diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Query/Parser.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Query/Parser.php
index cd1269377..7e1fe6d45 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Query/Parser.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Query/Parser.php
@@ -94,13 +94,6 @@ class Parser
      */
     private $_em;
     
-    /**
-     * The Abtract Syntax Tree of processed DQL query.
-     *
-     * @var SelectStatement | UpdateStatement | DeleteStatement
-     */
-    private $_ast;
-    
     /**
      * The Query to parse.
      *
@@ -201,16 +194,6 @@ class Parser
         return $this->_em;
     }
     
-    /**
-     * Gets the Abstract Syntax Tree generated by the parser.
-     *
-     * @return SelectStatement | UpdateStatement | DeleteStatement
-     */
-    public function getAST()
-    {
-        return $this->_ast;
-    }
-    
     /**
      * Registers a custom function that returns strings.
      *
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Query/LanguageRecognitionTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Query/LanguageRecognitionTest.php
index adedff266..1204e1f02 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Query/LanguageRecognitionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Query/LanguageRecognitionTest.php
@@ -59,25 +59,6 @@ class LanguageRecognitionTest extends \Doctrine\Tests\OrmTestCase
         return $parser->parse();
     }
     
-    public function parseDqlForAST($dql, $hints = array())
-    {
-        $query = $this->_em->createQuery($dql);
-        $query->setHint(Query::HINT_FORCE_PARTIAL_LOAD, true);
-        $query->setDql($dql);
-        
-        foreach ($hints as $key => $value) {
-        	$query->setHint($key, $value);
-        }
-        
-        $parser = new \Doctrine\ORM\Query\Parser($query);
-        // We do NOT test SQL output here. That only unnecessarily slows down the tests!
-        $parser->setCustomOutputTreeWalker('Doctrine\Tests\Mocks\MockTreeWalker');
-        $parser->parse();
-        
-        return $parser->getAST();
-    }
-
-
     public function testEmptyQueryString()
     {
         $this->assertInvalidDql('');