted from the mixture.