DETERMINATION OF VICINAL DIKETONES IN BEER BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY (HEADSPACE TECHNIQUE) - COLLABORATIVE TRIAL

Two methods for the determination of vicinal diketones in beer have been collaboratively tested by the Analysis Committee of the Institute of Brewing and are recommended for use. Both methods employ gas chromatography and are essentially the same, except that one relies on the use of a packed column and the other on a capillary column. For diacetyl it was judged that repeatability (r95) values were independent of concentration over the range 0.04 to 0.19 mg/litre. Over this range, r95 values for diacetyl of 0.028, 0.020 and 0.026 mg/litre were obtained for capillary, packed columns and combined results respectively. Values for reproducibility (R95) were judged to be dependent on the mean level (m). R95 values were 0.032 + 0.68 m, 0.01 + 0.47 m and 0.005 + 0.67 m were obtained for capillary, packed columns and combined results respectively. For both methods the r95 and R95 values for 2,3-pentanedione were judged to be independent of concentration over the range 0.02 to 0.07 mg/litre. For capillary columns, packed columns and combined results respectively, r95, values were 0.009, 0.009, 0.010 mg/litre and R95 values were 0.037, 0.042 and 0.038 mg/litre.