Decrease of Aged Beer Aroma by the Reducing Activity of Brewing Yeast

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 58; no. 5; pp. 3107 - 3115
• Main Authors: Saison, Daan, De Schutter, David P, Vanbeneden, Nele, Daenen, Luk, Delvaux, Filip, Delvaux, Freddy R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 10.03.2010
• Subjects: alcoholic fermentation; aldehydes; Beer; beer aging; Beers; Biological and medical sciences; brewers yeast; brewing; Chromatography, Gas; Fermentation; Fermented food industries; flavor; Flavors and Aromas/Chemosensory Perception; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; model food systems; Odorants; reducing activity; refermentation; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; sensory properties; flavor; reducing activity; carbonyl compounds; flavor stability; yeast; Beer; Alcoholic beverage; Carbonyl compounds; Yeast; Stability; Decrease; Quality; Brewing; Aroma; Flavor
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf9037387

The flavor profile of beer is subject to changes during storage. Since, possibly, yeast has an influence on flavor stability, the aim of this study was to examine if there is a direct impact of brewing yeast on aged aroma. This was achieved by refermentation of aged beers. It was shown that several aged aroma notes, such as cardboard, ribes, Maillard and Madeira, were removed almost entirely by brewing yeast, independently of the yeast or the beer type. This was explained by the reduction of aldehydes, mainly (E)-2-nonenal, Strecker aldehydes, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and diacetyl, to their corresponding alcohols. Furthermore, it became evident that the reducing capacity of brewing yeast is high, but that yeast strain and compound specific residual concentrations remained in the refermented beer independently of the initial concentration. Finally, it appeared that aldehydes were not only reduced but also formed during refermentation.