Evaluation of volatile compound profiles and sensory properties of dark and pale beers fermented by different strains of brewing yeast

To evaluate the differences in the volatile compound profile of dark and pale beers fermented by different strains of brewer's yeast, gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis of eight beers was carried out. The prevalent group of compounds in all the beers analysed were alcohols (56.41–72.17%), followed by esters (14.58–20.82%), aldehydes (8.35–20.52%), terpenes and terpenoids (1.22–6.57%) and ketones (0.42–1.00%). The dominant higher alcohols were 2-methylpropan-1-ol, 3-methylbutanol, phenethyl alcohol, among aldehydes furfural, decanal, nonanal, and among esters ethyl acetate, phenylethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate. Beers fermented by the top-fermenting yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus had the highest volatile content. The addition of dark malt in wort production process had no effect on the total content of volatiles, but for some beers it caused changes in the total content of esters, terpenes and terpenoids. Variations in the total volatile content between beers fermented by different yeast strains are mainly due to esters and alcohols identified. Sensory analysis of beers allowed us to identify the characteristics affected by the addition of dark speciality malts in the production of wort and yeast strains used in the fermentation process.