Rapid Determination of 4-Vinyl Guaiacol and Ferulic Acid in Beers and Worts by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. David Madigan and Ian McMurrough, Guinness Brewing Worldwide Research Centre, Dublin 8, Ireland, and Malcolm R. Smyth, School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland. J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 52:0152, 1994.

Sensitive methods for the determination of ferulic acid and 4-vinyl guaiacol in beers and worts are described. Samples were analyzed by direct-injection high-performance liquid chromatography using an octadecyl silica column. Detection was by either fluorescence monitoring (for 4-vinyl guaiacol alone) or electrochemical detection (for simultaneous determination of ferulic acid and 4-vinyl guaiacol). The methods were applied mainly to the analysis of production beers but were used also to monitor the decarboxylation of ferulic acid to 4-vinyl guaiacol in wort during a small-scale fermentation deliberately contaminated with a wild yeast strain.

Keywords: Analysis, Beer, Ferulic acid, High-performance liquid chromatography, Phenolic off-flavors, 4-Vinyl guaiacol