Forced into aging: Analytical prediction of the flavor-stability of lager beer. A review

Despite years of research, sensory deterioration during beer aging remains a challenge to brewing chemists. Therefore, sensorial and analytical tools to investigate aging flavors are required. This review aims to summarize the available analytical methods and to highlight the problems associated with addressing the flavor-stability of beer. Carbonyls are the major contributors to the aroma of aged pale lager beer, which is especially susceptible to deterioration. They are formed via known pathways during storage, but, as recent research indicates, are mainly released from the bound-state during aging. However, most published studies are based on model systems, and thus the formation and breakdown parameters of these adducts are poorly understood. This concept has not been previously considered in previous forced-aging analysis. Only weak parallels can be drawn between forced and natural aging. This is likely due to the different activation energies of the chemical processes responsible for aging, but may also be due to heat-promoted release of bound aldehydes. Thus, precursors and their binding parameters must be investigated to make appropriate technological adjustments to forced-aging experiments. In combination with sophisticated data analysis, the investigation of volatile indicators and non-volatile precursors can lead to more reliable predictions of flavor stability.