Analysis of flavour compounds in beer with extruded sorghum as an adjunct using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Abstract

Sorghum is a widely used adjunct that is used in the production of beer and increasingly affects beer flavour as the amount added increases. The aim of this work was to establish a simple, solvent-free technique, without derivatization, to analyse flavours and typical volatile compounds present in extruded and unextruded sorghum beer, and to compare the flavour differences of the two types of beer. Headspace solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine the flavours in the two beers and eight typical volatile compounds were quantified using GC. Forty-five flavour compounds were identified and quantified in extruded white sorghum beer, while 31 flavour compounds were identified in unextruded white sorghum beer. Extruded or unextruded white sorghum can be used to produce ale beer, but the primary flavour content in the extruded white sorghum beer was higher than in the unextruded white sorghum beer. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling