ABSTRACT European and Canadian regulators enforce strict limits on the ethyl carbamate content of alcoholic beverages. North American distillers’ malt have high glycosidic nitrile levels which amplify the ethyl carbamate level of whiskey. Guidelines are required to produce low ethyl carbamate whiskey from North American distillers’ malts. This work challenges several strategies for reducing ethyl carbamate levels in bourbon and American whiskey products. New make spirit was produced using a bourbon mash bill on a continuous beer still with doubler. The low wines alcohol content and beer feed tray were systematically varied while the caustic cleaning schedules were monitored to generate 113 unique high wines distillate samples. Ethyl carbamate levels in each sample were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Ethyl carbamate levels are reduced by feeding beer into a lower tray on the distillation column. Ethyl carbamate levels are reduced in distillates collected shortly after caustic cleaning over those collected longer after a caustic cleaning. There was no significant effect (p > 0.05) on ethyl carbamate levels as the low wines alcohol content was changed.

Hops (Humulus lupulus L.), essential in brewing, have traditionally been cultivated in high latitudes due to their short-day photoperiod requirements. Brazil, a major global beer producer, imports nearly all its hops, mainly from the United States and Germany, as it lies outside the ideal hop-growing latitude of 35° to 55°. Recently, Brazil has begun experimenting with hop cultivation, using technologies like LED lighting to manipulate the photoperiod. Climate, soil, and agronomic practices contribute to regional variations in hop quality, influencing chemical composition and sensory profiles. This study investigates the regional identity of Comet hops from Brazil and two U.S. regions, Oregon and Washington, highlighting distinct chemical and sensory characteristics. Brazilian Comet hops showed higher concentrations of alpha acids (13.88%) and total oils (2.64 mg/100 g) compared to U.S. counterparts. Sensory analysis revealed that Washington Comet hops had a more grassy profile, Oregon hops were fruitier, and Brazilian hops were more commonly associated with onion/garlic notes. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated clear clustering by region, confirming distinct regional characteristics. This study enhances the understanding of hop regional identity and provides insights into quality control and geographic indication, laying the foundation for future research into the impact of regional variation on beer flavor.

The recent growth of the Irish whiskey industry has amplified the need to use locally grown grains such as wheat, especially to produce blended Irish whiskey, which currently relies on imported maize. This switch requires controlled and precise agronomic practices in crop cultivation, including the selection of fertiliser rates and varieties most suitable for distillation. These factors influence both production efficiency and wort’s fermentability, thus directly impacting the alcohol yield. This study employed a Generalised Linear Model (GLM) to assess the effect of five different nitrogen rates (0, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kg N/Ha) and four different soft winter wheat varieties: LG Astronomer, LG Skyscraper, Revelation, and Viscount on the fermentation properties of whiskey wort, including Predicted Spirit Yield (PSY), fermentable sugars, and Free Amino Nitrogen (FAN). The results indicated that variety has a significant effect on the quantity of fermentable sugars and PSY but had a minimal impact on FAN levels. Among the varieties, Viscount exhibited the highest level of fermentable sugars, FAN, and PSY. Based on GLM findings, a nitrogen rate of 200 kg N/Ha was identified as the most appropriate for winter wheat, balancing high fermentability, and alcohol yield. The study provides important insights for grain whiskey production, highlighting the need for tailored N application and variety selection to maximise the alcohol yield and fermentability.

The demand for beers with lower alcohol content and distinctive flavor profiles has steadily risen in recent years. In this context, the use of wild yeasts has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional dealcoholization methods. Research on various yeast genera, including Brettanomyces, Pichia, Torulaspora, Wickeromyces, and Saccharomycodes, has shown that these yeasts—both in mono- and co-cultures with Saccharomyces cerevisiae—can enhance the complexity of beer flavor profiles. In the present study, 14 wild Chilean yeasts were isolated and identified as Aureobasidium, Teunomyces, Candida, Metschnikowia, and Saccharomyces spp. Fermentation speed and metabolite production during beer fermentation conditions were subsequently evaluated, with several strains showing promising results. Specifically, our findings indicate that wild Saccharomyces, Metschnikowia and Teunomyces strains hold potential for developing innovative beers with reduced alcohol content and unique flavor characteristics.

Despite years of research, hop creep remains largely enigmatic to brewers and academics alike. This study adds a new dimension to this complex story with the discovery and quantification of starch within the bract of hop cones. Although glycosyl hydrolase enzymes from hops, are considered the main drivers of hop creep by breaking down complex sugars into fermentable ones, it was previously thought that these enzymes only acted on dextrins derived from malt during the mash. However, this study herein reveals that starch from the hop bract itself provides a previously unconsidered substrate, significantly impacting hop creep by contributing potential additional fermentable sugars. To confirm the presence of starch, hop products were stained with iodine. In addition, starch content and the monosaccharides involved in starch synthesis were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. Starch was identified in hop bracts (mesophyll and stomatal guard cells) with visual confirmation using microscopy with the bracts stained with iodine. In addition, total starch (<0.5 to 1.6 g/100 g) and monosaccharide sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) were quantified in the bracts. The presence of starch provides unequivocal evidence that the enzymes responsible for hop creep are from the hop cone. This research emphasizes the potential additional role of starch in understanding the mechanisms underlying hop creep, contributing new additional insights to hops.

This study developed a method for the detection and analysis of 17 malt aroma compounds in malt, malt extract, and beer through headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Based on the principle that the chemical properties and structures of internal standard substances were either similar or belong to the same class of compounds, pyrazine-d4, hexanaldehyde-d12, and menthol were selected as the internal standard substances to enhance the reliability and accuracy of detection. The method with high sensitivity and good repeatability can be applied to detect volatiles in malt, wort, and beer, it was used to study the content, composition, and transformation of aroma compounds in malt and their correlation with sensory evaluation. The results showed certain differences in sensory evaluation between malt and wort, and the correlation with the content of aroma compounds in wort was more obvious than that in malt. The combination of the volatiles analysis methods and sensory evaluation can comprehensively and accurately evaluate the sensory characteristics and aroma of malt, and predict the malt aroma of finished products, thus advancing quality control to raw materials, providing data support and reference for malt selection and beer quality control.

Aquaculture is a rapidly expanding industry which contributes significantly to meeting global protein demand. As the world population continues to increase, the aquaculture industry is expected to grow and adapt. To reduce feed input costs and environmental impacts, alternative feed ingredients can replace or supplement increasingly expensive and unsustainable fish meal and fish oil components. A promising yet underutilized replacement for fish meal may be found with spent brewer’s yeast (SBY) which is a major by-product of beer production and typically contains high protein content (40–60% of dry mass) which is beneficial for some fish production. The use of SBY as a protein supplement has been extensively examined and applied in terrestrial livestock, however it is difficult to implement due to high water content and logistical challenges. Limited foundational studies have investigated the use of SBY in aquacultural applications. Analysis of amino acid profiles, potential antinutritional capacities, and economic factors indicate that the use of SBY as a protein supplement may be more suitable for aquaculture compared to terrestrial livestock raising. SBY caters well to the nutritional requirements of aquatic species, which could significantly contribute to the growth of the industry. Many criteria exist which influence the practicality of adopting a novel ingredient in aquafeed. Therefore, this review provides an overview of the nutritional profile, potential benefits, and feasibility in aquaculture production, as well as the drawbacks for the use of SBY in aquaculture.

Botanicals are utilized in gin distillation to impact flavour and drive aroma. The leftover of the botanicals after the distillation is finished is referred to as spent gin botanicals. One of the ways to drive sustainability in food manufacturing and utilization of bioresources is the repurposing of by-product materials. The study investigated the polyphenolic profile in gin botanicals mix (GBM) – pre-distillation and spent gin botanicals (SGB) – post-distillation. LC-ESI-QTOF/MS was used for polyphenol identification while HPLC-UV was used for their quantification. Their ACE1 and AChE inhibitions were also studied. The analysis identified and verified 79 and 60 polyphenols in the GBM and SGB samples, respectively, and these included phenolic acids, different groups of flavonoids, lignans, stilbenes, and other uncategorized groups. The bioactivity assays showed the level of their biological activity for the inhibition of ACE1 (21.32%−58.26%) and AChE (34.84%−58.26%). Profiling of the gin botanicals samples highlighted its polyphenolic profile and the role it plays in gin distillation. The SGB showed good retention of the polyphenols post-distillation, an indication that it can be utilized as a natural and potent source of polyphenols in product development as well as to build functionality and drive sustainability within the distilling industry.

Recombinant barley disproportionating enzyme 1 (rDPE1) is a functional D-enzyme capable of disproportionating maltotriose (G3) into glucose (G1) and maltopentaose (G5) in the reaction, G3 + G3 ←→ G1 + G5. Maltotriose accumulates in wort during mashing and cannot be further broken down by diastatic power enzymes. This reaction mechanism could theoretically reduce maltotriose levels in wort replacing them with more easily fermentable sugars (glucose) or substrates (maltopentaose) to be broken down by diastatic power enzymes like β-amylase. Barley rDPE1 was most active between pH 6.5 and 6.8 but was functional between pH 4.5 and 8.0. Activity levels were relatively stable between 37 °C and 50 °C, peaking at 45 °C, with half the activity remaining after incubation at 55 °C. The thermostability and pH activity profiles of rDPE1 allow for at least partial survival under mashing conditions. rDPE1 released glucose from maltotriose, maltotetraose, and maltopentaose, but could not use maltose, maltohexaose, or maltoheptaose as substrates. Moreover, barley rDPE1 synthesized maltotetraose, maltohexaose, and maltoheptaose when given maltotriose as a substrate. An assortment of maltooligosaccharides were formed by rDPE1 when given the substrates maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, maltohexaose, and maltoheptaose. The most novel reaction observed was the accumulation of maltose when rDPE1 used maltotetraose as a substrate. Barley rDPE1 (63 µg) was added to a 60-min 65 °C isothermal mash (1 mL) at 5, 30, and at 60 min (i.e., post-mash) and significantly lowered glucose, fructose, and maltotriose levels and increased maltotetraose, maltopentaose, and non-fermentable sugar levels.