Enhancing the mouthfeel of non-alcoholic beers: The influence of dextrin and arabinoxylan on perceived viscosity and body

Abstract

Carbohydrates in beer are recognized for enhancing viscosity. Increasing their levels during the production of non-alcoholic beers (NABs) may serve as a valuable strategy to compensate for the loss in viscosity and palate fullness due to dealcoholization. This study assessed the effectiveness of dextrin and arabinoxylan (AX) in this respect, within their content range and with the structural characteristics found in commercial beers. The addition of purified dextrin and AX isolates to water, pilsner beer, and NAB revealed that 30 g/L dextrin or 1.5 g/L high-molecular-weight AX (HMW AX) was required to compensate for the dealcoholization-induced viscosity loss. Evaluating the effect of both components on perceived palate fullness and mouthfeel involved producing eight NABs with varying dextrin and HMW AX levels and assessing them by a trained sensory panel (n = 12). Dextrin and HMW AX combined significantly increased palate fullness (p < 0.10), while solely increasing either was insufficient to achieve this effect. Increasing beer viscosity by itself could not fully compensate for palate fullness loss due to dealcoholization. Thus, adjusting NAB production to elevate HMW AX and dextrin levels simultaneously emerges as a viable strategy for improving palate fullness, offering valuable insights for brewers towards enhanced NAB quality.