Exam Focus
- Explain sulfur-containing compounds as a sensory evaluation topic within Specific beer flavor compounds.
- Use specific evidence such as appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, finish, intensity, likely compound, and production or handling context.
- Apply the topic to accurate flavor description, source attribution, and style-fit judgment rather than repeating the heading alone.
Core knowledge
- Hydrogen sulfide can smell like rotten egg; sulfur dioxide can suggest struck match; mercaptans can be onion, garlic, rubber, or skunky.
- Sulfur may arise from yeast strain, fermentation stress, lager fermentation, autolysis, lightstruck reactions, or contamination.
- Low sulfur may be acceptable in some lagers, but harsh sulfur or rubbery notes usually indicate a fault or poor handling.
Study application
Identify the sulfur family and then decide whether it is normal lager yeast expression, light damage, yeast stress, or contamination.
Key Terms
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Hydrogen sulfide can smell like rotten egg; sulfur dioxide can suggest struck match; mercaptans can be onion, garlic, rubber, or skunky.
- Sulfur
- Sulfur may arise from yeast strain, fermentation stress, lager fermentation, autolysis, lightstruck reactions, or contamination.
- Low sulfur
- Low sulfur may be acceptable in some lagers, but harsh sulfur or rubbery notes usually indicate a fault or poor handling.