Influência da adição de frutas vermelhas em diferentes etapas do processo nas características físico-químicas de cervejas do tipo Fruit Beer

The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of adding red fruits (blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry) at different stages of the brewing process on the physicochemical characteristics of fruit beer. Four formulations were developed: beer without fruit addition (FP) and beer with fruit added at the boiling stage (F1), fermentation stage (F2), and maturation stage (F3). The samples were characterized through physicochemical analyses of total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity (FRAP). The pH behavior during the process was similar for all samples, with lower values for F1 and F2 samples, at 4.5. The F1 sample showed the highest alcohol content, 4.5% ABV, color (13.3 EBC), and original extract (12.34%), indicating the influence of temperature on the extraction of sugars and pigments compared to lower temperatures. However, the F2 and F3 formulations showed higher apparent extract values than sample F1, at 3.2% and 3.7%, respectively. Formulations F1 and F2 had higher concentrations of phenolic compounds than sample F3, with 433.98 and 429.46 mg of EAG L-1, respectively, indicating that the boiling and fermentation stages are more efficient in extracting phenolic compounds from the fruits used. Finally, all the beers with added red fruits showed higher antioxidant capacity compared to the standard beer, demonstrating the influence of the fruit addition stage on the physicochemical characteristics of the produced samples.