Chile brewer CCU 9-mo profit up 51.6 pct yr/yr

* Profit up 51.6 pct, mostly on sale of part of unit

* Negative inflation also helped boost results

SANTIAGO Nov 27 (Reuters) - Chile's largest brewer, CCU CCU.SN (CCU.N), saw its profits rise 51.6 percent in the first nine months of the year, due mainly to the sale of a business unit and negative inflation during the period.

CCU's profits rose to 95.294 billion pesos ($174.5 million) in the first nine months of 2009, compared to 62.861 billion pesos during the same period a year earlier, Chile's market regulator said in a statement issued late on Thursday.

The brewer, which has operations in Chile and Argentina, said revenue rose to 544.982 billion pesos ($998 million), from 477.00 billion pesos from the same period a year earlier. ($1=546.07 Chilean pesos by the end of September) ((simon.gardner@thomsonreuters.com; Tel: +562-370-4250; Reuters Messaging: simon.gardner.reuters.com@reuters.net))