On the trail of hard resin components
Analysis of bitter substances | In beer production, the development of modern analyses provides possibilities of extending the analytical spectrum. It is possible to investigate the detailed path of individual compounds from raw materials to the finished beer, using mass spectroscopy. The hard resin fraction of hops that mainly consists of polar i.e. easily water soluble bitter substances is ascribed a special role in terms of dry hopping. This makes efficient transfer of these substances from hops to beer possible. The present contribution describes the compounds involved, as well as the flavour contribution they make to beer bitterness.
It was a remarkable admission by James Watt, one of the founders of Scottish craft brewer BrewDog: He said that in March 2020 he broke down in tears when the severity of covid-19 became clear: BrewDog had lost almost 70 percent of its revenue overnight, almost all of its 100 bars were closed, most of its export markets stopped ordering. Pivoting its website to prominently feature its online shop proved a way out. BrewDog ended a potentially ruinous year profitably. So what can craft brewers learn from BrewDog’s e-commerce model?
