Optimised processing of faba bean ( Vicia faba L.) kernels as a brewing adjunct

Modeling and Optimization of Triticale Wort Production Using an Artificial Neural Network and a Genetic Algorithm

Triticale grain, a wheat-rye hybrid, has been reported to comply very well with the requirements for modern brewing adjuncts. In this study, two triticale varieties, in both unmalted and malted forms, were investigated at various ratios in the grist, applying different mashing regimes and concentrations of the commercial enzyme Shearzyme® 500 L with the aim of evaluating their impact on wort production. In order to capture the complex relationships between the input (triticale ratio, enzyme ratio, mashing regime, and triticale variety) and output variables (wort extract content, wort viscosity, and free amino nitrogen (FAN) content in wort), the study aimed to implement the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to model the mashing process. Also, a genetic algorithm (GA) was integrated to minimize a specified multi-objective function, optimizing the mashing process represented by the ANN model. Among the solutions on the Pareto front, one notable set of solutions was found with objective function values of 0.0949, 0.0131, and 1.6812 for the three conflicting objectives, respectively. These values represent a trade-off that optimally balances the different aspects of the optimization problem. The optimized input variables had values of 23%, 9%, 1, and 3 for the respective input variables of triticale ratio, enzyme ratio, mashing regime, and triticale variety. The results derived from the ANN model, applying the GA-optimized input values, were 8.65% w/w for wort extract content, 1.52 mPa·s for wort viscosity, and 148.32 mg/L for FAN content in wort. Comparatively, the results conducted from the real laboratory mashing were 8.63% w/w for wort extract content, 1.51 mPa·s for wort viscosity, and 148.88 mg/L for FAN content in wort applying same input values. The presented data from the optimization process using the GA and the subsequent experimental verification on the real mashing process have demonstrated the practical applicability of the proposed approach which confirms the potential to enhance the quality and efficiency of triticale wort production.

Lentil Fortification and Non-Conventional Yeasts as Strategy to Enhance Functionality and Aroma Profile of Craft Beer

During the last few years, consumer demand has been increasingly oriented to fermented foods with functional properties. This work proposed to use selected non-conventional yeasts (NCY) Lachanceathermotolerans and Kazachstaniaunispora in pure and mixed fermentation to produce craft beer fortified with hydrolyzed red lentils (HRL). For this, fermentation trials using pils wort (PW) and pils wort added with HRL (PWL) were carried out. HRL in pils wort improved the fermentation kinetics both in mixed and pure fermentations without negatively affecting the main analytical characters. The addition of HRL determined a generalized increase in amino acids concentration in PW. L. thermotolerans and K. unispora affected the amino acid profile of beers (with and without adding HRL). The analysis of by-products and volatile compounds in PW trials revealed a significant increase of some higher alcohols with L. thermotolerans and ethyl butyrate with K. unispora. In PWL, the two NCY showed a different behavior: an increment of ethyl acetate (K. unispora) and β-phenyl ethanol (L. thermotolerans). Sensory analysis showed that the presence of HRL characterized all beers, increasing the perception of the fruity aroma in both pure and mixed fermentation.