Research Regarding the Use of Wheat Biodiversity for Obtaining some Cereal-Based Fermented Mashes

Abstract

Cereal-based fermented beverages are an opportunity to include probiotics and fiber in human nutrition. Nowadays, increasing the interest for rediscovering the benefits, on scientific basis, of traditional fermented beverages based on cereals. Fermented mashes based on different cereal grist, namely Braga in Romanian, is a healthy and nutritious beverage, a source for new functional products with beneficial effects on human health. Physical-chemical and sensorial characteristics of these beverages depend on the ingredients and method of preparation. In this article was analyzed the influence of the five varieties of wheat on the main physical-chemical and sensorial characteristics of the fermented mashes obtained from grounded debranned millet (Panicum miliaceum), different species of wheat (Triticum aestivum - two variety, Triticum durum - one varieties, Triticum spelta - one variety and Triticum turgidum - one variety) and well modified Pilsner barley malt. There have been two series of determinations: first series with ground millet with the disc mill set to 0.1 mm and a second series with ground millet with the disc mill set to 0.4 mm disc gap. For both series, the other grains used were milled to 0.4 mm disc gap. The mashes content is 1:12 = grounded mix (millet : wheat : barley malt = 1.33:1:1): water. After boiling, reconstruction of the initially content with water, filtering and adding of 7% w/w white crystalline sugar those two series of five sweet mashes was inoculated with a mixed culture (0,01% w/w - dry wheat beer yeast and 0,04% w/w - dry cheese lactic acid bacteria), incubated at 30 ºC for 15 h in the thermostat and then stored at 6ºC for 63 h. At beginning and follow-up of fermentation the mashes were analyzed (pH, volatile and total acidity, total and soluble dry substances, alcohol concentration and dynamic viscosity). At the end of fermentation, it was done the sensory evaluation (colour, sweet, sour, taste, texture and stability). All determinations have made in triplicate and data are shown as mean ± SD. The best results have obtained for mashes containing T. Spelta wheat, followed by mashes with T. durum variety. Highest dynamic viscosity and total acidity was recorded for mashes obtained with Triticum turgidum variety of wheat.