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Enhancing the hydrolysis of corn starch using optimal amylases in a high-adjunct-ratio malt mashing process

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Abstract

Incompletely degraded corn starch particles often seriously inhibit wort filtration and decrease a brewery’s beer productivity. Herein, the inhibiting factors of starch hydrolysis and the application of amylases to degrade residual starch were evaluated. The results showed that resistant starch and the amylopectin of corn starch were not the inhibiting factors. Almost all residual starch left in the spent grain layer was proved to be degradable by amylases. Mesophilic α-amylase was selected through a comparison of nine amylases, which increased the wort filtration rate by 44%. However, >6% of corn starch was still left after mashing when a high ratio of corn starch to water (>1:3.5) was used in liquefaction. The low water content in liquefaction was proved to be the key inhibiting factor. Considering the existing equipment and brewing technology, the application of mesophilic α-amylases should be a simple and effective method for enhancing the hydrolysis of corn starch and accelerating the wort lautering process during a high-adjunct-ratio beer brewing process.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Nos. 31601445, 31571942 and 31601558), the National High Technology Research Program of China (2013AA102106), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, and Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (No. 111-2-06).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, No. 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China

    Linjiang Zhu, Ting Ma & Qi Li

  2. Institute of Fermentation Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, No. 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China

    Linjiang Zhu

  3. Novozymes (China) Investment Co. Ltd, No. 14 Xinrin Road, Shangdi Zone, Haidian District, Beijing, 10086, China

    Yiming Mei

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  1. Linjiang Zhu
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  2. Ting Ma
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Correspondence to Qi Li.

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Zhu, L., Ma, T., Mei, Y. et al. Enhancing the hydrolysis of corn starch using optimal amylases in a high-adjunct-ratio malt mashing process. Food Sci Biotechnol 26, 1227–1233 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-017-0140-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-017-0140-0

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