Shimadzu’s Total Support for Beer Analysis

Significance of the Topic

Beer is one of the oldest fermented beverages and its quality depends on precise control of ingredients and processes. Modern analytical methods enable breweries to monitor water composition, malt and hop quality, fermentation progress, and final product consistency. Rigorous analysis helps maintain flavor, safety, and regulatory compliance across a wide range of beer styles.

Objectives and Overview of the Article

This whitepaper presents Shimadzu’s comprehensive support for beer analysis, covering key quality parameters from raw materials to finished products. It describes standardized methods for color, bitterness, alcohol, and diacetyl, and extends to advanced techniques for trace contaminants, metabolomics, and troubleshooting brewing issues.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

Major analytical approaches include:

• UV-Visible spectrophotometry for color (ASBC, SRM, EBC) and IBU measurements.
• Gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization (FID) or headspace sampling for alcohol, vicinal diketones, esters, and aldehydes.
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UHPLC with refractive index, photodiode array, fluorescence, or electrochemical detection for carbohydrates, organic acids, and alpha-acid profiling.
• GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS for pesticide residues, mycotoxins, nitrosamines, and metabolic enzyme quantification by MRM.
• Ion chromatography and total organic carbon analysis for inorganic ions and volatile organics in water.
• Atomic absorption (AA), inductively coupled plasma emission (ICP-OES) and mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for heavy metal assessment.
• Material testing (tensile measurement) for packaging pull-tab performance.

Main Results and Discussion

Shimadzu instruments achieve high accuracy and sensitivity across beer parameters. UV-Vis methods deliver reliable color and bitterness indices. GC-FID headspace assays shorten alcohol and diacetyl turnaround. HPLC/UHPLC methods resolve sugar and acid profiles. Triple quadrupole MS systems quantify pesticides at sub-ppb levels, detect 14 mycotoxins simultaneously, and profile 300+ metabolites to differentiate beer types. Trace metal assays comply with EPA limits, while IC and TOC track water quality and CO₂ content. Packaging tests ensure consumer safety and consistency.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Comprehensive analytics support:

• Quality control in small and large breweries.
• Rapid troubleshooting of off-flavors and contamination.
• Product development and recipe optimization.
• Regulatory compliance for labeling and safety.
• Supply chain verification from raw materials to packaging.

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Advances in high-throughput metabolomics, automation, and data integration will further enhance process control. Real-time monitoring with miniaturized sensors and AI-driven analytics can predict fermentation trajectories and flavor development. Expanded multi-residue screening and non-targeted profiling will address emerging contaminants and optimize sustainability.

Conclusion

Shimadzu’s portfolio delivers end-to-end solutions for beer analysis, combining robust instrumentation, validated methods, and service support. From elemental testing to advanced metabolomics, breweries gain actionable insights to guarantee product quality, innovation, and safety.

Reference

• Shimadzu Corporation. Total Support for Beer Analysis. Whitepaper C10G-E049.