Abstract: | Simple and polymeric polyphenols differ in the way in which they influence the development of chill and permanent hazes in bottled beer. The addition of simple anthocyanogens to beer causes a marked increase in the rate of haze formation whereas added polymeric materials induce immediate and intense turbidities. Beer anthocyanogens constitute a class of materials ranging in complexity from simple compounds to heterogeneous polymers which sometimes include polyphenolic units that are incapable of yielding anthocyanidins with acid. The extent to which the various anthocyanogens present in beer are involved in haze formation is not reflected by their contributions to the overall anthocyanogen value of the beer. Haze-inducing polymers which contain no anthocyanogen residues may also be present in beer. The nature and origin of polyphenolic substances in beer and the methods by which they may polymerize to give immediate haze precursors are discussed. |