Gluten-free Beer Research Articles

The role of starch digestion in the brewing of gluten-free beers

Celiac disease affects an estimated 1% of the global population, and symptoms are triggered by the consumption of gluten in sensitized individuals. Other gluten sensitivities exist but are poorly characterized or often under-diagnosed, leading a number of people to pursue a gluten-free or gluten-reduced diet even in the absence of a diagnosis. Gluten is a complex suite of proteins from the prolamin fraction of storage proteins in barley, wheat, and rye, meaning that foods or beverages that are produced from these cereals will also contain gluten. Beer is one such beverage that is traditionally produced from malted barley and is thus incompatible with a gluten-free lifestyle. The simplest option to produce a gluten-free beer would seem to be to use alternative, gluten-free, grains such as millet, sorghum, teff, rice, corn or other starchy materials. However, barley has thousands of years of development as a brewing agent behind it and these alternative ingredients cannot be incorporated into the brewing process without substantial alterations. Particularly, these ingredients generally have much lower endogenous starch degrading activity and much higher starch gelatinization temperatures as compared to barley which makes generating sufficient fermentable sugars for yeast fermentation a challenge. In this review we will further elucidate these challenges as well as the solutions that are being developed to bring beer to the gluten-free masses.

Development of lentil malt production technology using plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions

The result of the implemented research is the development of a technology for sprouted lentil (lentil malt) production using cold plasma-treated aqueous solutions. The object of the study was lentil grain. The main technological task is to obtain high-quality lentil malt suitable for producing gluten-free beer and highly nutritious foods. The rationality of using cold plasma-treated aqueous solutions as an intensifier of lentil grain germination process and high-quality lentil malt disinfectant is experimentally proven. It is confirmed that using cold plasma-treated aqueous solutions can accelerate the process of lentil bean moistening by 2 times. The germination indicators of lentils also experienced positive changes, with germination energy increased by 8–16 %, germination capacity by 3–10 %, and sprout length by 12–29 %. An analysis of the amino acid composition of lentil grain and lentil malt was carried out. Thus, the experimental samples had an increased content of amino acids: non-essential by 2.7 %, essential by 3.6 %. There was also an increase in the content of B vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B9), as well as PP and C, which indicates an increased biological value of lentil malt obtained by the presented technologies. In addition, the work noted the steady antiseptic properties of activated aqueous solutions in relation to lentil malt. The intensive technology of obtaining lentil malt can be implemented in the industrial production of malt for the brewing industry. In addition, sprouted lentil beans have health-improving properties and can be used in the production of functional products. The presented technology of lentil bean malting will be in demand in the production of highly nutritious and healthy grain products and fermented beverages

Comprehensive Review of the Potential of Sorghum in Malt and Beer Production

Sorghum has a relatively lower price compared to other brewing cereals, and consequently has potential as an alternative substrate for lager beer brewing and especially represents an excellent option for gluten-free beers. Attributes such as extracts, proteins, total nitrogen and free amino nitrogen content of sorghum malt and the wort obtained from mashes indicate that sorghum is potentially an alternative substrate for conventional beer brewing in the tropics. In alcohol industry, some distillers prefer sorghum varieties with high starch and less protein contents. The variation in biochemical compositions among sorghum varieties affects the optimal malting conditions and characteristics of the grains. The degree of steeping and temperature, and germination capacity, kilning temperature and the intrinsic enzyme activity determine sorghum grain malt quality. The high degree of gelatinization temperature, poor saccarification, lower fermentability and filterability of sorghum malt could generally affects the acceptability of sorghum beer by the consumer than a beer brewed from malt barley.

Development of technology for the production of all-purpose buckwheat malt using plasmochemically activated aqueous solutions

The result of the conducted research is the development of buckwheat malt production technology using plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions. Buckwheat grain with high starch content became the object of research. The main technological problem is obtaining high-quality brewing malt suitable for the production of gluten-free beer. The expediency of using plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions as an intensifier of the process of germination of buckwheat grains and an effective disinfectant of buckwheat malt has been experimentally proven. It is shown that the use of plasma chemical activation of technological solutions allows to speed up the process of moistening of buckwheat grain by more than 2 times. The energy and germination capacity of buckwheat grains, when using plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions, underwent positive changes. The effect of increasing the energy of germination was from 8 to 14 %, and the ability to germinate was 2–9 %. The amylolytic activity of buckwheat malt was analyzed, an increase in amylolytic activity in the range of 30–77 units/g was noted. The extractability of buckwheat malt was investigated separately. This indicator increased by 2–9 % depending on the concentration of peroxides in the solution. The Kolbach index also increased by 2–10 %, which indicates an intensive course of proteolysis. The total amount of amino acids in the experimental samples increased by 619 mg/100 g. There was a significant decrease in the viscosity of the wort, which indicates the high solubility of the obtained buckwheat malt. The technology can be applied in the industrial production of brewing malt and sprouted buckwheat grain of functional purpose. The developed buckwheat malting technology will receive priority in the production of environmentally friendly buckwheat malts of universal purpose that are not contaminated with pathogenic microflora

Gluten-free beer with unmalted millet

The possibility of using unmalted millet with the help of the enzymes for the production of gluten-free beer was investigated. The enzymes under different conditions were examined to completely saccharify the wort. The optimal conditions for enzymes activity were 85 °C 60 min for amylosubtilin and 60 °C 60 min for glucavamarin and β-glucanase. Since the gluten-free beverage has no colour, roasted buckwheat and boiled coffee as colourants were used. Sample with 30% roasted buckwheat showed good results in colouring the drink and had the best overall impression. Gluten-negative results were obtained for beer samples and all ingredients separately. Nevertheless, further improvements in brewing methods of gluten-free beer are needed. Almost all samples tasted more like cider than beer, without foam and with low pH values (3.5–3.8). The production of gluten-free beer provides an opportunity to attract new customers with gluten intolerance. Imperfect competition is a great advantage for manufacturers.

Production of the prolyl endoprotease (PEP) from Aspergillus sp. FSDE 16 by solid-state fermentation (SSF) and use for producing a gluten-free beer.

Beer is a beverage that contains gluten and cannot be consumed by people with celiac disease. In this context, the enzyme prolyl endoprotease (PEP) can be used to reduce the gluten content in beer. The present study aimed to produce the PEP from Aspergillus sp. FSDE 16 using solid-state fermentation with 5 conditions and comparing with a similar commercial enzyme produced from Aspergillus niger in the production of a gluten-free beer. The results of the performed cultures showed that during the culture, the most increased protease activity (54.46U/mL) occurred on the 4th day. In contrast, for PEP, the highest activity (0.0356U/mL) was obtained on the 3rd day of culture in condition. Regarding beer production, cell growth, pH, and total soluble solids showed similar behavior over the 7 days for beers produced without enzyme addition or with the addition of commercial enzyme and with the addition of the enzyme extract produced. The addition of the enzyme and the enzyme extract did not promote changes, and all the beers produced showed similar and satisfactory results, with acid pH between 4 and 5, total soluble solids ranging from 4.80 to 5.05, alcohol content ranging from 2.83% to 3.08%, and all beers having a dark character with deep amber and light copper color. Gluten removal was effectively using the commercial enzyme and the enzyme produced according to condition (v) reaching gluten concentrations equal to 17±5.31 and 21.19±11.28ppm, respectively. In this way, the production of the enzyme by SSF and its application in the removal of gluten in beer was efficient.

Assessment of green lentil malt as a substrate for gluten-free beer brewing

The aim of this study was to analyze whether it is possible to brew beer without using cereals so that the produced beverage could be easily accessible for the population suffering from celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders. Green lentil seeds were malted and then mashed using a congress mashing procedure to assess their advantages and disadvantages in the brewing process. Based on the congress mashing procedure, the mashing process needed to produce beer was developed, and beers were produced from the lentil malts germinated during malting for 96 h, 120 h and 144 h. It was possible to produce beers from the lentil malts; however, they were characterized by a lower alcohol content, lower degree of attenuation and some discrepancies between the concentrations of various volatiles (such as acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, and 1-propanol) compared to the control beer produced from barley malt.

Effect of electrochemically activated aqueous solution on the yield of reducing agents during enzymatic hydrolysis of green buckwheat starch

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of complex amylolytic preparations on green buckwheat starch in the environment of oxidized and reduced fractions of electrochemically activated solutions. The novelty of the work lies in the study of the effect of catholyte and anolyte obtained from tap water on the accumulation of reducing substances in the process of enzymatic hydrolysis of green buckwheat starch with the use of preparations AmyloLux ATS and Maltogenase 2X L. The practical significance of the work is related to the possibility of improving the technology of grain drinks or preparation of buckwheat malt in the production of gluten-free beer. It was found that enzymatic hydrolysis of green buckwheat starch with the use of complex amylolytic preparations proceeded most intensively when using the oxidized anodic fraction of electrochemically activated solutions. The level of reducing substances in the anolyte environment exceeded the analogous index in the samples based on water and catholyte by 1.2-1.3 times, already after 30 minutes and before the end of the process.

Preliminary Evaluation of Minor Cereals as Non-Traditional Brewing Raw Materials

Recently, “minor” cereals have been gaining interest due to their distinctive characteristics, not only in terms of nutritional and health potential, but also because of their hardiness. To date, the use of several of these cereals for the production, both at artisan and industrial level, of foods such as pasta and bakery products has already been well established, whereas their investigation for the production of malt and beer has been more limited. In this work, a preliminary analysis of the malting aptitude of einkorn, tritordeum, food-grade sorghum and teff was evaluated. Grain quality parameters that influence the processes of malting and transformation into alcoholic beverages were evaluated, i.e., thousand-kernel weight, test weight, total protein and starch content, falling number, germination capacity, germination energy and amylase activity. Grain analyses showed, on average, satisfactory values for alcoholic fermented beverage production in all the cereal species examined (mainly in tritordeum), whereas the amylase activity of the malts produced was lower than that revealed in barley malt. Fermented drinks derived from these minor cereals, therefore, could be interesting for the light and gluten-free beer markets.

Low Gluten Beers Contain Variable Gluten and Immunogenic Epitope Content.

Gluten content labels inform food choice and people practicing a gluten-free diet rely upon them to avoid illness. The regulations differ between jurisdictions, especially concerning fermented foodstuffs such as beer. Gluten abundance is typically measured using ELISAs, which have come into question when testing fermented or hydrolysed foodstuffs such as beer. Mass spectrometry can be used to directly identify gluten peptides and reveal false negatives recorded by ELISA. In this survey of gluten in control and gluten-free beers, gluten protein fragments that contain known immunogenic epitopes were detected using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in multiple beers that claim to be gluten-free and have sufficiently low gluten content, as measured by ELISA, to qualify as being gluten-free in some jurisdictions. In fact, several purportedly gluten-free beers showed equivalent or higher hordein content than some of the untreated, control beers. The shortcomings of ELISAs for beer gluten testing are summarised, the mismatch between ELISA and mass spectrometry results are explored, and the suitability of existing regulations as they pertain to the gluten content in fermented foods in different jurisdictions are discussed.

Production of gluten-free beer brewing from sorghum malts mashed without external enzyme preparations

One of the main substrates for beer production is barley malt. Due to that fact, consumption of the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world is limited for the population suffering from celiac disease and other disorders. However, there are various cereals and pseudocereals which are gluten-free and could possibly be utilised for the malt and beer production. In this study, we have determined that it is possible to produce gluten-free beer from two sorghum varieties (GK Emese and Anggy) without the use of external amylolytic enzymes, only by application of malting and decoction mashing procedures. Sorghum beers were characterised with lower alcohol and higher extract content than control barley malt beer sample. Concentration of various volatiles, such as so-called fusel alcohols, was also lower in the sorghum beers produced in this study.

Use of Unmalted and Malted Buckwheat in Brewing

With the goal of introducing specialty beers with full flavor and effective processing, craft and functional beer have revived old assortments and established new assortments in countries throughout the world. These unique selections are produced utilizing various ingredient combinations or changes to the brewing process. Given the rise in celiac disease sufferers in recent years, research investigations on the use of buckwheat in brewing, particularly gluten-free beer, have intensified. In this study, malted and unmalted buckwheat were proposed for use in brewing, and the results were contrasted with those of beer made entirely of malted barley. Commercial enzymes were added to the technical mashing process in order to optimize it and increase output yield. It was simple to incorporate buckwheat in the technological process to produce a final product that, in many respects, resembled conventional beer, making buckwheat suitable for regular beer drinkers. In terms of original extract, apparent extract, alcohol content, and energy value, the beer obtained from 100% barley malt differs from the final beer, but only minor variations were found in color, pH, and bitterness value. Ethyl alcohol, a particularly significant distinguishing characteristic, was impacted by the use of buckwheat malt and unmalted buckwheat. The beer made from buckwheat was acceptable from a sensory perspective in terms of flavor, aroma, texture, bitterness, etc. The results demonstrate that the researched raw materials can be successfully used in the production of beer, both in malted and unmalted forms. For the latter option, it is recommended to use enzyme preparations to speed up the mashing and filtration of the wort.

Use of Andean pseudocereals in beer production

Beer is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages worldwide; however, with consumers more aware of food's environmental and nutritional benefits, there is a demand for more sustainable and value-added products. Andean pseudocereals (APS) are becoming a trend as gluten-free grains with excellent nutritional and nutraceutical value. Cultivated under the extreme climate conditions of the Peruvian Andes, APS seeds are an excellent source of starch, fiber, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids and flavonoids with antioxidant capacity that provide potential health benefits. This review is a compilation of the information and studies on the general characteristics and potential of the main APS as quinoa, amaranth, and cañihua for beer production. In addition, current evidence of the malting process in APS and its effects on beer's nutritional, functional, and sensory properties are also provided. Based on the research supporting the pseudocereals inclusion for the formulation of foods for celiac people, this review also looks at recent advances in applying APS to develop traditional and gluten-free (GF) beers. Finally, APS's economic, cultural, and social importance in the brewing industry is highlighted to promote the creation and innovation of fermentative products based on their bioactive compounds, thus achieving better commercial exploration of these ancestral grains.

Aroma profile of a gluten-free barley malt beer crafted to remove gluten using a barley malt extract with high peptidase activity

Gluten-free beer (GFB) was produced from gluten-containing barley malt wort by adding an enzyme-enriched malt extract to the wort, intended for patients with celiac disease. Nevertheless, the aroma profile of such beer is unknown. The results indicated that the treatment reduced 3-methylbutyl acetate, 2-methylbutyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, 2-methylpropyl acetate, and ethyl butyrate when compared with the reference. Moreover, foam, free amino nitrogen, aging stability, and color deviated significantly in the GFB. Although the values were below the odor threshold, analysis of aging components indicated increased amounts of heating, including 2-furfural and aging indicators, including phenylacetaldehyde. GC-O/MS following a descriptive profile test revealed that the attribute honey significantly increased. Further the shift in aroma composition of the GFB, long-chain free fatty acids (LCFFA) were analyzed, as they have been previously described to negatively correlate with ester metabolism and may be increased because of the technology applied. LCFFA analysis in wort revealed a significant increase in hexadecanoic and linoleic acids caused by the procedure. To clarify the findings, conventional barley malt worts were spiked with hexadecanoic acid, linoleic acid, and a mixture of these acids. A significant decrease in all esters concomitant with a honey-like aroma was observed when linoleic acid was added, but the aging analysis revealed no difference. Through adjustment of ester content to the reference, the spiked beers were less rated honey. The results indicate that aging components are sensed higher in the absence of esters; thus, by reducing LCFFA concentrations of gluten-free wort, the aroma of GFB could be enhanced.

IMPACTS OF THE USE OF GLUTEN-FREE CEREALS AND SPICES ON THE QUALITY PARAMETERS OF BEER

The focus of this study was to examine the brewing performance quality attributes of wort and beer produced entirely from such combinations at various quantities. The physiochemical characteristics of the different gluten-free beer with and without the addition of ginger in comparison to barley-based beers was also examined. In this study, three different types of gluten-free cereals (oat, rice and corn) were used in the production of pale beer. Freshly grated ginger was added to some of the produced beer samples prior to maturation. This was compared to the beer samples produced using barley malt and also with an addition of ginger. For this, the total phenolic content, flavonoid content, color intensity, bitter acid content, and selected mineral content have been evaluated. The final product presented the bitter acid content of oat + rice beer with the highest amount among all the individual beer samples analyzed; In the Flavonoid content, the control sample beer was higher than all the other individual beer samples and the TPC showed a similar pattern. Concerning the mineral level present, potassium and phosphorus was seen to possess the highest concentration respectively in the beer samples. In addition, the oat beer has the highest amount in sodium, calcium and sulphur respectively while magnesium was highest in control + ginger beer. The chemometric approach shows that the gluten free beer produced with and without ginger displayed several traits from the control samples. The cereal blends show some promising attributes as an adjunct for beer brewing.

Brewing with Starchy Adjuncts: Its Influence on the Sensory and Nutritional Properties of Beer.

In brewing, the use of cereals (wheat, barley, maize, rice, sorghum, oats, rye or millet), pseudo-cereals (buckwheat, quinoa or amaranth) and tubers (sweet potato), as starch adjuncts, is being promoted for the production of a variety of high-quality beers, from sensory and nutritional points of view. The sensory properties of the obtained beer depend on the characteristics of each adjunct but also on the forms in which the adjunct is added: whole cereal, grits, malted, extruded grains, torrefied and syrup. Among these common forms, the extruded grains (maize or rice) produce a higher content of aroma compounds in beer. From a nutritional point of view, the use of non-conventional starch adjuncts, such as black rice, buckwheat or sweet potato, leads to an increase in the polyphenol content of the beer, and thus, its antioxidant capacity. Cereals such as maize, rice, sorghum or millet are the most promising for the production of gluten-free beers. A close relationship can be developed between the use of adjuncts in the beer industry and the use of commercial enzymes. Advances made by biotechnology to design new enzymes with different functionalities could be associated to a future increase in adjunct usage in brewing.

A Modified Brewing Procedure Informed by the Enzymatic Profiles of Gluten-Free Malts Significantly Improves Fermentable Sugar Generation in Gluten-Free Brewing

The mashing step underpins the brewing process, during which the endogenous amylolytic enzymes in the malt, chiefly β-amylase, α-amylase, and limit dextrinase, act concurrently to rapidly hydrolyze malt starch to fermentable sugars. With barley malts, the mashing step is relatively straightforward, due in part to malted barley’s high enzyme activity, enzyme thermostabilities, and gelatinization properties. However, barley beers also contain gluten and individuals with celiac disease or other gluten intolerances should avoid consuming these beers. Producing gluten-free beer from gluten-free malts is difficult, generally because gluten-free malts have lower enzyme activities. Strategies to produce gluten-free beers commonly rely on exogenous enzymes to perform the hydrolysis. In this study, it was determined that the pH optima of the enzymes from gluten-free malts correspond to regions already typically targeted for barley mashes, but that a lower mashing temperature was required as the enzymes exhibited low thermostability at common mashing temperatures. The ExGM decoction mashing procedure was developed to retain enzyme activity, but ensure starch gelatinization, and demonstrates a modified brewing procedure using gluten-free malts, or a combination of malts with sub-optimal enzyme profiles, that produces high fermentable sugar concentrations. This study demonstrates that gluten-free malts can produce high fermentable sugar concentrations without requiring enzyme supplementation.

Recent innovations in the production of selected specialty (non-traditional) beers.

Customer demand for product diversity is the key driving force for innovations in the brewing industry. Specialty beers are regarded as a distinct group of beers different from two major types, lagers and ales, without established definitions or boundaries. Specialty beers, including low- to no-alcohol beer, low carbohydrate beer, gluten-free beer, sour beer, probiotic beer, and enriched beer, are exclusively brewed and developed keeping in mind their functionality, the health and wellbeing of the consumer, and emerging market trends. Compared with conventional beer-brewing, the production of specialty beers is technologically challenging and usually requires additional process steps, unique microorganisms, and special equipment, which in turn may incur additional costs. In addition, the maintenance of quality and stability of the products as well as consumer acceptability of the products are major challenges to successful commercialization. A harmonious integration of traditional brewing practices and modern technological approaches may hold potential for future developments. In the present review, latest developments in the fermentative production of selected specialty beers are discussed.

Gluten Assessment in Beers: Comparison by Different Commercial ELISA Kits and Evaluation of NIR Analysis as a Complementary Technique.

Traditionally, beers are made with gluten-containing cereals. It is crucial to have rapid analytical methodologies that allow gluten content control of the beers for celiac consumers. We assess the content of gluten in 65 conventional and 41 gluten-free labeled beers commercialized in Europe and compare the results in a subgroup of 71 beers with three ELISA kits. This research allows gathering information on the potential complementary utility of NIR analysis applied to gluten analysis of gluten-free beers in terms of time saving. Results obtained with the ELISA technique identified competitive R5 to be the most sensitive in detecting the prolamins, by eliciting a higher number of beers containing gluten above 20 mg/kg. The gluten content in conventional beers tested increased with the presence of wheat as raw material and with the use of ale-type yeasts. By using competitive R5, 3 out of the 41 gluten-free labeled beers appeared to contain gluten above 20 mg/kg, and conversely, 15 out of 65 of the conventional beers showed a gluten content below this threshold. According to our approaches, NIR did not achieve a suitable correlation with ELISA results, neither for gluten quantification nor for discrimination, and therefore, it cannot be proposed as a complementary technique.

Assessment of Malting Performance of Maize and Sorghum of Similar Total Nitrogen Content in Providing the Hydrolytic Enzymes in the Brewing of Gluten-Free Beers

Malted sorghum is used extensively as source of hydrolytic enzymes in brewing gluten-free beers. Malted barley is often used in combination with un-malted maize adjunct (flakes, grits, flours) to brew non-gluten-free beers. Sorghum and maize are similar in many ways. The potential of using malted maize in brewing gluten-free beers was studied. Sorghum and maize of similar total nitrogen content were malted under comparable conditions. Sorghum and maize grains followed some similar patterns in developing hydrolytic enzymes, measured as diastatic power (DP), when malted. Development of diastatic enzymes in both cereals increased with germination period. When mashed, the hot water extract (HWE) for malted sorghum was similar to malted maize when both had five days of germination. For malted sorghum, the HWE value was already reached after two days of germination. The total soluble nitrogen (TSN) for malted sorghum was, for the five germination times studied, half of the TSN values or less than those found for malted maize. Total soluble nitrogen, indicative of the proteolysis achieved during the malting of cereals, showed good proteolysis for the malted maize. The results suggest that like malted sorghum, malted maize could play a similar role in brewing gluten-free beers.