Belgian researchers are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to make their nation’s world-famous beer taste even better.
Researchers from KU Leuven University, led by Professor Kevin Verstrepen, are using AI to explore the intricate complexities of aroma perception.
“Beer — like most food products — contains hundreds of different aroma molecules that get picked up by our tongue and nose, and our brain then integrates these into one picture. However, the compounds interact with each other, so how we perceive one depends also on the concentrations of the others,” Verstrepen said.
The AI models built from these data sets were used to predict taste profiles based on the beer’s chemical composition. The models then suggested enhancements to a commercial beer, such as adding lactic acid and glycerol, which improved panelist ratings on several parameters, including sweetness and body.
“Tiny changes in the concentrations of chemicals can have a big impact, especially when multiple components start changing,” said Verstrepen. And although AI can help brewers understand how to make beer better, it cannot — as of yet — brew the beer for them.
“The AI models predict the chemical changes that could optimise a beer, but it is still up to brewers to make that happen starting from the recipe and brewing methods,” he said.
