Keep it cold, and not too acidic.

Comprehensive Sensomics Analysis of Hop-Derived
Compounds during Storage of Beer

Daniel Intelmann, Gesa Haseleu, Andreas Dunkel, Annika Lagemann, Andreas Stephan and
Thomas Hofmann

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,59, 1939-1953 (2011)

The authors tracked the concentration of nearly 70 hop constituents
and their isomerization products in packaged beer over 8 months,
4 years and 10 years, and at different storage temperatures and
pH's. Their conclusion:

"The sensomics data obtained during this study
offers the scientific basis for a knowledge-based optimization of
the beer bitter taste by controlling the initial pH value of the beer
by technological means and by keeping the temperature as low as
possible during storage of the final beverage."

By pH value they mean a small difference makes a large difference
in the amount of harsh bitter compounds that form in the beer
(pH 4.4 is much better than pH 4.2).

Ray

Interesting research. Do they happen to have any data on the impact that the same factors have on the hop aroma and flavor? I'm uncertain how they'd scientifically track those (since it'd be easier to monitor bittering compounds), but figured it couldn't hurt to check .

smagee said:

Interesting research. Do they happen to have any data on the impact that the same factors have on the hop aroma and flavor? I'm uncertain how they'd scientifically track those (since it'd be easier to monitor bittering compounds), but figured it couldn't hurt to check .

Click to expand...

It's not any easier or harder to monitor the aroma and flavor
compounds since they are assayed the same way: with HPLC, GC
or LC. At least one study I posted here awhile ago showed the rapid
decrease in concentration of flavor/aroma components just during
the boiling period.

Ray