Determination of the amount of cold break material in the pitching wort
Cast-out wort, wort from the midpoint of chilling/pitching wort (without yeast)
The hot break material (trub) and any hop particles which may be present in the wort, must first be removed. After the wort has been cooled to 2 °C, it is filtered through a glass fiber filter. The residue remaining on the filter is dried and then weighed.
Cold break material or cold trub refers to all material that settles out in the process of chilling wort after separation of the hot trub or hot break material. Cold trub can be filtered out of the wort and primarily consists of proteins (48–57 %), tannins (11–26 %) and carbohydrates (20–36 %). The amount of cold break material in wort depends on the quality and composition of the raw materials, brewhouse equipment and wort handling. In academic and professional circles, opinions regarding the significance of cold break material for downstream processes and for the quality of the finished beer are strongly divided [1, 2, 5]. Under certain circumstances, the quantity of cold break material in wort may exceed 250 mg/l, especially where accelerated fermentation is practiced. Ultimately, this can detract from the flavor of the finished beer [3]. Breweries, where removal of the cold break material has been practiced successfully, determine the quantity of cold break in their pitching wort at regular intervals, in order to evaluate the efficacy of their separation equipment.
Hops and hop products intended for use in beer brewing or elsewhere in the food industry
After milling, hops and hop powder products are extracted using a diethyl ether/methanol mixture and a hydrochloric acid solution. The α-acids and β-acids dissolved in the ether phase are separated using reversed phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and measured spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 314 nm.
Hop extracts are dissolved in methanol. The α-acids and β-acids dissolved in the methanol are separated using reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and measured spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 314 nm.
Whole hops intended for use in beer brewing or elsewhere in the food industry
Evaluation of the appearance of hop cones is performed through visual and manual inspection.
This method describes how to determine the time required for filtration of laboratory mashes.
Malt intended for use in beer brewing or elsewhere in the food industry
The time from the beginning to the end of filtration is determined when producing a laboratory mash.
This method describes how to test the sensory impact of filter aids and stabilizing agents under normal operating conditions.
Filter aids and stabilizing agents which are used in the brewing and food production industries
In order to test the influence and effects of filter aids in a routine production situation, it is recommended that a filtration trial be conducted under standard operating conditions.
The odor and flavor of the filtered beer is also tested as part of this trial.
The test should be conducted against a control sample that has not been in contact with the material to be tested.
This method describes the procedure for conducting a profile analysis of beer-based beverages.
Beer-based beverages
Analyzing the sensory profiles of the two constituents of beer-based beverages combines both with regard to their respective characteristics. A suitably thorough characterization of the beer constituent as well as the soft drink or fruit juice constituent must be performed.
The set of attributes describing beer as the constituent is typically confined to the fundamental terminology used for the sensory analysis of beer, since most beer-based beverages are not created from specialty beers. Therefore, a differentiation is made between beer-based beverages containing pilsner beer and Southern German wheat beer (weißbier). Individual cases, for example those involving the use of schwarzbier or altbier, are not discussed here.
The following set of attributes for the beer constituent has proven successful in practice and can serve as a basis for developing a product-specific common language among the tasters:
Attributes from the beer component:
A description of the soft drink or fruit juice constituent is entirely dependent on the specific flavor of the beverage and should take the characteristic fruity notes in the aroma into consideration:
Aromas similar to lemon/lime:
Aromas similar to cola:
Aromas similar to energy drinks:
Aromas similar to grapefruit:
Aromas similar to red berries:
Aromas similar to apples:
Other aroma impressions:
In addition, the visual characteristics and, of course, the basic flavors of sweet and sour should be incorporated into the list of descriptors. When using artificial sweeteners, the sweetening power should also be provided (see below).
As a rule, which component is sensorially dominant must be determined by assessing the intensity of the various components in the beer-based beverage. This means that the attributes of both the beer and soft drink constituents should be evaluated using uniform scales for assessing intensity. It is possible that an additional scale can provide information on the sensory balance of the two components, e.g., from -3 (beer constituent heavily dominates) to 0 (balanced) to +3 (soft drink constituent heavily dominates).
Mouthfeel plays a crucial role particularly with the analysis of beverages based on Southern German wheat beer and should (by means of the perception and evaluation of the carbonation) be characterized with reference to its fullness and viscosity.