R. HOFMANN (1), S. Dobrick (1), I. Weber (1), R. Pahl (1); (1) VLB Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Poster
Oxygen permeation is an essential quality issue for the shelf-life of a
bottled product. In the case of beer even small quantities of oxygen
ingress may lead to a faster loss of flavor and chemical stability. At
the 2012 World Brewing Congress, a presentation by Eric Samp, Miller
Coors Brewing Company, revealed the possibility of storing glass bottles
upside down to reduce the measured oxygen content in beer to 0 within a
short time frame. By storing the bottles upright after 2 weeks the
oxygen ingress may be measured within the following days using a
destructive measurement method. The results of the research also
suggested that the permeation rate is reduced when bottles are stored
upside down and the oxygen transfer passes a solid-liquid barrier
instead of the solid-gas barrier when stored upright. The presented
research further investigates the kinetics of the oxygen ingress when
bottles are stored in both ways, and the results are compared. Oxygen
measurement is done using a non-destructive optical measurement method.
Beer, as an oxygen-consuming medium, and an inert water-based medium
were filled into test bottles to monitor the influence of the liquid
itself. Furthermore, the oxygen was evaluated dissolved in the liquid,
as well as in the gaseous headspace and when regularly shaken into
equilibrium between both phases. The aim was to investigate if oxygen is
well preserved in the headspace or directly consumed by the liquid
within the given storage period. Conclusions on the permeation rate in
relation to oxygen consumption and barrier parameters are drawn.
Ruslan Hofmann started his brewing career at the Berliner Bürgerbräu
Brauerei. He finished studying brewing technology at TU Berlin with a
Dipl.-Ing. degree (on the use of PET barrier blend bottles for filling
of beer) in 2008. During the same year he began work for VLB Berlin as a
scientific assistant. specializing in PET packaging for beer and other
beverage applications. More recent topics of Ruslan’s research relate to
beer and beverage stability in terms of flavor, microbiology, and
turbidity. Additionally Ruslan is involved in research projects on hops
and is an active member of the work group on hop analysis (AHA).
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