Sensory and Flavor Training for Brewers National Homebrewers Conference 2015 Pat Fahey - @PatFahey24 - Cicerone Certification Program
Outline Explore basic taste physiology Cover tasting techniques Familiarize with pure compounds Identify controls and prevention
Basic Tasting Technique Flavor from two places: tongue and nose Tongue has more tastes than we knew Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Salty, Umami Fat, Metallic Nose still contributes 1000s of flavors
Basic Tasting Technique Swirl glass Sample aroma first Distant Sniff Short Sniff Long Sniff Covered Sniff
Basic Tasting Technique Taste Take a taste Make sure it travels Swallow or spit Fully engage retronasal detection
Base Beer Ballast Point Longfin Lager BIG THANKS to Ballast Point for supplying beer
Off-Flavor Training Control beer vs. spiked beers Each spike focuses on one issue/flaw Trying to achieve familiarization Look for difference between control and sample Identify your personal perceptions of spike
Tasting: Off-Flavor Training Smell & taste control Smell & taste off-flavor sample Observe differences between the two Learn how you perceive each flavor
Off-Flavor Training each spike Name of flaw or compound Cause & occurrences in beer Common descriptors Prevention and control Learn your personal descriptors and connect back to industry standard name!
DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide) Sources Primary: Formed from SMM in malt Mostly removed during brewing Acceptable in some pale lagers Secondary: Wort spoilage bacteria
DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide) Common Descriptors: Creamed corn Cooked/rotten vegetables Shellfish Chemically: Dimethyl Sulfide Threshold: 30-50 ppb
DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide) Solutions Uncovered boil!! Full rolling boil for at least 60 minutes (longer if using mostly pale malts) Rapid cooling post-boil
Diacetyl Sources Primary: Yeast produce during fermentation Reduced during maturation Improperly managed fermentation/maturation Accepted in Bohemian Pilsner and some English Ales Secondary: Beer spoilage bacteria (Lactobacillus, Pediococcus) Dirty draft systems!
Common Descriptors: Buttery Butterscotch Popcorn Not caramel (which is a normal malt flavor) Chemically: Diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) Threshold: 10-40 ppb Diacetyl
Diacetyl Solutions Give yeast enough time Properly managed fermentation variables Diacetyl rest
Metallic Sources Metal ions (e.g. Iron) in brewing water or other raw materials Exposed brass in a draft system
Common Descriptors: Tinny Copper Coins Blood Ink Chemically: Ferrous Sulfate (FeSO 4 ) Threshold: 2.7 ppm Metallic
Metallic Solutions Removing metal from water: Aerate, boil, cool, and filter water before use Use distilled or RO water Metal from draft system: Replace chrome plated brass w/ stainless steel
Chlorophenol Sources Primary: Use of water with chlorine or chloramine Secondary: Present in brewing water Use of chlorinated cleaning solutions (e.g. bleach)
Common Descriptors: Antiseptic Mouthwash Medicinal Swimming Pool Chlorophenol Chemically: 2,6-dichlorophenol Threshold: 300 ppt (0.3 ppb!)
Chlorophenol Solutions Removing chlorine/chloramine from water: Campden tablets (potassium or sodium metabisulfite) Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration Use distilled or RO water Other: Use chlorine-free cleaning/sanitizing agents
Sensory and Flavor Training for Brewers Thanks for coming! Pat Fahey - @PatFahey24 - Cicerone Certification Program