Brewing beyond barley : unlocking 100% unmalted alternative cereals with enzymes

Barley malt is traditionally the cornerstone of beer production; however, recent challenges, including declining yields and quality have compelled breweries to explore alternatives. Simultaneously, consumer preferences are shifting toward more diverse, sustainable, and functional beer options. Consequently, breweries have increasingly turned their attention to alternative unmalted cereals. While unmalted brewing with barley has been extensively studied, knowledge of alternative cereals remains limited. To address this gap, mashing experiments with exogenous enzymes were conducted on 11 unmalted cereals and pseudocereals: two- and six-row barley, wheat, khorasan, spelt, einkorn, triticale, tritordeum, sorghum, buckwheat, and rye. Initial experiments were conducted to evaluate alcoholic wort production by varying critical parameters affecting wort quality, such as pH and milling size. Wort filtration efficiency was significantly enhanced by lower pH and finer milling for barley, wheat, khorasan, and spelt, whereas tritordeum, triticale, einkorn, and sorghum showed less improvement. Buckwheat and rye revealed high wort viscosities. Among triticum-related cereals, most exhibited acceptable original gravities and free amino nitrogen (FAN) contents, although einkorn was an exception, showing increased soluble high molecular weight proteins. Sugar profiling confirmed high levels of fermentable sugars across samples. Mashing with 100% unmalted alternative cereals and exogenous enzymes proved to be successful. Quality parameters and sensory analysis were conducted on the alcoholic fermented beverages produced at a 20 L scale. Notable findings included variations in beer-like flavor and color, and a high level of drinkability, highlighting the potential of this approach. These results offer valuable practical insights for brewers interested in exploring alternative unmalted cereals and exogenous enzymes, paving the way for innovation in brewing techniques and product development.