The Production and Characterization of Wort-based Beverages with the Addition of Pineapple Juice

Bezalkoholna pića na bazi sladovine su alternativni napici koji imitiraju okus i teksturu tradicionalnih alkoholnih pića kao što je pivo, upravo zato što kao glavnu sirovinu sadrže sladovinu. Iako se ova vrsta bezalkoholnih pića tek probijaju na Hrvatskom tržištu, nisu rijetkost u Srednjoj Europi i Bliskom Istoku. Cilj ovoga rada bilo je proizvesti sladovinu koristeći dvije vrste slada, pri čemu se sladovina dalje koristila za proizvodnju pića sa dodatkom soka ananasa. Sladovina je proizvedena standardnim postupkom proizvodnje koristeći dvije vrste slada, svijetli ječmeni slad Pale-ale Valley King (EBC (boja)-9) te drugi tamniji ječmeni slad pod nazivom DRC (EBC(boja)-280-320). U ohlađenu sladovinu dodan je sok od ananasa te su tijekom istraživanja pripravljena tri napitka sa različitim koncentracijama soka (10, 20 i 30 %). Za sva tri napitka na bazi sladovine provedena je senzorska analiza koja je pokazala da je proizvod s 30 % soka od ananasa senzorski najprihvatljiviji potrošačima. U svrhu poboljšanja senzorskih karakteristika dodana je jedna kap (0.05 mL) eteričnog ulja mente i provedeno je gaziranje sa \( CO_{2} \). Za kategorizaciju proizvedenog pića kao izotoničnog, provedena je analiza nutritivne vrijednosti proizvoda koja je pokazala da je proizvedeno piće nutritivno bogato te kao takvo prikladno za sportaše i djecu. Potrebno je provesti daljnje usavršavanja i istraživanja u svrhu optimizacije ovakve vrste pića.Wort-based soft drinks are alternative beverages that imitate the taste and texture of traditional alcoholic beverages such as beer, precisely because they contain wort as the main raw material. Although this type of soft drinks are just getting started on the Croatian market, they are common drinks in Central Europe and the Middle East. The main goal of this research was to produce wort, and then use it for the production of soft drink with the addition of pineapple juice. Wort has been prepared by standard production process using two types of malt, Pale-ale Valley King (EBC (color-9) and another darker barley malt called DRC (EBC (color-280-320). For the purpose of this research, three beverages with different pineapple juice concentrations (10, 20 and 30%) were prepared, in which all of tree beverages were subjected to sensory analysis. The research has shown that the product with 30% pineapple juice has been the most sensory acceptable to consumers. In order to improve the sensory characteristics, one drop (0.05 mL) of mint essential oil was added to the mixture with 30% pineapple juice and carbonated with gaseous \( CO_{2} \). In order to categorize the produced drink as an isotonic drink, an analysis of the nutritional value of the product was carried out, which showed that the produced drink was nutritionally rich, and as such suitable for the consumption by athletes and children. It is necessary to carry out further improvements and research in order to optimize this type of drinks