Abstract: | Rapid chemical methods are described for assesssing in beer the levels of “oxidizable polyphenols” and “sensitive proteins,” both of which influence non-biological shelf life. The method for oxidizable polyphenols depends on the formation of an insoluble complex with cinchonine sulphate. Freshly processed beers form only a slight haze on the addition of cinchonine sulphate, but the haze produced is greatly increased if the beers are previously oxidized. For beers stabilized by a process involving reduction of the polyphenol content, it is found that the rate of haze formation is then directly related to shelf life and is inversely proportional to it. |