Loss of sulphur dioxide during storage of bottled and canned beers

Abstract

Loss of sulphur dioxide (SO 2) from beer occurred during storage. The rate of loss of both total and free SO 2 was pseudo-first-order with respect to time. The rate constant for the reaction increased with increasing temperature in the range 0–40 °C and was dependent to some extent on initial SO 2 concentration. Typically, the half-life of SO 2 in beer stored at 25 °C was about 6 months. Storage of beer at 0 °C considerably reduced the rate of SO 2 loss (half-life about 35 months), but did not prevent it. The fate of this lost SO 2 is not known.