Shimadzu’s Total Support for Beer Analysis

Significance of Beer Analysis

Beer is a complex fermented beverage whose quality, safety, and consistency depend on precise control of its four core ingredients—water, malted grain, hops, and yeast—and on monitoring a wide range of physico-chemical parameters. Thorough analytical testing ensures product stability, flavor profile, regulatory compliance, and consumer satisfaction across brewing, packaging, and distribution.

Study Objectives and Overview

Shimadzu’s white paper presents a comprehensive suite of analytical methods for beer analysis “from farm to stein.” It aims to support brewers by describing validated techniques, instrument configurations, and standardized protocols for routine quality control, troubleshooting, and advanced research and development in modern breweries.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

• UV-Vis Spectrophotometer (UV-1800) for color (ASBC/EBC), IBU, carbohydrates, diacetyl, sulfur dioxide, polyphenols and other UV assays.
• Gas Chromatography–Flame Ionization Detection (GC-2014) for alcohol strength, hop bitterness, esters, aldehydes.
• Headspace GC-FID (HS-10) for volatile diacetyl and aroma compounds.
• Triple-Quadrupole GC-MS/MS (GCMS-TQ8040) for pesticide and N-nitrosamine residues in hops and beer.
• High Performance Liquid Chromatography (Prominence, Nexera XR) with RID, PDA, RF, and ELSD detectors for carbohydrates, organic acids, alpha- and iso-alpha acids, amino acids.
• UHPLC-MS/MS (LCMS-8050/8060) for multi-mycotoxin screening, metabolomics profiling, primary metabolites, and enzyme quantitation via MRM.
• Ion Chromatography (LC-20AT) for anion analysis in brewing water (F⁻, Cl⁻, NO₂⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, PO₄³⁻).
• Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICPE-9800) and Atomic Absorption (AA-7000) for heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Hg) in water and grains.
• Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOC-L) for inorganic carbon (CO₂) and non-specific organic contaminants in beer and water.
• Tensile Testing (EZ-X) for pull-tab opening force on beer cans.

Main Results and Discussion

• Spectrophotometry provided reliable color grading (Lovibond, SRM, CIELAB) and IBU determination by absorbance at 275 nm.
• GC-FID and headspace GC quantified ethanol to ±0.3 % ABV, esters and aldehydes linked to flavor, and diacetyl down to ppb levels to optimize fermentation hold times.
• Carbohydrate profiling by HPLC/RID and ELSD tracked monosaccharides to oligosaccharides, guiding mash efficiency and residual sugars.
• Alpha-acid and iso-alpha-acid UHPLC analysis helped assess hop degradation and control bitterness.
• Ion chromatography revealed site-specific water profiles, informing mineral adjustments to maintain beer consistency.
• GC-MS/MS and AA/ICP techniques detected pesticide residues and heavy metals in hops and barley at sub-ppb to low-ppb levels, ensuring raw material safety.
• UHPLC-MS/MS allowed rapid multi-mycotoxin screening in grains and metabolomic fingerprinting across beer styles, enabling product differentiation and new recipe development.
• Proteomic MRM workflows quantified key yeast metabolic enzymes, illuminating strain performance and fermentation kinetics.
• TOC-L IC measurements of dissolved CO₂ correlated well with classical methods, streamlining packaging QA.
• Tensile tests defined optimal pull-tab force to prevent leakage and ensure consumer safety.

Practical Benefits and Applications

• Consistent flavor and appearance through objective color, bitterness, and aroma measurements.
• Reduced fermentation cycle times and increased throughput by monitoring diacetyl removal.
• Accurate carbohydrate and sugar mapping to control mouthfeel and caloric content.
• Safety assurance via pesticide, mycotoxin, and heavy-metal screens in raw materials.
• Informed water treatment and mineral adjustments for regional style replication.
• Enhanced branding and product differentiation using metabolomics and yeast enzyme profiling.
• Quality packaging validated by CO₂ and mechanical tests.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

• Integration of metabolomics and proteomics for predictive fermentation management.
• Real-time inline sensors and miniaturized spectrometers for continuous monitoring.
• AI-driven data analytics to detect trends, anomalies, and optimize recipes.
• Green chemistry approaches reducing solvent use and energy in analytical workflows.
• Expandable modular platforms enabling rapid method development for emerging contaminants.

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s total support framework equips breweries of all sizes with robust, validated analytical solutions covering raw material safety, process control, product quality, and packaging assurance. The diverse instrument portfolio and standardized methods help brewers enhance productivity, ensure regulatory compliance, and innovate new beer styles, driving continuous improvement and consumer satisfaction.

Used Instrumentation

• UV-1800 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer
• GC-2014, GC-2010 Plus with HS-10 Headspace Autosampler
• GCMS-TQ8040 Triple Quadrupole GC-MS/MS
• Prominence HPLC, Nexera XR/UHPLC
• LCMS-8050/8060 Triple Quadrupole LC-MS/MS
• LC-20AT Ion Chromatograph
• AA-7000 Atomic Absorption, ICPE-9800
• TOC-L Total Organic Carbon Analyzer
• EZ-X Tensile Testing System