Yops® – Natural flavors by precision fermentation

How Jopen Is Achieving Isoamyl Acetate Ester Notes in NA Blond Beer – Without Biotransformation

Jopen teamed up with Evodia to develop a custom Yops® blend designed specifically to elevate isoamyl acetate – the signature banana-forward ester – in its Non Blond 0.5% Beer.

Traditional non-alcoholic brewing often struggles to deliver the expressive fermentation character found in full-strength beers. To overcome this, Evodia and Jopen worked closely to refine a strain combination capable of unlocking true wheat-beer aromatics, even within the constraints of NA production. The result is a brand new tailored Yops® blend: Y-Banana.

Now, this tailored approach is ready to bring the same elevated ester performance to breweries just like yours.

The goal: Achieve full, expressive yeast aromas in an NA blond beer.

Daniel Schappert, Head Brewer at Jopen.

“Yops® provided strong banana and bubble-gum esters, adding natural yeast-driven aromas beyond what their maltose-negative yeast could produce.”

The process

1

Batch Setup

Brew size: 20 hL.

Beer style: Alcohol-free blond beer with banana & bubble-gum aroma targets.

Base yeast approach: Jopen used a maltose-negative yeast with high phenols production from Escarpment Labs to enable alcohol-free fermentation while preserving phenolic complexity.

2

Fermentation

Fermentation carried out with restricted sugar uptake to maintain <0.5% ABV. Base yeast contributes underlying phenolics while leaving room for ester enhancement through Yops® blends.
3

Yops® Integration

Blends: Y-Banana (Yeast Notes range) and Tropical Grapefruit T1.
Dosage: 0.26 mL/L.
Timing: Added during lagering to preserve esters and smooth aroma integration.
Mixing: Recirculated/roused to evenly disperse the Yops® blend.
4

Pasteurization

The beer was pasteurized to 60 PU (p.2), securing microbiological stability without stripping too much volatile aroma.

The results: A richer, more expressive 0.5% blond beer driven by authentic yeast-derived ester notes.

The beer

“Non blond” NA Blond Beer (0.5%)

Jopen’s “Non Blond” (0.5%) is an alcohol-free blond beer designed to deliver the expressive, yeast-driven character of a classic Belgian blond despite its low-alcohol fermentation.

Brewed with a maltose-negative, phenolic yeast to maintain <0.5% ABV, the beer showcases a soft blond base supported by lively esters and subtle phenolic structure. The profile is centered around vibrant banana and bubble-gum aromas, essential to Jopen’s signature blond style, enriched through the addition of Yops® ester-boosting blends. The result is a bright, naturally aromatic NA blond beer with fuller yeast expression, a balanced sweetness, and a flavor profile closely matching its full-strength counterpart.

Daniel Schappert, Head Brewer at Jopen.

“We came to Bede with the hope that Evodia could provide us with the banana and bubblegum aroma and flavor we love in our Blond. But these flavors come from the yeast and are impossible to replicate with a maltose negative yeast. From the very beginning Bede and the whole team were very helpful and responsive and completely understood where we wanted to go with this product. After a few trials and recipe adjustments they provided us with the perfect product. We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome product wise.”

Any questions?

Bede is your contact. Feel free to reach out for the full case details and learn how Yops® helps cut beer loss and boost production – while maintaining the desired flavor.

A new age in brewing

Yops®, the 5th element that helps you maximize flavor while reducing ingredient use.