Hop concentrates

Claim 2

A process for preparing a purified solvent extract of hops comprising contacting hops with an extracting solvent to form a solution of a crude extract of hops containing insoluble matter, humulones, essential oils and fixed hop seed oil, separating said insoluble matter from said solution; and removing said extracting solvent to obtain a crude extract; contacting said crude extract with a purifying solvent consisting essentially of at least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol and ethanol in an amount from 0-95 percent by volume of methanol and from 0-95 percent by volume of ethanol, and from 5-20 by volume of water, in an amount sufficient to dissolve a part of the crude extract thereby forming a solution of a purified extract containing humulones and essential oils and being substantially free of fixed hop seed oil; separating the solution of the purified extract from the undissolved part of the crude extract; and recovering the purified extract.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 3 wherein the extracting solvent is selected from benzene and light petroleum.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 3 wherein the crude extract is dissolved in the purifying solvent at a temperature of 0* to 25* C.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 5 wherein the crude extract is contacted with the purifying solvent at ambient temperature.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 6 wherein the purifying solvent consists of from 80 to 90 percent by volume methanol and from 10 percent To 20 percent by volume of water.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 7 wherein the crude extract is first dissolved in absolute methanol and the water added subsequently.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 8 wherein the hops are extracted with absolute methanol to form the solution of crude extract, the solution of crude extract is concentrated to saturation and 10 to 20 percent volume water added to the solution.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 3 wherein a solution of said purified extract in a water-immiscible solvent is contacted with sufficient aqueous alkali to extract the acidic resins into the aqueous phase, separating the aqueous phase from the nonaqueous phase, boiling the aqueous phase to isomerize the humulones and recovering the isomerized extract which is substantially free of fixed hop seed oil and essential oils.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 10 wherein the water-immiscible solvent is selected from hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 11 wherein the water-immiscible solvent is benzene.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 10 wherein the aqueous alkali is selected from aqueous sodium hydroxide and aqueous potassium hydroxide.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 13 wherein the concentration of the alkali is from 2 to 20 percent weight by volume.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 10 wherein the pH of the alkaline solution is from 10.7 to 12.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 13 wherein the pH of the alkaline solution is from 10.7 to 11.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 13 wherein carbon dioxide is passed through the solution of the alkaline extract.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 10 wherein the solution of the alkaline extract is boiled at atmospheric pressure for at least 1 hour.

Claim 18

A process according to claim 10 wherein the solution of the isomerized extract is concentrated by removal of at least a part of the water.

Claim 19

An extract of hops according to claim 1 which comprises from 82 to 94 percent of soft resins, including a total humulones content of from 25 to 55 percent, a total lupulone content of from 10 to 40 percent, from 1 to 4 percent essential oil of hops, up to 2 percent of water the residue consisting of resinous material soluble in 80 to 95 percent aqueous methanol at 0* to 50 * C.

Claim 20

A process for preparing an isohumulone-containing extract of hops which comprises: contacting hops with a water-immiscible organic solvent to form a solution of a crude extract containing humulones, essential oils and fixed hop seed oil, separating the solution from insoluble matter, contacting the solution with aqueous alkali, separating the aqueous phase containing the humulones and a portion of the fixed hop seed oil, from the organic phase containing the essential oils, heating the aqueous phase to isomerize the humulone content thereof, recovering the isomerized extract from the aqueous phase, contacting the isomerized extract with sufficient acid to bring the pH of the extract to a value of from 2 to 7 and with sufficient of a solvent consisting of 80 to 85 percent methanol and 15 to 20 percent water to dissolve a part of the neutralized extract, separating the solution from the undissolved matter and recovering the dissolved portion of the extract substantially free of fixed hop seed oil.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 21 wherein the water-immiscible solvent is selected from hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons.

Claim 22

A process according to claim 22 wherein the water-immiscible solvent is benzene.

Claim 23

A process according to claim 21 wherein the hops are contacted with the water-immiscible solvent at ambient temperature.

Claim 24

A process according to claim 21 wherein the acid is hydrochloric acid.

Claim 25

A process according to claim 21 wherein the isomerized extract is finally made alkaline.

Claim 26

A process according to claim 26 wherein the final pH of the isomerized extract is at least 10.5.

Claim 27

A process according to claim 21 wherein the aqueous alkali is selected from sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.

Claim 28

A process according to claim 28 wherein the concentration of the alkali is 2 to 20 percent weight by volume.

Claim 29

A process according to claim 21 wherein the pH of the aqueous phase after contacting with the water-immiscible solvent is from 10.7 to 12.

Claim 30

A process according to claim 30 wherein the pH of the aqueous phase after contacting the water-immiscible solvent is from 10.7 to 11.

Claim 31

A process according to claim 26 wherein the crude isomerized extract is contacted with sufficient absolute methanol to dissolve the extract and subsequently the pH is adjusted to a value of from 2 to 7 by addition of hydrochloric acid, and finally water is added to bring the water content to a value of from 15 to 20 percent by volume.

Claim 32

A brewing adjunct containing substantially no fixed hop seed oil consisting essentially of (A) at least one compound selected from humulones isohumulones and alkali metal salts thereof (B) at least one other hop ingredient selected from hop resins and essential oils and (C) at least one compound selected from emulsifying agents, emulsion stabilizers and brewing sugars.