The objective of this study was to clarify the effects of crystal malts as adjunct on the quality of craft beers. By comparing the results of physicochemical properties, flavor compounds, and sensory evaluation, the optimal amount of crystal malts for brewing was 6% (w/w). Subsequently, three craft beers were prepared by using different types of crystal malts including one crystal malt developed by our lab (LCM) and two commercial crystal malts. They were compared to a control without the employment of crystal malts. The results showed that 21 volatile compounds were identified and the aroma of the beers brewed with commercial crystal malts was superior than that of unadded crystal malt, although there was no significant difference in overall acceptance between these samples. However, LCM with the optimized physicochemical and flavorful properties could significantly improve the beer quality. According to the sensory evaluation, its overall evaluation score was the highest, suggesting that LCM had more prominent aroma and better sensory perception for brewing. Taken together, the contribution of crystal malts to manipulate the quality of craft beer was successfully determined. These findings provided new insights into both the malting of specialty malts for malt manufacturers and the profound contribution to the development of high‐quality craft beer for brewers.
Novelty impact statement
The effects of different crystal malts on quality of craft beers were investigated in physicochemical index, flavor compounds, and sensory evaluation. The applications of 6% (w/w) crystal malts in brewing were found to improve the sensory quality of craft beers, including foaming, taste, aroma, and overall acceptance.
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