| Oxygenation of wort during the beer brewing process is a common practice. It is most commonly used to increase the effectiveness of yeast during fermentation. However, in this experimentation the effect of wort oxygenation is examined through the production of esters and fusel alcohols. Esters and fusel alcohols are a little known chemical element in beer production, but are the cause of many beer aromas and flavors. These flavors are used to enhance and control the style and flavor characteristics of beer. Many of the esters found in beer represent flavors found in nature, but not the actual ingredients used for making the beer. One such ester, phenyl ethyl acetate, provides flavors such as honey and rose. Other esters provide a range in flavor from solvent-like to banana. This research looks past theoretical assumptions of the chemical and biological process of ester formation and looks to predict ester formation based on wort oxygenation levels. Samples of beer were oxygenated throughout the ranges of 0-25ppm and the subsequent ester and fusel alcohol concentrations were measured. |
