Changes in flavour and metal content of lager during storage

Lager was commercially packed into glass bottles and two batches of both steel and aluminium cans. The flavour was evaluated by two sensory techniques and the iron and aluminium measured after 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months storage. The triangle difference tests showed no statistically significant difference in twenty‐three out of the twenty‐six tests. Similarly, no overall difference was found, due to pack or time, by quantitative descriptive analysis between any of the samples, canned or bottled. There was, however, a trend with storage time for the odour of all the canned samples to increase in cabbage and decrease in fruity, buttery and aromatic attributes; the bottled lager did not show this trend. The iron content of the lager from all bottles, aluminium cans, and the 0, 1 and 3 month stored steel cans was generally less than 0.03 mg/l (the detection limit). From 4 months, the iron content of the lager from both batches of steel can varied markedly from can to can and on average increased; the concentration after 12 months storage varied from 0.03 to 1.43 mg/l. The amount of aluminium found in bottles and both types of can was always less than the detection level of 0.1 mg/l.