A COMPARISON OF COLORIMETRIC METHODS AND A GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF VICINAL DIKETONES IN BEER

Colorimetric methods recommended by the American Society of Brewing Chemists (Reference method A and Micro method C), the European Brewery Convention and the Institute of Brewing and a new gas chromatographic method have been compared using three beer types (lager, ale and barley wine). Reference method A of the American Society of Brewing Chemists gave the best reproducibility and recovery of added diacetyl for the colorimetric methods but the gas chromatographic method was the best of all the methods and is recommended for quality control use.