Amylolytic lactic acid bacteria as starter cultures for malt quality improvement

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as starters can enhance the malting efficiency and malt quality. However, specific criteria for screening LAB starters for malting are still scarce. In this study, Lactobacillus plantarum ZL-36 screened from barley was selected for malting as it revealed higher amylolytic activity and lower biogenic amines production. L. plantarum ZL-36 was added to the malting process to improve the quality of malt. It was observed that the strain adapted the malting environment and the cultures inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria. Furthermore, L. plantarum ZL-36 improved the characteristics of malt, such as the pH of mash and wort, total titratable acid, free amino nitrogen and extract. In contrast to other lactic acid bacteria, L. plantarum ZL-36 did not increase the biogenic amines content of malt.