Characterization of the bitter compounds found in hemp, and application toward beer production
At a glance
- Project leader : Dr. Amandine André
- Project budget : CHF 97'280
- Project status : completed
- Funding partner : SNSF (Spark / Projekt Nr. 195327)
- Contact person : Amandine André
Description
For centuries, hop (Humulus lupulus) has been considered an
essential ingredient in the beer brewing process, as certain
molecules contained in its cones give the drink its typical
bitterness and aroma. Hop cultivation, already delicate, is now
threatened by global warming. Domestic hop production in
Switzerland currently covers only 10% of the demand of Swiss
breweries. Therefore, the country's brewers are largely dependent
on imports of foreign hops, which does not allow them to control
neither their costs nor the quality of this important raw material.
The search for a satisfactory alternative to hops for brewing beer
is today a strategic research area for the brewing industry, yet
one that has been neglected.
It is in this context that the present research project, which
proposes the search for an alternative source of bitterness for
beer production, is being carried out. The proposal is to study
hemp (Cannabis sativa spp. sativa) since, in addition to belonging
to the same botanical family (the Cannabaceae), some varieties have
a pronounced bitter taste, as well as aromatic descriptors common
to those of hops. After a chemical study of the bitter and
taste-active compounds of different hemp cultivars, we propose to
produce a prototype beer which will be evaluated from a sensory
point of view.
The goal is to use hemp as a functional ingredient, in order to
provide the brewery with a key ingredient with a bitter taste and
aromatic characteristics similar to those of hop, in order to
partially substitute it in brewing.