The Use of Hop Polyphenols during Brewing to Improve Flavor Quality and Stability of Pilsner Beer

Abstract

In modern brewing technology, advanced hop products derived from pure resin extract are increasingly used in order to obtain a more consistent hoppy character in existing brands and to develop new beers with innovative flavor profiles. However, currently available advanced hop products such as (reduced) iso-α-acid extracts and hop oils do not contain hop polyphenols that are generally considered as potent antioxidants and therefore could be important in view of preparing more flavor-stable beers. We have shown previously that the addition of polyphenolic extracts from spent hops cv. Saaz (either at the onset of maturation or to the finished beer) improves the sensory properties of the resulting beers. In this article, the use of these hop polyphenol enriched extracts at specific points during the beer production process is discussed from the perspective of beer flavor quality and stability. Results from pilot scale brewing trials show that the addition of hop polyphenols enhances the mouthfeel, the reducing power, and the flavor stability of beer.