At BrauBeviale, DuPont presented a new brewing enzyme, Danisco Alphalase Advance 4000,  a solution for brewers to reduce or completely eliminate diacetyl during beer fermentation, the company says. The enzyme keeps beer quality high while optimizing production capacity and saving on energy consumption, it adds. A well-known organic compound also present in butter, diacetyl develops naturally during beer fermentation, according to DuPont. Its butterscotch flavor, however, is generally considered undesirable, creating a need to keep diacetyl levels low in the final beer. Brewers typically achieve this by extending the beer maturation period. This ensures the diacetyl is broken down into flavor-neutral compounds once secondary fermentation is complete. DuPont Danisco Alphalase Advance 4000 solves the issue by preventing the generation of diacetyl during fermentation, it says. With a diacetyl level that is safely below the accepted flavor threshold, brewers can shorten the maturation period considerably, while optimizing production throughput and decreasing energy usage, the company says.

DuPont Danisco Madison Center, 3329 Agriculture Drive, Madison, Wis. 53716; 800/255-6837; dupont.com.