Relationships Among Barley, Malt, and Beer Phenolics. V. M. Bendelow and D. E. LaBerge. J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 37:0089, 1979.

Cultivar differences in barley phenolic content were determined by an automated method, and the level of these compounds could be reduced by plant breeding. The correlation between barley and malt phenolic content was 0.90 and that between barley and beer was 0.74. Although other barley and malt properties evidently influence the amount of polyphenol in beer, a high phenolic level in barley is reflected in the level of beer polyphenols and may have a detrimental effect on beer quality. High phenolic levels can be detected easily during barley breeding programs.

Keywords: Barley breeding, Beer quality, Polyphenols