Takako Inui (1), Nobuyuki Fukui (2), Takahiro Hosoya (3), Shigenori Kumazawa (3), Hiroo Matsui (2), Kaneo Oka (1); (1) Beer Development Department, Suntory Beer Ltd., Osaka, Japan; (2) Research Institute, Suntory Global Innovation Center Ltd., Japan; (3) Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Japan

Technical Session 14: Hops II
Tuesday, August 16  •  9:45–11:30 a.m.
Plaza Building, Concourse Level, Governor’s Square 14

Hops are important materials that contribute bitterness, a hoppy aroma, and fullness to beer. These tastes and aromas are derived from humulone, essential oils, and polyphenols in hops. In order to produce preferable qualities of aroma and taste in hops-derived beer consistently, a stable target profile of the chemical compounds in hops is required. However, it has been confirmed that there are a wide range of differences in chemical compound profiles even within one hop variety. These differences in one hop variety are assumed to be due to harvest year, growing area, cultivation conditions, and more. In this study, we investigated the relationship between chemical compounds in hops and their cultivation conditions, especially the hop harvest timing for the Saaz hop variety from the Czech Republic, using GC×GC/TOF-MS analysis and multivariate analysis. It was found that chemical compounds related to three hop aroma characteristics produced in beer (floral, fruity and citrusy) could be controlled by altering the hop harvest timing.

Takako Inui graduated from Kyusyu University. She started her research career with Suntory Ltd. in 1989 at the Institute for Fundamental Research. Since 2002, she has been conducting research at the Institute for Beer Development on the development of brewing technology and the flavor science of beers ,including hops itself, with doctoral work at the University of Shizuoka.

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