STUDIES ON BARLEY AND MALT WITH THE RAPID VISCOANALYSER: [III] THE PREDICTION OF MALTING POTENTIAL FROM VISCOGRAMS

Examination of the relationships between extract and viscogram data of malts suggested the measurement of Time to Peak as a cultivar-independent measure of quality potential. This was tested against a large number of samples from the routine assessment programme. Both barleys and malts were examined. Some comparisons with the Falling Number Apparatus are reported. Prediction of malting potential from the differences between viscograms of barleys with and without added enzyme was also assessed. No measurement from the viscogram of barley was sufficiently accurate for predicting malting potential of a population of crossbreds from a breeding programme.     

STUDIES ON THE MALTING POTENTIAL OF BARLEY AND MALT WITH THE FALLING NUMBER APPARATUS

The Falling Number Apparatus was investigated as a possible technique for the identification of barleys and malts with high malting potential. The FN method was not as accurate or as rapid as that based on Pearling Resistance. The effect of increasing times of malting on the Falling Times of malts was also investigated to determine whether the progress of malting could be monitored, as was the effect of different cultivars. Testing under conditions inhibitory to amylolytic activity was found necessary to give useful results. Some comparisons with the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) are presented.     

CONTROLLING MALTING LOSSES WITH ANOXIA,CARBON DIOXIDE,AND SULPHUR DIOXIDE

Micromalting trials were used to evaluate the effectiveness of various treatments with anaeroblosis, carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide in controlling malting losses with grain treated with gibberellic acid. Periods of increasing anoxia, with carbon dioxide accumulation as in Kropff malting, produced malt with a reduced malting loss and a lower hot water extract than control malting. Covering germinating barley with atmospheres containing various partial pressures of carbon dioxide reduced malting losses, but the resulting malts were usually inferior in quality to the controls. Sulphur dioxide gas, applied to moist germinating barley three days after casting, reduced malting losses by almost 3%, and increased the hot water extract by about 3 lb./Qr. relative to control malts. The treated malt occupied less space than the control, and the heat output was reduced. Sulphur dioxide treatment and only 4 days' germination produced a malt in high yield, with an extract identical to that of a control malt germinated for five days. The sulphur dioxide malts yielded worts with lower pH and higher soluble nitrogen values than the control and the fermentability of the worts was normal.     

VARIATION IN pH AND LACTATE LEVELS IN MALTS

Malt pH, defined as the pH of worts prepared by the Institute of Brewing Methods of Analysis, was examined in commercial malts from a single malting plant over four crop years, 1990 to 1993. Batch to batch variability was found, in addition to a distinct pattern within two of the years, with a gradual decrease in the winter months following commencement of malting of the new crop barley, followed by a subsequent increase in the late summer. Variability in pH and the longer term trend were not related to any measured processing variables or characteristics of the barley used for malting. Possible reasons for the differences in pH were examined and a negative relationship between malt pH and wort lactate content was demonstrated in a selection of malts from two crop years. A method is proposed for extraction and purification of lactate directly from malt and using this method it was shown that lactate in wort derives mainly from malt with only small amounts being produced during mashing.     

Effect of Different Steeping Conditions on Endosperm Modification and Quality of Distilling Malt

This study showed that when barley was steeped in water for either 8 h or 16 h, hydration of endosperm materials was suboptimal and modification of endosperm materials of barley malt was inadequate. The malt produced under these steeping regimes gave poor friability scores and produced a large number of whole grains. When barley was steeped for 24 h on a continuous basis, or when a regimented standard steeping method was used, the malt produced gave higher friability scores and a much lower number of whole grains. An important relationship was found between friability scores and whole grain results for the malt samples produced under these conditions. Optic barley, whose endosperm was more difficult to hydrate, gave a strong negative correlation between friability scores and number of whole grains at R² = 0.8689. Oxbridge, whose endosperm was more easily hydrated, gave a much stronger negative correlation between friability scores and number of whole grains at R² = 0.9769. Rapid visco‐analysis (RVA) results also confirmed that steeping the barley samples for only 8 h or 16 h produced malt that modified poorly as the RVA peak viscosities were very high. RVA pasting results further confirmed that when barley was steeped for 24 h on a continuous basis, or when a standard regimented steeping method was used, good quality malt was produced and no differences were found in the RVA peak viscosities of the barley malt samples produced under the two different steeping conditions. The results of protein breakdown (proteolysis) during these experiments, measured in terms of total soluble nitrogen (TSN) production, or soluble nitrogen ratio (SNR) further confirmed that optimal proteolysis was achieved when barley was steeped for either 24 h on a continuous basis, or with a standard steep. Optimal results were also found for hot water ex‐tractable materials such as hot water extract (HWE) and free amino nitrogen (FAN) when barley was steeped for 24 h or the standard steep. The 24 h continuous steep for barley produced quality malt comparable to that obtained when the standard regimented steep was used for steeping barley. For both Optic and Oxbridge barley, with a 24 h continuous steep, produced malt that gave significantly higher fermentabilities and PSY values, regardless of germination time, than those obtained using a standard regimented steep. Therefore steeping barley for 24 h on a continuous basis prior to malting will produce good quality malt for some barley samples/varieties. This will help to reduce water usage during steeping, will save steeping time thereby reducing malting time and will reduce the amount of water for effluent treatment. All of these factors result in an overall cost saving for the malting industry.     

COMPOSITION OF NON-STARCH POLYSACCHARIDES IN WORT AND SPENT GRAIN FROM BREWING TRIALS WITH MALT FROM A GOOD MALTING QUALITY BARLEY AND A FEED BARLEY

Worts and spent grains were obtained from pilot-scale brews using malts of two barley varieties differing in malting quality. Triumph was used as an example of a good malting quality barley and Golf as a typical feed grade barley. Arabinoxylan concentrations were similar in worts of both varieties, whereas (1–3), (1–4)-β-glucan concentrations were much higher in wort prepared from Golf malt than in wort from Triumph malt. From the worts, polysaccharide fractions were isolated by ethanol precipitation and characterised. Results indicated the presence of high molecular weight arabinoxylans and (1–3), (1–4)-β-glucans. The arabinose to xylose ratios in the precipitates were considerably higher than in total worts. Methylation analysis showed little differences between precipitated wort arabinoxylans from both varieties. In comparison to water-insoluble arabinoxylans extracted from barley and malt, the precipitated wort arabinoxylans were richer in xylopyranose residues substituted with arabinose residues at both 0–2 and 0–3. Viscosities of the hopped worts of both varieties decreased after treatment with endoxylanase 1 from Aspergillus awamori. This confirms that arabinoxylans play a role in determining wort viscosity, possibly through interactions with (1–3), (1–4)-β-glucans.     

STUDIES ON BARLEY AND MALT WITH THE RAPID VISCOANALYSER: [II] THE EFFECTS OF MODIFICATION ON VISCOGRAMS

The effects of modification on the rapid viscograms of barley and malt were investigated. Relationships between viscogram data and time of modification were examined under conditions of autolysis at highand low temperatures and enzyme inhibition at high temperature. The progress of modification of malts could be monitored by any of several viscogram measurements. Within varieties, almost all the characteristics of the rapid viscogram had close relationships to extract values. A significant exception was Time-to-peak under conditions of enzyme inhibition. Some comparisons with the Falling Number Apparatus are reported.     

Effect of electron-beam irradiation on the safety and quality of Fusarium-infected malting barley

Utilization of Fusarium-infected barley for malting may lead to mycotoxin production during malting and decreased malt quality. Electron-beam irradiation may prevent safety and quality defects and allow use of otherwise good quality barley. We evaluated electron-beam irradiation for preventing Fusarium growth and mycotoxin production while maintaining barley-malt quality characteristics. Four barley lots with varying deoxynivalenol (DON) concentrations were irradiated at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 kGy. Treated barley was malted in a pilot-scale malting unit. Barley and malt were analyzed for Fusarium infection (FI), germinative energy (GE), aerobic plate counts (APC), mold and yeast counts (MYC), and DON. Malt quality parameters included malt extract, soluble protein, wort color, wort viscosity, free amino nitrogen, alpha-amylase, and diastatic power. FI, APC, and MYC decreased in barley with an increase in dosage. The APC and MYC for malts from barley exposed to 8–10 kGy were slightly higher than in other malted samples indicating that irradiation-resistant microflora could flourish during malting. Barley GE significantly decreased (3–15%) at 8–10 kGy. Although irradiation had no effect on DON in raw barley, DON decreased significantly (60–100%) in finished malts prepared from treated barley (6–10 kGy). Malt quality parameters were slightly affected by electron-beam radiation. The results suggest 6–8 kGy may be effective for reducing FI in barley and DON in malt with minimal effects on malt quality.     

Effects of nitrogen application on malt modification and dimethyl sulfide precursor production in two Japanese barley cultivars

BACKGROUND: Nitrogenous components have a great influence on both malt and beer qualities. Barley storage proteins are degraded during the germination process, in which amino acids and small peptides are released. Some of these compounds relate to dimethyl sulfide precursor production in the malting process. In this study, barley and malt qualities were investigated using two Japanese barley cultivars, Sukai Golden and Mikamo Golden, with several different nitrogen (N) treatments. RESULTS: Nitrogen top‐dressing treatments efficiently increased N and sulfur (S) concentrations in grains. A difference in malt modification was induced by these treatments without any change in protease activity in malts. S‐Methyl methionine (SMM) concentration in malt of Sukai Golden with low‐N treatment was 1.8–2.1 times higher than that with higher‐N treatments. Methionine concentration in malts was not significantly affected by N treatments of both cultivars, while grain S level was not consistent under any treatments. CONCLUSION: Results show that low‐N treatment increases SMM concentration in malts despite major S‐containing amino acids of malts being not highly affected by the difference in nutrient status of grains. Further investigations are necessary into aspects of both metabolic profiles in barley germination and SMM degradation in the kilning process. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

MALT PROCESSING STABILITY OF BARLEY CULTIVARS — A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

This paper presents a simple statistical analysis of malting process stability of barley cultivars grown for three years in the Mississippi Valley Six-rowed Uniform Barley Nursery and in the Western United States Two-rowed Uniform Barley Nursery. The effects of variety, location, and year on barley and malt quality were investigated. First, the Duncan Multiple Range Test was used to determine whether there were any varietal, location and year differences in barley and malt properties. The effects of variety, location, and year on various characteristics were further studied by comparing differences between extremes for the two-rowed and six-rowed barleys. Second, correlations between various properties were determined by calculating simple correlation coefficients. Barley nitrogen is the single most important parameter which affects extensively the processing characteristics of barley in malting and brewing, so the partial correlation coefficients, independent of total barley nitrogen, also were calculated. Third, the effects of variety, location, year, variety × location, variety × year, and location × year, were tested with variety × location × year as the estimate of error for each of the barley and malting properties. The stability model was designed to evaluate stability of all barley and malt properties. Based on the principle of regression analysis, the stability was measured by regression coefficient and the varietal mean of each barley and malting property. Stability (over years and locations) for kernel weight was significantly higher in the new than in the old cultivars. Improvements in stabilities of total extract and fine-coarse grind extract were greater and more consistent for the six-rowed than for the two-rowed barley malts. This reflects, presumably, the generally more satisfactory total extract and fine-coarse grind extract in the two-rowed barley malts than in the six-rowed barley malts.     

USE OF THE HAGBERG FALLING NUMBER APPARATUS TO DETERMINE MALT AND BARLEY QUALITY

The Hagberg Falling Number measurement, widely used in the milling industry for assessing the baking quality of wheat flour, has been modified and used as a rapid mashing technique to assess malt quality. Barley Malt flour is mixed with cold mashing liquor containing 0.1% calcium chloride and 15 mM beta-mercapto-ethanol. The slurry is heated and mixed by the Falling Number apparatus, and the starch is gelatinized. After one minute of heating/mixing the stirring rods are raised and released. As the gelatinized starch is hydrolysed by amylases, the viscosity of the slurry decreases allowing the stirring rods to fall. The time taken for these rods to fall a fixed distance is called the Falling Number. A relationship has been determined between the Falling Number obtained for a malt and the quality of the malt. Poor quality malts had a high Falling Number (e.g. >200s) whilst good malts had a low Falling Number (e.g. <150s). The correlation coefficient between Falling Number and Hot Water Extract (IOB coarse grind) was ?0.89, and between Falling Number and Friability was ?0.96. These good correlations indicate the measurement was influenced by the degree of endosperm modification. Being a mashing technique, however, the Falling Number was also influenced by other factors which influence mashing such as enzyme complement and water binding. This technique has the potential to measure malt quality using a commercial apparatus more rapidly than present malt analyses. No significant relationship could be determined between the Falling Number and the malting quality of barley.     

MALTING CHARACTERISTICS OF FINGER MILLET,SORGHUM AND BARLEY*

The malting characteristics of the finger millet variety Imele (FI), sorghum varieties Andivo (SA) and Ingumba (SI) and the barley variety Research (BR) were compared in relation to the brewing of traditional African opaque beer as well as conventional lager beer. The investigations include (a) the effect of steeping and germination conditions, (b) the influence of gibberellic acid and kilning temperature on the activity of important brewing enzymes and (c) an appraisal of the brewing potential of the worts obtained. FI, SA and SI malts were considered unsuitable as barley malt extenders for conventional lager beers, but FI and possibly SI malts would be suitable for tropical lager beer manufacture.     

STARCH HYDROLYSIS IN MALTING AND MASHING

Starch hydrolysis in malting and mashing processes was studied by gel chromatography on Sepharose Cl 4B. The final molecular weight distribution of starch components in malt differs from those in barley. During malting a molecular weight fraction close to the void volume appears as an intermediate product. Minor differences in starch hydrolysis in mashes with different malts is obtained, though the final dextrin composition of the worts is similar.     

A study on malt modification,used as a tool to reduce levels of beer hordeins

Storage proteins from barley, wheat and rye are toxic to gluten sensitive consumers. These consumers include those suffering from coeliac disease, which account for up to 1% of the global population, and non‐coeliac gluten sensitivity that may affect even greater numbers of the population. Codex Alimentarius has published guidelines and limits of gluten in gluten‐free foods, which are applied in Europe, and similar guidelines apply in the rest of the world. The storage proteins present in barley are hordeins. These proteins are broken down and used by the plant as a source of amino acids during germination and growth of the barley embryo. The objective of this study was to extend the germination stage of the malting process and look at the effect on beer hordeins. Standard MEBAK methods were used to develop an extended malting process and produce three different malts, germinated for 3, 5 or 7 days. The quality of malt was assessed and model beers were produced from each malt to test the effect of modification on levels of beer hordeins. Malt germinated for 7 days produced beer 18 mg/kg hordeins corresponding to a reduction of 44% compared with the beer made from malt germinated for 3 days characterized by a hordein content equal to 32 mg/kg. The malting loss was increased during the 7 days of germination but otherwise all malts were of high quality. The results showed that malting conditions have a significant impact on beer hordeins. Copyright © 2018 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

AMMONIUM PERSULPHATE IN MALTING: CONTROL OF NDMA AND INCREASED YIELD OF MALT EXTRACT

Application of ammonium persulphate to barley just beginning to germinate, allows the production of malts with a low NDMA content, even when high NO, conditions are used during kilning. No other palliative, such as sulphuring, is required. Like bromate, the persulphate reduces root growth and malting loss but, unlike bromate, it does not restrict nitrogen modification. It appears to enhance the effect of gibberellic acid. Use of persulphate, therefore, not only gives a greater yield of malt but can also give more extract from a given weight of malt. It may also facilitate the malting of inferior barley samples.     

使用快速黏度分析仪(RVA)预测大麦预发芽损伤及其影响因素

使用快速黏度分析仪(rapid visco-analyzer,RVA)测定大麦的黏度并通过其特征值可以预测大麦预发芽程度,目前尚无统一的EBC、ASBC标准方法。大麦水分、品种特异性、粉碎粒度等因素在一定程度上影响此方法检测结果。文中建立了一种RVA检测方法,并分析了不同因素对其特征值的影响。实验结果显示,品种初始质量、粉碎粒度对大麦RVA值影响较大,水分影响较小。RVA对大麦预发芽程度的预测相关性显著,可作为一种快速、灵敏、简便的方法,预测大麦预发芽损伤。     

MALTING AND BREWING WITH BARLEYS HAVING BLUE ALEURONES

Blue aleurones in barley are associated with elevated levels of polyphenolic materials such as anthocyanins and anthocyanidins. A rapid method has been developed for assessing the anthocyanin content of barleys, malts and worts. Malts were prepared from a range of barleys, some of which had intensely blue aleurones, while others were only slightly blue or showed no visible pigmentation. The malting quality of barley was not affected by aleurone colour and ales and lagers of sound flavour as well as acceptable analytical parameters were brewed from malts having pronounced blue aleurones. In some cases sweet worts prepared from blue aleurone malts had a slight pinkish tinge, but this disappeared during wort boiling, and beer colours were normal. Levels of anthocyanins in barley correlated with those in malt and in wort. However, the concentration of anthocyanins was unrelated to the amount of anthocyanogens or total polyphenols. High anthocyanin levels in either barley or beer had no deleterious effects on beer flavour or the rate of haze development.     

Effect of different analysis conditions on Rapid Visco Analyser malt viscograms in relation to malt of varying fermentability

Malt fermentability is a difficult and time consuming trait to measure. The Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) was assessed as an alternative rapid method to indicate potential fermentability. This study evaluated changes in rheological profiles under different operational conditions and compared these changes with reference to malt fermentability from a limited number of samples. Viscosity measurements of samples were also made using different RVA (models 3D+ and 4) analysis conditions including a brewhouse time–temperature profile, heating/cooling rate, particle size and enzyme activity. Rheological measurements using the RVA‐3D + gave similar results compared with the RVA‐4, indicating adequate sensitivity of the RVA 3D+ for discriminatory purposes. Use of a time–temperature profile of a commercial brewery mashing process was unsuitable. When malt enzymes were inactivated with silver nitrate, differences in viscosities were observed. However, this eliminated the ability to discriminate on fermentability. Increasing or decreasing the heating rate influenced the time available for enzyme action, which affected the degree of discrimination. This also provided some insight into physical and biochemical processes affected by differences in particle size. RVA has the potential to be used as a tool to discriminate between poor and good fermentability barley malts. RVA conditions when using the ‘Kilned Malt’ method with an appropriate mashing malt–water ratio provided a fast and reliable indication of malt performance prior to conducting lengthy fermentability tests. Copyright © 2014 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

NEW MASHING SYSTEM FOR DETERMINATION OF LABORATORY EXTRACT

The method of preparation of laboratory wort by the Tepral mashing system provides a clear improvement in the evaluation of industrial malts and in the optimization of malting procedures. The equipment required is simple and easy to operate. The use of the method has shown significant differences in terms of both wort viscosity and extract yield between malt from 2-row spring barley (variety Carina) and malt from 2-row winter barley (variety Sonja), produced under identical industrial conditions: the Sonja malt gave fewer good results for finely ground malt than did the Carina malt.