Elizabeth Humston-Fulmer (1), Joseph Binkley (1), Gail Harkey (1)
; (1) Leco Corporation, Saint Joseph, MI, U.S.A.
Technical Session 17: Beer Aging
Tuesday, August 16 • 3:30–5:15 p.m.
Plaza Building, Concourse Level, Governor’s Square 14
Chemical analysis of the aroma analytes associated with a product or
process can provide useful information for understanding a sample and
are a good complement to other traditional analyses such as sensory
panel information. Here, we investigate the chemical changes associated
with the aging process of bottled beer. Fresh control samples were
stored appropriately, while aging was accelerated for other bottles of
the same sample with storage at elevated temperatures to generate
simulated aged samples. Fresh samples and the samples effectively aged
for different durations of time were analyzed side-by-side using
headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) as a sample preparation
method. This technique collects and concentrates volatile and
semi-volatile analytes in the headspace of each sample just prior to
analysis. Gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass
spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) was then employed for chemical analysis.
GC-TOFMS is a non-targeted analytical technique that provides
comprehensive data that can be mined for specific target analytes of
interest and also reviewed for inherent trends and differences in the
data without specifying target analytes in advance of acquisition. From
these data, specific time course trends were observed and the associated
analytes were identified through library searching of the full mass
range spectral data.
Elizabeth Humston-Fulmer received her B.S. degree in chemistry
from the University of Pittsburgh and her Ph.D. degree in analytical
chemistry from the University of Washington. She currently works at Leco
and uses GC-TOFMS and GC×GC-TOFMS for a variety of food and beverage
analyses.
