Alcohol Content Of Beer Research Articles

Effects on beer attribute preferences of consumers' attitudes towards sustainability: The case of craft beer and beer packaging

Beer consumers are becoming increasingly discerning about the products they buy, and the value they attach to sustainable brewing is growing. The aim of this research was to analyse how consumers' attitudes towards sustainability influence their preferences for out-of-home beer. Different beer attributes were consider including price, beer packaging, type of brewing (industrial, craft) and the alcohol content of beer. The research also sought to identify consumer segments that exhibit more positive attitudes towards more sustainable beer production. By using data from surveys of Spanish beer consumers, the results show that beer consumers that are more committed to sustainability are those that attach the least importance to price and are more interested in craft beers. The perception of craft beer as a more local or handcrafted is the proposed reason for this preference. In terms of beer packaging, this segment of more environmentally committed consumers value glass bottles over cans; however, they do not show a clear preference for keg beer, which would be a more sustainable form of consumption.

Heavy metal and essential elements in beers from turkey market: A risk assessment study.

In this study, the level of arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and also essential elements in beer samples consumed in Turkey were investigated using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. The heavy metal-induced non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks were calculated. For essential elements, the calculated estimated daily intake of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), selenium (Se) and cobalt (Co) from beer consumption were compared with their toxicity reference values. Tukey post-hoc test showed that As was found at a significantly higher level when compared to Pb. Also, a significant correlation was found between As level and alcohol by volume percent. All samples had a hazard quotient and hazard index <1, indicating no non-carcinogenic risk from exposure to single or multiple heavy metals. Some samples exceeded the threshold limit of acceptable cancer risk for As in the high beer consumer group. This assessment showed that in addition to health implications based on the alcohol content of beer, there might be a carcinogenic risk associated with the heavy metals content of these beverages.

Low Lactic Acid-Producing Strain of Lachancea thermotolerans as a New Starter for Beer Production.

Growing consumer interest in new beer flavors is contributing to the application of innovative materials and non-Saccharomyces yeast in brewing. The goal of this study was to test the impact of the low lactic acid-producing Lachancea thermotolerans MN477031 strain on the process of fermenting beer wort, with two different concentrations of bitter compounds, and on the quality of the beer produced. Qualify factors were broadly analyzed, including ethanol content, apparent degree of fermentation, sugars, organic acids, free amino nitrogen, glycerol, volatile compounds, ions and so on. It was proven that the L. thermotolerans MN477031 strain demonstrated a high capacity for rapid initiation of wort fermentation, and a tolerance to hop-derived compounds. As a result, the alcohol content in beer from this method of production was approximately 20% lower, while the content of the real extract was significantly higher in comparison to commercial Safbrew T-58. This strain stands out from many strains of L. thermotolerans due to the low lactic acid production and only marginal influence on pH decrease compared to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Therefore, the potential of MN477031 in the production of different types of beer (not only sour) is very high. The composition of volatile compounds in L. thermotolerans beer differs—not only in terms of the use of the strain, but also in hop variety.

Brain Responses to Anticipation and Consumption of Beer with and without Alcohol.

Beer is a popular alcoholic beverage worldwide. Nonalcoholic beer (NA-beer) is increasingly marketed. Brain responses to beer and NA-beer have not been compared. It could be that the flavor of beer constitutes a conditioned stimulus associated with alcohol reward. Therefore, we investigated whether oral exposure to NA-beer with or without alcohol elicits similar brain responses in reward-related areas in a context where regular alcoholic beer is expected. Healthy men (n = 21) who were regular beer drinkers were scanned using functional MRI. Participants were exposed to word cues signaling delivery of a 10-mL sip of chilled beer or carbonated water (control) and subsequent sips of NA-beer with or without alcohol or water (control). Beer alcohol content was not signaled. The beer cue elicited less activation than the control cue in the primary visual cortex, supplementary motor area (reward-related region) and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus/frontal operculum. During tasting, there were no significant differences between the 2 beers. Taste activation after swallowing was significantly greater for alcoholic than for NA-beer in the inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula and dorsal prefrontal cortex (superior frontal gyrus). This appears to be due to sensory stimulation by ethanol rather than reward processing. In conclusion, we found no differences in acute brain reward upon consumption of NA-beer with and without alcohol, when presented in a context where regular alcoholic beer is expected. This suggests that in regular consumers, beer flavor rather than the presence of alcohol is the main driver of the consumption experience.

Alcohol Determination of Malt-Based Beverages by Rapid Distillation

ABSTRACTThe objective of the study was to assess a rapid distillation unit as an alternative to standard distillation (Beer-4A). A rapid distillation unit (Vapodest 200 by Gerhardt Analytical Systems) was selected as an alternative for its ability to rapidly distill using the power of steam. The NIR/density method (Beer-4G) is quite suitable for measuring the alcohol content of beer; however, flavored malt beverages present a challenge. Deviations between results by the NIR/density method versus results by distillation can occur due to flavor additions and/or high alcohol content. A more accurate way to measure alcohol in this type of product is to first perform a standard distillation (Beer-4A). Unfortunately, this method is time consuming and labor intensive. A precision study was performed to determine repeatability and reproducibility. Three analysts distilled five malt-based products including both beer and flavored malt beverages with alcohol levels ranging from 4.2 to 14.4% (v/v). Repeatability and reproducibility coefficients of variation for the determination of alcohol for this range were 0.05–0.23% and 0.11–0.19%, respectively. In addition, results from Beer-4A and rapid distillation were assessed using a paired t test for alcohol levels ranging from 3.6 to 14.4% (v/v). The P value of 0.30 indicated that there was not a statistically significant difference between the means of the data sets at a 95% confidence level.

쌀 첨가비율에 따른 맥주의 품질 특성 평가

In this study the effect of rice addition on the quality of beer was investigated. Pilot-scale brews were performed with addition ratios of 10, 20, 30, and 40% of brown rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Hangaru) which were compared with 100% malt beer and commercial beers in terms of quality. Alcohol content of beer was between 3.93 to 4.40%. The total sugar content increased when the rice percent was increased. The pH range of beer were 4.32 and 4.60, which were no significant differences found among by the rate of rice added. Total acidity and amino-acidity decreased corresponding to increasing percent of rice, on the other hand, lightness of beer was increased the increase in percent of rice, while redness and yellowness of beer were decreased. The study demonstrated that the increases of rice addition in beer provided some positive effects on beer quality by decreasing bitterness where as improving beer color.

Low-alcohol Beers: Flavor Compounds, Defects, and Improvement Strategies

Beer consumers are accustomed to a product that offers a pleasant and well-defined taste. However, in alcohol-free and alcohol-reduced beers these characteristics are totally different from those in regular beer. Therefore, it is important to evaluate and determine the different flavor compounds that affect organoleptic characteristics to obtain a product that does not contain off-flavors, or taste of grass or wort. The taste defects in alcohol-free beer are mainly attributed to loss of aromatic esters, insufficient aldehydes, reduction or loss of different alcohols, and an indeterminate change in any of its compounds during the dealcoholization process. The dealcoholization processes that are commonly used to reduce the alcohol content in beer are shown, as well as the negative consequences of these processes to beer flavor. Possible strategies to circumvent such negative consequences are suggested.

Beer classification by means of a potentiometric electronic tongue

In this work, an electronic tongue (ET) system based on an array of potentiometric ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for the discrimination of different commercial beer types is presented. The array was formed by 21 ISEs combining both cationic and anionic sensors with others with generic response. For this purpose beer samples were analyzed with the ET without any pretreatment rather than the smooth agitation of the samples with a magnetic stirrer in order to reduce the foaming of samples, which could interfere into the measurements. Then, the obtained responses were evaluated using two different pattern recognition methods, principal component analysis (PCA), which allowed identifying some initial patterns, and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) in order to achieve the correct recognition of sample varieties (81.9% accuracy). In the case of LDA, a stepwise inclusion method for variable selection based on Mahalanobis distance criteria was used to select the most discriminating variables. In this respect, the results showed that the use of supervised pattern recognition methods such as LDA is a good alternative for the resolution of complex identification situations. In addition, in order to show an ET quantitative application, beer alcohol content was predicted from the array data employing an artificial neural network model (root mean square error for testing subset was 0.131 abv).

Influence of Beer Characteristics on Yeast Refermentation Performance during Bottle Conditioning of Belgian Beers

Although bottle conditioning of beer seems a rather simple process, problems often arise in industrial practice. Lack of process control can result in variable batch-to-batch quality, while constant product quality should be maintained anytime. In the present study, the refermentability of several Belgian beers was investigated to reveal important beer-related compounds influencing overall yeast fermentation performance during bottle conditioning. Bottled beer was inoculated with freshly propagated yeast and fermentable extract. Growth and refermentation performance of a less ethanol-tolerant yeast strain was more affected by high initial beer alcohol levels compared with a more ethanol tolerant strain. Yeast growth seemed no prerequisite for the completion of the refermentation process but could be beneficial, especially when using a less ethanol-tolerant yeast strain. A decrease of yeast activity during bottle conditioning resulted in delayed or stuck refermentations as well as an altered beer flavor profile with off-flavors like acetaldehyde. Initial beer alcohol content greatly determined yeast refermentation performance, though other beer characteristics or process related compounds should be considered, as well as a synergistic effect of various adverse factors. When bottle conditioning was successfully completed, a CO2 saturated beer with slightly increased alcohol content and enhanced fruity flavor was achieved.

Study on ochratoxin A in cereal-derived products from Spain

A study on ochratoxin A (OTA) in cereal-derived products was carried out. Cereal-based baby foods, breakfast cereals and beers were analyzed for mycotoxin OTA using an in-house developed high-performance liquid-chromatographic method. OTA was detected in 19 of the 21 samples of breakfast cereals (limit of detection 0.066 μg/kg), in 14 of the 20 samples of cereal-based baby foods (limit of detection 0.035 μg/kg) and in 24 of the 31 samples of beer (limit of detection 0.012 μg/l). The mean concentrations of OTA found were the following: 0.265 μg/kg in breakfast cereals, 0.187 μg/kg in cereal-based baby food and 0.044 μg/l in beer. The influence of different factors, such as the fibre content in breakfast cereals, type of cereals used in cereal-based baby food and alcohol content in beer, on the OTA levels was studied.

Tabulation of Alcohol Content of Beer and Malt Beverages

We present data from the analysis of the alcohol content of 391 beers and malt beverages available for sale in the State of Washington. The beverages were tested by gas chromatography for their alcohol content. Considerable variability in the alcoholic strength was found, even within the same class. Overall, the range of concentrations was 2.92% (v/v) to 15.66% (v/v). The alcohol content of beverages consumed is a critical factor in Widmark or volume-of-distribution-type calculations used to estimate blood or breath alcohol content from patterns of alcohol consumption. Using the correct alcohol content for beer, when the brand is known, can make a significant difference in the reliability of the calculation, and the data presented here should assist with optimizing the accuracy of the calculation.

Alcohol Content of Beer and Malt Beverages: Forensic Considerations

Beer consumption is commonly an issue in a medico-legal setting, requiring estimates either of a likely blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for a given pattern of consumption or vice versa. Four hundred and four beers and malt beverages available for sale in the State of Washington were tested by gas chromatography for their alcohol content. Considerable variability in the alcoholic strength was found, even within the same class. Overall the range of concentrations was 2.92%v/v to 15.66%v/v. The mean alcohol concentration for ales was 5.51%v/v (SD 1.23%v/v), and for lagers, 5.32% (SD 1.43%v/v). Some specialty brews had characteristically higher or lower mean concentrations: ice beers 6.07%v/v, malt liquor 7.23%v/v, light beer 4.13%v/v, seasonal ales 6.30%v/v. Six brands of lager and four light beers account for the majority of all beer sales in the United States, and the mean alcohol concentration for these products was measured as 4.73%v/v and 4.10%v/v respectively. Few of the beers (17%) were labeled with respect to alcohol content, and in some cases, there was a significant disparity between the concentration listed on the label, and the measured alcohol concentration. Toxicologists need to exercise caution when performing Widmark type calculations, using all available information to select the most appropriate estimate for alcoholic strength of a beer or malt beverage.

Alcoholic beverage choice, risk perception and self‐reported drunk driving: effects of measurement on risk analysis

The present study examined effects of measurement on risk curve analysis in an application involving prediction of frequency and indicator measures of drunk driving with beverage-specific alcohol consumption and risk perception measures. From a 1995 in-person survey of the US adult household population (response rate = 77%) the responses of 1260 adult drivers who reported any drinking in the prior year were selected for analysis. Regression and graphical techniques were used to investigate relationships between drinking pattern, beverage choice, perception of risks of drinking before driving, and frequency of drunk driving. Self-reported drunk driving (occurrence) was measured by a question assessing driving after drinking enough to be in trouble if stopped by the police within the prior 12 months; those affirming this (n = 191) were asked how many times they did so (frequency). Alcohol consumption was assessed by beverage and in combination. Risk perception was assessed as a factor score from three correlated measures. Demographic variables included age, ethnicity, education and income. Controlling for demographics, heavy beer consumption (p < 0.01) more than heavy wine (NS) or liquor/spirits (p < 0.05) intake was strongly predictive of risk perception. A regression analysis showed a significant interaction between heavy beer consumption and perceived risk (p < 0.001) in predicting reported frequency of drunk driving, after controlling for heavy beer consumption (p < 0.05), total alcohol consumption and risk perception (both ps < 0.001). No interactions were important in equivalent models predicting dichotomous occurrence. Graphic analysis showed the shape of the risk curve is altered when frequency of drunk driving is taken into account rather than simple occurrence. Individuals' underestimation of beer's intoxicating effects, compared to other alcoholic beverage types, helps explain beer's over-representation in drinking driving violation reports. There is a need for creative public health campaigns designed to inform young men of beer's alcohol content and associated risks.