Team 04

Team Members

Faculty Advisor

Cameron Hubbard
Kanisha Desai
Hailey Tam
Ethan Krouskup

Dr. Jennifer Pascal

Sponsor

UConn College of Engineering

sponsored by
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Spirit of Sobriety: Engineering the Essence of Non-Alcoholic Brews

Non-alcoholic beverages promote health and wellness, foster inclusivity, and contribute to an innovative craft beverage market, allowing them to be catered to a diverse range of consumers. As societal attitudes continue to evolve, the gravitas of non-alcoholic beverages increases, cultivating a substantial surge in demand for non-alcoholic alternatives. In the United States alone, non-alcoholic beer sales increased by 32% from October, 2022, to September, 2023, indicating the growing popularity of non-alcoholic beverages. Controlling operation and production variables is critical during the brewing of non-alcoholic beverages to yield a high-quality product, maintain repeatable production procedures, and achieve a comparable flavor profile to an alcoholic counterpart. Our project aims to develop and study a non-alcoholic brewing process which yields a comparable alternative to an alcoholic beverage. To solve this problem, we introduced specific yeast strains and monitored various parameters to create a kinetic model. This kinetic model can be used by small, craft-breweries to allow for the controlled brewing of non-alcoholic beer. Additionally, we implemented pasteurization process on a home-brewing scale to ensure the safe drinkability of the non-alcoholic beer. We then explored pervaporation for flavor and aroma compound recovery through the creation of a computational model. Based on the results of the experiments and computational model, we designed a general process that implemented non-alcoholic brewing practices which resulted in a stable non-alcoholic product. This guide will ensure consistent product quality by killing off any spoilage microorganisms, yield a non-alcoholic beverage, and aid in a more repeatable scale-up process from the laboratory scale to the craft brewery setting. Likewise, it serves as a paradigm for small craft breweries who seek to join a budding industry.