Preliminary Study of the Effect of Short Maceration with Cherry and Oak Wood Chips on the Volatile Composition of Different Craft Beers

In the last few years, the production and consumption of craft beers has increased notably. However, there is restricted knowledge about the potential impact of chips from different wood species on beer quality. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the effect of the addition of wood chips from cherry and oak species—after the fermentation was completed and during a brief maceration time—on the volatile composition of three different beer groups (Ale, Lager, and Porter) through a headspace solid-phase dynamic extraction (HS-SPDE) and GC-MS analysis. Fifty-six volatile compounds from different chemical families (esters, alcohols, terpenes, acids, aldehydes, ketones, and pyrazines) were detected, identified, and considered in this study. In general, the volatile composition of the beers macerated with wood chips was very similar to that of the control beers. However, the control beers showed higher volatile compound levels. The results suggest potential interactions between beer volatile compounds and the wood chips during maceration. The outcomes of this research could be of practical interest to brewers since they could improve the knowledge of the impact of short-time contact and low wood chip concentration on the volatile composition of different craft beers.