The influence of packaging material on volatile compounds of pale lager beer

This research aimed to evaluate the influence of different packaging materials (glass bottle, PET bottle, aluminium can and keg) on eleven (acetaldehyde, dimethyl sulphite, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, propanol, isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, diacetyl, higher alcohols, esters and pentanedione) industrial pale lager beer volatile compounds concentration changes and their stability during a six-month storage time. The analyses were performed on a single type of pale lager beer under different packaging regimes. The results showed that diacetyl and pentanedione were significantly higher in PET bottles than in other packaging (especially glass bottle). Dimethyl sulphide concentration was, at the end of a six month storage, significantly lower (5 mu g/L) in PET bottles than in glass bottle (48 mu g/L). Can and keg also showed good preservation properties for volatiles. This is important for the brewing industries because the reported changes influence the consumers' perception and greatly affect the acceptance of beer.