Abstract
Sahti, a strong, unhopped farmhouse beer flavoured with
juniper, is still actively brewed in rural areas in
Finland. Presented here is the first comprehensive
analysis of the physical and chemical properties of this
unique beer style. Twelve sahti samples from the
southwest of Finland were analysed and, while properties
varied, the beers generally had high levels of alcohol
(mean = 7.9% ABV) and high residual extract (mean =
9.5°P). Foam stability was negligible, as is typical for
the style, and glycerol concentrations at 3.1 - 4.7 g L-1
were higher than in reference beers (commercial lager,
wheat beer and porter). These features may be attributed
to the very high gravity conditions employed in brewing
sahti beers. Bitterness levels were relatively low (3-13
IBU) owing to the absence or moderate use of hops. All
samples contained detectable levels of the clove-like
compound 4-vinylguaiacol owing to the use of baker's
rather than brewer's yeast for brewing. Concentrations of
higher alcohols and esters were high, with many
individual aroma compounds being above the normal flavour
thresholds. Results have highlighted the uniqueness of
this style of beer in comparison to commercially
available beers and have contributed to our understanding
of the reasons for the particular sensorial properties of
this traditional beer style.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 464-473 |
Journal | Journal of the Institute of Brewing |
Volume | 121 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- sahti
- Finland
- beer
- flavour