title: Analysis of beers from an 1840s' shipwreck.
abstract: Two bottles of beer from an about 170-year-old shipwreck (M1 Fö 403.3) near the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea were analyzed. Hop components and their degradation compounds showed that the bottles contained two different beers, one more strongly hopped than the other. The hops used contained higher levels of β-acids than modern varieties and were added before the worts were boiled, converting α-acids to iso-α-acids and β-acids to hulupones. High levels of organic acids, carbonyl compounds, and glucose indicated extensive bacterial and enzyme activity during aging. However, concentrations of yeast-derived flavor compounds were similar to those of modern beers, except that 3-methylbutyl acetate was unusually low in both beers and 2-phenylethanol and possibly 2-phenylethyl acetate were unusually high in one beer. Concentrations of phenolic compounds were similar to those in modern lagers and ales.
authors: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, FI-02044 VTT, Finland.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Londesborough
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Dresel
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Gibson
authors: Riikka
authors: R
authors: Juvonen
authors: Ulla
authors: U
authors: Holopainen
authors: Atte
authors: A
authors: Mikkelson
authors: Tuulikki
authors: T
authors: Seppänen-Laakso
authors: Kaarina
authors: K
authors: Viljanen
authors: Hannele
authors: H
authors: Virtanen
authors: Arvi
authors: A
authors: Wilpola
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Hofmann
authors: Annika
authors: A
authors: Wilhelmson
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001515:Beer / Q000032:analysis* / Q000266:history / Q000382:microbiology; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D005285:Fermentation; D049670:History, 17th Century; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis; D012767:Ships / Q000266:history; D015003:Yeasts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D002241:Carbohydrates
keywords: beer flavor; flavor stability; hop components; shipwreck beer; spoilage