EBC Analysis Group Meeting

The EBC Analysis Group met on April 4th and 5th, 2018 at the Carlsberg Technical Centre in Obernai, Alsace, France.

The following members attended the meeting: Lene Molskov Bech and Sabine Koehl (Carlsberg), Eric Welten (Heineken), Trevor Cowley (CampdenBRI), Marc Schmitt (IFBM-Qualtech), Marta Orive i Camprubi (Mahou San Miguel), Gudrun Vogeser (Pika Weihenstephan) and Martin Biendl (Hopsteiner). Koji Suzuki of Asahi Breweries from Japan attended as a guest.

One of the points discussed was how to formalise the process of creating International Methods, as an agreement exists with the ASBC to guide this. Essentially, ring trials need to be conducted and in agreement on both sides of the Atlantic. To this effect, it was agreed to declare the EBC method 2.3.9.5 Phenolic Off Flavour (POF) as an international method.

In general, methods need to be classified into guideline methods (not statistically validated, but useful) and statistically validated (via ring-trials). This represents a change from the way the EBC used to operate in that all methods adopted into the Analytica-EBC were only statistically validated methods.

Two methods jointly elaborated by the IHSC (International Hop Standards Committee) and EBC are ready to be published soon: Method on the detection of hop aroma compounds in beer and an HPLC method for quantifying xanthohumol in hop products. Furthermore, the method 9.47 (“Iso-alpha-acids and reduced iso-alpha-acids (Rho, Tetra, Hexa) in beer by HPCL”) should be expanded to allow for the analysis of humilinones and non-isomerised alpha-acids in beer, as the trend towards dry hopping has necessitated developing such a method. This also means that method 9.8 (“Bitterness of Beer”, IBU measurement) should include an explanation or even disclaimer that dry-hopped beers may differ in terms of the perception of bitterness vs. numerical BU values.

The packaging and sensory sub-committees have new chairpersons in the form of Susan Dobrick (VLB) and Sidsel Jensen (Carlsberg).

The meeting ended with a plea by all concerned for new members willing to participate and, if required, to use the facilities at their disposal to join in specific verification tests or ring-trials. The EBC welcomes volunteers to come forward in this regard. The next meeting of the steering group is foreseen to involve more people; this will in all likelihood be taking place in Brussels in November this year.