The total costs of lager beer stabilisation and clarification are high because of high capital investment, the production of solid and liquid wastes and additional handling. A single operation for the removal of sensitive proteins, sensitive polyphenols and radical initiators as metal ions reduces the costs substantially16.A gallotannin (GT)and a polyphenol absorber (PA) are added subsequently to the beer stream; the haze sensitive compounds are adsorbed and removed together via single centrifugation followed by a regeneration. The normal Kieselguhr filtration can be replaced by a Kieselguhr reduced filtration or membrane filtration10'12.An extended shelf-life is obtained by an optimum ratio-gallotanninlpolyphenol absorber, e.g. 6gllO g or by complete removal of sensitive proteins, metal ions and a little part of the flavanoids.The shelf-life or sensorial stability can be evaluated by chemiluminescence intensity and positively influenced with gallotannin. Tlte high molecular weight gallotannin is completely natural (present in many herbs) and produces 100% residue-free beer.

A method is described which allows the separation of compounds present in pyrogallol tannic acid by thin layer chromatography on previously purified silica gel.This method can be used to determine gallic acid in presence of gallotannin.

A method is described which allows the separation of hop bitter components and derivatives present in hop extracts by thin-layer chromatography on a mixture of silica gel and cellulose. This method can be used to evaluate the purity of hop extracts, Isomerized hop extracts and complementary base extracts.

A method is described which allows the rapid determination of the bittering value of isomerized hop extracts. The method is also applicable in the case of isomerized hop extracts containing impurities such as a-acids and p-acids.

A method is described which allows the separation of hop bitter components and derivatives present in hops by thin-layer chromatography on a mixture of silica gel and cellulose. This method can be used to evaluate ageing and the quality of the hop.