Search Results (7)

This work aims to shorten the time of lager beer fermentation through a temperature profile determined by a model-based controller, as an exploratory proposal to reduce fermentation time while maintaining yeast viability and process performance, without compromising the fermentation dynamics or negatively affecting the yeast activity. This study was developed from an engineering perspective focused on the optimization of the beer fermentation process through model-based control, preserving the beer properties of the original process. This exploratory work was carried out in four stages: (1) performance of constant temperature fermentations of a lager-type beer where concentrations of yeast and ethanol were monitored along the process, (2) model parameters adjustment and validation of a beer fermentation mathematical model on the basis of data obtained from experiments, (3) outline of a temperature trajectory, in a simulation framework, from an ethanol controller of movable convergence rate constructed with a nonlinear technique and the mathematical model, (4) experimental implementation of the outlined temperature trajectory in the beer fermentation. Beer batches’ quality-control endpoints suggested by Mexican quality standards frameworks, such as fermentation time, alcoholic and caloric content, and fermentation efficiency, were analyzed. The lag stage was reduced when the temperature profile devised by the controller was employed, resulting in a reduction in the time required to reach the stationary stage. No significant final characteristic variations in bottled beers brewed at constant and variable temperatures were identified. The quality assessment of the analyzed variables was conducted in accordance with the measurement capabilities of the employed equipment and under the applicable Mexican quality standards framework. This proposal presents an alternative systematic strategy to reduce the fermentation time of lager beer, favoring the efficiency and profitability of craft beer production. Full article

Beer is a fermented beverage part of socio-cultural traditions, and recently, craft beer (small and industrial manufacturers) has been covering interest in many regions, such as México. The objective of this work was to analyze physicochemical kinetics and determine the ethyl and methyl content in our own-manufactured (OM) craft beer and compare it with commercial craft beer. The experiment was divided into two sections: (1) three types of Ale craft beer (Blonde, American Pale, and Stout) were manufactured, and during the fermentation process, physicochemical kinetics (pH, specific gravity, lactic acid, ethanol, and sugars) were analyzed, and (2) both the OM and six commercial craft beers were studied to analyze the content of methyl and ethyl alcohols via HPLC. Statistical analysis: (1) A completely randomized design with repeated measurements and a Pearson’s correlation test (p < 0.05) were conducted. (2) A complete block randomized design to compare alcohol production in OM and commercial beers was conducted. Results: (1) The pH, specific gravity, and maltose tended to decrease during the first 24–48 h of fermentation; however, no changes were observed during the remaining 120 h. In contrast, lactic acid production started after 48 h in Blond and American Pale beers and after 72 h in Stout. Maltose, glucose, and fructose were consumed immediately during ethanol production. (2) The HPLC analysis showed a retention time of 25.9 min for ethanol, with the lowest levels for Blond (6.2%) and the highest for Pale (7.5%) in OM, while commercial beers ranged from 4.5% to 6.8%. No methanol was detected in any beer analyzed; on the other hand, lactic acid was observed in all beers analyzed. In conclusion, physicochemical changes were observed immediately at the beginning of the fermentation process. Commercial and OM beers comply with the provisions of the Official Mexican Standards. Full article

The study of emotional responses from consumers toward beer products is an important digital tool to obtain novel information about the acceptability of beers and their optimal physicochemical composition. This research proposed the use of biometrics to assess emotional responses from Mexican beer consumers while tasting top- and bottom-fermented samples. Furthermore, a novel emotional validation assessment using proven evoking images for neutral, negative, and positive emotions was proposed. The results showed that emotional responses obtained from self-reported emoticons and biometrics are correlated to the specific emotions evoked by the visual, aroma, and taste aspects of beers. Consumers preferred bottom-fermentation beers and disliked the wheat-based and higher-bitterness samples. Chemical compounds and concentrations were in accordance to previously reported research for similar beer styles. However, the levels of hordenine were not high enough to evoke positive emotions in the biometric assessment, which opens additional research opportunities to assess higher concentrations of this alkaloid to increase the happiness perception of low or non-alcoholic beers. Full article

Craft beer production enterprises are categorized as micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Mexico and the Netherlands. As MSMEs, they encounter challenges to achieving consolidation; one main challenge is linked to deficient consumer-loyalty development. This work explores and compares the effects of experience of flow, perceived value and CSR in the development of loyalty in two different population samples of craft beer consumers: Mexico and the Netherlands. In total, 452 surveys were collected during experiential events, and the data were analyzed using multivariate partial-least-square (PLS) structural equation modeling. Our model results indicate that attention, concentration and notion of time influence flow experience in the same way in both countries. Experiential factors are stronger for the Mexican population. For the case of the Netherlands, perceived value had a higher effect on loyalty development and a lower impact on experiential factors. The CSR variable was only significant for the Dutch sample. Full article

In Mexico, as in the rest of the world, the industry sector is frequently highly dependent on fossil fuels; in addition, energy transformation processes are not very efficient and scarcely oriented towards climate change mitigation. Given these facts, solid biofuels (SBFs) from agricultural and forestry residues from rural areas may represent an alternative that contributes to the decarbonization of the industrial sector, especially in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). From an economic and climate change mitigation perspective, this study evaluates harnessing SBFs in SMEs related to lime, bricks, dairy products, craft beer, and artisanal mezcal (a well-known Mexican distilled alcoholic beverage), products mainly manufactured in rural areas of Mexico. For each of these SMEs, we constructed two energy consumption scenarios that span from 2018 to 2050. On the one hand, a baseline scenario (BS) that reflects the behaviour of historical energy consumption in Mexico and, on the other hand, an alternative scenario (AS) that proposes the use of SBFs with modern and efficient technologies and sustainable inputs of agricultural and forestry residues originated mainly from rural areas. According to our results, a comparison between the two scenarios reveals that two out of five SMEs industrial niches studied, appear with mitigation costs in the AS namely brick kilns, and limekilns SMEs that have mitigation costs of 9.99 and 19.74 USD/tCO_2e, respectively, primarily due to the high investment cost of the new MK2 kilns and the relatively high cost of pellets, respectively. Since these niches have high mitigation potentials (7.77 MtCO_2e for brick kilns and 2.83 MtCO_2e for limekilns), their implementation requires adequate incentives and financing. On the contrary, the dairy, craft beer, and mezcal SMEs niches have negative mitigation costs (−14.30, −10.68, −0.98) USD/tCO_2e, mainly due to the high savings in the cost of fossil fuels and their materialization, especially for the mezcal niche which has a mitigation potential of 2.97 MtCO_2e, requires only an adequate regulatory and normative framework. We conclude that using commercial SBFs (pellets, briquettes, and traditional firewood) in SMEs niches contribute to generating formal markets with adequate distribution channels, both for SBFs and sustainable residual biomass inputs (residual firewood, agave bagasse, and spent barley grain). This alternative scenario also promotes the creation of green jobs in agricultural and forestry areas, adding an economic value to residual biomass inputs not previously considered and contributing to the social development of rural areas. Full article

Agave distillates, such as tequila and mezcal, are alcoholic spirits representative of Mexican culture. In recent years, the demand for mezcal has increased, and with it the requirement for raw materials, bringing with it a series of difficulties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential environmental impact and energy demand of the production of young craft mezcal from an endemic agave (Agave cupreata) found in the central and southern Pacific area of Mexico. The potential environmental impact of the mezcal studied was obtained through the life cycle analysis methodology using a midpoint approach by the ReCiPe method to calculate the potential environmental impact with SimaPro software (version 8.2.3.0., PRé Sustainability, Amersfoort, The Netherlands). The functional unit is a young craft mezcal bottle of 750 mL with 46% Vol. Alc. The stage of highest contribution to the environmental impact of mezcal was the manufacturing/processing, contributing 59.6% of them. The energy demand of the craft mezcal resulted in 163.8 MJ/bottle of 7.5 dl. The kg CO₂eq in mezcal (1.7) is higher than beer (0.63) or white wine (1.01), but lower than whisky (2.25) or pisco (3.62). These findings could allow the search for alternatives for the development of sustainable production. Full article

This study was undertaken to explore how the use of pigmented corn as brewing ingredient influences the sensory profile of craft beers, by using both sensory and chemical analyses. Six pigmented corn and barley beers were brewed and then analysed to obtain their sensory characteristics, volatile composition and non-volatile (alcohol, bitterness, anthocyanins and polyphenol content) composition. ANOVAs, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) were used to visualise these data for exploring the differences between beers based on the type of malt and to characterise corn beers considering the relationships between their sensory characteristics and their chemical parameters. The sensory attributes such as fermented fruits, cooked vegetables, tortillas, bread, dried fruits and dried chili characterised beers made 100% with pigmented corn. Over 100 volatiles were identified by head space-solid phase micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). Among them, phenols and terpenes were the groups of volatiles that better characterised beers containing corn. The content of anthocyanins in corn beers provide the ‘amber-red-cooper’ colours in beers and may prevent the development of off-aromas and tastes. The use of pigmented corn seems to be a good option to renew the traditional ‘Sendechó’ while preserving some of its sensory attributes. Full article