This is also heavily driven by the nutrient package that you provide the yeast. I've seen high variation in seltzer base (from nearly 0 to well above the legal/health limits) depending on the nutrient - DAP, Fermpro, Winemakeri, Urea, BSG, Gusmer, etc.)
If you're making wine, seltzer, cider or other low nutrient beverages, it's a good idea to know where you are at, especially if your distribution takes you into Canada. And continue to explore/optimize your recipes.
Beer doesn't usually have much of an issue with EC manifestation - for reasons I can only speculate being related to FAN, fermentation velocity and other trace minerals.
Cheers!
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Tim Faith
Brewing Manager / Brewmaster
Octopi Brewing
Waunakee WI
(847) 400-4745
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-24-2023 12:53
From: Campbell Morrissy
Subject: Ethyl Carbamate
As Alex mentioned, fermentation can produce EC but at levels well below the regulatory thresholds (100-400ppb depending on country). The US has a voluntary limit of 125ppb but I believe that is only in spirits and not sure if beer is covered under that.
I am mostly curious as to the motivation to track EC during fermentation? This stems from an academic perspective as some of my graduate research focused on developing GN0 barley varieties for the distilling industry and I am curious if there is interest in these from a subset of the brewing community. If you were concerned with the low levels you could insist on GN0 barley from your suppliers. There are now commercially available options in the US and Canada and more coming.
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Campbell Morrissy, PhD
Director of Brewery Operations
pFriem Family Brewers
Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2023 12:51
From: R. Speers
Subject: Ethyl Carbamate
Dear "anonymous"
1) CFIA surveyed 125 samples of beer and found two samples with 2ppb, <https://inspection.canada.ca/food-safety-for-industry/food-chemistry-and-microbiology/food-safety-testing-reports-and-journal-articles/ethyl-carbamate-in-alcoholic-beverages-and-vinegar/eng/1597087278233/1597088245822>
In all sake, wine, spirit and liqueur samples, the levels of EC met Maximum Limits (MLs) established by Health Canada (HC)Footnote 9. There are no regulations in Canada for EC levels in beer..... It would seem not to be a concern in Canada.
2) In China, "Result of a survey of ethyl carbamate (EC) in beer was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). 217 samples were purchased from supermarkets in five cities of China. The concentrations of EC ranged from n.d. to 19.6 μg/kg with an average level of 2.2 μg/kg, and positive rate was 95.4%. Mean in domestic beer (N = 142, incidence 97.3%) was 1.8 μg/kg," <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713517301639>.
3) From, <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02652039709374503>:Data on ethyl carbamate concentrations in beers purchased and analysed between 1988 and 1990 are presented. The concentrations in draught beers were uniformly below the detection limit of 1 μg/l. Canned beers contained rather more ethyl carbamate (up to 2.5 μg/l) which is considered to be due to their longer shelf‐life and higher alcohol content (in some cases). Bottled beers contained even higher amounts of ethyl carbamate (up to 14.7 μg/l) and this was considered to be due to the use of azodicarbonamide as a blowing agent in the beer bottle cap liners. It is understood that modifications to the liner have led to reduced concentrations in bottled beers produced more recently.
All of this information was looked up on GOOGLE SCHOLAR.
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Alex Speers B.Sc. (Agr.), Ph.D.,FIBD
Kootenay Consulting
Original Message:
Sent: 10-20-2023 13:58
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Ethyl Carbamate
This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
Is anyone in the industry testing ethyl carbamate concentrations after fermentation? Bonus points if you are testing on a GCMS!