SurePure says photopurification can yield 30 to 50 percent more saleable beer

SurePure Inc. has, in conjunction with a Cape Town, South African craft brewer, announced what the company believes is the world’s first successful trial of the application of a photopurification process to the brewing of craft beer. In its press release, SurePure says liquid photopurification can be a green alternative to pasteurization and chemicals

SurePure’s patented ‘Turbulator’ technology uses UV-C light to purify microbiologically sensitive liquids such as wine, fruit juice and milk.

Earlier in March, the brewer successfully brewed beer with a liquid adjunct. Using the patented SurePure technology to produce a microbially stable liquid adjunct, which was added during the post-brewing process, yielded up to 30 percent more fermentable extract using the same amount of energy as conventional brewing. The increase in fermentable extract leads to an even greater increase in the amount of beer produced.

Craig Groeneveld, master brewer and international brewing consultant who supervised the trials stated, “The SurePure process opens up new vistas for small, volume-constrained craft brewers. Being able to get effectively 50 percent more saleable beer out of the brew process offers small brewers the bridge between nano-brewing and micro brewing with minimal brewhouse investment. It stays true to the craft brewing ethic of using only natural raw ingredients and traditional brewing methods.”

Not only were there significant volume improvements, but the energy and product cost per pint of beer decreased as the SurePure system operated at ambient temperature without heat. Along with this, product quality and consistency improved, as well making greener and less expensive beer an attractive proposition for micro brewers to consider.

In effect, the SurePure technology and adjunct brewing offers microbreweries “big brewery” process benefits while complementing their craft brewing artesian care and character. This SurePure product may offer a viable craft beer production expansion strategy.

SurePure’s patented “Turbulator” technology uses UV-C light to purify microbiologically sensitive liquids such as wine, fruit juice and milk. Although designed to deliver food-grade solutions, it can also be harnessed to improve processing liquids such as water, brines and sugar syrup solutions, even animal blood plasma.