Patent ID: 7001638
Filing Date: 2006-02-21
Classification: C12C

Abstract:
1. A method for preparing a hop essence and flavorant comprising: (a) extracting a hop plant part other than hop cones with an aqueous alcohol to produce an extract containing hop essence and flavorant precursors; (b) concentrating the hop essence and flavorant precursors in the extract; (c) purifying the concentrated extract by removing at least a portion of free carbohydrates and inorganic salts to obtain a purified kettle hop essence and flavorant precursor; and (d) converting at least some of the glycosides in the purified hop essence and flavorant precursor to aglycons by breaking the glycosidic bond between the aglycon moiety and the sugar moiety thereby producing a hop essence and flavorant wherein the purifying step is accomplished by the steps of: (i) feeding the extract to a liquid chromatography column having a packing material selected from the group consisting of polymeric resins, activated carbon, molecular sieves, silica gels, derivatized silica gels, celluloses, and derivatized celluloses whereby at least one kettle hop essence or flavorant precursor is retained on the packing material, (ii) eluting the kettle hop essence or flavorant precursors from the packing material to obtain an eluent containing kettle hop essence or flavorant precursors, and (iii) further concentrating the kettle hop essence or flavorant precursors in the eluent by evaporation.