Herbal Beer from Plant Resources

The National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow one of the constituent laboratory under CSIR has developed a health drink utilizing fruits and herbs, which are abundantly available through out India. The herbal drink, so developed has been extensively tested for its useful properties. The herbal drink has also been field tasted it taste like beer. The medicinal plant gives bitterness as ‘Hops’ in any beer. This health drink possesses all the advantages and taste of beer and none of its disadvantages.

The process of manufacturing is as follows:-

1. Pealing of the fruits like Mango (the health drink may be prepared with fresh fruits like apple, peach, oranges etc) and preparation of juice.

2.Crush the cleaned medicinal plants and mix with water in the specified to get the plant juice; prepare the bitter powder by separating the layers of the said juice then concentrate and dry.

3.Prepare the base material by mixing fruit juice, water, sugar, crushed barley, bitter powder and Autoclave the mixture.

4.Inoculate the mixture with fermentation agent in a fermentor; .

5.Collect the final product after complete fermentation(Approx. 72 hrs) and pasteurisation. Centrifuge and fill in bottles as concentrate.

Advantages:

Not a single fermented herbal drink has antioxidant, anti-fatique, health protective, immuno-enhancing, diuretic and hepatoprotective properties, beside these properties the herbal drink (beer) is also having following properties, cardio-tonic, diuretic, digestive, choleretic(increases the bile secretion), nervine relaxant. The health drinks contains natural minerals, vitamins like A and C. The herbal health drink is tested by Cytotoxicity L – 929 cell lines (ELISA) for its no- adverse effect on liver as compared to commercially available beers, which causes damage to liver cells.

• Fruit based herbal drink with non-toxic, antioxidant, immunomodulator hepatoprotective and diuretic properties having aroma and refreshing property, with an ability to quench thirst. Provides instant energy and fights fatigue.
  
• No. of ingredients – 4
  
• Purely natural ingredients.Medicinal plants having health promoting properties.
  
• No chemical preservative
  
• Plants are common and abundant
  
• Hops replaced with indigenous plant
  
• Colours from yellow to orange
  
• Bitterness can be altered
  
• Has self generated alcohol which can be regulated from 2-8%.
  
• Has attractive attributes-good taste, aroma and refreshing properties with an ability to quench thirst
  
• Has characteristic taste of beer/Champagne with none of the disadvantages of conventional beer.
  
• Provides instant energy and fights fatigue
  
• Purely natural
  

This herbal health drink do not contains any frothing agents like salts of lead and nickel.

Stage of Development:

Fully developed and available commercially.

Inputs required:

Plant and Machinery required are Fermentor (Capacity 4000L), Juicer and Filtration units, Grinder, Chilling and Carbonating Machine, Pasteurizing Machine, Packing Machine.

Utilities Required Power 1000 units for and water 1000 Lts batch.

Economic Data:

Investment for total plant and Machinery will be about Rs. 20 Lakhs.

Source: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research