Welcome to “Searching for Thiols: Season 6.” The plot is getting more complicated, but it includes looking beyond hops to find more thiols to pack into beer, developing new yeast strains, and reconsidering practices both in the brewhouse and on the farm.
Spoiler alert: More research may be needed.
First, a recap. Twenty years ago, Japanese scientist Toru Kishimoto identified polyfunctional thiols as a potential contributor to tropical and other fruity aromas in hops, either on their own or acting synergistically with other hop compounds. He focused on three that are present in passion fruit and sauvignon blanc wine. (For more background, also see “The Complex Case of Thiols,” beerandbrewing.com.)
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