Beer Sensory

Training
Steve Piatz
BJCP Grand Master VI Judge
BJCP Exam Director
Author: The Complete Guide To Making Mead (2014)
May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 1
 Aroma & Flavor

Humans can detect between 10,000 and 1 trillion different

smells (depends on the source used).
We can only taste 6 basic categories of flavors:
Sweet (presence of sugars - rich in simple carbohydrates)
Sour (detection of acidity)
Salty (detection of sodium and to some extent potassium ions)
Bitter (delayed response reaction to possible toxic substances)
Umami/Savory (glutamate shellfish, aged meats/cheese, fermented foods, some
fermented foods, some vegetables)
Fat (receptors found in 2005 - alert of nutritive food source)

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 2

 Diacetyl
Frequently diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) is grouped with 2,3 pentandion and
referred to as VDK (vicinal diketones) in brewing literature
DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0620
Perception threshold 0.01-0.04 ppm
Beer levels from 0.008-0.6 ppm
PERCEPTION
At high concentrations is the aroma of butter.
May be perceived as butterscotch, think of those yellow candies
May impart a silky mouthfeel to beer

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 3

 Diacetyl - continued

BACKGROUND
Diacetyl is the most important immature beer aroma.
Yeast forms the VDK precursors
Precursors dont have flavor or odor
Amount produced is a characteristic of the yeast strain
Conversion of precursors to VDK encouraged by; pH decrease,
increase, oxygen introduction
VDK can be removed by the yeast
During fermentation 10x rate of removal vs generation
Increases greatly with temperature increases diacetyl rest

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 4

 Diacetyl - continued

NOTES
Can be confused with a toffee-like note in some beers
VDK can be the result of bacterial contamination.
Usually there are other flaws produced at the same time by the bacteria
Since the VDK precursors have no flavor or odor it is difficult to
without lab equipment
Once the yeast is removed the precursors can covert to VDK later.
Some people cannot detect diacetyl except at very high levels
Can be from bacterial contamination

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 5

 Lightstruck

DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0724
Perception threshold 4 ppt
Beer levels from 1-5 ppt, 10-1500 ppm after light
PERCEPTION
Lightstruck (3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol) is perceived as a
or aroma

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 6

 Lightstruck - continued

BACKGROUND
Sunlight or artificial light can convert compounds derived
methyl-2-butene-1-thiol
Brown bottles are most effective in protecting beer from
Green glass offers less protection and clear offers even
Some commercial beers have this characteristic as
expected characteristic.

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 7

 Mercaptan

Mercaptan (ethanethiol) is added to natural gas (LPG) in the US to help

detect gas leaks. It has a strongly disagreeable odor
DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0722
Perception threshold 1 ppm
Beer levels from 0-0.5 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as an odor of leeks, rotten vegetables, natural gas and drains

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 8

 Mercaptan - continued

BACKGROUND
Primarily a yeast produced characteristic.
Can be a result of yeast autolysis
As a result of oxygen entry mercaptans are oxidized
disulphides

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 9

 Metallic

DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 1330
Perception threshold 1 ppm
Beer levels from NONE
PERCEPTION
Perceived as copper penny like, blood like, rusty, tinny

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 10

 Metallic - continued

BACKGROUND
Can come from beer or ingredient exposure to poor
Can also be the result of lipid oxidation
Can promote development of oxidation and staleness

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 11

 Papery

Papery is trans-2-nonenal
DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0820
Perception threshold 0.05-0.1ppm
Beer levels from 0.0002 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as wet cardboard, oxidized, recycled paper

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 12

 Papery - continued

BACKGROUND
Mainly a result of storage conditions, the temperature
available oxygen in the beer
There are multiple pathways for the development of
beer
Sulphites in a beer can interact with trans-2-nonenal to
papery characteristic
Not the only indicator of oxidation in a beer

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 13

 Phenolic

Phenolic is 4-vinyl guaiacol

DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0500
Perception threshold 0.2 ppm
Beer levels from 0-0.55 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as spicy, clove like, herbal
BACKGROUND
There are multiple types of phenols that are associated with beer, this is just one of them
Can be produced by specialty yeasts such as German weizen strains
Can be produced by wild yeasts
May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 14
 Sour

Sourness in beer is generally from lactic or acetic acids

DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0920
Perception threshold 170 ppm
Beer levels from 90-300 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as sour lemon

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 15

 Sour - continued

BACKGROUND
Can come from raw materials, fermentation
Can be the result of bacterial contamination
Significant sourness is only acceptable in a few styles

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 16

 Acetic

DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0910
Perception threshold 130 ppm
Beer levels from 30-200 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as a vinegar or acidic characteristic

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 17

 Acetic - continued

BACKGROUND
Found in all beers at some level
A natural part of fermentation
May also come from wild yeasts
Can be a result of bacterial contamination
A high level of acetic acid is acceptable in only a few

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 18

 Lactic

DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0930
Perception threshold 140 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as sour milk or yogurt like

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 19

 Lactic - continued

BACKGROUND
Found in all beers at some level
A beneficial component of some beer styles
Can be produced during the mash
Can be formed by contaminating bacteria

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 20

 Dimethyl Sulphide

Dimethyl Sulphide is commonly called DMS

DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0732
Perception threshold 0.025 ppm
Beer levels from 0.01-0.15 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as sweetcorn (maize), creamed corn, cooked vegetables, sea
vegetable or even tomato sauce

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 21

 Dimethyl Sulphide - continued

BACKGROUND
Formed during wort production from a malt derived
More precursor found in Pilsner malt than in pale ale malt
Reduced during a vigorous boil
Can be a desirable characteristic in some pale lagers
Can also be produced by bacterial contamination of

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 22

 Butyric
Butyric acid is highly noticeable
DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0614
Perception threshold 2-3 ppm
Beer levels from 0.5-1.5 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as baby sick, rancid, or putrid

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 23

 Butyric - continued
BACKGROUND
Formed by bacteria
Intensity influenced by pH, more intense at lower pH
Can be confused with isovaleric acid
Stale cheese, hard cheese, sweaty or putrid

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 24

 Hydrogen Sulphide
Only use short sniffs
Hydrogen Sulphide is H2S
DETAILS
Beer flavor wheel 0721
Perception threshold 0.004 ppm
Beer levels from 0.001-0.2 ppm
PERCEPTION
Perceived as rotten egg or sulphurous

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 25

 Hydrogen Sulphide - continued
BACKGROUND
Your senses can quickly adapt to this compound
Avoid overexposure so as to not to desensitize yourself
At low levels imparts a fresh note to beer
At higher levels it becomes a flaw
Produced by yeast during fermentation and
Can come from bacterial contamination

May 20, 2015 Copyright 2015 by Steve Piatz 26