Understanding the factors which lead to the (in)stability of the chemistry and sensory of hoppy beer styles such as India Pale Ales (IPAs) has become a major concern for many brewers. Therefore, the evolution of several volatiles under different storage conditions (room temperature, cold storage, forced aging) was investigated in eleven hoppy ales and one lager which were commercially produced in Germany. Compared to the lager, the fresh ales contained higher initial aldehyde levels. Furthermore, the distribution of lipid oxidation and Maillard reaction products differed from those typically found in lager beer. Upon storage, significant increases of some staling aldehydes were observed. Interestingly, the concentrations of some hop aroma volatiles like terpenoids (i.e. linalool and geraniol) were relatively stable throughout storage and counteracted "oxidized" impressions in ales high in these compounds. In comparison, hop aroma in some ales was driven by less stable volatiles such as esters.
Keywords: Aldehydes; Beer aging; Beer analysis; Beer staling; Flavor; Hops.
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