Rapid Determination of Vicinal Diketones in Beer

Vicinal diketones (VDK) in beer, which include 2,3-butanedione (diacetyl) and 2,3-pentanedione are the flavour components that produce a buttery or butterscotch like aroma in beer. As a by-product of the fermentation process of yeast this buttery aroma can result in an undesireable off-smell.

Off line monitoring of VDK is normally undertaken off site in a specialist laboratory, extending brewing times prior to filtering and bottling. Production requirements for the beer industry necessitate reproducible beer quality therefore accurate and timely determination of VDK is required.

A solution is provided for this problem with GC-IMS using our FlavourSpec VDK system. This system detects vicinal diketones diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione directly above the headspace of beer samples, without any sample preparation.The small, robust system can be used at line
with sample analysis in 20 minutes at site. It is designed for use by a brewing technician.

The great benefits of FlavourSpec VDK include:

  • No sample preparation
  • At line monitoring – no need to send samples to the analytical lab
  • Rapid headspace analysis – rapid VOC analysis for beer samples
  • Push button solution – simplistic analysis for technician use
  • Low ppb range of detection – quantification of diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione