Caprylic Flavour as a Feature of Beer Flavour

Abstract

Caprylic flavour is part of the distinctive overall flavour of a large proportion of beers in trade. The flavour occurs in the majority of lager beers and in about 20% of ales. It is correlated with the levels of octanolc acid and decanoic acid present in beer. Lager yeasts (S. uvarum) tend to liberate larger amounts of these two fatty acids during fermentation than do ale yeasts (S. cerevisiae). The flavour significance of these acids has been determined by correlating the results of sensory and instrumental analyses and also by adding the purified acids to beer. Implications of these two methods for assessing the flavour significance of chemical constituents of a complex product are discussed.

Chemometric analysis of the volatile fraction evolution of Portuguese beer under shelf storage conditions

“…Cluster 2 also includes the most abundant organic acids found in this beer, the caprylic acid and capric acid. Both compounds are responsible for caprylic flavor [59] that resembles the odor of a goat. Despite being abundant, none of these acids exceeded their flavor thresholds, 15 mg/L to caprylic acid and 10 mg/L to capric acid, but their trends after the 6th month deserve special attention.…”

The chemical profiling of fatty acids during the brewing process

“…Clarke et al . targeted their study on medium‐chain FA (C6, C8, C10) because, according to Clapperton and Brown, octanoic and decanoic acids are significant contributors to the flavour of many lager beers. Clarke et al .…”

Determination of Selected Beer Flavours: Comparison of a Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction and a Steam Distillation Procedure

“…Free fatty acids are another group of these beer flavours that affect beer taste, the vitality of yeast, and also the foam stability of beer 6,9,19 . Straight-chain acids such as hexanoic, octanoic, and decanoic acids are formed during the synthesis by yeasts of long-chain fatty acids during fermentation.…”