BrewEssence™ Sensory Training Kit - Fermentation

BrewEssence Sensory Training kits are designed and manufactured to provide an industry-leading standard of accuracy and ease-of-use to the process of sensory analysis training across a wide variety of flavors and aromas commonly found in beer. The liquid format of BrewEssence Sensory Training Kits allows for easy preparation of spiked beer suitable for training groups of any size. The compounds can be used for a variety of purposes including preparation for beer judging, use in brewery taste panel management programs, and towards studying for successful completion of various beer certification programs.

Sensory Analysis
In the science of sensory analysis, we use our senses to measure the individual characteristics of products we consume as a vital part of a quality assurance programs. In the brewing industry, taste panel members are trained to accurately identify flavors, aromas and tactile sensations using a range of food-safe chemical compounds that are commonly found in beer.

BrewEssence sensory kits contain ampoules of spiking compounds representing some of the most important flavors found in beer, with each ampoule formulated to allow for easy identification of its specific compound when mixed and served to tasters. Each time a spiked beer is evaluated, the taster will compare it to a sample of the same variety of beer that has nothing added to it, referred to as a control sample. Having a control sample to compare against each spiked sample allows the taster to more easily identify and describe their perceptions of the spiking compound that is suspended in beer.

Each ampoule from a BrewEssence kit is designed to serve up to 20 people. Since each ampoule is single-use, we highly recommend bringing the kit to your homebrew club or getting a group of brew buddies together to maximize the value of each kit. These kits are a great introduction to sensory training for anyone entering BJCP or Cicerone education programs.

Fermentation Kit

• #1 Diacetyl
  • Flavor: buttery, butterscotch, buttered movie theater popcorn. Diacetyl changes the mouthfeel of beer. It produces a slick, mouthcoating sensation and makes the beer more satiating.
  • Production: Diacetyl is produced during fermentation as a byproduct of the synthesis of valine.
• #5 Acetaldehyde
  • Flavor: green (unripe) apples, cut grass, green avocado
  • Production: produced by yeast during the fermentation of glucose. It is the second last step in the production of ethanol.
• #11 H₂S - Hydrogen sulfide
  • Flavor: rotten eggs, sewer gas, drains
  • Production: H₂S is produced by yeast during fermentation as a byproduct of amino acid metabolism.
• #19 Ethyl Acetate
  • Flavor: solvent like, nail polish remover
  • Production: Ethyl acetate is an ester that is produced by yeast during fermentation.
• #20 Ethyl Hexanoate
  • Flavor: aniseed, licorice, apple
  • Production: Ethyl hexanoate is an ester that is produced by yeast during fermentation.
• #21 Isoamyl Acetate
  • Flavor: banana, pear, pear drops, fruity
  • Production: Isoamyl acetate is an ester that is produced by yeast during fermentation.