The majority of important reactions in beer are associated with the action of oxygen during malting and brewing. With respect to oxygen, beer is considered to possess a relatively strong reducing environment. The gradual reduction of oxygen gives rise to reactive oxygen species (ROS) capable of attacking beer components that are important to consumers. Indigo carmine (IC) bleaching was used to prove ROS formation formed by oxidation of beer energy sources such as maltose and ethanol. This paper examines oxygen radical oxidation of organic matter in the presence of the radical initiator potassium peroxodisulphate. A mixture of organic sources of energy such as maltose and ethanol, oxygen, radical initiator and cupric ions generates ROS formation in a broad range of concentrations even at room temperature. ROS irreversibly split blue dye IC into the colourless form and takes part in the radical transformation of organic matter, which is similar to its burning at low temperature or to radical oxidation of reducing agents. Other organic matter can suppress ROS formation and be incorporated into the radical chain of the pathway of its 'cold burning'. Ethanol inhibited phenylalanine oxidation during its oxidative Maillard reaction. IC bleaching can serve as simple indicator of ROS generation in aerated food.
A simple, fast and cheap test suitable for predicting the course of brewery fermentations based on mass analysis is described and its efficiency is evaluated. Compared to commonly used yeast vitality tests, this analysis takes into account wort composition and other factors that influence fermentation performance. It can be used to predict the shape of the fermentation curve in brewery fermentations and in research and development projects concerning yeast vitality, fermentation conditions and wort composition. It can also be a useful tool for homebrewers to control their fermentations.
AbstractŠavel J., Košin P., Brož A. (2010): Anaerobic and aerobic beer aging. Czech J. Food Sci., 28: 18-26.Yellow, orange, red and brown pigments are formed by air oxidation of single polyphenols or by thermal degradation of sugars to caramels. Caramels increase their colours during anaerobic heating or decrease them by air oxidation. Epicatechin and caramel undergo reversible redox reaction followed by degradation and/or polymerisation at beer aging. That is why both of these colour compounds, besides acting as acid/alkali indicators, can also represent redox indicators that gradually become irreversible. These reactions are accelerated by transient metals or buffering solutions and are therefore more distinct in tap or brewing water than in deionised water. The kind of the brewing water then predetermines not only the beer attributes but also the course of beer aging. Coloured pigments can be partially bleached by reducting agents such as yeast oxidoreductase enzymes and the colour can be then recovered by oxidation; this depends on their polymerisation degree. Methylene blue and methyl red can be used as artificial oxidation-reduction indicators for the study of the redox potential changes because they act reversibly or irreversibly under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, respectively.
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