Time Intensity Parameters of Sweetness Perceptions in Lager Beers

Abstract

Lagers are generally brewed to minimise the final sugar content. Residual saccharides, derived from starch, contribute little to sweetness. Despite this, certain lagers exhibit sweet characters. These have not been explored in lagers, but are thought to originate from: maltol; 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HDMF); 4-hydroxy-2(or 5)-ethyl-5(or 2)-methyl-3(2H)-furanone (HEMF); hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF); diacetyl; and certain esters (ethyl acetate, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, and iso amyl acetate). This study used time-intensity (TI) profiling, employing 13 assessors, to study sweetness in 10 lagers, scored similarly for sweetness in rank rating. Single intensity maxima were obtained with all products and all assessors. Data were analysed using ANOVA of curve parameters and non-centred and centred principal component analyses (PCA). In ANOVA only the area under curve (A tot ) values differed significantly. However, shape of TI profile, or signature, differed between assessors who could on this basis be divided into two groups. In the multivariate data analyses, non-centred PCA showed significant differences between lagers, parametric modelling and conventional PCA did not. However TI profile data suggested sweetness intensity perceived over the 120 seconds following ingestion could differ, although differences in scoring in rank rating were not significant.

Relationships of Sweetness in Lager to Selected Volatile Congeners

“…Esters are also thought to contribute to sweetness in aroma and are present in varying concentrations in lager headspaces 1,3,15 . Ethyl hexanoate and octanoate interact synergistically in lager flavour 11,13,16 and ethyl acetate is considered by brewers central to aroma character in lagers, as well as contributing estery notes 21 . Brewers also consider diacetyl (2,3-butanedione), which contributes a 'buttery' note above a threshold, essential for an appropriate flavour character 11 at lower concentrations.…”

“…Rank-rating 4 for overall sweetness was carried out as described elsewhere 21 , essentially as described for bitterness 20 . Scoring was done in duplicate, randomising pres-entation order 20 for the 13 assessors, and values for sweetness were logged in software using a line scale, anchored at 10 and 90% with weak and strong.…”

Development of a Time–Intensity Evaluation System for Consumers: Measuring Bitterness and Retronasal Aroma of Coffee Beverages in 106 Untrained Panelists

“…The temporal methodology currently used most frequently for time‐course studies is time–intensity (Meillon and others ; Pineau and others ), a method for recording how the perceived intensity of a specific flavor attribute, such as sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and aroma, changes over time (Lee and Pangborn ). In previous studies, time–intensity evaluation was performed using common beverages such as beer (Guinard and others ; King and Moreau ; Techakriengkrai and others a; Techakriengkrai and others b), wine (Ishikawa and Noble ; Sokolowsky and Fischer ), and whisky (Piggott and others ). Here, we define “flavorˮ as mixed sensation based on taste and retronasal aroma inside the oral cavity.…”

Comparison of Temporal–Sensory Methods for Beer Flavor Evaluation

“…), and from that moment on, different beer attributes have been investigated using diverse sensory methods (e.g., sweetness, Techakriengkrai et al . 2004a; astringency, François et al . ; or mouthfeel parameters, Langstaff et al .…”

“…Therefore, although Techakriengkrai et al . (2004a) found two different clusters when evaluating sweetness, the number of clusters could be higher, and the data analysis even more complicated, if the study evaluates a wide rank of sensory attributes. Most of the researches use the average of all assessors' signatures to avoid these problems and simplify the data analyses.…”