The dynamic evolution of flavor compounds during industrial pale lager fermentation was poorly characterized, which hindered the achievement of precise quality control. In this study, flavoromics, sensory analysis, and machine learning were integrated to systematically map the dynamic changes of compounds and the evolution of sensory characteristics throughout the fermentation of pale lager. Malty aroma and hop aroma were identified as the core sensory attributes of the beer fermentation samples. SHAP analysis revealed the key drivers of these sensory attributes: 2-methylpyrazine and maltol for malty aroma, and methyl geranate and myrcene for hop aroma. Subsequently, these findings were validated by recombination and omission experiments. Based on these results, this study further explored the process parameters influencing the key flavor compounds through correlation analysis. This study elucidated the key flavor factors of pale lager, laying a foundation for the intelligent monitoring and precise regulation of flavors during the industrial brewing process.

Lager beer has the characteristics of a refreshing aroma, clean and less intense taste, as well as a low alcohol degree, which is suitable for daily drinking. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between important flavor compounds and flavor profiles for lager beer. Headspace solid-phase microextraction, solvent-assisted flavor evaporation combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-olfactometry–mass spectrometry were applied for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the trace components in lager beer. Furthermore, the recombination experiment was successfully applied to simulate the flavor profile, and the omission experiment was conducted to study the effects of flavor compounds on the flavor profile. A total of nine compounds were identified as the key flavor compounds, and their contribution to the flavor characteristics of lager beer was verified according to validation experiments. It was found that the influence of the key flavor compounds on the sensory attributes such as malty aroma, fruity aroma, sweetness, and bitterness varied with their concentration. These findings might provide ideas for the research regarding the flavor compounds and flavor profile of lager beer, and contribute to the development of different types of beer in the future.

Alcoholic beverages held significant importance in global dietary cultures. Their consumption was subject to the combined influence of sociocultural, economic, and psychological factors. As one of the world’s major alcohol consumption markets, China exhibited increasingly diverse drinking patterns, yet research on drinking behaviors based on the Chinese population remained relatively limited. This study employed a questionnaire-based survey to collect data. A total of 2119 Chinese adult alcohol consumers were recruited between October 2024 and April 2025. The sample encompassed individuals with diverse demographic backgrounds, including variations in gender, age, education level, monthly income, and occupation. Based on this dataset, multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to systematically examine the key factors influencing drinking frequency among Chinese adult drinkers. The study found that the majority of drinkers in China engaged in low- to moderate-frequency drinking, with significant variations observed across different demographic groups: women aged 31–50 showed a higher proportion of high-frequency drinking, while individuals over 50 experienced a notable decline in drinking frequency. Individuals with smoking habits and higher stress levels were more likely to engage in high-frequency drinking. In contrast, those who report higher subjective well-being tended to exhibit moderate-frequency drinking patterns, characterized by moderate but non-excessive consumption. This study constructed a multi-dimensional profile of alcohol consumption behavior in China, thereby providing precise guidance for future product positioning and development, promoting high-quality development in the alcoholic beverage industry, and offering a scientific basis for advocating a culture of moderate and healthy drinking.

In this study, inter-brand variations in volatile flavor compound profiles of four lager beers were systematically investigated by integrating sensory evaluation with GC-MS, GC×GC-TOF-MS, and GC-O-MS. A total of 594 volatile compounds were identified, of which 71 with odor activity values (OAV) ≥ 1 were found to contribute directly to aroma expression. Additionally, 59 compounds with taste activity values (TAV) ≥ 1 were identified and may also contribute to taste perception. Furthermore, 53 aroma-active compounds were confirmed through GC-O-MS, providing additional evidence for their sensory contribution. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), correlation analysis, and flavor addition experiments revealed brand-specific differential flavor compounds. Ultimately, twenty key differential flavor compounds, encompassing esters, alcohols, aromatic compounds, acids, lactones, and others, were confirmed to contribute to fruity, floral, burnt, and sweet notes. Phenethyl alcohol, with concentrations varying from 1377.1 mg/L in QD to 3297.5 mg/L in HR, showed a more than 2.4-fold difference across brands and was strongly associated with fruity (r = 0.553) and floral (r = 0.564) aroma. These compounds acted in combination to shape distinct aroma profiles. This study provides a molecular-level basis for understanding lager beer flavor and offers practical guidance for targeted flavor modulation in brewing.

Pale lager dominates global beer markets. However, rising living standards and changing consumer expectations have reshaped sensory preferences, highlighting the importance of understanding consumers’ true sensory priorities. In this study, a twenty-eight-item questionnaire, refined through multiple rounds of optimization, was distributed across China and yielded 1837 valid responses. Spearman correlation analysis and partial least-squares regressions showed that educational background and spending willingness exerted the strongest independent effects on sensory priorities. A hybrid analytic hierarchy process–entropy weight method–Delphi procedure was then applied to quantify sensory attribute importance. Results indicated that drinking sensation (30.92%) emerged as the leading driver of pale lager choice, followed by taste (26.60%), aroma (24.77%), and appearance (17.71%), confirming a flavor-led and experience-oriented preference structure. Weighting patterns differed across drinking-frequency cohorts: consumers moved from reliance on overall mouthfeel, through heightened sensitivity to negative attributes, to an eventual focus on subtle hedonic details. Based on these findings, a new sensory evaluation scale was developed and validated against consumer preference rankings, showing significantly stronger alignment with consumer preferences (ρ = 0.800; τ = 0.667) than the traditional scale. The findings supply actionable metrics and decision tools for breweries, supporting applications in product development, quality monitoring, and targeted marketing.

This study was designed to systematically identify novel umami peptides in lager beer, clarify their molecular interactions with the T1R1/T1R3 receptor, and determine their specific effects on multidimensional sensory attributes. The peptides were characterized by LC-MS/MS combined with de novo sequencing, and 906 valid sequences were obtained. Machine-learning models (UMPred-FRL, Tastepeptides-Meta, and Umami-MRNN) predicted 76 potential umami peptides. These candidates were docked to T1R1/T1R3 with the CDOCKER protocol, producing 57 successful complexes. Six representative peptides—KSTEL, DELIK, DIGISSK, IEKYSGA, DEVR, and PVPL—were selected for 100 ns molecular-dynamics simulations and MM/GBSA binding-energy calculations. All six peptides stably occupied the narrow cleft at the T1R1/T1R3 interface. Their binding free energies ranked as DEVR (−44.09 ± 5.47 kcal mol−1) < KSTEL (−43.21 ± 3.45) < IEKYSGA (−39.60 ± 4.37) ≈ PVPL (−39.53 ± 2.52) < DELIK (−36.14 ± 3.11) < DIGISSK (−26.45 ± 4.52). Corresponding taste thresholds were 0.121, 0.217, 0.326, 0.406, 0.589, and 0.696 mmol L−1 (DEVR < KSTEL < IEKYSGA < DELIK < PVPL < DIGISSK). TDA-based sensory validation with single-factor additions showed that KSTEL, DELIK, DEVR, and PVPL increased umami scores by ≈21%, ≈22%, ≈17%, and ≈11%, respectively, while DIGISSK and IEKYSGA produced marginal changes (≤2%). The short-chain peptides thus bound with high affinity to T1R1/T1R3 and improved core taste and mouthfeel but tended to amplify certain off-flavors, and the long-chain peptides caused detrimental impacts. Future formulation optimization should balance flavor enhancement and off-flavor suppression, providing a theoretical basis for targeted brewing of umami-oriented lager beer.

Beer is one of the most widely consumed alcoholic beverages worldwide. Nowadays, consumers have increasingly prioritized personalized and high-quality products. Beer distilled spirits represents a notable example of this trend. However, the key quality factors between beer and its distilled spirits remain unclear, which significantly impedes the development of beer derivatives. In this study, a total of 260 trace components were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Among them, 82 dual-effect flavor factors were identified through flavor expression evaluation (Osme, AEDA, OAV, and TAV). The random forest model, correlation analysis, and adding validation experiments were employed to screen eight key flavor quality factors (3-methylbutanol, ethyl hexadecanoate, phenethyl acetate, gamma-nonalactone, ethyl octanoate, 4-ethylguaiacol, maltol and alpha-terpineol) that significantly influenced the sensory attributes of malt aroma, caramel aroma, fermentation aroma, sweet taste, bitter taste, and astringency. The aforementioned key flavor quality factors can be employed as a primary indicator for the monitoring and optimization of quality processes in both beer and beer distilled spirits.

Beer consumption behaviors within China exhibited significant regional heterogeneity. To elucidate the specific differences in beer consumer behaviors across different regions and their influencing factors, this study systematically analyzed the sensory preference characteristics of consumers in the Chinese beer market based on machine learning methods, and further revealed the core driving mechanisms influencing their consumption behaviors. By integrating consumer data from different regions, a comprehensive dataset was constructed encompassing sensory attribute evaluations (bitterness, malt flavor, hop aroma, smoothness of mouthfeel, foam characteristics, etc.) and other dimensional consumption behavior variables (brand, beer packaging, etc.). Utilizing an ensemble learning framework (LightGBM), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and decision tree models for feature mining, the study identified important factors influencing the consumption behaviors of Chinese beer consumers. Specifically, consumers in mature and upgrading markets placed greater emphasis on the overall drinking experience and drinkability when purchasing beer, whereas consumers in scale-dominant and mainstream competitive markets considered foam persistence, fineness, and light brown color as core quality indicators. Conversely, consumers in potential growth and emerging cultivation markets demonstrated strong brand orientation. This indicated that the factors influencing beer consumption behaviors varied significantly across regions. Through a data-driven paradigm, this study revealed the underlying regional mechanisms behind consumption decisions in different regional beer markets in China, providing a theoretical foundation and empirical support for cross-regional product customization, precision marketing, and resource optimization.

A systematic study identified umami peptides in lager beer, probed T1R1/T1R3 mechanisms, and quantified multidimensional sensory effects. RPLC-Q-TOF-MS with database search and de novo sequencing identified 1178 peptides; UMPred-FRL and TastePeptides-Meta yielded 142 candidates, of which 128 docked to modeled T1R1/T1R3. Four peptides-EESY, IEVVD, EIVDV, IGVND-were advanced to MD/MM-GBSA and sensory tests. Complexes showed favorable gas-phase interactions offset by polar solvation; binding free energies (kcal/Mol, mean ± SD) were EESY -70.91 ± 7.37, EIVDV -61.26 ± 3.42, IEVVD -60.93 ± 2.33, IGVND -55.24 ± 3.69, indicating EESY had the highest affinity/stability. Single-addition tests increased "umami" by +41.5 % (EESY), +34.0 % (IGVND), +14.9 % (IEVVD), and + 1.1 % (EIVDV). Effects concentrated in taste: EESY and IGVND reduced bitterness and enhanced overall balance; EIVDV maximized balance (+18.11 %) with slight bitterness rise; IEVVD increased bitterness (+17.65 %) yet improved balance. This established an integrated workflow for formulation optimization of lager beer.

The trace compounds in lager beer were extraordinarily diverse, yet the composition of key flavor compounds and the mechanisms underlying their quality expression remain unclear. This gap significantly hindered the development of advanced quality control technologies for lager beer. In this study, 39 non-volatile acids were quantified across different lager beer brands using RP-HPLC. SQDA and electronic tongue analysis revealed similar overall taste characteristics among the four beers, characterized by prominent umami and sweetness, along with noticeable bitterness and sourness. As a result, supported by TAV analysis, PLS-DA, RF model, and flavor matrices, L-lactic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, and L-arginine were identified as key differential markers for the expression of distinctive taste attributes in different lager beers. Further, molecular docking demonstrated that L-lactic acid, succinic acid, and citric acid could bind to the sweetness receptor T1R2/T1R3, with their sweetness intensities increasing sequentially. Additionally, L-arginine exhibited umami perception capability for binding to the umami receptor T1R1/T1R3.

Diabetes mellitus (DM), a major cause of mortality, is characterized by insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. The increasing prevalence of DM is linked to lifestyle changes and there is a need for alternative approaches to conventional oral hypoglycemic agents. Polysaccharides, particularly non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs), have been identified as promising hypoglycemic agents. Cereals, especially wheat, are key sources of dietary polysaccharides, with NSPs derived from wheat beer attracting significant interest. This study aimed to investigate the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of NSPs extracted from wheat beer in STZ-induced diabetic C57BL/6J male mice. The results showed that NSPs extract positively influenced blood glucose regulation, lipid profiles, and liver and kidney functions, by attenuating liver AST and kidney CRE levels in a dose-dependent manner. The NSPs demonstrated anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, potentially providing significant benefits in managing diabetes and its complications. Moreover, the study revealed the histoprotective effects of NSPs on the liver and pancreas, reducing lipid deposition, necrosis, and inflammation. These findings highlight the multifaceted advantages of NSPs and suggest their potential as effective agents in diabetes management. This study supports the need for further research into the therapeutic potential of NSPs and their application in developing innovative treatments for diabetes and its associated complications.

Increasingly high interest in yeast–yeast interactions in mixed-culture fermentation is seen along with beer consumers’ demands driving both market growth and requests for biotechnological solutions that can provide better sensory characteristics. In this study, Lachancea thermotolerans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a cell population ratio of 10:1 were inoculated for sour beer fermentation while the process conditions within the brewing industry remained unchanged. With L. thermotolerans producing lactic acid (1.5–1.8 g/L) and bringing down the pH to 3.3–3.4 whilst adding no foreign flavors herein, this study revealed a new natural, fruity sour beer with a soft, sour taste. In this study, the double-yeast mixed-culture fermentation produced more flavor substances than a single-culture process, and plenty of isobutyl acetate and isoamyl acetate enhanced the fruit aroma and balanced the sour beer with a refreshing taste. While playing a positive role in improving the beer’s quality, the double-yeast mixed-culture fermentation developed in this study helps to offer an alternative mass production solution for producing sour beer with the processes better controlled and the fermentation time reduced. The stress responses of the L. thermotolerans during the fermentation were revealed by integrating RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and metabolite data. Given that the metabolic flux distribution of the S. cerevisiae during the fermentation differed from that of the non-Saccharomyces yeasts, transcriptional analysis of non-Saccharomyces yeast and S. cerevisiae could be suitable in helping to develop strategies to modulate the transcriptional responses of specific genes that are associated with the aroma compounds released by S. cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts. In the case of some non-Saccharomyces yeast species/strains, the diversion of alcoholic fermentation and the formation of a great number of secondary compounds may, in part, account for the low ethanol yield.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus (S. diastaticus) is a major spoilage yeast in brewing. In the present research, the antifungal properties of nerol and the proteome response of S. diastaticus were studied. Results showed nerol can inhibit cell budding and delay yeast fermentation in a dose-depended manner. After 3 d of treatment with 0.25 mg.mL(-1) nerol, intracellular ROS levels increased 1.66-fold (P < 0.01), and the cells with damaged membrane increased to 23.2 %. Quantitative proteomic profiles utilizing a capillary-HPLC-MS/MS technology revealed that proteins involved in the metabolism of fermentable sugars were up-regulated in S. diastaticus cells treated with nerol, indicating nerol treatment altered the metabolite pattern of fermentable sugars. Proteins associated with the cell membrane biogenesis, heat shock proteins, amino acid biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism were similarly up-regulated. These findings revealed the mechanism of nerol-induced yeast cell damage as well as the detoxification response of yeast cells.

超高浓酿造可以降低成本、节约能耗,但高浓酿造的酵母需要具备良好的抗逆性能.为了提高筛选效率,获得性能稳定的超高浓酿造菌株,该研究建立了基于液滴微流控技术的啤酒酵母高通量筛选方法,并以啤酒酵母Saccharomyces pastorianus 02为出发菌株,经常压室温等离子体诱变,液滴微流控酒精初筛,α-葡萄糖苷酶和乙醇脱氢酶Ⅱ活力复筛及发酵实验,获得了遗传和发酵稳定性良好的超高浓啤酒酿造菌株9-50.与出发菌株相比,其在中试规模下增殖旺盛,发酵周期缩短42 h,并可适应9％的乙醇体积分数,发酵度达66％以上,双乙酰含量0.06 mg/L,醇酯香气较协调,具有较好的工业应用前景.

该研究将新型的消费者脑电波提取分析技术与传统感官评测相结合,建立一种智能消费者啤酒喜好度测试方法.通过建立标准化的品酒流程,收集消费者在品酒过程中脑电波的实时变化,并经过去伪、滤波、特征提取等步骤进行数据清洗,整理出8 种不同类型脑电波数据和2 种情绪数据,并将其进行建模得到饮酒综合情绪指数(index of alcohol-drinking analysis,IAA).通过IAA赋分进行消费者饮酒喜好度的判断,并将其与感官问卷数据进行对比分析.研究发现,IAA指数消费者啤酒饮用喜好度的评价与感官问卷结果的一致性为83％,且能快速分析消费者在不同饮酒阶段喜好度的实时变化,有很好的实用性,对现有感官测评方式是很好的补充和改善.

Yeast flocculation and viability are critical factors in beer production. Adequate flocculation of yeast at the end of fermentation helps to reduce off-flavors and cell separation, while high viability is beneficial for yeast reuse. In this study, we used comparative genomics to analyze the genome information on Saccharomyces pastorianus W01, and its spontaneous mutant W02 with appropriate weakened flocculation ability (better off-flavor reduction performance) and unwanted decreased viability, to investigate the effect of different gene expressions on yeast flocculation or/and viability. Our results indicate that knockout of CNE1, CIN5, SIN3, HP-3, YPR170W-B, and SCEPF1_0274000100 and overexpression of CNE1 and ALD2 significantly decreased the flocculation ability of W01, while knockout of EPL1 increased the flocculation ability of W01. Meanwhile, knockout of CIN5, YPR170W-B, OST5, SFT1, SCEPF1_0274000100, and EPL1 and overexpression of SWC3, ALD2, and HP-2 decreased the viability of W01. CIN5, EPL1, SCEPF1_0274000100, ALD2, and YPR170W-B have all been shown to affect yeast flocculation ability and viability.

以不同种类麦芽为对象,通过实验室啤酒模拟发酵,对麦芽的理化指标及经拉格酵母发酵前后样品SO42-、含硫氨基酸、挥发性硫化物等进行分析.结果表明,不同种类麦芽在库尔巴哈值、总氮和α-氨基酸态氮上差异显著,经酵母发酵代谢后,在SO42-代谢量/率、蛋氨酸的代谢量/率上表现不同,导致生成挥发性硫化物的差异.Pearson相关性分析表明,库尔巴哈值、总氮与SO42-代谢量/率呈正相关,库尔巴哈值、总氮和α-氨基酸态氮与硫化氢呈负相关,库尔巴哈值、α-氨基酸态氮与二甲基硫呈负相关,蛋氨酸与其代谢量呈极显著的正相关(P＜0.01),与其代谢率呈极显著的负相关(P＜0.01),蛋氨酸与SO42-代谢量/代谢率之间呈负相关.结果显示,通过不同品种大麦麦芽的复配提高麦汁蛋氨酸含量,可以降低拉格酵母对SO42-的代谢,减少挥发性硫化物的产生,进而提高啤酒风味质量,以及缩短成熟周期.

为了获得低产高级醇的工业酿酒酵母菌株,以酿酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)菌株680bg为出发菌株,运用常压室温等离子体(atmospheric and room temperature plasma,ARTP)对其进行不同时长的诱变处理,结合孔板培养和分光光度法检测,建立了高通量筛选体系.最终,筛选获得了8株低产高级醇的酵母菌株,其中菌株ARTP-162的高级醇产量下降最为显著,降低了约21％,且遗传性能稳定.

在啤酒工业中,啤酒酵母的絮凝特性是决定啤酒高质量生产的重要因素之一.下面啤酒酵母菌株L-1应用于大生产存在酵母悬浮稳定期较短等问题,导致发酵不彻底,影响了最后的啤酒风味质量.基于此,该研究以菌株L-1为出发菌株,进行常压室温等离子体诱变并对诱变菌株进行初筛和二轮复筛,获得了絮凝性减弱且遗传稳定性能较良好的3株目的菌株179、293和361,其絮凝能力分别降低了 6.67％、6.67％和5.56％,死亡率分别降低了 31.21％、34.57％和16.93％,对应的发酵液中乙醛含量分别降低了 19.53％、19.17％和15.83％,同时其消耗碳源、α-氨基氮、产酒精能力等指标均有所提高,主要高级醇含量无明显变化.这些菌株的获得在啤酒工业生产中具有一定的实际应用潜力.

高级醇与酯类物质是啤酒中的主要风味物质,它们的含量与比例对啤酒的品质有着重要影响.为解决啤酒中高级醇与酯类物质比例不协调的问题,该研究以啤酒酵母S5为出发菌株,利用3种不同的启动子TEF1p、VPS8p、ATF1p,分别构建过表达醇乙酰基转移酶基因ATF1、同时敲除支链氨基酸转氨酶基因BAT2的重组菌株S5-T、S5-V、S5-A.发酵结果显示,与出发菌株S5相比,菌株S5-T、S5-V、S5-A的总高级醇生成量呈下降趋势,分别降低了8.77％、6.92％、8.13％;乙酸乙酯生成量呈上升趋势,分别提高了156.46％、20.39％和24.39％.因此,重组菌株S5-T、S5-V、S5-A生成的醇酯比分别降低至2.9:1、6.2:1和5.9:1.研究证明不同启动子过表达ATF1基因有助于调控啤酒的醇酯比,为选育具有潜在工业应用价值的适宜产醇酯比啤酒酵母提供新的策略.