Sensory Evaluation & Beer Styles Flashcards
6 cards from real Master Brewer Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Sensory Evaluation & Beer Styles flashcards as text
What distinguishes a 'lager' from an 'ale' in terms of fermentation classification?
Answer: Lagers use bottom-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus) at cold temperatures; ales use top-fermenting yeast (S. cerevisiae) at warmer temperatures
The fundamental distinction is yeast species and temperature: lager yeast ferments at 35–55°F and settles at the bottom, while ale yeast ferments at 60–75°F.
Which sensory flaw in beer is described as 'wet cardboard' or 'paper' and is caused by oxidation of stale fatty acids?
Answer: Trans-2-nonenal (cardboard/papery)
Trans-2-nonenal is the primary aldehyde responsible for the cardboard or papery stale flavor that develops when beer is exposed to oxygen after fermentation.
What is the defining characteristic that makes a beer a 'Lambic' style?
Answer: It is spontaneously fermented by wild airborne microorganisms including Brettanomyces and lactic acid bacteria
Lambic is produced in the Pajottenland region of Belgium through spontaneous fermentation, where wild yeast and bacteria from the environment inoculate the wort in open coolships.
A Master Brewer conducting a forced aging test heats samples at 60°C (140°F) for several days. What is the primary purpose of this accelerated shelf-life test?
Answer: To predict how the beer will taste after months of real-time aging and identify oxidation susceptibility
Forced aging accelerates the oxidation reactions that occur over time, allowing brewers to quickly assess staling potential and package quality without waiting months.
Which tasting descriptor scale, widely used in the brewing industry, was developed at the European Brewery Convention to standardize sensory language?
Answer: The Meilgaard Beer Flavor Wheel
The Meilgaard Beer Flavor Wheel provides a standardized vocabulary of 122 flavor descriptors organized in a two-tier wheel, enabling consistent sensory communication across breweries.
What does the term 'attenuation' measure in finished beer evaluation?
Answer: The degree to which yeast has converted fermentable sugars into alcohol and CO2
Attenuation, expressed as a percentage, compares original gravity to final gravity to show how completely the yeast fermented the available sugars.
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