As is the case with drinking water, water employed for the production of beer and soft drinks must be neutral in odor and taste.
beer, beer-based beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water
A qualitative test is performed after shaking the water in a sealed, odor-neutral bottle. Water possessing an odor is measured quantitatively on the basis of a sensory threshold. Water possessing an odor is diluted with odorless water until the odor is barely perceptible (by at least three people). The ratio of the total volume (water with odor + odorless water) to the volume of the mixture containing the water sample is designated as the odor threshold. The taste test should always be performed after evaluating the odor, since the perception of odor can be influenced by flavor.
As with drinking water, the water used in the production of beer and non-alcoholic beverages must exhibit a neutral odor and flavor.
Water intended for use as an ingredient in the production of beer (brewing liquor) or other foods
A qualitative check is carried out by first filling an odorless bottle with the water sample, sealing the bottle and then agitating the sample through shaking. For a quantitative determination, if water exhibits an odor, the sensory threshold of the odor in the water is determined. To do so, the water is diluted with odor-free water to such an extent that the odor is barely perceptible (by a minimum of three individuals). One defines the odor threshold value as the ratio of the total volume (odorous water + odor-free water) to the volume of the water sample contained in the mixture. The taste test must always be carried out after the odor test since the sensation of odor is influenced by the sense of taste.
During sensory evaluation, the cones are rubbed between the hands and the quality of the aroma is distinguished in terms of purity, fineness and intensity.
Whole hops intended for use in beer brewing or elsewhere in the food industry
Evaluation of the aroma of hop cones is performed through visual and manual inspection.
Points to be awarded: 1−30
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.
Water intended for use in beer brewing as well as in the production of other foods
Steam-volatile phenols form by bonding with diazotized p-nitroaniline azo dyes; the intensity of the resultant color is measured photometrically following extraction with n-butanol.
The intensity of the color, based on a saturation threshold of phenol of 100 %, is as follows:
phenol 100 % m-xylenol 52 %
o-cresol 147 % p-xylenol 92 %
m-cresol 120 % guaiacol 165 %
p-cresol 21 % pyrocatechol 29 %
o-xylenol 16 % α-naphthol 23 %
This method describes the basic terms used in sensory analysis.
beer, beer-based beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water
Terms
Aroma:
Aroma represents the overall sensory impression encompassed by the olfactory organs, some of which is perceived in the mouth and thus partly attributed to the sense of taste.
Flavor/Off-flavor:
For the sake of thoroughness, these two terms, which are defined in DIN 10950 part 2 Sensorische Prüfung, allgemeine Grundlagen, are mentioned here. According to definition put forth by DIN, flavor is defined as the “sum of olfactory, gustatory, temperature-related and/or trigeminal and tactile sensations in the mouth”. Off-flavors are sensory stimuli, which are perceived as unpleasant.
Odor:
Organoleptic properties perceived with the olfactory organ(s), whereby certain volatile substances are breathed in through the nose.
Flavour:
The overall sensory impression perceived through the sense of taste in the mouth, throat and nose. The sense of taste can be influenced by thermal or tactile stimuli, through pain or kinesthesia or any combination thereof. According to DIN, flavor is defined as the “sum of olfactory, gustatory, temperature-related and/or trigeminal and tactile sensations in the mouth”.
Mouthfeel:
Aside from the basic tastes, tactile stimuli – detected through haptic perception in the oral cavity – play a role in the sensory perception of comestibles as they are ingested. Tactile stimuli can be divided into the following:
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tactile (touch)
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kinesthetic (perception of weight, movement, resistance, etc.)
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trigeminal (pain)
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temperature-dependent
The term “mouthfeel” is often employed to describe haptic perception in the oral cavity. The following sensory attributes of beverages can be detected primarily by means of mouthfeel:
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viscosity, rheological properties
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liberation of gas, bubble formation, foaming (carbon dioxide)
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general after-effects in the mouth (refreshing, warming, thirst-quenching)
Aftertaste:
The sensory impression, which remains in the mouth, once a beverage has been swallowed. This is often employed as a criterion for the sensory evaluation of beverages.
An aftertaste described as “harmonious” provides incentive to continue drinking.
Orthonasal perception of odors:
Sensory perception commonly referred to as “smelling”. Odorants in the air enter the nasal cavity through the external nares, or nostrils, during the act of breathing. From there, the odorants are transported to the receptor cells where olfactory perception occurs.
Retronasal perception of odors:
Retronasal (lat. retro: “backwards, back”, nasal: “pertaining to the nose”) perception describes the transport of odorants from the oral cavity into the pharynx, then up through the internal nares and nasal cavity to the olfactory receptor cells. Odors are liberated through the mastication of food and beverages, thus providing olfactory (lat. olfacere: “to smell”) stimulus. The retronasal aroma profile of comestibles may differ from the orthonasal aroma profile owing to various factors (e.g. mastication or saliva).
Fullness:
Fullness is a kinesthetic sensation in the oral cavity, which – as it relates to beer – may range from “watery” to “satiating/excessive”. A frequently used synonym for fullness in beer is the term “body”.
Liveliness:
Liveliness as it pertains to beer is the tactile sensation in the oral cavity induced through the action of carbon dioxide, which may range from “flat/stale” to “gassy”.
A synonym often encountered for liveliness is “effervescence”.