The invention relates to a method for the preparation of beer with red chicory, and the beer with red chicory obtained by means of such method.

As it is known, the beers existing at the present time in the market are obtained with methods and manufacturing devices and plants of the traditional type, by using raw material components constituted by water, malt, barley, hop and yeast of various kind, and such beers are obtained with different colours and tastes depending on the condition of the treatment of the raw materials used from time to time.

The object of the present invention is to prepare a beer with aromatic and taste characteristics which are new and different with respect to the beers existing at the present time, by using, in addition to some traditional raw materials used for the beers in the present time, also a further natural vegetable raw material, which is presents in a large extent in the vegetable substances, and which is able to produce a beer with aromas and tastes absolutely new and original.

This new type of beer is obtained, according to the present invention, by means a method for the preparation of beer by using as additional raw material the red chicory, which can be found in a large extent in nature and, if it is the case, also in cultivations pre-arranged purposely for sowing and growing of such vegetable.

This method of preparation of beer is performed by using the raw materials and the treatment phases of such raw materials hereinafter described, with particular reference to the enclosed description and claims of the present patent, in which it is described also the beer with red chicory obtained by means of such method, with its colour and taste characteristics.

The beer with red chicory according to the present invention is obtained by using the following raw materials : a) light malt of Pilsen type (Pilsner Malt) ;

b) dark malt of Munich type (Muenchner Malt) ;

c) melanoidin malt ;

d) Acidulated Malt ;

e) water ;

f) red chicory ;

g) hop .

Thereinafter, there are indicated the used quantities of the raw materials at the points from a) to g), for obtaining a production of beer with chicory of 14 hi. with 12,0° Plato.

For greater volumes or degrees of such kind of beer to be obtained, there must be increased proportionally the quantities of the used raw materials.

Employed malts:

a) light malt of Pilsen type 150 Kg ;

b) dark malt of Munich type 50 Kg ;

c) melanoidin malt 50 Kg ;

d) acidulated malt 50 Kg ;

for a total of 300 Kg of malt ;

e) water : drinkable, of any level of total hardness and carbonated ;

f) red chicory : about 30 Kg ;

g) hop : the quantity is indicated in the treatment phase defined "wort boiling".

The method for preparing the beer with red chicory according to the present invention comprises the following treatment phases :

1) Mashing phase : in this phase, the raw materials which are used comprise all of kinds of the malts listed in the above points from a) to d) and the water, in a manner to form a water-malt mixture. This phase, which is performed by introducing the raw materials into a traditional receptacle, is carried out within a time of about 2 hours, with a water/malt ratio comprised from 3,0 to 3,3, with a quantity of water for maceration (mashing) from 9 to 10 hi, with a water temperature of 58° C, and with a time for obtaining the mixture of the malt with water of 30 minutes.

The values of heating temperature and mashing times of this phase of method may change depending on the malt characteristics, which change from harvest to harvest of the barley. It is also possible to use a decoction method.

The heating of the mixture of malt with water occurs with the following temperatures and ^• interruption times :

- heating up to 61°- 62° C ;

- interruption 25 minutes at the temperature of 61°- 62° C ;

- heating up to 65° - 67° C ;

- interruption 20 minutes at the temperature of 65°-67° C ;

- heating up to 70° - 72° C ;

- interruption 25 minutes at the temperature of 70° - 72° C ;

- heating up to 75° C ;

- interruption 5 minutes at the temperature of 75° C ;

- heating up to 77° - 78° C .

The so obtained mixture of malts is then transferred in a traditional manner into a filtering vat with the last heating temperature of 77° - 78° C .

2) Filtering phase : this phase occurs with above-mentioned mixture of malts introduced into the filtering vat with a heating temperature of 77° - 78° C. Total filtering duration: of about 2,5 hours, depending on the type of used filtering plant.

The filtration is carried out in three phases, as follow :

a) phase 1 : filtration of the first obtained wort : duration 60 to 80 minutes, and quantity of obtained wort about 6,0 hi, Plato Degree of the first obtained wort : about 16% ; b) phase 2, extraction 1 of the threshed substances from the wort, duration 30 to 40 minutes, and quantity of obtained wort of about 4,5 hi ;

c) phase 3, extraction 2 of the threshed substances from the wort, duration 25 - 35 minutes, and quantity of obtained wort of about 4,5 hi.

In these three phases, the water is added for the extraction of the threshed substances from the wort, with a volume of 9 hi, and a temperature of 77° - 78° C.

During these phases, the wort is boiled for a duration of 60 - 90 minutes, and with a temperature of 100° C.

Under these conditions, at the end of the filtering phase of the present method, a volume of wort of 1 ,0 hi, and a total Plato Degree of 1 1,0 % is obtained.

3) Phase of addition of hop : after that the previous phases have been performed, the flower hop is added to the obtained wort, which is of the pellet type 90 (iso alpha hop) in the quantity of 90 g, and the addition of the hop occurs with these phases :

a) a first phase, in which the 80 % of hop is added, that is 72 g of hop of the acid alpha type, which contains 13,7% of alpha acids, and the addition is effected 5-10 minutes after the start of boiling of the wort, and the hop is of the Hallertauer Bitter type or equivalent one ;

b) a second phase, in which the 20%, that is 18 g, of two different types of hop is added, 5-10 minutes after the start of boiling of the wort, in the succession of hop of the Perle type, which contains 7,6% of alpha acids, and hop of the Hallertauer Aroma type, which contains 5% of alpha acids.

4) Phase of addition of red chicory : in this phase, the red chicory it added to the wort added with the hop, in the quantity of about 30 Kg, of red chicory about 30 minutes before the end of boiling of the wort.

Subsequently, the wort added with the hop and the red chicory, and still warm, is transferred in an usual manner to an agitator device (Whirlpool) of traditional type, for separating the turbid part contained into the wort from the same wort.

5) Phase of separation of the turbid part for obtaining the finished wort : as already specified, it is carried out into the agitator device (Whirlpool), with an interruption of agitation of about 20 minutes, and the separated turbid part may be recycled into the mixture of wort or into the wort filtering vat and, after the separation of the turbid part, the finished wort has a volume of about 14,0 hi, and a Plato Degree of about 12,0%.

6) Cooling phase of the finished wort : it is carried out for a duration of about 60 minutes, by obtaining a wort final temperature of about 10° C, and in this phase 13 litres of low fermentation yeast (type 34 O) are added, in the measure of 3 envelopes 34/70.

Then, the wort is aired with 8 mg of 02 per litre and introduced into a tank of traditional type, for its fermentation.

7) Fermentation phase : it is carried out with a start temperature of about 11,0° C, for reaching a maximum temperature of 12° C.

Under this situation, the wort fermentation occurs by leaving the same at the temperature of 12° C up to about 2,5° Plato. Then, when the 3,5° Plato are reached, the valve for venting the C02 from the tank is shuts off, and the tank pressure is let to increase up to 1 bar, through the scrubber (pressure regulator) of the same tank.

After 24 hours under this condition, the fermented wort is let to cool down up to 8° C, until the final attenuation (in the last 24 hours the Plato Degree must remain stable). At the cooling down temperature of 0° C, the pressure into the tank must be of 0,5 bar.

8) Ripening phase : it is carried out at the temperature from 0° to 2° C, with a scrubber pressure from 0,4 to 0,5 bar. The minimum ripening time must be of 18 days, and the pH of the so obtained beer must be comprised from 4,1 to 4,5.

The beer is then poured into the traditional containing and pouring keg.

9) Phase of pouring from the keg : the beer must be drawn at the temperature of 6-8° C, with a drawing pressure from 1,5 to 2,0 bar.

The gas for drawing must be N2CO2-80/20.

The so obtained beer with chicory has an amber red colour and a moderate slightly bitter taste, with Plato Degrees comprised from 1 1,8 to 12,2%, with % alcohol/volume comprised from 4,5% to 5,5%, with BU (unit of EBC bitter) comprised from 17 to 21, and with a content of C02 of 4,2 g/1, and it can be sold off also in bottles, cans, small tanks, etc., depending on the market needs.

The invention also relates to a beer with red chicory obtained with the preparation method and with the above specified qualitative and aromatic component characteristics.