We can verify whether your hops have been tainted by smoke taint compounds (volatile phenolics). These compounds have low volatility, high solubility and bind to sugars. This means that if they are present, even in low concentrations, they are not likely to off gas and have the potential to be released into the final product, affecting beer quality.
Smoke Taint in Hops
As wildfires in the Pacific Northwest continue to increase the risk of smoke-tainted hops, ensure your beer's quality and reputation with our comprehensive testing services. Our expert team can accurately detect and mitigate smoke taint, safeguarding your brand and protecting consumers. With our state-of-the-art laboratory and advanced testing techniques, we provide reliable results and help you maintain the highest standards of quality in your brewing process.
Test hops for Guaiacol (2-Methoxyphenol), & Creosol (4-Methylguaiacol)
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A paper published in 2014, found that monitoring of beer aging highlighted major differences between phenols. Guaiacol and Creosol appeared even more concentrated in dark beers after 14 months of aging, reaching levels not far from their sensory thresholds.
How do you test for Guaiacol & Creosol?
We utilize a sensitive GC-MS detection method that is utilized by the wine industry.​
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Through our validation process we found that a majority of the smoke taint compounds are bound to sugars within the hop matrix, which is similar to smoke taint markers found in wine berries.
To overcome this issue, we utilize an acid digestion to release the smoke taint markers from the sugars and get our clients more robust data set that will be invaluable to both hops growers, distributors and beer manufacturers.