Influence of malted barley and exogenous enzymes on the glucose/maltose balance of worts with sorghum or barley as an adjunct: Malted barley and exogenous enzymes and the glucose/maltose balance of worts with sorghum or barley

The sugar profile of wort from laboratory malted barley, malted sorghum, unmalted barley and unmalted sorghum grains mashed with commercial enzyme preparations were studied. Similar levels of glucose to maltose (1:7) were observed in wort of malted barley and malted sorghum. Mashing barley or sorghum grains with commercial enzymes changed the glucose to maltose ratio in both worts, with a greater change in wort from sorghum grains. Although hydrolysis with commercial enzymes released more glucose from maltose in sorghum wort, the same treatment retained more maltose in barley wort. Adding malted barley to sorghum grains mashed with commercial enzymes restored the glucose to maltose ratio in sorghum mash. Fermentation of wort produced from all barley malt (ABM) mash and commercial enzyme/barley malt/sorghum adjunct (CEBMSA) mash of similar wort gravity was also studied. ABM and CEBMSA worts exhibited similar glucose to maltose ratios and similar amino acid spectra. However, ABM released more individual amino acids and five times more proline than wort from commercial enzyme/barley malt/sorghum adjunct. ABM produced 27% more glucose and 7% more maltose than CEBMSA. After fermentation, ABM mash produced 9.45% ABV whilst commercial enzyme/barley malt/sorghum adjunct mash produced 9.06% ABV. Restoration of the glucose/maltose ratio in the CEBMSA mash produced wort with a sugar balance required for high gravity brewing. (C) 2020 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling