Alcohol-free beer is no longer a niche product. GEA is supporting Edelweißbrauerei FARNY with state-of-the-art de-alcoholization technology. In May 2025, FARNY will commission a GEA AromaPlus system to produce its first alcohol-free Kristall-Weizen directly at its brewery in Kißlegg, Southern Germany.
The downward trend of alcohol consumption is new in the U.S., but per capita beer consumption in Germany has been declining for decades, while demand for alcohol-free alternatives continues to rise. “Our alcohol-free Hefe-Weizen already accounts for 40% of the bottled volume of our Hefe-Weizen. Expanding into an alcohol-free version of our most well-known beer, Kristall-Weizen, is the logical next step for us,” says Elmar Bentele, Managing Director of Edelweißbrauerei FARNY.
About the brewery: Edelweißbrauerei FARNY is a medium-sized brewery with around 50 employees. Known as the inventor of Kristall-Weizen, FARNY has established itself as a specialist in wheat beers. The brewery produces around 100,000 hectoliters annually and is the market leader for wheat beers in the West Allgäu-Bodensee and Upper Swabia region.
FARNY is recognized as the birthplace of Kristall-Weizen, first brewed in 1924. Today, this beer accounts for about 40% of the brewery’s revenue. “We know that Kristall-Weizen has a clear identity – it’s a crisp, finely sparkling beer with citrus and floral aromas,” explains Wolfgang Sigg, Technical Director and Brewmaster in Kißlegg. “That’s why it was essential for us to choose a technology that preserves these characteristics unaltered. GEA AromaPlus convinced us.”
The new alcohol-free version is aimed at beer enthusiasts who want to enjoy the refreshing taste of Kristall-Weizen even when avoiding alcohol. FARNY is focusing on long-term market development: “The trend is clearly toward alcohol-free beers with high sensory quality. With our new system, we have created the best foundation to future-proof our portfolio,” emphasizes Managing Director Elmar Bentele.
GEA AromaPlus
The key challenge in alcohol-free beer production is retaining the aroma and characteristic properties of the original product. FARNY relies on GEA’s proven AromaPlus membrane filtration system for this purpose.
“Our technology is based on reverse osmosis, enabling a particularly gentle de-alcoholization process without thermal stress,” explains Ralf Scheibner, Product Manager Membrane Filtration at GEA. “Alcohol is removed at low temperatures, ensuring that the fine aromas of Kristall-Weizen remain intact. Consumers should barely notice the difference from the original.”
The GEA AromaPlus system uses spiral-wound special membranes that allow water and alcohol to pass through while preserving the essential components responsible for the beer’s aroma, color, and clarity. The process takes place in multiple stages: first, the traditionally brewed beer is concentrated; then, de-aerated water is continuously added during the diafiltration phase to wash out more alcohol until the desired residual alcohol content is reached.
Finally, the de-alcoholized and concentrated beer is diluted with de-aerated water to achieve the desired extract content. FARNY will use this technology to produce an alcohol-free Kristall-Weizen with an alcohol content of just under 0.5%.
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