A Brewer’s Challenge

How Grace can help optimize efficiency for brewmasters

A combined stabilization and filtration aid for master brewers

Clarity, shelf life, and other beer attributes, like foam stability, are key qualities of beer determined by filtration and stabilization in the brewing process. Filtration removes suspended micro-organisms and particulates, while stabilization refers to the upstream removal of haze precursors to prevent haze formation.

Unfortunately, in the absence of a highly selective adsorbent, brewers are typically forced to perform double stabilization to remove haze-sensitive proteins and polyphenols, often resulting in an increase in supply chain management, higher operating costs, reduced productivity, and additional solid waste. Similarly, in the absence of a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) filter aid, brewers rely on diatomaceous earth (DE) to achieve sufficient beer flow, which can contain crystalline silica, an occupational hazard for individuals who may inhale DE dust during beer production.

DARACLAR^® FA 300 silica: optimizing efficiency for the brewer

To address productivity, cost, and safety concerns associated with the complexities of stabilization and filtration, Grace engineered a NEW generation of DARACLAR^® silica; DARACLAR^® FA 300 silica.

DARACLAR^® FA 300 silica will selectively adsorb only the haze-sensitive proteins in the beer, without interfering with the proteins required for foam stability. For most breweries and beer types, it will achieve the desired stability within minutes, reducing the need for other beer stabilizers, such as one-way PVPP, enzymes, and tannic acid. Simultaneously, due to its designed permeability, DARACLAR^® FA 300 silica will also act as a filter-aid with a similar permeability to a medium/coarse DE. For a brewery that already uses DE as a body feed, there is no need for additional CAPEX or changes to current process parameters.

At Grace, we understand the brewing process is an art form, and stabilization and filtration are key steps in producing the varieties of beer consumers expect to see in the marketplace. With Grace’s newest development of DARACLAR^® FA 300 silica for combined beer stabilization and filtration, you can achieve desired beer characteristics without compromise. Contact us to learn more about the new DARACLAR^® FA 300 silica.