Harmonie Akers (1); (1) Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, U.S.A.
Analytical
Poster
Identifying superior ingredients that provide distinct flavors in
brewing is an important area of research. Recent studies have
demonstrated that small molecules in barley grain are highly variable
among different types of barley. However, it is unclear if barley
metabolites (and variation in these metabolites) can influence beer
chemistry, flavor and sensory quality. The goal of this study is to
determine if variation in the chemical content of the barley grain
results in differences in the flavor and sensory quality of beer. Here,
we used a metabolomics approach to characterize the chemical content of
six barley varieties and the corresponding malt and beer. Barley grain
and malt was ground into a fine powder, and metabolites were extracted
by a biphasic solvent (MTBE/70% methanol/water). The barley grain, malt
extracts, and beer were analyzed with two metabolite profiling platforms
(UPLC-TOF-MS, ZIC-HILIC-LC-MS) and an ionomics platform (ICP-MS). The
profiles of the six barley varieties, malts, and beers were evaluated
using principal component analysis and ANOVA. Both statistical analyses
revealed significant variation in the chemical content of the barley
grain, malt and beer. Further, several metabolites were found to be
associated among the sample types, supporting the theory that barley
metabolites are associated with the final chemical content of the beer.
Work related to the integration of the metabolomics data with sensory
analysis will be discussed. Taken together, these data support a
potential role for barley metabolites in beer chemistry and flavor.
Harmonie Marie Akers received a B.S. degree in animal sciences from
Colorado State University in 2000. She began employment with Odell
Brewing Company in 1999. From 2004 to 2007, she served as a youth
development volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps in Bulgaria/Russia. In
2011, she returned to Fort Collins to create local, artisan cheese for
MouCo Cheese Company. In 2013, she began her work toward an M.S. degree
in food science/food safety at CSU.
