GNPS - Characterization of Smoke Taint in Hops: Insights from Laboratory Simulation and Chemical Profiling

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) region contains approximately 97.5% of U.S. commercial hop acreage. In recent years, wildfire events have been increasing in both number and severity within the region. Currently, there is an extensive body of research from the wine industry on the impact of smoke taint in grapes, however, research investigating smoke taint in hops is limited. This study aims to characterize smoke taint in hops through laboratory simulated wildfire smoke exposure coupled with chemical profiling by nontargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results reveal that the chemical profiles of smoked hops varied across fuel types. Specifically, several known smoke taint markers, including guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol, as well as previously unreported compounds such xylopyranose were observed to be elevated in smoked hops compared to controls. This research provides a foundation for future studies to investigate various fuel types and their varying effects on hop quality.