VIEW ARTICLE    DOI: 10.1094/ASBCJ-53-0157

Arabinoxylan Content of Commercial Beers. Paul B. Schwarz and Jee-Yup Han, Department of Cereal Science, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105. J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 53(4):157-159, 1995. Accepted March 29, 1995. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. American Society of Brewing Chemists, Inc., 1995.

Fifteen commercial beers representing four product categories were screened for arabinoxylan and beta-glucan content. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in the levels both of arabinoxylans and beta-glucans were detected between the beers and probably reflect differences in the levels of adjunct utilized. Beer arabinoxylan content ranged from 514 µg/ml in a domestic light beer to 4,211 µg/ml in a German wheat beer. The concentration of beta-glucan in all beers was several-fold lower than the corresponding arabinoxylan content. Beer beta-glucan content ranged from 0.3 µg/ml to 247.7 µg/ml. Both arabinoxylan and beta-glucan content were found to be significantly related to beer viscosity. The results of this study suggest that arabinoxylans may account for up to 10% of the total beer carbohydrate, and further that the role of arabinoxylans in malting, brewing, and beer quality should be more intensely investigated.