Assessing the sensory and physicochemical impact of reverse osmosis membrane technology to dealcoholize two different beer styles

Abstract A pilot scale dealcoholisation unit fitted with reverse osmosis (RO) membranes was used to directly compare two beer matrices (stout, lager ∼5% ABV) and their dealcoholized counterparts (∼0.5% ABV), for physicochemical properties (volatiles, pH, ABV, polyphenols, bitterness) and sensory profile using a trained descriptive panel (n=12). The efficiency and consistency of RO membranes were evaluated by replicate dealcoholisation trials (n=3) for each beer. Statistical analysis revealed significant reductions (p