Lallemand Brewing sensory kits, sold under the Siebel Institute of Technology brand, are shipped in ready-to-use liquid form, making them as easy to use as it can be.
Each kit is designed to help tasters build their skills towards understanding beer flavor at a truly professional level. While breweries with established tasting panel structures will find this kit valuable, it can also be used for “taster calibration” by others with an interest in beer including:
- Breweries training new & existing staff to spot beer defects more effectively.
- Brewers guilds looking to add value to their regularly-scheduled meetings.
- Homebrew groups and beer judges looking to sharpen judging and flavor recognition skills.
- Distributors, wholesalers and agents who need to be able to “talk the talk” about beer attributes with beer specialty retailers.
For more information about the Siebel Institute’s sensory training kits, please visit the Products section of the Siebel Institute website.
STEP 1:
To spike your beer sample: Find the appropriate vial. The painted band around the narrow
neck of the vial (the white line) means that the vial is ready to open without scoring.
IMPORTANT:
If there is liquid above the white line in the vial, gently tap with your finger to get all the liquid to
the bottom part of the vial.
STEP 2:
To open the vial, hold it with both hands, with one thumb against the narrow top section.
ADVICE:
You may want to protect your hands from broken glass by using a paper towel, light cloth or
piece of gauze when opening the vial.
STEP 3:
Hold the bottom of the vial firmly while pushing the top section away from you with easy, even
pressure. A light pressure should cleanly snap the vial open, while using too much force can
cause it to shatter.
STEP 4:
Pour the entire contents of the vial into an empty, clean glass or container that is capable of
holding the appropriate amount of beer as indicated on the kit’s outer packaging.
Add the appropriate amount of beer to the glass or container. This will yield approximately
three times the flavor threshold of the compound.
STEP 1: PREPARATION OF CONTROL AND SPIKED SAMPLE
Prepare a control (unspiked) and a spiked sample of beer. A typical serving is 80 ml to 100 ml per person.
STEP 2: AROMA IMPRESSION
Swirl the glass gently. “Drive” the sample by your nose while sniffing in for initial aroma impression. Use two or three short, sharp sniffs to allow the volatile components to reach the appropriate areas.
STEP 3: TASTE IMPRESSION
Take one or two small sips and allow the sample to sit on your tongue for taste impressions.
STEP 4: SWALLOW
Swallow the sample. This is necessary to allow evaluation of the sample’s bitterness component.