Natural Mushroom Shelf-Life Extender
Propper Chiber
Propper Chiber is a chitosan fiber that disrupts spoilage organisms where conventional preservatives underperform. Chitosan carries a positive charge; microbial membranes carry a negative one. When they meet, the membrane fails. Think of it as a strong, every-batch assistant that strengthens your food safety program and pairs especially well with pasteurization when making NA beers.
Recommended use
Typically 0.1% and 0.2% by volume, depending on the recipe and brewing process. Dose in clarified beer prior to packaging.
Need help? Read on and reach out. We’re here to be helpful.
Probrew
64 fl. oz
$76
For NA beer stability
Featured Strains & Related Products
Explore the variety of Omega tools that could fit your NA program.
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Solsta
Solsta is engineered for distinctive NA beers. Its maltose-negative genetics limit fermentation and keep beers below 0.5% ABV. Clean and neutral by default, it delivers an NA ale base across a range of styles and turns tropical when fueled with Propper Phantasm. One strain, two personalities: neutral by nature, tropical by choice.
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Pinnacle Low Alcohol
When liquid isnˇt the fit, Pinnacle Low Alcohol is your easy dry yeast pitch-and-go route into NA brewing. This unique Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain is maltose-negative and non-phenolic, making it perfect for limiting alcohol and providing a clean base for a wide range of classic NA lagers and ales.
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Propper Phantasm
Propper Phantasm is a liquid thiol precursor that activates Solstaˇs Thiolized pathway. An extra dose of precursor and Solsta releases vivid tropical aromatics: passion fruit, grapefruit, and guava. Made with naturally sourced New Zealand ingredients, it gives NA IPAs an expressive lever to pull without leaning entirely on heavy dry hopping. Lowering the load of polyphenols from heavy dry hop additions will help the effectiveness of Propper Chiber downstream.
FAQ
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Chiber is an extract of white button mushrooms with antimicrobial, preservative, and clarifying properties. It’s bacteriostatic (prevents bacteria from growing) and in some cases has even been validated as bactericidal (it kills bacteria).
In acidic solutions (<6.5 pH), Chiber’s strong cationic charge will bind it to and eliminate spoilage-causing yeasts, molds, and bacteria. Normally alcohol would prevent these microbes from developing, so this especially comes in handy for NA beer production.
Adding it to stabilize beer prior to maturation can also extend the beer’s shelf life and reduce the level of PUs needed if pasteurizing.
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Not so fast. There’s a lot to consider when approaching NA. When using Propper Chiber mushroom extract, there are two important initial considerations:
First, Chiber shouldn’t always be viewed as an immediate antimicrobial kill step. Results from microbial challenge studies show that while elimination of foreign yeast and bacteria can in some circumstances be within 24 to 48 hours, in complex beers it may take up to 2 to 4 weeks. NA beer stabilized with Chiber should be held until test results confirm spoilers and pathogenic bacteria have been eliminated.
Second, Chiber can also create bonds with compounds like pectin, pulp, and polyphenols, which can prevent it from being effectively antimicrobial. Dry hops and colloidal haze particles can also form bonds with Chiber, so extra care and consideration is needed for hazy IPAs, even if the beer will be pasteurized. For best results, clarify or centrifuge the beer prior to dosing with Chiber to remove yeast and other particles in suspension. (This is also best practice for beers headed for pasteurization.)
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Brewers should perform a simple lab-scale interaction test with NA recipes to determine whether Chiber will be effective as an antimicrobial agent in their recipe before using it in a full-scale batch. Simply test samples with 0.1% and 0.2% doses of Chiber and compare them to a control sample after 24 hours. If there is no excess visual sediment in the dosed samples compared to the control, Chiber should be effective.
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Every brewer’s process is unique. Ultimately brewers need to figure out which stabilization methods are right for them to produce safe NA beer, and working with a local process authority can help provide clarity.
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions in NA production. Even tunnel pasteurization can fail if not done properly, which is why process validation is essential.
To create safe NA beer, every batch must be tested prior to release. Even the strictest safety regimens are only as good as the data backing them up.
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