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Sensory

Consistently producing beer that is free of off flavors and true-to-brand is of paramount importance to the success of any brewery. A trained human palate is a powerful tool and a sensory panel is an essential, fundamental element of any beer quality program. The resources in this section will empower breweries of all sizes to build sensory programs to help them produce the highest quality beers.

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mobile playlist icon Off Flavor Management Glass of beer with off flavor icons around it

Off Flavor Management

The fact sheets in this series describe common beer off flavors and how they can be prevented through proactive measures.Read More

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Brewers Association

The Quality Subcommittee envisions a membership that consistently produces beer of high quality. Quality for this purpose has been defined as: a beer that is responsibly produced using wholesome ingredients, consistent brewing techniques and good manufacturing practices, which exhibits flavor characteristics that are consistently aligned with both the brewer’s and the beer drinker’s expectations.

See Quality Subcommittee's Articles

How To Manage Off Flavors in Beer: Hop Smoke Taint Pilsner glass with beer next to words

How To Manage Off Flavors in Beer: Hop Smoke Taint

Download this cheat sheet on detecting and managing hop smoke taint by the Brewers Association Quality Subcommittee.Read More

Link to author biography
Brewers Association

The Quality Subcommittee envisions a membership that consistently produces beer of high quality. Quality for this purpose has been defined as: a beer that is responsibly produced using wholesome ingredients, consistent brewing techniques and good manufacturing practices, which exhibits flavor characteristics that are consistently aligned with both the brewer’s and the beer drinker’s expectations.

See Quality Subcommittee's Articles

Hop Selection Guidelines for Brewers

Hop Selection Guidelines for Brewers

Learn the objectives, logistics, and things to expect during hop selection, as well as what to do if you cannot select this year.Read More

Link to author biography
Brewers Association

The Supply Chain Subcommittee is concerned with the ingredients and materials that are used to brew and package craft beers. By monitoring hop and barley harvest, interacting with growers and examining packaging supplies, and monitoring glass and can markets, the Supply Chain Subcommittee works to ensure a stable marketplace and provide educational resources to the brewing community on best practices for sourcing and selecting ingredients and packaging materials to suit their beers.

See Supply Chain Subcommittee's Articles

Hop Evaluation Guidelines for Brewers

Hop Evaluation Guidelines for Brewers

The Brewers Association Supply Chain Subcommittee shares helpful tips and best practices for evaluating hops at selection.Read More

Link to author biography
Brewers Association

The Supply Chain Subcommittee is concerned with the ingredients and materials that are used to brew and package craft beers. By monitoring hop and barley harvest, interacting with growers and examining packaging supplies, and monitoring glass and can markets, the Supply Chain Subcommittee works to ensure a stable marketplace and provide educational resources to the brewing community on best practices for sourcing and selecting ingredients and packaging materials to suit their beers.

See Supply Chain Subcommittee's Articles

How To Manage Off Flavors in Beer: Isovaleric Acid cheese icon with text isovaleric acid and pilsner glass with beer

How To Manage Off Flavors in Beer: Isovaleric Acid

Discover how to prevent isovaleric acid, which often imparts unpleasant sweaty sock or cheesy off-aromas when present above threshold. Read More

Link to author biography
Brewers Association

The Quality Subcommittee envisions a membership that consistently produces beer of high quality. Quality for this purpose has been defined as: a beer that is responsibly produced using wholesome ingredients, consistent brewing techniques and good manufacturing practices, which exhibits flavor characteristics that are consistently aligned with both the brewer’s and the beer drinker’s expectations.

See Quality Subcommittee's Articles
ingredients
  1. Seminar

2025 Researcher Presentations

Craft Brewers Conference 2025Indianapolis, IndianaSpeaker(s): Zach Gaines, Gabriela Montandon, Roxana Navarro, Patrice Palmer, Xiang Yin

Hear brief presentations from researchers doing work relevant to the craft beer industry.Read More

Remote Hop Selection Guidelines for Brewers hands holding hops

Remote Hop Selection Guidelines for Brewers

Learn if performing hop selection remotely rather than in person makes sense for you, and know all the do's and don'ts for success.Read More

Link to author biography
Brewers Association

The Supply Chain Subcommittee is concerned with the ingredients and materials that are used to brew and package craft beers. By monitoring hop and barley harvest, interacting with growers and examining packaging supplies, and monitoring glass and can markets, the Supply Chain Subcommittee works to ensure a stable marketplace and provide educational resources to the brewing community on best practices for sourcing and selecting ingredients and packaging materials to suit their beers.

See Supply Chain Subcommittee's Articles

How To Manage Off Flavors in Beer: Ethyl Acetate ethyl acetate icon and formula with crisp beer

How To Manage Off Flavors in Beer: Ethyl Acetate

Download this cheat sheet on detecting and managing ethyl acetate, written by the Brewers Association Quality Subcommittee.Read More

Link to author biography
Brewers Association

The Quality Subcommittee envisions a membership that consistently produces beer of high quality. Quality for this purpose has been defined as: a beer that is responsibly produced using wholesome ingredients, consistent brewing techniques and good manufacturing practices, which exhibits flavor characteristics that are consistently aligned with both the brewer’s and the beer drinker’s expectations.

See Quality Subcommittee's Articles

How To Manage Off Flavors in Beer: Metallic metallic icon with pilsner beer

How To Manage Off Flavors in Beer: Metallic

Metallic off-flavors in beer arise from metal ions that can come from several sources, including brewery equipment and some raw materials.Read More

Link to author biography
Brewers Association

The Quality Subcommittee envisions a membership that consistently produces beer of high quality. Quality for this purpose has been defined as: a beer that is responsibly produced using wholesome ingredients, consistent brewing techniques and good manufacturing practices, which exhibits flavor characteristics that are consistently aligned with both the brewer’s and the beer drinker’s expectations.

See Quality Subcommittee's Articles
Displaying results 1-10 of 84