Product Description
Cider flavour standards kit used to train professional tasters to recognize and scale the intensity of eight different taints.
Use them to deliver up to 20 hours of taster training for ten people. Comes complete with presentation case and one set of cider flavour cards.
AROXA™ certified cider flavour standards are: food grade | free from sensory impurities | extensively tested | safe to smell and taste. Unsure whether this kit is right for you? Don’t forget about our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
The importance and origins of each flavour are:
Flavour: BROMOPHENOL Chemical name: 2-BROMOPHENOL
“Bromophenol, like disinfectant or iodine, medicinal”
IMPORTANCE: Bromophenols, like all halophenols, Impart an unpleasant note to cider, which can be described by consumers as ‘chemical’ or ‘contaminated’. When they result from spoilage by Alicyclobacillus bacteria they are often associated with the presence of guaiacol, which contributes an additional smoky characteristic to the bromophenol taint.
ORIGINS: Bromophenols can taint product through contaminated ingredients or packaging. They are usually associated with use of recycled wood and cardboard. Off-flavours due to bromophenols can also arise due to growth of Alicyclobacillus bacteria in the apple juice prior to fermentation.
Flavour: CHLOROPHENOL Chemical name: 2,6-DICHLOROPHENOL
“Chlorophenol, like antiseptic, disinfectant or mouthwash”
IMPORTANCE: Chlorophenols cause taints in ciders. They are associated with a high degree of consumer rejection, even at low levels. They are often described by consumers as ‘chemical’, ‘antiseptic’ or ‘contaminated’.
ORIGINS: Chlorophenols are formed by admixture of incompatible cleaning agents or by contact of cider with chlorinated water. Chlorophenolic taints occasionally arise through contamination of processing aids or packaging materials.
Flavour: DMS Chemical name: DIMETHYL SULPHIDE
“DMS, like boiled sweetcorn or tomato sauce”
IMPORTANCE: Imparting a sweetcorn-like, sulphury note, DMS can also be indicative of contamination of the process with bacteria. Indole and skatole may also be found in ciders in which DMS has been produced by bacteria.
ORIGINS: DMS is a flavour contaminant which can be introduced to cider through use of insufficiently-purified carbon dioxide for carbonation. DMS can also arise through microbiological growth during fermentation.
Flavour: METALLIC Chemical name: FERROUS SULPHATE
“Metallic, like ink or blood”
IMPORTANCE: Metallic notes can be a taint, and occasionally an off-flavour, in cider. Cider mouthfeel is primarily affected but occasionally product odour can also be influenced by this flavour defect.
ORIGINS: Metallic taints can be derived from contamination of cider with metal ions, either from raw materials or from corrosion of factory equipment.
Flavour: GEOSMIN Chemical name: GEOSMIN
“Geosmin, like sugar beets or damp soil”
IMPORTANCE: Geosmin imparts an undesirable earthy note to cider which is reminiscent of sugar beets or damp soil. Associated with a moderate degree of consumer rejection. Ciders contaminated with geosmin can be described by consumers as ‘dirty’ or ‘contaminated’.
ORIGINS: Geosmin is imparted to cider through use of tainted fruit. Dirty filter used to filter finished cider pads have also been implicated in development of such flavours. The ultimate source of the taint is usually growth of Actinobacteria or certain fungi (including Botrytis and Penicillium).
Flavour: CATTY Chemical name: P-MENTHANE-8-THIOL-3-ONE
“Catty, like blackcurrant juice or tom cat urine”
IMPORTANCE: Various sulphur compounds Impart undesirable odours to cider, reminiscent of tom cat urine. Mesityl oxide contamination can arise from contact of raw materials with painted surfaces or plastic coatings. The presence of solvent materials such as acetone in the production environment can also be associated with such problems.
ORIGINS: Catty flavour arises due to contamination of juice with precursor materials. H2S produced during fermentation reacts with mesityl oxide to produce a catty note.
Flavour: MUSTY-TBA Chemical name: 2,4,6-TRIBROMOANISOLE
“Musty-TBA, like corked wine or a damp cellar”
IMPORTANCE: Tribromoanisole Imparts an unpleasant musty odour which is reminiscent of damp cellars or corked wine. This is one of the few flavours that can taint products through airborne contamination, even after the product has been packaged.
ORIGINS: Tribromoanisole taints are associated with use of recycled wood and cardboard. The compound can migrate across packaging materials to contaminate raw materials, filter aids, and beer.
Flavour: MUSTY-TCA Chemical name: 2,4,6-TRICHLOROANISOLE
“Musty-TCA, like corked wine or a damp cellar”
IMPORTANCE: Trichloroanisole imparts an unpleasant musty odour which is reminiscent of damp cellars or corked wine. This is one of the few flavours that can taint products through airborne contamination, even after the product has been packaged.
ORIGINS: Trichloroanisole contaminates product through ingredients, water, air, filter materials or packaging materials. Musty flavour problems like this are also associated with use of recycled materials such as wooden pallets and cardboard.
