The Impact of Selected <i>Lachancea</i> Yeast Strains on the Production Process, Chemical Composition and Aroma Profiles of Beers

Abstract

Changing trends in the brewing market show that breweries want to attract consumers with new products. New flavours and aromas in beer can be achieved by using various additives. However, non-Saccharomyces yeast strains make it possible to produce beer with an original sensory profile but according to a traditional recipe (without additives). The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of 10 different yeast strains, belonging to the species Lachancea thermotolerans and L. fermentati, on the creation of different physico-chemical profiles in beers. For this purpose, the same malt wort with a 12°P extract, hopped with Octawia hops (8.4% alpha acids), was inoculated with the aforementioned yeast strains. The fermentation kinetics, the yeast’s ability to ferment sugars, the production of organic acids and glycerol and the formation of volatile compounds in the beer were monitored. The beers obtained were classified as low-alcohol and regular. In addition, some beers were measured to have a low pH, qualifying them as “sour” beers, which are currently gaining in popularity. Most interesting, however, was the effect of the selected Lachancea yeast strains on the composition of the beer volatiles. In the second stage of this study, the beers obtained were again subjected to a chromatographic analysis, this time using an olfactometric detector (GC-O). This analysis was dictated by the need to verify the actual influence of the compounds determined (GC-MS) on the creation of the final aroma profile. This study showed that selected strains of Lachancea thermotolerans and L. fermentati have very high brewing potential to produce different original beers from the same hopped wort.

Keywords

• beer
• aroma
• olfactometry
• fermentation
• yeast