The Effect of Mash-In Temperature on the Characteristics and Flavor Stability of Pilsner-Type Beer

Abstract

Beers were brewed at mash-in temperatures of 35 °C, 50 °C, and 65 °C, and their flavor profiles and stability were examined. Beers with mash-ins at 35 °C and 50 °C exhibited full-bodied taste and estery sensory qualities with higher concentrations of esters and amino acids. Higher extract yields were obtained in wort with mash-ins at 35 °C and 50 °C, the optimal temperatures for enzymes to break down the tissue where starch granules are located. In contrast, the beer with a 65 °C mash-in temperature had a light taste and a toast-like aroma. In terms of providing nutrition for the yeast, the proteolytic process to produce amino acids seemed unnecessary for brewing beer made exclusively from malt. Following a month of storage at 30 °C, cardboard flavors predominated in beers with mash-in temperatures of 35 °C and 50 °C, while honey and sherry-like scents predominated in beers with a mash-in temperature of 65 °C. The concentrations of the 14 components contributing to the stale flavor of Pilsner-type beers, including Strecker aldehydes, did not correlate with mash-in temperature, with the exception of the concentration of (E)-2-nonenal, even though the mash-in temperatures were predicted to affect the formation of Strecker aldehydes during beer storage.