The impact of 10 unmalted alternative cereals and pseudocereals on wort characteristics

To meet current consumer demands and remain competitive in an evolving market, brewers are seeking to broaden their product range with new and innovative flavours. One way to achieve this is by (partially) replacing barley malt with less-common adjuncts. In a previous study, the characteristics with relevance for brewing of four ancient wheat varieties (einkorn, emmer, spelt and khorasan), three pseudocereals (quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat) and three alternative cereals (sorghum, teff and tritordeum) were characterized in detail. In this follow-up study, wort with 40% of these unmalted adjuncts was produced via Congress mashing with and without pregelatinization. Wort filtration after Congress mashing was fastest for khorasan, sorghum and tritordeum, and slowest for spelt, amaranth and teff, while extract yield was highest for khorasan and buckwheat, and lowest for amaranth, sorghum and teff. FAN content was substantially higher for 100% barley malt than for all unmalted adjuncts, except for khorasan, which had similar FAN to barley malt. Viscosity was exceptionally high for unmalted buckwheat, and soluble protein was remarkably low for both sorghum and teff. Polyphenol content was highest for quinoa, and lowest for khorasan and amaranth. A pregelatinization step (20 min at 95°C) before Congress mashing generally decreased wort filtration speed and/or extract yield, except for those adjuncts with high starch gelatinization temperature (quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum and teff). Furthermore, pregelatinization also markedly decreased glucose concentrations and increased maltose, maltotriose and maltotetraose concentrations for quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum and teff, most likely due to inactivation of their endogenous α-glucosidases. Discussing these results in more detail will help brewers with a rational implementation of these less-common unmalted adjuncts in their brewing processes for the further diversification of their product portfolio.To meet current consumer demands and remain competitive in an evolving market, brewers are seeking to broaden their product range with new and innovative flavours. One way to achieve this is by (partially) replacing barley malt with less-common adjuncts. In a previous study, the characteristics with relevance for brewing of four ancient wheat varieties (einkorn, emmer, spelt and khorasan), three pseudocereals (quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat) and three alternative cereals (sorghum, teff and tritordeum) were characterized in detail. In this follow-up study, wort with 40% of these unmalted adjuncts was produced via Congress mashing with and without pregelatinization. Wort filtration after Congress mashing was fastest for khorasan, sorghum and tritordeum, and slowest for spelt, amaranth and teff, while extract yield was highest for khorasan and buckwheat, and lowest for amaranth, sorghum and teff. FAN content was substantially higher for 100% barley malt than for all unmalted adjuncts, except for khorasan, which had similar FAN to barley malt. Viscosity was exceptionally high for unmalted buckwheat, and soluble protein was remarkably low for both sorghum and teff. Polyphenol content was highest for quinoa, and lowest for khorasan and amaranth. A pregelatinization step (20 min at 95°C) before Congress mashing generally decreased wort filtration speed and/or extract yield, except for those adjuncts with high starch gelatinization temperature (quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum and teff). Furthermore, pregelatinization also markedly decreased glucose concentrations and increased maltose, maltotriose and maltotetraose concentrations for quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum and teff, most likely due to inactivation of their endogenous α-glucosidases. Discussing these results in more detail will help brewers with a rational implementation of these less-common unmalted adjuncts in their brewing processes for the further diversification of their product portfolio.C