Unpacking Bitterness: Understanding Different Bitterness Compounds and Their Quantification
Broadcast Date: March 27, 2026 | 11:00am - 12:00pm Central
Webinar Summary
This webinar explores the chemical foundations of bitterness in beer by focusing on the key bittering compounds from hops. Attendees will gain insight into the molecular contributors to bitterness—such as iso-alpha acids, humulinones, and light stable hop acids—and how they influence sensory perception. The session will also focus on the two analytical approaches for quantifying bitterness from Beer-23: spectrophotometric methods (e.g., IBU measurement) and advanced chromatographic techniques (e.g., HPLC). highlighting their strengths, limitations, and practical applications in brewing quality control and product development.
Learning Objectives
Attendees will gain:
- a better understanding of the different hop derived bitterness components and what each contributes in terms of bitterness intensity, quality, and foam enhancement.
- a better understanding of the two main methods that are used to measure bitterness in a brewing environment and the intricacies of each method.
Webinar Presenters
Moderator: Pattie Aaron | KalHops
Hershel Jude
KalHops
Hershel is a Lead Scientist at KalHops, where he focuses on developing innovative hop products. He enjoys collaborating with cross-functional teams to address the challenges of scaling new products from lab to commercial production. In his current role, Hershel bridges hops R&D and manufacturing—creating new products, discovering process efficiencies, and supporting quality across the product lifecycle. He holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Berea College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati.
Jim Matt
Rhinegeist Brewery
Jim earned his BA in chemistry from SUNY Buffalo in 1988, followed by an MS in chemistry from Indiana University in 1990. He spent the next 20 years working in big pharma at two companies before pivoting in 2010, when his pharma position was eliminated and he began working part time at Sun King Brewery. Later that year, Jim joined Sun King full time as a Quality Associate and Assistant Brewer. In 2012, he pursued a new opportunity as Brewer at the Moerlein Lager House. The following year, the co-founders of Rhinegeist Brewery recruited Jim to join their team, where he became Head Brewer and formulated many of Rhinegeist’s early recipes—most notably Truth IPA. In 2017, Jim transitioned back to lab-focused work, taking on the role of Chief Science Officer.
Alex Raeon
New Belgium Brewing
Alex is a QA Senior Scientist with New Belgium Brewing Company working out of the Bell's Brewery in Kalamaoo, MI. Graduated with a B.S in Biomedical Science from Western Michigan University. Prior to the beer industry worked in third party food safety and analytical chemistry, testing a variety of different ingredients and food products. Started in the lab at Bell’s Brewery in 2018. Currently oversees all analytical chemistry operations at the Bell’s production brewery within the New Belgium umbrella. Experience with HPLC, GC, GCMS and ICP. Great science makes great beer!