Commercial Beers Research Articles

Industrial Applications of Selected JFS Articles

Industrial Applications of Selected <i>JFS</i> Articles

Effect of crossflow microfiltration on the clarification and stability of beer from 100% low-β-glucan barley or malt

The clarifying effect of crossflow microfiltration (CFMF) on two types of lager beers made of 100% low β-glucan barley (LBGB), as such using the commercial Ondea®Pro enzyme preparation or pre-malted, was assessed and compared to that obtained using a commercial Pils Malt beer. All rough beers resulted to be quite similar with some differences in viscosity, color, and β-glucan, arabinoxylan, and polyphenol contents. The use of malted LBGB grains gave rise to a beer with low β-glucan (13 ± 4 mg/L) and arabinoxylan (568 ± 40 mg/L) concentrations, but high and stable colloidal turbidity (43.9 ± 0.2 EBC unit), with a consequent reduction in both permeation flux [23 ± 2 L/(m2 h)] and clarified beer quality. The best results in terms of filterability and permeated beer quality were obtained using 100% LBGB beer. Despite its high β-glucan (233 ± 4 mg/L) and arabinoxylan (917 ± 39 mg/L) contents, the limiting permeation flux approached 147 ± 24 L/(m2 h), about three times higher than obtained with the conventional all malted beer. The commercial Ondea®Pro enzyme preparation and CFMF clarification of the resulting rough beer might represent a valid option to produce a 100% barley beer, even if the raw materials used are not well suited for malting.

Antioxidant activity and the most abundant phenolics in commercial dark beers

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to determine antioxidant activity and the most abundant phenolics of nine commercial dark beers. In order to estimate the content of both free and bound forms of beer phenolics, the beer samples were subjected to alkaline hydrolysis. The hydrolyzed beer samples exhibited the significantly higher antioxidant activity measured using 2,2'-azino-bis (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays as compared with nonhydrolyzed ones which was associated with the release of free forms of beer phenolics after hydrolysis. The predominant phenolic compounds in analyzed dark beers were hydroxycinnamic acids, especially ferulic and synapic acids, as well as gallic acid belonging to hydroxybenzoic acids. A principal component analysis (PCA) was applied in order to differentiate the investigated dark beers in terms of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity for both hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed beer samples.

Using Preferred Attribute Elicitation to Determine How Males and Females Evaluate Beer.

The variety of beers available for consumption has increased due to the recent emergence of many craft brewing operations and it has been suggested that this is affecting how consumers evaluate beer. Currently, beer consumers are mostly male and only 20% of women are primarily beer drinkers. The main objective of this project is to compare and contrast descriptions of beer products created by males and females. The preferred attribute elicitation (PAE) method was used to create a description of 4 beers common to residents of Nova Scotia, Canada. Four PAE sessions were held: 2 sessions consisted of females (n = 16 and 15) and 2 sessions of males (n = 11 and 17). Four beer samples were chosen from locally available commercial beers, 2 of these samples were considered to be craft-brewed beer and the other samples were nationally available brands (macrobrewed). Both the males and females generated descriptions that included 5 identical terms; however, they differed in the importance they assigned to each attribute. Notably, bitterness was perceived to be of more importance to female panelists. Throughout all PAE sessions, the craft-brewed beers were associated with considerably more sensory attributes than the macrobrewed beers. It can be concluded that both the female and male groups found discernible differences between the craft and macrobrewed beers; however, they place importance on different sensory attributes.

Flavor Contribution of Esters in Lager Beers and an Analysis of Their Flavor Thresholds

Headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography olfactometry mass spectrometry were used to study the effect of 20 volatile esters on the flavor and aroma of a lager beer. Although the content of some esters is low, their contribution to the flavor of beer is prominent, which is closely related to the threshold value. In this study, the threshold values of ethyl octanoate, ethyl butyrate, isobutyl acetate, phenylethyl acetate, ethyl benzoate, and ethyl 3-phenylpropionate were determined following the ASTM E679 standard analysis method for the following amounts of one commercial lager beer from Peking, China: 0.14, 0.67, 1.29, 0.15, and 0.14 mg/L, respectively. In the sensory evaluation, we found that the esters having great contributions for beer taste and flavor harmony (from highest to lowest) were ethyl octanoate, isobutyl acetate, and phenylethyl acetate. According to the results of sensory evaluation, the highest score (7 points) was achieved when the concentration of ethyl octanoate was 0.26 mg/L and the concentration of isobutyl acetate was 1.53 mg/L, which meant that the lager beer flavor and aroma was more harmonious.

Thin‐layer chromatography–surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy and chemometric tools applied to Pilsner beer fingerprint analysis

This work proposes a novel use of thin‐layer chromatography with detection by surface enhancement Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to generate chromatographic and spectral fingerprints of complex samples, aiming toward samples classification. Ten commercial beer brands were analyzed in order to verify clusters related to each brand and the brewery location. The samples were eluted in thin‐layer chromatography plates and sprayed by gold nanoparticles colloidal solution using a simple and cheap lab‐made apparatus. The plates were analyzed by SERS, so, at the end of the measurement, one SERS‐chromatogram matrix was acquired for each sample. The high sensitivity of the SERS analysis allows the detection of compounds in low concentrations, unseen via common thin‐layer chromatography detection procedures, increasing the information for fingerprint analyses. Because of the high complexity of the sample, coelution problems and slight shifts in chromatographic peaks might appear in this kind of analysis; it was necessary to use chemometric tools for data analysis. Two chemometric methods of data deconvolution were compared, multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares and independent component analysis. From the chromatographic peaks recovered by both methods, it was possible to perform a fingerprint analysis using principal component analysis, which allowed identifying patterns among the samples according to the brands and brewery location of Pilsner beers produced in Brazil. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Antioxidant and vasodilatory activity of commercial beers

The antioxidant properties of commercial beers were examined by spectrophotometric and electroanalytical methods. Moreover, such properties were correlated with their main phenolic compounds as well as vasodilatory effects. Ale group showed better antioxidant activity and Total Phenols Content (TPC) values than Lager group. The highest electrochemical Index (EI) was observed for LB10 and AB1. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) showed three groups, where group III confirm LB10 and AB1 like the best antioxidant potential. LB10, AB1 and AB6 showed vasodilatory effect of 92±4, 88±3 and79±3%, respectively. Both the vasodilator effect and the lipid peroxidation inhibition capacity may be associated with the presence of phenolic compounds as caffeic acid, catechin and isoxanthohumol, identified by mass spectrometry. The results showed here expand knowledge about beer, which might be helpful for further research on the health, sensory properties and quality parameter of this beverage worldwide consumed.

Graphene and Carbon Nanotube Auxetic Rubber Bionic Composites with Negative Variation of the Electrical Resistance and Comparison with Their Nonbionic Counterparts

Microorganism metabolic activity can facilitate the formation of cellular material systems that have unusual mechanical and physical properties. In the living world microorganisms are commonly used for preparing porous food by fermentation; here carbon nanotubes, graphene nanoplatelets, and a mix of them are dispersed in liquid silicone rubber with single‐cell fungi of commercial beer yeast. The fermentation of such microorganisms during the gelling of the silicone matrix results in bionic composites with buckled/collapsed cells that infer, as rationalized with an analytical model and excluded in a abiotic experimental comparison, auxetic properties. During stretching it is found that the Poisson's ratio of such composites changes sign, from negative to positive, and the variation of the electrical resistance is negative. In addition to the conductivity increment, a general increment of the stretchability and damage resistance with respect to the composites prepared by abiotic process is observed. Bionic composites, even if in their infancy, can thus be multifunctional and superior to their traditional/abiotic counterparts.

Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity Level in Commercial Mexican Lager Beers

The total phenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical scavenging were evaluated in seven commercial Mexican lager beers. The range of total phenols was from 174 to 274 mg of gallic acid equivalents per liter, with lagers CB and ME being the lowest and highest, respectively. In total flavonoids, the lowest content was for lager ME with 14 mg of catechin equivalents (CatE) per liter, whereas the highest content was found in lager TT with 160 mg of CatE/L. For most of the samples, nonflavonoid compounds were the main phenolic group, with values ranging between 56.53 and 94.82%, except for lagers CB and TT, in which flavonoid compounds represented the majority of phenolics with 52.71 and 68.11%, respectively. The antioxidant capacity levels in DPPH and ABTS assays ranged from 432 to 520 μmol of Trolox equivalents (TE) per liter and from 143 to 233 μmol of TE/L, respectively, with lagers PA and TT as the lowest and highest, respectively, in both assays. Results of phenolic compounds content and antioxidant capacity levels found in Mexican beers were higher in comparison with most of the data on beers from different geographical origins available in the literature.

Aroma recovery of beer flavors by pervaporation through polydimethylsiloxane membranes

AbstractFive commercial beers and their corresponding no‐alcohol presentations have been analyzed in terms of five aroma compounds: three alcohols and two esters (isobutyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, 2‐methyl butanol, 3‐methyl butanol, and isoamyl acetate). Substantial reductions of volatile aroma compounds have been encountered in these nonalcoholic beers. Pervaporation of these aromas in order to allow their recovery has been tested through two commercial membranes with polydimethylsiloxane active layers (Pervatech and Sulzer). Total fluxes are higher through the Pervatech membrane while individual aroma ones are similar for both the membranes. Mass recovery is higher for the Pervatech membrane for most of the aromas whereas their enrichment factors are better for the Sulzer membrane. The rest of the beer profile modulates to some extent the general trends referred. Mass recoveries and enrichment factors from 5 to 35% were obtained for the aromas tested. Mass recovery and enrichment factors could be improved by increasing membrane area or time of treatment.Practical applicationsPervaporation is a membrane technique which effectiveness has been proven to separate volatile organic compounds from aqueous mixtures. It could be useful in beer industry in a significant way, helping nonalcoholic beers to improve their organoleptic characteristics. In a near future, by controlling operating parameters involved in the full process, it will be possible to introduce this technique into the factories and produce a tastier and better quality beer by minimizing the lack of valuable aroma compounds.

Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol in malting and brewing: successes and future challenges

While beer is safe in terms of foodborne pathogens, mycotoxins on grains present brewers with food safety issues. Most studied are pathogens that cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) and produce deoxynivalenol (DON) during pathogenesis. This article intents to provide a concise review of FHB and DON in malting and brewing. Despite the fact that FHB was recognized as a cause of quality problems in the early twentieth century, it was the discovery of several trichothecenes in the 1970’s, and implementation of regulations in the 1990’s that lead brewers to be more concerned with FHB. Several studies have shown that DON is frequently found on barley and in beer, and that its levels may increase during malting. Selection of low DON grain, adequate storage, and process modifications are often, but not always, effective in reducing malt DON levels. The low levels of DON detected in commercial beer suggest brewers and maltsters have largely been successful in preventing highly contaminated materials from entering the processing chain. However, information on the co-occurence of mycotoxins in beer is becoming increasingly available, and future challenges to the brewing industry are likely to come from regulation of other mycotoxins. The growing craft segment also presents some potential challenges.

The Celiac Patient Antibody Response to Conventional and Gluten-Removed Beer.

Enzymatic digestion, or hydrolysis, has been proposed for treating gluten-containing foods and beverages to make them safe for persons with celiac disease (CD). There are no validated testing methods that allow the quantitation of all the hydrolyzed or fermented gluten peptides in foods and beverages that might be harmful to CD patients, making it difficult to assess the safety of hydrolyzed products. This study examines an ELISA-based method to determine whether serum antibody binding of residual peptides in a fermented barley-based product is greater among active-CD patients than a normal control group, using commercial beers as a test case. Sera from 31 active-CD patients and 29 nonceliac control subjects were used to assess the binding of proteins from barley, rice, traditional beer, gluten-free beer, and enzymatically treated (gluten-removed) traditional beer. In the ELISA, none of the subjects' sera bound to proteins in the gluten-free beer. Eleven active-CD patient serum samples demonstrated immunoglobulin A (IgA) or immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding to a barley extract, compared to only one nonceliac control subject. Of the seven active-CD patients who had an IgA binding response to barley, four also responded to traditional beer, and two of these responded to the gluten-removed beer. None of the nonceliac control subjects' sera bound to all three beer samples. Binding of protein fragments in hydrolyzed or fermented foods and beverages by serum from active-CD patients, but not nonceliac control subjects, may indicate the presence of residual peptides that are celiac-specific.

A rapid and sensitive analysis of dithiocarbamate fungicides using modified QuEChERS method and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

We herein present a method for the analysis of 10 dithiocarbamate fungicides (DTCs) in beer, fruit juice, and malt samples, where the DTCs were converted into water-soluble sodium salts in the presence of NaHCO3 prior to methylation using dimethyl sulfate. Extraction of the methylated compounds from matrices was performed using a "quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe" (QuEChERS) method. Following a dispersive solid-phase extraction as a clean-up step, the methylated compounds were detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Performance evaluation was carried out on beer, fruit juice, and malt samples using representative compounds. Accuracies of the spiked compounds from the various matrices ranged from 92.2 to 112.6%, and the limits of quantification of propineb, mancozeb, and thiuram were <0.52, <0.55, and <6.97 µg/kg, respectively. The developed method was then applied in the determination of dithiocarbamate fungicide contents in commercial beer and fruit juice samples.

Chelating properties of beer: Implications on calcium homeostasis in PE/CA-PJ15 cells

Beer contains a large variety of different molecules, of which some can chelate Ca2+. Here, we show that in PE/CA-PJ15 cells, an experimental model previously employed to investigate Ca2+ homeostasis, chemical entities with Ca2+-chelating properties can markedly impact intra- and extra-cellular levels of the metal ion. This was consistently shown by commercial beers, as well as aliquots of unfinished product taken during the last step (clarification) of the brewing process. Our data suggest that a large number of molecules with chelating properties, can cross the cell membrane and, thus, potentially lead to important biological effects associated with changes in Ca2+ homeostasis. In this regard, when PE/CA-PJ15 cells were exposed to H2O2 in order to experimentally prompt an oxidative stress, beer antagonized a non-capacitative Ca2+ entry that was otherwise elicited by H2O2 in its absence. Higher Ca2+-chelating activity of stout, as compared to lager beer, suggest that melanoidins, which are generally present in dark malts, are major chelating agents in dark beers. Further, based on dose-response determinations, we report, for the first time, that Ferulic Acid can bind both intra- and extra-cellular Ca2+ and, as one of the most abundant hydroxycinnamic acids in malted barley, largely account for Ca2+ chelation.These results support the notion that beer may be considered a natural source of chemical entities that, based on their binding activity to Ca2+ and, possibly, other metal ions, might be considered as nutritional supplements, detoxification agents, or antibiotics.

Simultaneous determination of aliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic biogenic amines without derivatization by capillary electrophoresis and application in beer analysis

Biogenic amines (BAs) play significant roles in indicating human health or food quality. Aiming to simultaneously determine three structures (aliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic) of underivatized BAs, we explored a simple and rapid capillary electrophoresis (CE) method only coupled with conventional UV detector for the separation of thirteen key BAs. The strategy is to choose a UV absorbing probe as co-ion in the background electrolyte (BGE), and different BAs could be characterized by positive or negative peaks according to the fact that their UV absorptivity coefficients at a certain wavelength are better or worse than that of the UV absorbing probe. After the detailed investigation of critical parameters as pH, the concentration of Imidazole (Im) and α-cyclodextrin (α-CD), the optimized BGE consisted of 12.0mmol/L Im as the UV probe and 10.0mmol/L α-CD as the additive (at pH 4.50 adjusted with acetic acid). With such condition, the targets of thirteen BAs were baseline separated in 9.0min and appeared at nine positive peaks and four negative peaks at 200nm. The obtained LODs and LOQs (S/N=3 or 10) were in the range of 0.36–3.67 and 1.2–12.2μmol/L, respectively. The interday RSDs of migration time and peak area were less than 0.7% and 4.7% (n=6), respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on separating diverse structures of BAs by using Im as UV absorbing probe. The thirteen BAs were simultaneously detected by direct and indirect UV detection in a CE process. To verify the applicability, this method was used to analyze BAs in commercial beer samples. The recoveries of all BAs except carnosine (not identified by the interference) ranged from 70.4 to 119.6%, and four aliphatic and aromatic amines were satisfactorily identified and quantified.

The influence of style and origin on mineral composition of beers retailing in the UK

Beer has high nutritional values in terms of energy and is also a dietary source of antioxidants, carbohydrates and minerals among others. In Europe, 53 Mt of beer are produced annually, and with an average supply of 68.2 kg capita‾¹ year‾¹ among adults. In this study, the mineral composition of 125 commercial beer samples retailing in the UK, but originating from ten countries, was determined; such detailed information is lacking in UK food composition tables. Beer composition data are reported for Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, U, V and Zn, following analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. ANOVA results showed higher concentrations of Mo, Pb and Sr (0.160; 491.70 × 10‾⁵; 0.38 mg L‾¹, respectively) for stout/porter style and a significant higher amount of minerals such as Al (3.835 mg L−1), Cd (8.64 × 10−5 mg L‾¹), Mn (1.02 mg L‾¹) or Ni (0.312 mg L‾¹) among others for lambic beer. Regarding the country of origin, higher Se concentrations were reported from beer brewed in the USA (0.110 mg L‾¹). It is concluded that beer style was determined to have a greater effect on beer mineral composition than origin or container type.

1H-13C NMR-Based Profiling of Biotechnological Starch Utilization.

Starch is used in food- and nonfood applications as a renewable and degradable source of carbon and energy. Insight into the chemical detail of starch degradation remains challenging as the starch constituents amylose and amylopectin are homopolymers. We show that considerable molecular detail of starch fragmentation can be obtained from multivariate analysis of spectral features in optimized 1H-13C NMR spectroscopy of starch fragments to identify relevant features that distinguish processes in starch utilization. As a case study, we compare the profiles of starch fragments in commercial beer samples. Spectroscopic profiles of homooligomeric starch fragments can be excellent indicators of process conditions. In addition, differences in the structure and composition of starch fragments have predictive value for downstream process output such as ethanol production from starch. Thus, high-resolution 1H-13C NMR spectroscopic profiles of homooligomeric fragment mixtures in conjunction with chemometric methods provide a useful addition to the analytical chemistry toolbox of biotechnological starch utilization.

Antioxidant activity and typical ageing compounds: their evolutions and relationships during the storage of lager beers

SummaryFive commercial lager beers were used to investigate the evolution of antioxidant activity and ageing compounds during storage. The relationships between antioxidant activity and ageing compounds were clarified by principal component analysis (PCA). Results showed that total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities of beers evaluated by different assays gradually decreased by 16.08–22.71% (average of 18.56%) and 1.99–78.79% (averages of 24.44–70.50%), which was accompanied by 100.50–269.35% (average of 178.77%) and 11.11–57.14% (average of 28.73%) of increases in total ageing compounds and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, respectively, during 6 months of storage at 25 °C. Results from PCA elucidated that there were negative correlations between antioxidant activities and ageing compounds of beers during storage, and satisfactory discrimination among beers with different storage time could be achieved on the basis of antioxidant activities and typical ageing compounds selected.

Main Organic Acids in Rice Wine and Beer Determined by Capillary Electrophoresis with Indirect UV Detection Using 2, 4-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid as Chromophore

A rapid and sensitive analytical method for the determination of main organic acids in wines was developed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with indirect UV detection. Separation parameters including the pH of electrolyte, chromophore, and its concentration were optimized. The results showed that the optimal electrolyte for the separation of organic acids consisted of 10 mmol L−1 2, 4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) at pH 3.6 containing 0.4 mmol L−1 cetyltrimethlammonium bromide (CTAB). DHBA as chromphore was selected based on the close mobility to the analyte and relatively large molar extinction coefficient. The method showed good linearity with limits of detection (LOD), ranging from 0.5 to 7.5 mg L−1. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of interday precisions for the peak area and the migration time were less than 7.2 and 0.8 %, respectively. The recoveries of the analyte in Chinese rice wine sample were between 90.3 and 106.9 % with RSD ranging from 1.4 to 8.9 %. The method was successfully applied to the commercial rice wine and beer samples with dilution and filtration.

Volatile Compound Profiling in Commercial Lager Regular Beers and Derived Alcohol-Free Beers After Dealcoholization by Vacuum Distillation

Alcohol-free beers are characterized by less aroma and body than regular ones. Seven flavor compounds were chosen as indicators in dealcoholization experiments at 102 and 200 mbar. Compounds were analyzed by headspace (HS)-solid phase microextracion (SPME)-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Also, contents of aroma-related compounds were compared between commercial regular and alcohol-free beers. In dealcoholization experiments by vacuum distillation, most of the compounds were shown to be evaporated in the first vapor fraction. The compounds that mainly remained in alcohol-free beers were amyl alcohols and 2-phenylethanol; this might explain their characteristic sweet and, to a lesser extent, fruity and flowery flavors. Regular beers were mainly characterized by 1-butanol, amyl alcohols, and ethyl acetate. Beers dealcoholized at 102 mbar are characterized by a high concentration of 2-phenylethanol. Beers dealcoholized at 200 mbar and commercial non-alcoholic beers had a similar flavor profile, which is characterized by low concentrations of the compounds used as indicators.