Scott Helstad (1); (1) Cargill, Inc. Corn Milling North America, Dayton, OH, U.S.A.

Sensory
Poster

The production of good-tasting balanced beers that can be enjoyed by the consumer is the brewer’s goal. However, as the limits of styles are pushed, imbalanced products with off-flavors and aromas may be created. Areas of sensory challenge may include excessive bitterness, alcohol burn, astringency, poor mouthfeel, etc. The use of functional carbohydrates that are not fermentable has been found to positively affect the sensory attributes of beer. This poster will show how a functional carbohydrate, when added to a finished beer, impacts the sensory experience of a trained panel in a variety of beer styles. The poster will address this functional carbohydrate’s impact on both lagers and ales in addition styles of low calorie, high alcohol, and highly hopped. The study will also show how this functional carbohydrate compares to the control beer in addition to the use of other unique carbohydrates.

Scott Helstad received a B.A. degree in chemistry from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. He began his career with Cargill’s Corn Milling business unit in 1993 as a quality assurance chemist. Scott then moved to production as a utilities shift supervisor, followed by production shift manager. He has been in the technical services position since 1987, supporting the use and applications of sweeteners and brewing adjuncts to the food industry. Scott is a member of the ASBC, MBAA, IBD, IFT and AACCI. He also serves on the MBAA TQ editorial committee. He has authored two papers published in the TQ.