Officially, Oktoberfest may have been postponed again this year due to Covid-19 restrictions but that hasn’t stopped many people around the world enjoying a beer in honour of the festivities.
From crisp and clean to malty and sweet, the flavour spectrum can be varied and beer makers work tirelessly to produce popular concoctions or unusual combinations to delight the consumer. But what does it mean when these taste inventions don’t work out or maybe the flavour isn’t quite as expected? Quality control becomes ever more important for the brewer and that’s where FlavourSpec comes into play.
FlavourSpec from Imspex Diagnostics is an analytical instrument designed to test volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) in liquid or solid samples. FlavourSpec is a GC-IMS system which analyses the headspace of a sample, meaning that through a simple process of heating and analysing the gases that the beer gives off, it can tell us specific characteristics of flavour profiles. It is so specific, it can tell us exactly which volatiles are in a sample of gas.
For brewers, or indeed drinks makers of any kind, having access to an instrument of this quality and nature could be business transformational. It would allow the brewing team to analyse VOCs in the brewing process, in real time, telling you when the beer is ready to be bottled. This can significantly speed up the product release process of a batch of beer saving the brewer time and money.
VOC analysis also supports product development which is essential when bringing a new product to market. A lot of work goes into developing a new beer product and whilst taste testing sounds like it might be enjoyable, it can be time consuming for the team involved. FlavourSpec can allow the team to make informed decisions about their recipes when even small amounts of flavouring or a new ingredient are added or removed, thus resulting in the perfect end product for the consumer.
FlavourSpec can support in situations where the recipe hasn’t quite gone according to plan, perhaps there was an error in the batch or a mistake in the brewing process in which case the flavour compounds in beer as measured by the headspace VOCs can be analysed. It can help identify a rogue flavour compound or the incorrect ratio of flavours, thereby improving quality control.
Think of FlavourSpec as your extended team with direct access to a quality testing laboratory. It’s easy to use and you will have the results of your sample within minutes from a non-invasive process. What’s more, the machinery requires low maintenance with reproducible analysis through highly advanced sampling.
If you think your business could benefit from having access to a high quality instrument such as FlavourSpec, please get in touch today.