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This Advertorial was originally published by Independent Brewers Association Associate Member Lallemand Brewing.

The maltose-negative yeast advantage

An increasing number of brewers are using high temperature mashing and fermentation with a maltose negative yeast strain to produce great beers with less than 0.5% ABV. This is a simpler process that has many advantages. There is no need for alcohol removal, so you avoid the need for costly equipment and longer processing times. Fermentation can proceed to completion with maltose-negative yeast, unlike arrested fermentation that requires precise timing of cooling mid-fermentation. LalBrew® LoNa™ is a popular option among brewers looking for a maltose-negative yeast. Some non-alcohol beers end up tasting sweet and “worty”. LalBrew® LoNa™ is a hybrid from Saccharomyces cerevisiae brewing strains, which means that it has a genetic advantage for fermenting wort compared to other non-Saccharomyces strains. As a result, the flavor profile from LalBrew® LoNa™ is more “beer-like” with no off-flavors and fewer worty flavors. Using LalBrew® LoNa™ already stacks the deck in your favor for your non-alcohol beer recipe.

The Challenge of Body & Mouthfeel

By starting with a lower original gravity, using high temperature mashing, and fermenting with maltose negative yeast, you can achieve less than 0.5% ABV while still hitting the same final gravity as a regular-strength beer. But these beers often feel like they are lacking something, which is not surprising. Alcohol contributes to body, mouthfeel, and palate depth. Without the alcohol, you change the sensory balance of the beer.

Tips for sensory balance

To restore sensory balance in a beer without alcohol, you need to re-construct the body and mouthfeel in other ways. The best way to do this is with AB Vickers ISY Enhance™, an inactivated specific yeast product for body and mouthfeel in beer.

SY Enhance™ is rich in mannoproteins, which contribute to body and mouthfeel and help to replace some of the character that is lacking in non-alcohol beers. Added to the whirlpool at rates typically around 10-60 g/hL, ISY Enhance™ brings more fullness to the sensory profile. Brewers have found that ISY Enhance™ dose rates can be up to 50x less than maltodextrin. This means that a single 2kg bag can replace up to 100kg of maltodextrin, without the hassle of carrying heavy bags and the safety risk of splash-back from kettle additions.

What makes ISY Enhance™ different?

ISY Enhance™ is a yeast autolysate, but it is not just a nutrient. It is derived from a specific yeast strain and extracted using a specialized process to achieve a higher quality product. Just look at this data comparing ISY Enhance™ to another inactive yeast product sold for body and mouthfeel.

SY Enhance™ has higher molecular weight proteins, which contribute to greater texture and palate depth. In addition, ISY Enhance™ is 32% more soluble than the other product, which means that more of the mannoproteins make it into your glass instead of dropping to the bottom of the fermenter.

With mannoproteins from ISY Enhance™, your non-alcohol beer will be full-bodied and less thin. It also produces a harmonious hop character by rounding out the bitterness, which can become unbalanced in the absence of alcohol. Using ISY Enhance™ is like pressing the “enhance” button when you are editing a photo. It just makes everything a bit better.