Beer

Clarity and taste are critical components in finished beer. Beer can appear unclear for many reasons, such as improper filtration, incomplete fermentation, or incompatibility of ingredients.

A typical beer contains 91% water, 4.6% carbohydrate in the form of maltose and dextrose, 0.5% protein, 0.2% mineral salts, 3.6% alcohol by weight and the balance comprised of trace vitamins and flavor compounds.

The brewing grains (corn, rice, barley, wheat, etc) used for producing dark and sweet beers can vary in protein content and carbohydrate content from harvest to harvest. Caramel Colors are often used to standardize the final beer color and to compensate for the variation in the consistency of the malt color as produced by the manufactures.

Sethness recommends using positively-charged, Class III Caramel Colors for beer standardization. CLASS III Caramel Colors are produced by heating food grade carbohydrate with ammonia compounds and acids or alkali. The three Sethness Liquid Caramel Colors most commonly used in beer are P147, P212 and P340.

The use of CLASS III Caramel Colors avoids the negative interaction of the cereal proteins, which can cause a precipitate to form. The fermentation of the protein is responsible for the body and produces the foamy head. The use of CLASS III Caramel Colors helps maintain the proper cereal fermentation products to control the desired color.

Caramel Colors are often utilized in beer production to generate cost savings, as less expensive malted barley can be used. Caramel Colors can be added at either the wort stage or the finished stage in order to increase/darken the overall color of the final product.

Sethness produces our Caramel Colors from Highly Refined High Dextrose Corn Syrup. Our Liquid Caramel Colors carry a two-year shelf life (from the date of manufacture). In addition, our Caramel Colors have low viscosity, translating to ease of use.