Simultaneous determination of vicinal diketones and amino acids in beer by LC/MS

摘要

The concentration of vicinal diketones (VDK's) is one of the key limitations for brewers attempting to reduce batch time while maintaining beer quality. Previous research has shown that the initial concentration of specific amino acids (AA's) in wort affects VDK production by yeast. A detection method utilizing LC/MS was developed, allowing for the simultaneous determination of diacetyl, pentanedione, valine, leucine and isoleucine. The method requires minimal sample manipulation and allows for efficient simultaneous monitoring of the five compounds using a single instrument.