Development of a Cost-Effective Method for MBT Detection in Beer

3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol (MBT) is a common side product in the brewing of beer that produces undesirable flavors at concentrations of parts per trillion. Detection of MBT by large-scale breweries is traditionally performed using gas chromatography, but a less expensive spectrophotometric method has been investigated for use by microbreweries involving the use of a chromene derivative as a probe. Solutions containing MBT were mixed with the probe and observed with UV/Vis spectroscopy, and reduction in the probe's characteristic absorbance peak was recorded. It was determined that the chromene probe is able to detect the presence of MBT in solution at concentrations of parts per million. An extraction method for beer was also investigated to allow any MBT present to be analyzed with the new method. Further research is required to optimize the detection method to allow detection of MBT at concentrations of parts per trillion, and to determine the efficacy of the probe in extractions from spiked samples of beer.