Tritordeum malt: An innovative raw material for beer production

The use of new raw materials in brewing has many advantages. They allow the production of new beers with interesting flavours and aromas. In addition, the use of certain raw materials makes it possible to reduce production costs or improve various quality characteristics, such as taste, colour or turbidity. However, very often new raw materials, other than barley malt, cause difficulties in brewing, e.g. too long saccharification or filtration time, too low wort extract and thus alcohol content in the beer, the need to add exogenous enzymes, etc. In this study, the potential of a new raw material, i.e. tritordeum, for beer production was examined. The results of grain analysis showed no significant differences between tritordeum and barley malts for 1000 grain weight, while less glassy grains and better grading were determined in the tritordeum sample. The analysis of the influence of different proportions of tritordeum malt in the mixture (from 0 to 100%) on the course of subsequent stages of wort production revealed that the times of saccharification and lautering observed, as well as colour and turbidity were comparable to those of barley malt. Significant differences observed included the slightly acidifying effect of the tritordeum malt and a higher level of FAN (Free Amino Nitrogen), and lower level of glucose in the 100% tritordeum variant. The alcohol content obtained in beer, the real extract, and the content of metal ions were at levels similar to those of the control sample. The results obtained prove the high potential of tritordeum malt for brewing industry. Moreover, its use in a wide range of proportions from 0% to 100% did not cause any technological difficulties at subsequent stages of beer production. [Display omitted] •The efficiency of wort production from tritordeum was similar to that from barley.•Tritordeum malt did not cause any technological difficulties during beer production.•Tritordeum malt can be used in brewing both as an additive and as the main source of starch.•It was possible to produce high quality beer with 100% tritordeum malt.