Rice malting optimization for the production of top‐fermented gluten‐free beer

Abstract

BACKGROUND A safe method to obtain gluten‐free beer led to the use of naturally gluten‐free grains, such as rice, but the specific malting program for rice is long and requires a large amount of water, and the resulting beer showed a flat flavour profile. In this study, an optimization of the malting and brewing procedure is proposed to overcome the aforementioned issues. Different steeping conditions and kilning temperatures are considered, and a top‐fermented beverage from rice malt is obtained for the first time. RESULTS The malting procedure has been optimized by assessing the use of short‐time steeping as an alternate to long air rest to obtain sufficient moisture content in the green malt, saving water consumption. The malt obtained allowed a regular fermentation, as confirmed by the sensorial analysis, which did not reveal any off‐flavours. The use of a top‐fermenting yeast formed high content of higher alcohol and relatively low amount of esters. CONCLUSION This study confirms the potential of rice for the production of malt and beer. The optimized malting programme allowed water saving. The production of a top‐fermented rice malt beer was a successful attempt to introduce a new flavoured product for consumption by individuals affected by coeliac disease. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

Physicochemical and morphological changes in corn grains and starch during the malting for Palomero and Puma varieties

“…For instance, rice malt for brewing tested on a pilot scale showed that the lautering process can be conducted normally using rice but with some color issues (Ceccaroni, Marconi, Sileoni, Wray, & Perretti, ). Beta, Rooney, and Waniska () investigated the malting properties of different sorghum cultivars obtaining similar characteristics to the commercial barley malts, suggesting that different cultivars can produce different malt qualities.…”

Gluten hypersensitivities and their impact on the production of gluten-free beer

“…Rice is a staple food for nearly 50% of the world's population. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization [96]. Rice does not contain gluten-like proteins, so it is particularly suitable for consumption by individuals with celiac disease.…”

“…In the contemporary beer brewing industry, rice is primarily used as an adjunct in combination with barley malt. As a brewing adjunct, rice has a very neutral flavour and aroma, and when properly converted in the brew-house yields a light, clean-tasting beer [96]. Sensory analysis conducted on rice beers shows a pale yellow colour and a white coarse foam which rapidly collapses.…”

“…Rice is a suitable grain for malting, even though it is often suggested that it is lacking the enzymatic power needed for brewing. Rice malt beer can be produced in a traditional way, leading to well-fermented beers with no off-flavour, and comparable to bottom-fermented beer made from barley malt [96].…”

“…Sorghum dominated the gluten-free beer market in 2017, and its share of the total volume of gluten-free beer produced was 37.9% [108][109][110]. Beer made from sorghum is obviously gluten free, which makes it preferred by the consumer, and thus increases demand in this segment [96,98]. Gluten-free beer is an alternative not only for people intolerant to gluten, but also for those who others are interested in various new products released on the market.…”