Competitiveness of Ukrainian hop products based on biochemical and technological evaluations

Abstract

Goal. To determine the brewing quality of hop granules of type 90 of Ukrainian production and to establish their competitiveness based on biochemical and technological assessments. Methods. Physico-chemical — to determine the quality indicators of hop granules, special and generally accepted in the hop industry, mathematical-statistical and methods of the European Brewing Convention, in particular, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary gas chromatography, conductometry, spectrophotometry. Results. Biochemical evaluation of hop granules of type 90 of Ukrainian varieties Klon 18, Zlato Polissia, and Alta by the amount and composition of bitter substances, essential oil is given and their comparison with foreign granules of varieties Zhatetskyi (Czech Republic) and Magnum (Germany) is carried out. It was noted that the content of alpha acids in hop granules of aromatic varieties varied from 3.7% in the Klon 18 variety to 4.5% in the Zhatetskyi variety. The content of beta acids in the investigated granules ranged from 4.4% (Zlato Polissia) to 6% in the granules of the Zhatetskyi variety. The proportion of beta acids in the resins of the Klon 18, Zlato Polissia, and Zhatetskyi granules was significantly higher than the proportion of alpha acids, i.e. they retained a positive aromaticity ratio between the content of beta and alpha acids, which was 1.16–1.30. In the granules of fine aromatic varieties, the content of cohumulone was 24.6–26.0%. In hop granules of bitter varieties, the content of alpha acids varied from 9.7% in the Alta variety to 16.0% in the Magnum variety. The content of beta acids in these same granules ranged from 5.5% in the Alta variety to 7% in the Magnum variety. The content of cohumulone varied in the range from 23.5% in the granules of the Alta variety to 29% in the granules of the Magnum variety. It was proven that Ukrainian-made hop granules corresponded to world analogs in terms of their characteristics. Conclusions. It was established that the analyzed hop granules of type 90 of Ukrainian production were not inferior in quality to foreign granules and had the prospect of wide use in brewing, ensuring high-quality beer.