Effect of the use of thermoplastic extruded corn or sorghum starches on the brewing performance of lager beers

abstract

© 2015 American Society of Brewing Chemists, Inc. The use of pregelatinized brewing adjuncts has the potential to reduce mashing times during the manufacturing of beer. In this investigation, pregelatinized corn and sorghum starches extruded with sodium stearoyl lactylate to reduce the formation of resistant starch and working viscosity were mashed to evaluate the brewing performance of resulting worts. Worts and lager beers produced with the double-mashing procedure were compared with traditionally produced counterparts. Sugar and ethanol levels were determined by HPLC with a refractive index detector, and free amino nitrogen was determined with the ninhydrin reagent test method. No statistically significant differences were found in maltose, maltotriose, or free amino nitrogen levels, either before (worts) or after the programmed yeast fermentation (beers). Glucose was less abundant in the control worts (7.3 versus 10 g/L) and depleted after seven days of fermentation. Wort volume adjusted to 12°P obtained per kilogram of dry matter was statistically similar (5.19-5.60 L/kg of raw material) in all cases. Carbohydrate and ethanol yields obtained by mashing with extruded brewing adjuncts were comparable to those obtained by the traditional method. The use of extruded corn or sorghum starches is a technically feasible alternative to double-mashing procedures in the production of lager beers. This alternative technology has the potential of reducing mashing times without compromising wort extract and beer yield.