Cynthia Almaguer (1),
Thomas Becker (1), Martina Gastl (1); (1) Technische Universität
München – Lehrstuhl für Brau- und Getränketechnologie, Freising, Germany
Malt and Grains
Poster
The beverage industry has been experiencing some major changes.
Consumers are requesting beverage diversification as a response to
recent changes in trends and consumption habits. Brewers are expected to
react to this shift and create innovative beverages to meet the
demands. These tailored drinks should still deliver the nutritional
benefits of the raw materials used. To satisfy these market-driven
demands, brewers are looking for new diversification strategies. Brewers
could benefit from the combination of germination (malting) and
fermentation to enhance the nutritional and sensory quality of grain
(cereal/pseudocereal) based beverages. Malting involves the controlled
germination and subsequent drying of grains. By varying the processing
parameters during germination and drying, a variety of malts with
different attributes is obtained. The brewer’s main requirement of malt
is as a source of substrate, enzymes, and color. Suitable manipulation
of malting conditions could positively enhance the processing (milling,
mashing, filtering) properties as well as the flavor profile of the raw
materials. Fermentation is the oldest method of food preservation; it
can naturally enhance the flavor properties and health benefits of the
raw materials used. During fermentation synthesis or degradation
reactions occur, leading to the formation or decomposition of compounds.
Proper understanding of the by-product formation mechanisms is
essential for the brewer to benefit from the available brewing
technologies. For centuries, the main brewing cereal has been barley; in
some countries, wheat and sorghum are also commonly used. Other grains
rich in carbohydrates could also be suitable for brewing. For brewing it
is important to use high-quality raw materials. These should not only
be easy to brew with but also deliver desirable flavor profiles to the
finished beverage. In this study, different raw materials and
microorganisms were screened. In an attempt to understand the impact of
the malting process on the malt properties, three raw materials (barley,
rye, and quinoa) were investigated and compared. First, the influence
of three malting parameters (temperature, germination time, and
moisture) on the analytical and processing properties of the produced
malts was investigated. Subsequently, the standard malting parameters,
for each grain, were selected based on the processing properties (i.e.,
extract = max; viscosity = min). A standard malt was produced for each
of the raw materials investigated. The aroma profile of the produced
standard malts was determined, and the key aroma compounds were
identified. Changes in the key aroma compounds were monitored over the
course of the production process. Fermentable substrates were produced
with the standard malts and fermented with different microorganisms. The
flavor stability of the produced beverages was analyzed. By comparing
the sensory and analytical profiles of the produced beverages it is
possible to determine the impact of the raw material and microorganism
on the flavor profile. The collected data is useful as it discloses the
processing parameters needed to deliver positive aromas and flavors to
beverages.
In 2008, Cynthia Almaguer completed her B.S. degree in biochemical
engineering at Jacobs University in Bremen. She then started her
master’s degree in a collaborative project between the Institute of
Brewing and Beverage Technology (Prof. Thomas Becker) in
TUM-Weihenstephan and the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences
(Prof. Elke Arendt) in University College Cork. Her research project
aimed to understand and reveal the taste and antimicrobial contributions
of the hop hard resins in beer. Her hop project was funded by the
Barth-Haas Group. Cynthia is the 2010 recipient of the InBev-Baillet
Latour Fund Scholarship for Brewing and Malting to fund her Ph.D. work. A
significant portion of her current research activities are directed
toward beverage development and the investigation and understanding of
malt aroma.
