Cloninger, L., Anheuser-Busch InBev, Inc., St. Louis, MO, USA
Poster
Determining alcohol content accurately and precisely is essential in the brewing industry for a variety of reasons: to conform to government laws ensuring that proper taxes are paid, to confirm that the product meets label specifications, to meet quality control parameters, and to maintain consistency in products. While the NIR/density method (ASBC Beer-4 G) is quite suitable for measuring the alcohol content of beer, flavored malt beverages present a challenge. Interference with the instrument measurement can result from flavor additions. A more accurate way to measure alcohol in this type of product is standard distillation (ASBC Beer-4). Unfortunately, this method is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Due to these drawbacks, an alternative method was investigated. A rapid distillation unit was selected as the alternative for its ability to rapidly distill using the power of steam. A precision study was performed to determine repeatability and reproducibility. Three analysts distilled five different brands with alcohol levels ranging from 4.2 to 14.4%, v/v. Repeatability and reproducibility coefficients of variation for the determination of alcohol for this range were 0.05–0.23% and 0.11–0.19%, respectively. In addition, results from ASBC Beer-4 and rapid distillation were assessed using a paired t test for alcohol levels ranging from 3.6 to 14.4%, v/v. The P value = 0.30, showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the means of the data sets at a 95% confidence level.
Lacy Cloninger graduated from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville, IL, where she earned a B.S. degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, in 2013. In 2014, she pursued an internship with Anheuser-Busch InBev, Inc. for the North American Zone Central Laboratory. This led to her current position as a scientist within the Central Laboratory with a focus on mashing studies and optimizing brewhouse processes, as well as performing analytical assays. In her free time she enjoys spending time outdoors, camping and hiking with her husband.
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