Ale Beer Research Articles

EFFECT OF THREE QUINOA VARIETIES AND EDIBLE FLOWERS ON ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF ALE BEER

Fermentation experiments were conducted with a top-fermenting brewing yeast strain and wort enriched with three varieties of quinoa (with white, red and black grain color), as well as edible flowers (marigold and dandelion) to study their influence on the antioxidant properties of ale beer. Plant additives led to a slight increase in pH and a lower alcohol content of the beer. By itself, quinoa did not improve the functional properties of the beverage, but the combination of black quinoa and edible flowers resulted in an increased content of polyphenols in beer; marigold showed a 48.7 % increase in this parameter compared to the control, and dandelion - 51.2 %. The content of flavonoids in beer was not affected by the addition of plant additives to the wort. A slight increase in anthocyanins (0.7 - 4.4 %) was reported for black quinoa beer as well as black quinoa with flowers. A significant increase in antioxidant activity was reported for the variants with flowers (54 % for marigold and 56.6 % for dandelion). The increased antioxidant capacity combined with the reduced alcohol content of the beers with black quinoa and flowers suggests that a beverage with improved functional properties was obtained. Black quinoa, combined with edible flowers, was more favorable for increasing the antioxidant capacity of beer than other pseudo-cereals (amaranth and chia).

MBA 포도 첨가에 따른 ALE 맥주의 발효 및 품질 특성

This study investigated the fermentation characteristics and quality attributes of ale beer brewed with MBA grapes to enhance the diversity of Korean domestic ale beers. The grapes were added to the wort in two forms: must and juice, at ratios of 10% and 20%. The results showed that while ale beer with 20% grape addition began fermentation a day later, all samples completed fermentation well on the sixth day. Increasing MBA grape content lowered the pH and increased total acidity and malic acid content without significantly affecting the sour taste. Higher grape addition also decreased the beer’s IBU and bitterness scores in sensory evaluation. The addition of must addition enhanced redness due to anthocyanins, significantly increasing color intensity and EBC value of ale beer. Ale beer with the addition of must exhibited higher antioxidant capacities in total phenolic compound content, DPPH radical scavenging, and FRAP activities compared to that with the addition of juice. Sensory evaluation indicated that ale beer with 20% juice addition was preferred for its color, aroma, sweetness, body, and overall preference. The addition of MBA must improved antioxidant capacity, but ale beer with 20% juice had superior sensory qualities.

MBA 포도 첨가에 따른 ALE 맥주의 발효 및 품질 특성

This study investigated the fermentation characteristics and quality attributes of ale beer brewed with MBA grapes to enhance the diversity of Korean domestic ale beers. The grapes were added to the wort in two forms: must and juice, at ratios of 10% and 20%. The results showed that while ale beer with 20% grape addition began fermentation a day later, all samples completed fermentation well on the sixth day. Increasing MBA grape content lowered the pH and increased total acidity and malic acid content without significantly affecting the sour taste. Higher grape addition also decreased the beer’s IBU and bitterness scores in sensory evaluation. The addition of must addition enhanced redness due to anthocyanins, significantly increasing color intensity and EBC value of ale beer. Ale beer with the addition of must exhibited higher antioxidant capacities in total phenolic compound content, DPPH radical scavenging, and FRAP activities compared to that with the addition of juice. Sensory evaluation indicated that ale beer with 20% juice addition was preferred for its color, aroma, sweetness, body, and overall preference. The addition of MBA must improved antioxidant capacity, but ale beer with 20% juice had superior sensory qualities.

Differences in structure, stability and antioxidant activity of melanoidins from lager and ale beers

Beer melanoidins, the final products of the Maillard reaction (MR), play a critical role in determining the flavor stability of beer due to their antioxidant properties. This study investigated the structure, stability, and antioxidant activity of lager beer melanoidins (LBM) and ale beer melanoidins (ABM). The results revealed that ABM possessed a higher browning index and molecular weight, attribute to its relatively intense MR. However, this intensity also led to a more unfolded and disordered structure in ABM. Conversely, LBM outperformed ABM in the FAST index, thermal stability, and total antioxidant activity because the low alcohol content in lager beer reduced oxidation and thermal degradation while boosting the stability and antioxidant activity of melanoidins. As a result, it would offer a novel possibility to improve beer flavor stability by optimizing the brewing process to modify the structural and functional characteristics of melanoidins.

Moderate India Pale Ale beer consumption promotes antigenotoxic and non-mutagenic effects in ex vivo and in vivo mice models.

Discussion of the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption is ongoing. Broadly, research focusing on ethanol consumption tends to report no benefits. However, studies that distinguish between different types of alcoholic beverages, particularly beers, often reveal positive effects. The present study evaluated the genotoxic and mutagenic effects of moderate chronic consumption of India Pale Ale (IPA) craft beer. Sixty-four adult male Swiss mice were used and divided into control and treatment groups receiving water, IPA beer with 55.23 g of ethanol per liter of beer, aqueous solution with 55.23 g of ethanol per liter, and hop infusion ad libitum for 30 days. After this period, the animals were genetically evaluated with a comet assay. For the ex vivo comet assay, blood was collected and exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). For the in vivo assay, the alkylating agent cyclophosphamide (CP) was administered to the groups after blood collection and sacrificed after 24 h. Brain, liver, and heart tissues were analyzed. Bone marrow was collected and submitted to the micronucleus test. The groups treated with IPA beer, ethanol, and hops did not show genotoxic and mutagenic action in the blood, brain, heart, or liver. The antigenotoxic action of IPA beer and hops was observed in both in vivo and ex vivo models, showing a similar reduction in DNA damage caused by CP. There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to the formation of micronuclei by CP. Moderate chronic consumption of IPA beer and hops infusion showed antigenotoxic effects in mice but no antimutagenic action. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Brewing Mainly from Stale Bread: A Pale Ale Case Study

Contemporary environmental concerns have led to the prioritization of sustainable production and material circularity, no matter what the industrial field of activity. Bread waste is a major element of overall food waste since, worldwide, bread remains a widespread staple food. A considerable proportion of bread consumption is of fresh, baked bread, consumed daily, generating substantial amounts of stale bread. Therefore, efforts to reintroduce this waste into the food value chain can make a significant contribution to reaching zero food waste, which is a major target in European countries. Possible ways to produce new raw materials through starch enzymatic hydrolysis include brewing, which is an activity in which incorporating stale bread is of great interest. Mashing parameters in brewing processing are the main focus of this study, primarily the time and temperature required to acquire optimal enzymatic activity for starch-efficient hydrolysis. Extending the mashing time to 290 min, within a temperature range of 45–75 °C, allowed us to replace 50% of the required malt with stale bread, thus obtaining a successful pale ale beer. The incorporation of stale bread in a 50:50 ratio did not affect the overall character of the beer, although the alcohol levels stood around 2% below a standard beer’s average level. Depending on the brewer’s final goal, this lighter kind of beer may be well-aligned with new consumer trends supporting more sustainable and lower-alcohol beverages.

Progressive stirred freeze concentration: Effect of operative parameters on vital statistics of beer

AbstractFreeze concentration (FC), a low‐cost alternative technology to separate and concentrate high‐value compounds, was applied to three distinct craft ale beer styles—Witbier, Bitter, and Porter—to investigate its impact on vital beer statistics. A central composite design with freezing temperature and ice fraction as factors was employed, with response surface analysis revealing significant effects on the average ice growth rate (), concentration index (CI), and average distribution coefficient () of ethanol, total solids, color, and bitterness in the liquid fraction. Results showed that ice fraction primarily influenced solute concentrations and increased with ice fraction due to water removal. Freezing temperature affected . The type of beer had a significant impact on color and bitterness, reflecting the specific style parameters. Furthermore, response optimization yielded conditions that significantly altered beer statistics, leading to changes in ethanol content, total solids, color, and bitterness, possibly classifying them as new beer styles. The study demonstrates the potential of FC to influence the beer characteristics and broaden the range of beer styles.Practical applicationsInnovations in science and technology, added to the search for new beer styles, promote the development of new products in the beer industry. In this article, a potential use of the freeze concentration technology was identified for the development of new concentrated beer products. The impact of progressive stirred freeze concentration in three craft beers was studied. First, obtaining a concentrated beer from this technique was possible, with a higher concentration of total solids and ethanol. In addition, the vital statistics of beer could be modified using freeze concentration to obtain novel concentrated beer products.

NMR and Chemometrics in the Determination of Chemical Profiles for the Distinction of Brazilian Ale and Lager Beers

Determining chemical profiles of complex matrices, such as beers of different styles, can highlight regional characteristics and provide robust literature on the variability of this product, improving quality control. A practical application is to unequivocally attribute the authenticity of the product even in the face of variations in composition due to inadequate transport and storage. This work used proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 H NMR) spectroscopy and chemometrics in the semi-quantitative study of Brazilian ale and lager beers. The results demonstrated the success of applying 1 H NMR in characterizing chemical profiles and as a statistical database to distinguish ale and lager beers. Using principal component analysis (PCA) of the NMR data, it was possible to identify that carbohydrate content was responsible for the separation tendency between these beer styles. Ale beers had a higher residual carbohydrate content, according to the integrals of the carbohydrate hydrogens. This is expected, as these beers are obtained by fermentation at higher temperatures for shorter fermentation times. The paper also described soft independent modelling of class analogies (SIMCA) as applied to the NMR data. This class model made it possible to correctly classify 90% of the samples as ale and 100% as lager.

The Impact of Rye and Barley Malt and Different Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on Beer Volatilome

Craft breweries are continuously searching for beers made with locally produced raw materials and unique flavor profiles to respond to consumer requests. We explored the behavior of three commercial strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the fermentation of ale beer with a high prevalence of rye malt in comparison to pure barley malt. In total, 34 volatile organic compounds were identified, with esters and alcohols being the quantitatively most abundant classes. The yeast strain appeared to impart more differences in the beer’s volatile profile compared to malt. In particular, S. cerevisiae var. diastaticus Y2 strain was associated with a higher production of esters, while strain S. cerevisiae Y3 was correlated to the higher amounts of terpenes together with the lowest relative abundance of volatile acids. Our findings encourage further investigation of the fermentation performance of several yeast strains to produce beers with unique flavors.

Impact of propagation time on yeast physiology during bottle conditioning of beer on an industrial scale

Bottle conditioning occurs when yeast and a fermentable extract are added to beer prior to packaging. Aside from ethanol and carbon dioxide production, this process can minimize the production of off-flavors and increase the shelf-life of beer. The advantages of bottle conditioning rely on the yeast being able to quickly referment the beer and maintain viability during storage. In this study, a commercial ale yeast was propagated in wort on a large scale (30 hL) for 24 h or 72 h and seeded into pale ale beer for bottle conditioning. We found that yeast propagated until the post-diauxic shift (72 h) provided better longevity in the bottle and improved foam stability compared to the 24 h propagated yeast. At the time of seeding, yeast propagated for 72 h showed an upregulation of proteins involved in cellular respiration and general stress pathways that may indicate responses toward mitigating cellular stress levels.

Novelty of Italian Grape Ale (IGA) beer: Influence of the addition of Gamay macerated grape must or dehydrated Aleatico grape pomace on the aromatic profile

A new category of fruit style beer resulting from the addition of grape matrices is named Italian Grape Ale (IGA). In this paper, we report data on an experimental work to produce IGA beers, adding macerated (CO2 or N2) red Gamay grape must or Aleatico grape pomace resulting from a grape dehydration process. Our hypothesis, that these wine processes can produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to characterize these IGA beers which was confirmed by chemical, sensory and aromatic results. IGA beers especially the one with gas-macerated grape musts (IGA-C and IGA-N) showed higher alcohol content than ALE beer (Control) and a higher polyphenol content and antioxidant activity. As regards VOCS, IGA beers increased the concentration of some classes (i.e., alcohols, esters, norisoprenoids) and IGA-N was better characterized by specific compounds such as isobutyric acid, phenylacetate, tyrosol, ethyl hydrogen succinate. Finally, E-nose and sensory evaluation discriminated significantly all the IGA beers.

Study on Fermentation Technology and Flavor Substances of Strong Ale Beer

In this study, we selected three kinds of strong ale beer yeast, which were SafAle HA-18, Lallemand Saison and SafAle BE-134, for comparative brewing experiments. The comprehensive sensory evaluations were made by testing the physical and chemical indicators, flavor substances and antioxidant capacities, according to which a yeast suitable for the brewing of ale beer with high alcohol content was selected. We showed that there were some differences between the three kinds of yeast on fermentation performance. HA-18 performed the best on sugar lowering speed, yeast sedimentation, tolerance to alcohol and production of alcohol. Saison was outstanding on reproductive capacity and reduction speed of diacetyl. Although the fermentation speed was relatively close to HA-18, the sedimentation of Saison was poor. BE-134 had better yeast sedimentation, but the overall fermentation performance was average and the sensory quality of the finished beer was poor.

A multivariate approach to explore the volatolomic and sensory profiles of craft Italian Grape Ale beers produced with novel Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.

This study investigated the influence of three Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, selected from different matrices - CHE-3 (cherry), P4 (sourdough) and TA4-10 (grape must) - on characteristics of Italian Grape Ale (IGA) beers obtained at microbrewery scale. A multidisciplinary approach, combining results from analysis of chemical, volatile and organoleptic profiles of the beers, was adopted to underline the relationships between yeast starter and the quality of final products. Detection volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by Gas-Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) after extraction carried out by head-space micro-extraction (HS-SPME) revealed that the beer obtained by P4 strain differed from the others for its higher concentrations of esters, alcohols, and terpenes as confirmed by PCA (principal component analysis) and Cluster heatmap. Furthermore, sensorial analysis and consumer test showed that this sample differed from others by more pronounced notes of "fruity smell and floral" and "olfactory finesse," and it was the most appreciated beer for smell, taste, and overall quality. Conversely, CHE-3 was the sample with the lowest concentrations of the identified volatiles and, together TA4-10, showed the highest scores for smoked, yeast, malt, and hop notes. As far as we know, these are the first results on the application of indigenous S. cerevisiae strains in the production of craft IGA beers analyzed through a complex multivariate approach.

Identification and assessment of non-conventional yeasts in mixed fermentations for brewing bioflavored beer

The increasing demand for more flavored and complex beers encourages the investigation of novel and non-conventional yeasts with the ability to provide a combination of bioflavoring and low ethanol yields. The present study identified 22 yeasts isolated from different brewing sources, including the fermentation by-products known as yeast sludges, and characterized a selection of strains to find the more suitable for the aforementioned aims. HPLC and GC-FID analysis of its brewing products were performed.The most promising results were obtained with the non-conventional yeasts Pichia kudriavzevii MBELGA61 and Meyerozyma guilliermondii MUS122. The former, isolated from a Belgian wheat beer sludge, was capable of growing in wort (17.0°Bx., 20 °C) with very low ethanol yields (1.19 % v/v). Besides, upon mixed fermentations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was suitable to produce volatile compounds such as ethyl acetate, 2-phenyl ethanol and isoamyl alcohol, with characteristic fruity notes. M. guilliermondii MUS122, isolated from a golden ale beer sludge, partially attenuated the wort with low production of ethanol and biomass. In addition, provided some fruity and floral nuances to the aroma profile of mixed fermentations with brewer's yeast.The results suggest that these strains favor the development of more fruity-flowery aroma profiles in beers. Furthermore, they are suitable for use in mixed fermentations with Saccharomyces brewer's strains, although the ethanol level did not decrease significantly.

The Value of Craft Beer Styles: Evidence from the Italian Market.

This study aims to estimate the market value, or implicit prices, associated with the main craft beer attributes (e.g., beer style, organic, gluten-free, and package-related features) and support producers in detecting the more profitable marketing strategies. For this purpose, we conducted an empirical analysis employing sales data of craft beers from the Italian online market, and we estimated a hedonic price model via ordinary least squares. Results show that the type of package and cup only has moderate effects on price. Furthermore, a moderate premium price is found for gluten-free craft beers, while craft beers with organic labels and Italian origin do not benefit from the higher price. Instead, the beer style adopted strongly affected the product price: the highest premium prices were detected for Barleywine (+49.9%) and Italian Grape Ale (+39.6%) beer styles. Furthermore, relevant premium prices, higher than +25%, were estimated for other beer styles such as Sour, Fruit Beer, and Stout. Results suggest that artisanal breweries can effectively differentiate their product according to the beer style. To the best of our knowledge, the current study offers the first empirical evidence on how beer styles as well as other product characteristics affect the market price of craft beer by using secondary data.

Italian Grape Ale Beers Obtained with Malvasia di Candia Aromatica Grape Variety: Evolution of Phenolic Compounds during Fermentation.

Italian grape ale (IGA) beers have been categorized by the Beer Judge Certification Program as a sub-category of fruit beers in which grape, or grape must, is added during the brewing process to provide additional characteristics to the final beer. In the present work, IGA beers have been produced with must and pomace of the Malvasia di Candia Aromatica (MaCA) grape variety, which were added before fermentation at two different percentages (10% and 20%). The (poly)phenolic profile of IGA beers have been characterized with HPLC-MS/MS and compared to a golden ale control beer (produced in the same conditions without the addition of grape-derived ingredients). A series of sub-samples have been collected to monitor the (poly)phenol profile at time 0 and during the different phases of the fermentation process (1, 3, 5, 7 30, 65 days). Results demonstrated how the addition of pomace allowed to significantly enrich (p < 0.05) final beers in total (poly)phenols detected by MS, while must addition did not influence that amount if compared to the control sample. However, a PCA cluster analysis identified strong similarities among IGA beers and differentiated them to control beer samples. This study underlined how the addition of must and pomace from the MaCA grape variety improved the (poly)phenolic profile of beer from both a qualitative and quantitative point of view.

Application of microbial cross-over for the production of Italian grape ale (IGA), a fruit beer obtained by grape must addition

In the last years, the production of grape ale beer has become a trendy choice among brewers in Italy, resulting in a new beer type known as Italian Grape Ale (IGA), a sort of bridge beverage between beer and wine. In this study, three autochthonous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (CHE-3, P4 and TA4-10), previously isolated from different food types, were tested in comparison with the commercial strain US-05. Fermentations were conducted at a laboratory scale on malt extracts with 15% and 25% grape must adjuncts, and on malt wort (control). After fermentation, the CHE-3, P4 and TA4-10 strains showed significantly higher CO2 production than US-05. The main analytical parameters (organic acids, real and apparent attenuation, ethanol content, glycerol level and carbohydrate profile) and the volatile compounds related to the organoleptic quality of the experimental beers were strongly influenced both by the grape must addition to the fermentation medium and the used strains. The addition of grape must enhanced the CO2 production, especially when 25% of grape must was added to the wort. By comparing the tested strains, the highest aromatic expression was observed with 15% grape must adjunct. The present results confirm the importance of media composition and microbial biodiversity to gain more different beers especially in the craft beers sector. Moreover, the outcome data show the significance of microbial cross-over, a novel approach based on the exploitation of microorganisms traditionally used in other agro-food chains also for brewing novel beer types.

Effect of UV Filters during the Application of Pulsed Light to Reduce Lactobacillus brevis Contamination and 3-Methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol Formation While Preserving the Physicochemical Attributes of Blonde Ale and Centennial Red Ale Beers

Pulsed light (PL) is a novel, non-thermal technology being used to control the microbial spoilage of foods and beverages. Adverse sensory changes, commonly characterized as "lightstruck", can occur in beers when exposed to the UV portion of PL due to the formation of 3-methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol (3-MBT) upon the photodegradation of iso-α-acids. This study is the first to investigate the effect of different portions of the PL spectrum on UV-sensitive beers (light-colored blonde ale and dark-colored centennial red ale) using clear and bronze-tinted UV filters. PL treatments with its entire spectrum, including the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, resulted in up to 4.2 and 2.4 log reductions of L. brevis in the blonde ale and centennial red ale beers, respectively, but also resulted in the formation of 3-MBT and small but significant changes in physicochemical properties including color, bitterness, pH, and total soluble solids. The application of UV filters effectively maintained 3-MBT below the limit of quantification but significantly reduced microbial deactivation to 1.2 and 1.0 log reductions of L. brevis at 8.9 J/cm2 fluence with a clear filter. Further optimization of the filter wavelengths is considered necessary to fully apply PL for beer processing and possibly other light-sensitive foods and beverages.

STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF A HIGHER HOPPING DEGREE OF WORT ON THE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF ALE BEER

Experiments have been conducted to determine the effect of a higher hopping degree of wort (120 mg/l and 200 mg/l bitter α-acids) on the antioxidant capacity of ale beer. In one of the experimental variants, dry hopping with aromatic hop pellets (3 g/l) was applied. The higher hopping degree of wort did not lead to disturbance in the fermentation process. For beers containing 200 mg/l α-acids, the most significant was the increase in flavonoids (20.6-23.8%) compared to the variant with 120 mg/l α-acids. The polyphenols in highly hopped beer were increased by 6.6-7.1% compared to moderately hopped beer. The content of anthocyanins was not significantly affected by the addition of more hops. Antioxidant activity, expressed as equivalent vitamin C mmol/l, showed an increase of 4-5.2% for highly hopped beers compared to the control variant; when calculated relative to vitamin E, the increase was 5.8-7.5%. All beers were light, with excellent clarity and enhanced hop aroma.

Influence of Brewing Process on the Profile of Biogenic Amines in Craft Beers

The evaluation of the biogenic amines (BAs) profile of different types of craft beers is herein presented. A previously developed and validated analytical method based on ion-pair chromatography coupled with potentiometric detection was used to determine the presence of 10 BAs. Good analytical features were obtained for all amines regarding linearity (R2 values from 0.9873 ± 0.0015 to 0.9973 ± 0.0015), intra- and inter-day precision (RSD lower than 6.9% and 9.7% for beer samples, respectively), and accuracy (recovery between 83.2-108.9%). Detection and quantification limits range from 9.3 to 60.5 and from 31.1 to 202.3 µg L-1, respectively. The validated method was applied to the analysis of four ale beers and one lager craft beer. Ethylamine, spermidine, spermine, and tyramine were detected in all analyzed samples while methylamine and phenylethylamine were not detected. Overall, pale ale beers had a significantly higher total content of BAs than those found in wheat pale and dark samples. A general least square regression model showed a good correlation between the total content of BAs and the brewing process, especially for Plato degree, mashing, and fermentation temperatures. Knowledge about the type of ingredients and manufacturing processes that contribute to higher concentrations of these compounds is crucial to ensuring consumer safety.