Molecular Networks and Macromolecular Molar Mass Distributions for Preliminary Characterization of Danish Craft Beers

Abstract

Beer is one of the most widely consumed beverages containing up to 200,000 unique small molecules and a largely uncharacterized macromolecular and particulate space. The chemical profiling of beer is difficult due to its complex nature. To address this issue, we have used various state-of-the-art methods to determine the physicochemical characteristics of beer. Specifically, we have successfully generated an LC-MS-based molecular network with minimal sample preparation to profile indoles in beer and confirmed their presence using 1H-NMR. In addition, we have identified different macromolecular signatures in beer of different colors by utilizing AF4-MALS. These preliminary findings lay the foundation for further research on the physicochemical nature of beer.