Pale Ale Research Articles

Lowering the carbon footprint of beer through waste breadcrumb substitution for malted barley: Life cycle assessment and experimental study

Beer is the most produced and consumed alcoholic beverage in the world, but the agricultural production of its most common ingredient, i.e. malted barley, is a significant contributor to the overall environmental footprint of beer. In addition, food wastage, particularly bread with millions of slices wasted daily, poses a waste management challenge across the globe. This study aims to address both issues through brewing beer with waste bread that would have otherwise ended up in landfill by replacing a portion of malted barley with waste bread. A sourdough pale ale was brewed at various bread percentages to understand how the inclusion of bread changed the sugar profile and fermentability of the beer. The samples were mashed at two different temperatures, 65 °C and 70 °C, to assess the impacts of mashing. It was found that the volume of alcohol produced declined with increasing bread amounts, but brewing with up to 60 wt% bread produced the same volume of alcohol as a standard beer. A life cycle assessment was performed to quantify the change in cradle to grave environmental impact for brewing beers with varying bread percentages with the view to conduct more targeted feasibility studies in the future with waste bread substitution. Significant reductions in emissions were observed as regards global warming potential, terrestrial ecotoxicity, acidification, eutrophication, ozone depletion, and abiotic depletion of fossil fuels. In particular, the global warming potential for the real-life example microbrewery studied in this work was decreased by 7.13% of the total carbon dioxide equivalent annually, demonstrating the environmental advantages of brewing beer with waste bread.

Composition and sensory properties of breads supplemented with Brewers' spent grain from three different craft beer styles

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesWhile the beer style expresses beer's diversity by its sensory properties, ingredients, production method, recipe, and history, fibrous fraction and functional properties of Brewers' spent grain (BSG) vary according to the beer style. To investigate the effects of beer style, the physicochemical and technological properties of BSG breads containing 10% of dry BSG from beers Baltic Porter (BP), India Pale Ale (IPA), and Weissbier (W) were evaluated according to their sensory quality, firmness, staling rate, crumb color and structure, proximal composition, and dietary fiber content.FindingsAll evaluated parameters of BSG breads were significantly affected, but differed according to the BSG source. All investigated BSG significantly increased the dietary fiber levels of breads, while only BP bread presented enhanced protein content.ConclusionsHigher deleterious BSG effects in bread quality were verified in IPA bread, which presented the highest dietary fiber content, while the fiber content of BP and W breads were inconsistent with bread quality.Significance and NoveltyAlthough BSG incorporation up to 10% was reported as a limit for obtaining acceptable BSG breads, beer style must also be considered because specific volume, staling rate, and acceptance of breads may be negatively affected by its fiber content.

Impact of Pasteurisation on Terpenes, Terpenoids, Aldehydes and Esters in Hoppy Ales on Ageing

Pasteurisation is a common technique to achieve microbial stability of beer. In dry hopped beer, pasteurisation is the ultimate measure to assure product quality and consumer safety. To gain insights into the effects of pasteurisation on the chemistry of hoppy ales the time related changes of aldehydes, terpenes, terpenoids and esters in an unpasteurised and pasteurised session India Pale Ale (SIPA), two IPAs, and a double IPA (DIPA) were monitored. The ales were stored at 4 °C and 20 °C for 52 wk to evaluate chemical differences between the two treatments. It was found that pasteurisation led to an immediate increase of staling aldehydes (i.e., furfural and 2-methylpropanal), a decrease of fermentation esters (e.g. ethyl octanoate) and hop related esters (e.g. 2-methylbutyl isobutyrate) in fresh beer, while terpenes and terpenoids were hardly affected. When the beers were stored, unpasteurised ales were chemically less stable compared to the pasteurised ones. Differences between pasteurised and unpasteurised ales were dependent on storage temperature. The results of this study highlight that pasteurisation is favourable when aiming to achieve an increased shelf life of up to 12 months, as the negative influence of the heat impact is compensated after 1 month of storage at ambient (20 °C) temperature.

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.

A hypothesis-based hop microbiology laboratory module testing the plausibility of the mythical origin of the India Pale Ale.

As one of the most famous fermented drinks in the world, beer is an especially relatable topic for microbiology courses. Here, we describe a short and easily adaptable module based on the antibacterial properties of hops used in brewing. By the 15th century, beer recipes included hops (the flower of the Humulus lupulus plant) as a bittering agent and antimicrobial. By the 19th century, the highly hopped Indian Pale Ale (IPA) became popular, and a modern myth has emerged that IPAs were invented to survive long ocean voyages such as from Britain to India. With that myth in mind, we designed a hypothesis-driven microbiology lab module that tests the plausibility of this brewing myth-namely that highly hopped beers possess enough antibacterial activity to prevent spoilage, while lowly hopped beers do not. The overall design of the module is to test the antimicrobial properties of hops using petri plates containing varying concentrations of hop extract. The module includes hypothesis generation and testing related to bacterial physiology and cell envelope morphology (hops are not equally effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria) and to mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance (as beer spoilage bacteria have repeatedly evolved hop resistance). Pre- and post-assessment showed that students made significant gains in the learning objectives for the module, which encourages critical thinking and hypothesis testing by linking microbial physiology and antimicrobial resistance to an important and topical real-world application.

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.

Consumer insights into the at-home liking of commercial beers: Integrating nonvolatile and volatile flavor chemometrics.

Consumer acceptability of beers is influenced by product formulation and processing conditions, which impart unique sensory profiles. This study used multivariate techniques to evaluate at-home consumer sensory acceptability of six commercial beers considering their style, fermentation type, and chemical composition. Samples included top-fermented beers (American India Pale Ale and Stout) and bottom-fermented beers (Pilsner, zero-alcohol Pilsner, Vienna Lager, and Munich Dunkel). Beer consumers (n = 50) conducted sensory hedonic, check-all-that-apply (CATA) and just-about-right (JAR) tests. Chemometric variables included iso-alpha-acids, hordenine, and volatile aromatic compounds, quantified by chromatographic methods, whereas bitterness units (IBU) were determined spectrophotometrically. Lager beers had higher acceptability than top-fermented beer (p < .05) for all attributes. Light-colored beers and medium-height foams had the highest liking scores for visual sensory attributes. Higher concentrations of bitter-tasting molecules, hordenine, and acidity decreased the liking scores of top-fermented (Ale) beers, as a sensory penalty analysis suggested. In contrast, the most favored beers (Pilsners and Munich Dunkel) contained higher fusel alcohol esters linked to fruity aromatic notes. Although a low conversion rate of fatty acids into fruity esters was noted in nonalcoholic Pilsner, its overall liking score was not statistically different from the alcoholic version. However, consumers perceived the nonalcoholic Pilsner as less bitter than its alcoholic counterpart even when IBUs were nonsignificantly different. This study emphasized the significance of understanding beer chemometrics to comprehend consumer acceptability, highlighting the crucial role of bitter molecules. Hence, hordenine, acidity, and volatile contents provided additional and valuable insights into consumer preferences.

Quantification of Hop-Derived Bitter Compounds in Beer Using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry.

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.) are essential raw materials for beer brewing, and the major contributors to beer bitterness are isohumulones (iso-α-acids) and humulinones. In recent years, many breweries have focused on the production of hop-forward beer styles by adding hops after or during the cold fermentation stage, which will tend to release humulinones or other hop-derived bitter compounds. In this study, a LC-MS/MS method was developed for quantification of 60 hop-derived bitter compounds in 25 min. Reverse-phase chromatography with an alkaline methanol/acetonitrile (70:30) mobile phase was used for the separation. The quantitative range was 0.053-3912 ng/mL with correlation coefficient r > 0.99, and the LOQ were 0.26 and 0.053 ng/mL for iso-α-acids and humulinones. Precision (RSD < 5.0%) and accuracy (recovery 86.3%-118.1%) were both satisfactory. The abundance of hop-derived bitter compounds in the dry-hopped beer (Double-India Pale Ale) and the nondry-hopped beer (Vienna Lager) were monitored throughout the fermentation and storage stages, and the formation of oxidation and cyclization products showed difference profiles between these two beers. The quantification results reveal how hop-derived bitter compounds change throughout the brewing process, as well as the influence of hops and brewing techniques on beer bitterness.

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.

Brewer’s grains are promising raw materials for the production of feed

The transformation of brewery waste into complete feed will help not only to solve environmental problems and recycling, but also to obtain additional products from animal husbandry with minimal costs for their production. Brewer’s grains are a high-protein product with a high carbohydrate content, it can become a promising raw material for the production of feed. The purpose of the experiment was to study the feed value of diff erent types of brewer’s grains for the production of feed. Samples of brewer’s grains were obtained using three types of malt: No. 1 – Pale Ale Viking+Vienna VIKING MALT (Austria + Finland), No. 2 – Souffl et+ Castle Malting Cara Clair (Russia + Belgium) and No. 3 – Pilsner Viking Malt (Finland). In the studied samples of brewer’s grains the highest content of soluble carbohydrates (21,60 %) was found in sample No. 1 (malt – Pale Ale Viking + Vienna VIKING MALT), and easily hydrolyzable carbohydrates (24,30 %) in sample No. 2 (malt – Souffl et + Castle Malting Cara Clair). These types of brewer’s grains can later be used in combination with hydrolytic enzymes and microorganisms to produce high-protein biomass. The level of crude protein was higher in the dry matter in sample No. 2 (6,20 %) it was signifi cantly lower in sample No. 1 (4,42 %). Thus, knowing the chemical composition of raw brewer’s grain with the right decision to obtain a quality product and use it in the market of animal feed products

Brewing a Craft Belgian-Style Pale Ale Using Pichia kudriavzevii 4A as a Starter Culture.

There is an expanding market for beer of different flavors. This study aimed to prepare a craft Belgian-style pale ale with a non-Saccharomyces yeast. Pichia kudriavzevii 4A was used as a sole starter culture, and malted barley as the only substrate. The ingredients and brewing process were carefully monitored to ensure the quality and innocuousness of the beverage. During fermentation, the yeast consumed 89.7% of total sugars and produced 13.8% v/v of ethanol. The product was fermented and then aged for 8 days, adjusted to 5% v/v alcohol, and analyzed. There were no traces of mycotoxins, lead, arsenic, methanol, or microbiological contamination that would compromise consumer health. According to the physicochemical analysis, the final ethanol concentration (5.2% v/v) and other characteristics complied with national and international guidelines. The ethyl acetate and isoamyl alcohol present are known to confer sweet and fruity flavors. The sensory test defined the beverage as refreshing and as having an apple and pear flavor, a banana aroma, and a good level of bitterness. The judges preferred it over a commercial reference sample of Belgian-style pale ale made from S. cerevisiae. Hence, P. kudriavzevii 4A has the potential for use in the beer industry.

Characterizing the Impact of Package Type on Beer Stability

The brewing industry is highly competitive, driving the importance of beer stability. Brewers use both aluminum cans and glass bottles to distribute products; however, a direct comparison of the impact of these two package types on beer stability has yet to be conducted. Here, a non-targeted metabolomics approach was used to characterize changes in the metabolite profile of amber ale (AA) and India pale ale (IPA) packaged in cans and bottles over a 6-month aging period. A strong correlation by package type was observed for AA but not for IPA over all time points. Baseline differences in amino acids (glycine, tyrosine, and asparagine) and esters (isobutyl isobutyrate, 2-methylbutyl butyrate, and ethyl decanoate) were also observed in AA. Hop terpenes (humulene, pinocarvone, and α-calacorene) demonstrated package-dependent changes over time which appear to be influenced by metabolite water solubility. Overall, the results demonstrate that beer metabolites, and thus stability, are significantly impacted by package type.

Brewers' spent grain from three styles of craft beer: Characterization and their rheological effects on wheat flour dough

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesTo use the diversity of Brewers' spent grain (BSG) from craft beer as an ingredient of functional bread, it is required to characterize and know their effects on dough and breads. The present work investigated the physicochemical characteristics of BSG, and the farinograph effects of wheat flour substituted by Baltic Porter (BP), India Pale Ale (IPA), and Weiss (W) BSGs in amounts of 10%. Results were used for predicting the end‐use quality and bread‐making performance of wheat flour and wheat flour‐BSG blends. Reliability of prediction was verified by a baking test.FindingsBSG from barley malt beers BP and IPA were higher in protein and lower in carbohydrate content than barley/wheat malt W BSG. The heterogeneity of ground and sieved BSG was shown by pictures taken from microscopy images of endosperm, husk, and husk/endosperm particles varying in quantities, forms, and size. Water absorption of dough was slightly affected by W, while all dough containing BSG had the development time and stability lowered when compared with the control.ConclusionsThe prediction of bread‐making performance showed that, while control and BP reached the “bread quality” range, W and IPA scored under “bread quality” range because of their lower stability. On the baking test, specific volume of control, BP, and IPA breads were in agreement with their prediction. W bread, however, in disagreement with prediction, presented specific volume closer to the predicted as “bread quality” BP bread.Significance and NoveltyBeer style affected BSG composition and farinograph behavior of wheat flour dough‐BSG blends, with the stability being the determinant parameter on defining their end‐use and bread‐making quality. Significant correlations of lipid content in BSG were positive for development time and negative for tolerance index. There is no standard farinograph behavior of wheat flour‐BSG blends, with these effects being governed, beyond BSG composition, by protein content of wheat flour.

Formulation of a Wort-Based Beverage with the Addition of Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) Juice and Mint Essential Oil

In Croatia, the production of non-alcoholic wort-based beverages is in its initial stages. The main goal of this research was to produce wort that could be then used in the production of a wort-based beverage with the addition of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) juice. Sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance was also analyzed. Worts were prepared by the standard mashing process, using Munich and pale ale malt. Chokeberry juice was added to the cooled worts. For the purpose of this research, two versions of wort with different concentrations of chokeberry juice (10%, 20%, 30%) were formulated, and all of the beverages were subjected to sensory analysis. Sensory analysis showed that wort with the addition of 30% chokeberry juice was the most accepted. This concentration of chokeberry juice gave the beverage a pleasant taste, but needed some improvement. To address this, mint essential oil was added to the mixture and carbonation using gaseous CO2 was conducted. This beverage received better acceptance when carbonated and mixed with mint essential oil. In addition to the sensory analysis, the polyphenol content of the chosen beverage was also analyzed, along with its nutritional value. Polyphenol content was 2621.47 mg/L and antioxidative activity was 2.28 mmol Trolox/L. The energy value was determined to be 57 kcal. However, in order to optimize the production of this wort-based beverage, further research should be conducted.

Aging of Hops and Their Effects on India Pale Ale Flavor

In this experiment, two hops varieties Simcoe and Saaz were selected as the research objects to explore the influence of hops on beer flavor after aging treatment under different conditions. The hops obtained under five different aging conditions were subjected to fermentation experiments. The aroma characteristics of hop oil, beer samples at different brewing stages and finished beer were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results showed that, except caryophyllene oxide (0.21 μ g/L and 0.15 μg/L), the contents of other aroma compounds decreased. The results of expert sensory evaluation and consumer evaluation survey were combined with the experimental data for analysis. We found that moderate aging may make beer more drinkable. Among them, hops represented by Simcoe with more aroma substances will lose their original aroma after aging. However, hops with higher humulus content represented by Saaz became softer after moderate aging treatment.

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.

Commercial craft beers produced in Uruguay: Volatile profile and physicochemical composition

Even beer being the most consumed alcoholic beverage around the world, there is not enough information generated for craft beers produced in Latin America, for either volatile profiles or physicochemical studies. In this work, the chemical and volatile components of ten commercial Blond Ale and nine Indian Pale Ale (IPA) beers from the Uruguayan market were studied using GC–MS. Principal component analysis applied to the data allowed differentiation among the two groups of samples while the volatile compounds and physicochemical parameters responsible for these differences were identified. The physicochemical properties revealed a great diversity between all beer samples even within the same beer style. The main significant differences were obtained for alcohol, polyphenols, bitterness, colour, and pH. Most Blond Ale beer samples were differentiated from IPA ones by raw fermentation aroma compounds such as 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, hexanoic and isobutyric acids, 4-vinyl guaiacol, and 5,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone. This is the first work that contributes to the knowledge of Uruguayan craft beers. The study also showed the ability of most of the Uruguayan microbreweries to brew Blond Ale and IPA craft beer styles that meet international standards for physicochemical quality.

Phenolic-Degrading Enzymes: Effect on Haze Active Phenols and Chill Haze in India Pale Ale Beer.

The development of green and sustainable biotechnological approaches for preventing chill haze formation is currently under investigation. In this preliminary study, laccase and tannase (pure or combined) were applied as phenolic-degrading enzymes during two crucial brewing steps (i. post-mashing and ii. before the yeast inoculum). In post-mashing and irrespective of the dosage applied (100 μL/L or 1 mL/L), tannase-based treatment ensured the complete removal of haze active (HA) phenols, which was proved by the full prevention of chill haze (about 1 EBC vs. 22 EBC in the control sample). Before yeast inoculum for the alcoholic fermentation, the removal of haze active phenols and the prevention of chill haze were both tannase-dosage-dependent (15 and 2 EBC for the lowest and the highest dosages, respectively) although they failed to completely break down the HA phenols. This biotechnological approach did not significantly affect the chromatic properties of treated beer.

Colour analysing of IPA brewing phases, including daily measuring of the fermentation process

Over the last decade, the brewing revolution has shown a new face to brewing. Besides the large-scale production, small-scale, artisanal hand crafted, and home breweries have also become important and relevant. This change has forced large-scale companies to change their usual methods and brew other types of recipes as well.One of the most popular ALE-type beers is the Indian Pale Ale (IPA), which gives beer a fruity-citrus flavour due to its hop content. It is especially popular with novice brewers as it has no enormous machine requirements compared to LAGER-type beers.In the study, we made our already known and popular recipe, a New England IPA, in a 30-litre brewing pot. This type requires only one type of malt; however, we added barley flakes, oat flakes, and wheat flakes to enhance the flavour. Hops are very dominant in the taste of this type of beer, five of which were used during brewing and later at “dry hopping” during fermentation.Sampling was performed every minute during mashing, brewing, hopping, cooling, and yeasting with a calibrated NIX-type measuring device with repetition to avoid measurement errors. During the fermentation stage, the colour change was observed by daily sampling. The study aims to separate the stages of brewing by colour and identify the stages of the already known biological and chemical activities by colour. This study is the first part of a more extended series of experiments where we will perform similar experiments on several types of beer (LAGER, STOUT, APA, WHEAT, RED, etc.). We would also like to know about the possible effect of carbonisation on colour, the possible effect of storage in a bottle on colour, and possible deviations from a similar decoction.

Influence of kilned specialty malt odorant markers on the aroma composition and sensory profile of beer

Specialty malt beers are brewed with the intention of providing distinct flavour and colour. To this end, special malts have different chemical compositions. More specifically, the availability of enzymes, small peptides, organic acids, Maillard products, low-molecular weight sugars and amino acids depend on the malting procedure applied and thus vary between the malt styles. To investigate the influence of kilned specialty malts (KSM) on the properties of wort and beer, brewing trials were carried out adding 10 and 20% of pale ale, Vienna, Munich or melanoidin malt. Alongside sensory analysis, the aroma composition of each beer was investigated throughout their brewing processes, revealing significant losses of the KSM odorant markers after the boiling process. Statistical analysis indicated a major influence of KSM-derived Maillard aldehydes on the sensory profile of the beers. Finally, the transfer rates of the odorants were calculated from the malt to the beer, suggesting a high influence of the brewing process on the formation of KSM odorants and thus on the aroma composition of the final beer.