The effect of Maillard reaction products and yeast strain on the synthesis of key higher alcohols and esters in beer fermentations

•The synthesis of higher alcohols and esters was investigated by GC-MS.•Alcohol levels were generally higher in beers produced using dark malts.•Esters were generally more abundant in the beers produced using pale malts.•Yeast strain is vital for understanding the flavour profile of the final product.

The effect of Maillard reaction products (MRPs), formed during the production of dark malts, on the synthesis of higher alcohols and esters in beer fermentations was investigated by headspace solid-phase microextraction GC-MS. Higher alcohol levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in dark malt fermentations, while the synthesis of esters was inhibited, due to possible suppression of enzyme activity and/or gene expression linked to ester synthesis. Yeast strain also affected flavour synthesis with Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain A01 producing considerably lower levels of higher alcohols and esters than S288c and L04. S288c produced approximately double the higher alcohol levels and around twenty times more esters compared to L04. Further investigations into malt type-yeast strain interactions in relation to flavour development are required to gain better understanding of flavour synthesis that could assist in the development of new products and reduce R&D costs for the industry.