Does non-alcoholic beer have yeast?
Does non-alcoholic beer have yeast?
Yes, non-alcoholic beer does contain yeast.
All beer—which includes non-alcoholic beer—is made with yeast.
But hey, wait a second, doesn’t yeast cause fermentation, which causes alcohol production?
You’re right. But in addition to producing alcohol, fermentation also gives beer its unique taste, texture, and fizziness. So, it’s still essential for brewing non-alcoholic beer, and brewers use different tactics to make sure the packaged end-product is alcohol-free (or close enough).
But if you’ve got yeast or gluten intolerance, the good news is that some brands remove most of the yeast from their beer—including their non-alcoholic beers. We’ve included some recommendations for yeast-free, non-alcoholic beer later in this article.
But if you’re curious to learn a bit more—for example, about the differences between adding brewer’s yeast or using “natural” yeast, and the methods for removing yeast and alcohol from beer, then well… let’s start with that.
How is yeast used in beer? Added vs. ‘natural’ yeast
The brewing process for non-alcoholic beer is pretty much the same as for alcoholic beer. The only difference is that, in non-alcoholic beer, the alcohol is removed (usually through a process called dealcoholisation). So, this means both types of beer include yeast.
But interestingly, some types of beer are made without actually adding any yeast. Instead of adding their own yeast into the mix, brewers allow the environment to naturally introduce it. This process is formally called spontaneous fermentation.
In spontaneous fermentation, the wort (the malt infusion that will become beer) is left in the open air during the brewing stage. This allows yeast and bacteria from the environment to infuse with the wort, since they don't have to compete with any brewer's yeast. Beers brewed with this method are called ‘lambic’ beers.
How is yeast removed from beer?
Okay, so we’ve got the beer now. But how do brewers get the yeast out?
Well, brewers use a filtration process that removes almost all of the yeast from the final product. Filtration involves passing the beer through a series of screens (like a paper filter) or membranes that trap and remove yeast cells, leaving behind a clear, bright liquid. Brewers remove almost all of the yeast from beer using a filtration process that passes the beer through multiple screens that "trap" yeast cells, leaving the non-alcoholic beer behind.
Additionally, some brewers will pasteurise the beer as an extra precaution. They’ll heat the beer to a specific temperature—maintaining the heat for a while destroys living organisms, including yeast. And, just like it does for milk, pasteurisation gives the beer a longer shelf-life.
While yeast-free beer may still contain trace amounts of yeast, it's typically (though not always) so little that people with yeast and gluten intolerances can still safely enjoy the drink.
How is non-alcoholic beer made?
Non-alcoholic beer is initially brewed with the same ingredients as alcoholic beer, which includes four essential ingredients: water (the main ingredient), grain, hops (which gives beer its primary flavour), and yeast. The grain provides the sugars for the yeast to ferment, which creates alcohol as a by-product.
But after it's brewed, the alcohol is removed from the non-alcoholic beer using one of four different methods. Plus, beer companies will usually add their own spices or flavourings at the end to give their beer its signature taste.
Let's go over the four different ways for removing alcohol from beer below, which include dealcoholisation, controlled fermentation, dilution, and simulated fermentation.
1. Dealcoholisation
Dealcoholisation is a method to remove alcohol from liquid, usually by adding water or steam to the liquid (in this case, beer) and then boiling the mixture under pressure. The process releases alcohol as vapour, which is then collected in a condenser and removed, leaving non-alcoholic beer behind.
2. Controlled fermentation
Controlled fermentation is the most common method for producing non-alcoholic beer.
For the most part, the brewing process is the same as for alcoholic beer, except the brewer stops alcohol being introduced either by:
Stopping the fermentation process before it reaches an alcohol-producing level, i.e., before it reaches a certain temperature threshold.
Using a special strain of yeast that consumes most of the sugar without producing much alcohol. The low-alcoholic beer is then heated to remove any remaining alcohol.
3. Dilution
As the name suggests, dilution involves diluting the concentration of alcohol in a beverage (beer, in this case) by adding water to it. This method is more for producing "low-alcohol" beverages than alcohol-free ones, though. You can dilute the beer either before or after fermentation.
Low-alcohol beers don’t contain enough beer to get you drunk (some people feel “drunk” after drinking non-alcoholic or low-alcoholic beer, but that’s due to sociological and psychological reasons).
4. Simulated fermentation
The reason brewers put beer through the fermentation process (despite it creating alcohol) is because it gives the beer its taste, texture, and fizziness. Simulated fermentation uses different ingredients to achieve these traits – like using malt extract for brewing and carbonating the beer at the end – without fermentation.
So, the produced beer has no alcohol content. But, since fermentation is responsible for breaking sugar down into alcohol, non-alcoholic beers do contain varying levels of sugar.
What are some (almost) yeast-free non-alcoholic beer options?
Like we mentioned above, you can buy non-alcoholic beer that's had the yeast mostly removed from it. It's hard to remove all traces of the yeast, but these brands remove most of it.
That means there are very low chances of these drinks affecting people with yeast allergies. Here are some non-alcoholic beers without yeast.
Stella Artois Liberte
Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Cane Sugar, Natural Flavors, Hops
Stella Artois is a popular yeast-free beer brand that removed gluten from its beer to create a Coeliac UK-certified beer. The beer is brewed in the UK and Belgium, and while yeast is indeed used in the fermentation process, it's removed before the beer is packaged.
Liberte is Stella Artois's non-alcoholic beer without yeast, with the familiar hoppy bitterness and refreshingly fizzy kick that beer lovers enjoy. The drink is made with all-natural ingredients and contains 0% alcohol.
Omission (Gluten Reduced)
Ingredients: Barley, wheat, hops, yeast
While Omission's beer isn't yeast-free, it's gluten-reduced, making it suitable for many people with gluten intolerances. If you're not familiar with the Omission Brewing Company already, the brand's owner created it after his wife was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Omission serves gluten-reduced beer, and each batch of beer is tested in an independent lab.
Omission has a line of non-alcoholic beers, which includes the bitter, hoppy "hoppy and bright" flavour and the citrusy, tangy "citrusy and refreshing" with the brand's signature crisp, clear finish.
Just the Haze by Sam Adams
Samuel Adams is a popular American beer brand that brews beer with its own propriety yeast, and filters most of the yeast out before packaging. Just the Haze is the brand's award-winning non-alcoholic beer – it's juicy and hazy, with strong citrus notes and the full-bodied mouth feel that beer fanatics love.
So, how do you like your non-alcoholic beer?
Yeast-free? Citrusy? Ginger flavoured? Or maybe mixed into a cocktail? Nowadays, there are lots of non-alcoholic beer options that taste great. And beer brands have done a great job at brewing non-alcoholic beer with the same punchy taste and fizzy texture that beer fans have come to love.
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