Alternative plant and fungi sourced fining agents in beer : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master at Lincoln University

Abstract

Clarity is an important visual characteristic of many types of beer. Non-biological chill haze is caused by interactions between proteins and polyphenols. To reduce this haze, fining agents are added to beer. These traditional fining agents such as gelatine often come from animal sources. Alternatively, there is increasing interest in non-animal-sourced fining agents that are environmentally sustainable while also being suitable for vegans and vegetarians. In this study, six alternative fining agents for beer from various upcycled plant and microbial sources were assessed. Out of all the alternative fining agents assessed, the mushroom was shown to be the most effective at reducing chill haze. While white grape marc was only slightly effective at higher doses. However, none of the samples assessed was as effective as gelatine at reducing chill haze. Other components introduced to the beer from the samples were interfering with the fining potential, and in some cases inducing the chill haze in the beer.