A. DONELAN (1), M. Becher (1), A. Vaughn (2), A. Fritsch (2);
(1) The Boston Beer Company, Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A.; (2) The Boston Beer Company, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
Poster Presentation
Panelist availability is a primary struggle for many sensory programs. This creates challenges in obtaining statistically powerful results and can lead to improper conclusions. A triangle test is the most widely used difference test. However, it requires a large number of panelists to obtain results with confidence. The tetrad test is a new alternative method. In this study, we will compare not only the theory of tetrad versus triangle but the practical application as well. Panelists evaluated products using both tetrad and triangle tests with known differences in diacetyl. The results of this study indicate the tetrad test is more operationally powerful and applicable than the triangle test.
Amy Donelan received a B.S. degree in food science and technology from the University of Tennessee. She worked in the Kansas State University Sensory and Consumer Research Labs for 2 years before starting as a sensory technologist at the Samuel Adams brewery in Cincinnati, OH.
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