Stewart Postharvest Review

An international journal for reviews in postharvest biology and technology

Issues with utilisation of brewers’ spent grain

Praveen Johnson1, Jitendra Paliwal2 and Stefan Cenkowski1*

1
Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
2
Department of Biosystems Engineering, E1-342 Engineering and Information Technology Complex, University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, Canada

Abstract
Purpose of review: This paper reviews the current utilisation of the bulk generated brewery by-product commonly known as brewers’
spent grain (BSG). Various aspects of commonly used preservation technique, ie, drying, are discussed. The significance of various
components that can be isolated from BSG is reviewed with a special emphasis on the extraction of proteins.
Main findings: BSG has the potential to be used in value-added products by extracting its various nutritionally essential components
such as proteins, sugar fractions and phenolic compounds. Different preservation methods can affect the nutritional quality of BSG, for
eg, preservation by freezing can affect the arabinose content. Preservation by drying using membrane separation is less energy inten-
sive and prevents the denaturation of proteins. Superheated steam (SHS) drying has many potential advantages over other drying meth-
ods as it removes aroma and flavour in addition to preserving the nutritional quality of BSG. For improving the potential application of
the insoluble proteins extracted from BSG, hydrolysis of proteins has proved to be an efficient technique.
Limitations: BSG is generated in bulk quantities and can easily deteriorate due to its high moisture content, which makes the transpor-
tation, storage and preservation of BSG a major challenge for the brewing industries. In addition, the colour and aroma of BSG make
its direct addition into food products difficult. It cannot be directly burned as it leads to atmospheric pollution due to the release of NOx
gases.
Directions for future research: BSG contains an abundance of nutritionally rich minor components and antioxidants. Research is
needed to extract and salvage these valuable fractions. Studies are also needed to develop more economic drying methods capable of
removing flavour and aroma without affecting the nutritional quality of BSG. Processes must be developed for improving the shelf-life
of BSG without altering its constitutional composition.

Keywords: Brewers’ spent grain (BSG); preservation; drying; composition; protein; extraction

Abbreviations Introduction
BSG Brewers’ Spent Grain Vast consumption of beer has led to the development of a
SHS Superheated Steam large number of brewing industries around the world. With
the proliferation of breweries the amount of by-products gen-
*Correspondence to: Dr Stefan Cenkowski, Professor, De- erated has also increased. These by-products are of a major
partment of Biosystems Engineering, E1-352 Engineering and concern for the brewing industry globally. Spent grain,
Information Technology Complex, University of Manitoba, which accounts for about 85% of the total brewery by-
Winnipeg, MB R3T 5V6 Canada. Tel: + (204) 474-6293; product, spent hops and yeast are the commonly produced
email: stefan_cenkowski@umanitoba.ca; by-products and their disposal is of major concern for brew-
ing industries [1] because of: (1) the bulk quantities gener-
Stewart Postharvest Review 2010, 4:2 ated; (2) their low market value; (3) difficulty in storage due
Published online 01 December 2010 to their high moisture content; and (4) issues with disposal in
doi: 10.2212/spr.2010.4.2 landfills or burning due to environmental pollution.

© 2010 Stewart Postharvest Solutions (UK) Ltd.

Online ISSN:1945-9656
www.stewartpostharvest.com
Johnson et al. / Stewart Postharvest Review 2010, 4:2
Many researchers have shown that these by-products, mainly
spent grain, can be potentially used in animal feeds, human
food products and industries. Germany, the world’s largest
consumer of beer, produces 10.5 billion L/year while the
USA produces 23 billion L/year, and China 18 billion L/year.
Approximately 20 kg of spent grain is generated per 100 L of
beer produced from a brewery [2**]. Brewers’ spent grain
(BSG) is a rich source of many nutrients, especially protein,
which is considered to be the main component for the chemi-
cal characterisation of BSG used in both human and animal
nutrition.
Even though BSG is generated in large quantities from brew-
eries, its direct usage is limited. It cannot be directly disposed
or burned, as it may lead to environmental pollution. Cur-
rently, most of the BSG produced by the brewing industries
is composted, disposed of in landfills, or sold as animal feed.
It is reported that the emissions during burning of dried BSG
contain nitrogen and SO2 at approximately 1000–3000 and
480 mg/m3, respectively [3]. Since BSG contains a number of
highly nutritive compounds such as amino acids, vitamins,
and minerals, extraction of these compounds for food or feed
products can improve the market value of BSG. This in turn
can affect the brewery economics. The usage of BSG in hu-
man nutrition has been evaluated for making flakes, whole
wheat bread, snacks and extruded products. BSG must be
converted to flour before adding it into the food products [4–
6*]. Stojceska and Ainsworth [7*] conducted a study on the
incorporation of BSG into chickpea based extruded snacks.
The fibre content of the snack food increased approximately
fourfold and a considerable increase in the protein’s in vitro
digestibility values, phytic acid and resistant starch contents
was also observed.
BSG’s colour, aroma and its ability to alter the physical prop-
erties of the incorporated mix are the major concerns for the
addition of BSG into food products. Since moist BSG has a
brown colour, its use in white products is limited [2**]. It can
be used in off-white products that are made from wholemeal
flour such as light coloured cookies, cakes, bread or spaghetti.
Due to its effect on the flavour and physical properties (eg,
texture) of the final food products, only relatively small quanti-
ties (5–10%) can be incorporated into food products [ 4, 5, 8].
BSG can be employed as an animal feed either shortly after
separation as a wet residue or after drying [6*, 8]. Apart from
its use in food and feed, it can also be used in industrial and
agricultural applications. Mussatto et al. [2**] discussed vari-
ous applications of BSG in production of energy, charcoal,
adsorbent, as a substitute for sawdust in making bricks and in
manufacturing paper. BSG can also be used as a substrate for
the production of commercial enzymes called koji [9–11].
When used as an organic fertiliser, improvements in the pro-
ductivity have been noticed due to its high N, P, K, Ca, Mg
and C contents and the low C:N ratio [12*]. It is also used as
the basis for the growth media for probiotic bacteria. Higher
biomass yield, cell viability and organic acid production have
been noticed in the media containing BSG [13*]. BSG has
shown to be effective as an antifoaming agent in the brewery,
which in turn influences the brewery economics [14]. It has
also been used for immobilising brewers’ yeast when sequen-
tially pre-treated with HCl and NaOH solutions [15–18]. The
authors contacted some of the local small breweries in Win-
nipeg, MB, Canada and were informed that to save the dis-
posal cost of BSG, it is given away right after the separation
from the wort to cattle farmers for free.
Due to its bulk availability and low cost, BSG can be consid-
ered a suitable and healthy adjunct for human and animal
nutrition. A concentrated research effort is needed to develop
alternative processes to extract nutritionally rich fractions
from BSG. Such processes will not only add value to a by-
product that is deemed a liability by the breweries but also
reduce environmental pollution caused by its disposal. This
paper reviews the various issues that currently exist with re-
spect to assessment of the chemical composition, potential
uses and methods for improving storage time and extraction
of different components from BSG. In the last section, a brief
discussion on the future direction of research is given, as it
relates to developing newer techniques to exploit the unuti-
lised fractions of BSG.
Storage and drying of BSG
Since BSG has high moisture content of ~77–81% db (dry
basis) it is liable to deteriorate rapidly due to microbial activ-
ity [19, 20*]. After storing BSG in burlap bags for 30 days,
Sodhi et al. [21] found eight isolates of Aspergillus, Fusa-
rium, Mucor, Penicillium and Rhizopus. It was observed that
lactic, formic and acetic or benzoic acid–water–BSG mix-
tures were effective in preserving BSG quality and nutritional
value. Of the acids, benzoic and formic acids were especially
effective [22]. Also potassium sorbate was found to be effec-
tive in preserving pressed BSG [23]. Freezing is considered
to be an inappropriate method for long term storage as large
volumes must be stored and alterations in the arabinose con-
tent may occur.
Drying
Drying is considered a potential alternative for BSG preser-
vation. Drying also reduces the product volume, which in
turn decreases the transportation and storage costs [24**].
The process of drying mainly consists of two steps: pressing
(to get a material with <65% db) and drying (to get a material
with <10% db) [25]. The traditional process for drying BSG
using rotary-drum dryers is considered to be energy intensive
compared with other drying methods for BSG [2**].
Oven drying method is widely used for drying BSG. It is
more attractive due to its low cost compared with other dry-
ing techniques such as, freeze drying and superheated steam
(SHS) drying. However, in this technique, the temperature
near the dryer exit can rise leading to toasting or burning of
the dried BSG so care must be taken to control the tempera-
ture of the dryer [2**]. In addition, it is observed that smoke
emerging from dryer stacks at higher temperatures has NOx
2
Johnson et al. / Stewart Postharvest Review 2010, 4:2

and SOx components which cause odour pollution [19, 2**]. BSG is a rich source of phenolic acid compounds (Table 1).
In order to avoid these possible risks it is proposed that oven Phenolic acids are a group of natural products commonly
drying of BSG must be conducted at temperatures below found in the outer layers of the kernels of many cereal grains
60ºC [26, 27]. A thorough review of various studies reveals [45]. Phenolic compounds have been found to be strong anti-
that different researchers use different temperatures and dry- oxidants against free radicals [46]. Antioxidants have a sig-
ing times for oven drying of BSG [28, 24**]. No standard nificant role in human health due to their potential in prevent-
procedure or consistent guidelines are available on these pa- ing human diseases such as cancer and heart diseases. Pheno-
rameters. lic acids are found in different forms depending on the differ-
ences in number and position of the hydroxyl groups on the
Freeze drying is another technique used for the preservation aromatic ring. Hydroxycinnamic acid compounds such as
of BSG. In the process of freeze drying sublimation of water ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid constitute a major portion of
occurs, changing the state of water directly from solid to the phenolic acids of BSG. Ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid
gaseous state [29**]. It was reported by Bartolome et al. [30 are considered to be antioxidants and can be used in the food
**] that freeze-drying is economically not acceptable even industries [47]. BSG is also a good source of minerals, vita-
though preservation by freeze-drying reduces the volume of mins and amino acids (Table 2).
the product without altering its composition.
BSG must be preserved immediately after collection from the
A membrane filter press can also be used to reduce the mois- brewery in order to prevent microbial spoilage. Before per-
ture content of the BSG sample. El-Shafey et al. [31*] used a forming the drying experiments, the material collected from
membrane filter press to reduce the moisture content of the the brewery was stored in a deep freezer at -15ºC and thawed
BSG samples. In their study, BSG was mixed with water and at room temperature [32*]. A number of studies dealing with
filtered at a feed pressure of 3–5 bar, washed with hot water the significance and uses of different major and minor com-
(65ºC), membrane-filtered, and vacuum-dried to achieve ponents have been reported in the literature. A few of the
moisture levels between 20 and 30%. There were no bacterial important results are discussed in the following sub-sections.
activities observed after storing the BSG cakes for a period of
6 months. Lignocellulosic component of BSG
The cellular complex of the vegetal biomass is made up of
SHS drying is a more environmentally friendly and less en- lignocellulosic materials. They are mainly composed of cel-
ergy intensive technique [32*, 33]. It has additional advan- lulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. There have been many
tages of improved drying efficiency, elimination of fire or studies conducted regarding the production of value-added
explosion risk, drying with material sterilisation and pasteuri- compounds from lignocellulosic fractions. These fractions
sation, faster drying rates and improved recovery of valuable are the main raw material for pulp and paper industries [50].
organic compounds [34*–40*]. The grain sticking to the Bioprocessing of lignocellulosic can be aimed at producing
dryer surfaces is an important issue for the techniques com-
monly used for drying BSG [33]. Sticking leads to product
degradation from the inclusion of blackened deposits and in
turn increases the risk of fire or explosion [34*]. SHS drying
reduces the risk of grain sticking, thereby making the drying
process much safer than other techniques. It should be noted Table 1. Total phenolic acid and sugar composition of brewer’s spent
grain.
that SHS drying requires more complex drying equipment
than oven drying. Moreover, it is not recommended for tem- Phenolic acid composition Mole fractions (%)
perature-sensitive products as the high temperatures can dis- Trans-p-Coumaric acid 27.72
colour the products [41, 42]. Cis-p-Coumaric acid 4.52
Trans-Ferulic acid 51.00
Cis-Ferulic acid 6.16
Constitutional composition and extraction 8, 5´-Diferulic acid 2.21
BSG is a lignocellulosic material containing non-cellulosic 5,5-Diferulic acid 2.03
polysaccharides, chiefly arabinoxylans and lignin [2**]. It has 8-0-4´-Diferulic acid 6.36
a high content of protein and fibre. The husk of the grains used Sugar composition Mole fractions (%)
for brewing is a high source of silica and polyphenolic compo- Arabinose 15.36
nents [43]. The chemical composition of BSG depends on Fucose 0.11
Rhamnose 0.20
grain variety, harvest time, malting and mashing conditions. Xylose 29.84
The final composition may also vary depending on the quality Mannose 1.24
as well as the type of adjuncts added in the brewing process Galactose 2.00
[19, 24**]. The constitutional composition of BSG (% db) is: Glucose (non-cellulose) 25.71
Glucose (cellulose) 12.60
cellulose (25.4%); arabinoxylan (21.8%); lignin (11.9%); pro- Uronic acid 12.95
tein (24%); lipid (10.6%); ash (2.4%) and some minor compo-
nents such as ferulic acid, coumaric acid, etc [44]. Source: Jay et al. [48**].

3
Johnson et al. / Stewart Postharvest Review 2010, 4:2
Table 2. Minerals, vitamins and amino acids found in brewer's spent grain .
Minerals Vitamins
(concentration < 5%) (ppm)
Calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manga- Biotin (0.1), choline (1800), folic acid (0.2), niacin
nese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium (44), pantothenic acid (8.5), riboflavin (1.5), thia-
and sulphur mine (0.7) and pyridoxine (0.7)
Source: Huige [19] and Mariani [49].
fuel-grade ethanol by enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose
fractions [51]. The production of fermentable sugars by enzy-
matic hydrolysis of cellulosic materials is also gaining com-
mercial importance [52]. As lignin constitutes a major por-
tion of lignocellulosic structure, its utilisation would add
value to such materials [50]. Various techniques such as alka-
line hydrolysis can be used to remove and isolate lignin from
BSG [53, 54]. Lignin, after isolation, can be used as starting
material for many value-added products, such as activated
carbon, vanillin, emulsifying and chelating agents, benzene,
dispersant, antioxidants, pesticides, phenols, fertilisers, poly-
mers, adhesives and concrete additives [55*].
Carbohydrate fractions of BSG
BSG is rich in carbohydrates, both starch (up to about 15%),
as well as non-starch polysaccharides (34%) which constitute
the major part of dietary fibre fractions [48**]. Sugars can
also be released from the BSG samples through hydrolysis
(Saeman hydrolysis) [48**]. On hydrolysis, cellulose yields
glucose and the non-cellulosic polysaccharides xylose, man-
nose, galactose and arabinose as well as acetic and hydroxy-
cinnamic acids [2**]. The sugar composition of BSG is
shown in Table 1. Some of these products are useful for in-
dustrial purposes for the manufacture of food grade chemi-
cals or as energy sources in microbial fermentations [2**].
BSG is also a rich source of dietary fibre fractions. Pentoses
are considered to be the main dietary fibre fraction of cereals
[24**]. The total pentose (xylose and arabinose) extracted
from BSG is important commercially. Xylose produced enzy-
matically can be utilised for making sweeteners or as a stabi-
liser in foods [56, 57] and arabinose can be used as an antivi-
ral agent and for medical diagnostics [30**].
Extraction of proteins
BSG has a high protein content of more than 20% db [2**].
For a long time the use of this high valued by-product was
limited to feeding animals. In the current scenario it is impor-
tant to perform value addition to co-products to improve the
cost effectiveness of the brewing process. Since the mid-
1940s extensive research has been conducted on the recovery
of protein from agro industrial by-products [58**]. Many
studies have shown that the proteins extracted from BSG
have the potential to compete with other food grade based
Proteins
Leucine, valine, alanine, serine, glycine, glutamic
acid and aspartic acid in the largest amounts, and
tyrosine, proline, threonine, arginine, and lysine in
smaller amounts. Cystine, histidine, isoleucine,
methionine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan
proteins in the market, due to its high nutritional and func-
tional characteristics.
The proteins extracted from BSG can be used for making
food products, depending on the chemical, nutritional, and
functional properties of the proteins [59]. These proteins are
derived directly from the cereal used in the process at the
brewery [58**]. Proteins present in BSG can be classified as
albumins, globulins, hordeins (barley prolamins) and glute-
lins; of these hordeins constitute the major part [60**]. It has
been reported that approximately 65% of the malt proteins
are retained in the BSG [61]. The lack of solubility of BSG
proteins is one of the major limitations for their extensive
use in food products [60**]. The solubility of BSG proteins
are less in solvents commonly used for extraction of proteins
namely, water, salt, dilute acid and dilute alkali [62]. It was
reported by Bhumibhamon [63] that, in 24 h acid and
alkali proteases solubilised 30% and 36% of BSG nitrogen,
respectively. The enzymatic hydrolysis of BSG proteins im-
proves emulsifying and foam-forming properties, which in
turn increases the potential application of insoluble proteins
[64].
Alkali extraction
Ervin et al. [65**] used an extracting solution consisting of
sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)/ Na2HPO4, (pH7.0) followed
by precipitation of proteins with ethanol in conjunction with
refrigeration. Approximately 50% and 23% of protein as a
dried powdered concentrate was obtained from dried BSG
and pressed BSG respectively.
Membrane separation
In the membrane separation process the supernatant obtained
either after alkaline or acid extraction is subjected to ultrafil-
tration or reverse osmosis to concentrate the proteins ob-
tained [60**]. The system mainly consists of a re-circulation
pump, cross-flow ultrafiltration module equipped with mem-
brane [66*]. One of the main issues with protein extraction is
its denaturation by the processing temperature. In addition
the salt, which remains in the extract solution, cannot be effi-
ciently removed by dialysis. Since no heat is added to the co-
product stream in the membrane separation process, there is
no risk of denaturation and the quality of protein in the co-
4
Johnson et al. / Stewart Postharvest Review 2010, 4:2
Table 3. Variability in different components (%db) of BSG samples preserved by three different preservation methods (The values represented for
moisture, protein and fat are the average values obtained for eight lots of brewer’s spent grain sample).
Components
(% db)
Oven drying
1
Xylose 12.4 - 20
Arabinose 1 7.5 – 8.8
Ferulic acid1 0.16 – 0.27
p-coumaric acid 1 0.060– 0.11
Moisture 2 9.84
Protein 2 24.2
Fat 2 3.9
Source: 1Bartolome et al. [30**], 2Santos et al. [24**].
products is not compromised [67*]. Membrane separation
has many advantages such as absence of phase change of
water, and reduced energy consumption for the removal of
water and small molecular size compounds, such as salts
[66*].
Variation in chemical composition of BSG pre-
served by different techniques
Santos et al. [24**] and Bartolome et al. [30**] conducted
studies for determining any possible differences in the chemi-
cal composition of BSG preserved by various techniques. A
study conducted by Santos et al. [24**] revealed that mois-
ture contents of the eight lots of oven dried samples of BSG
were similar to those obtained by freeze-drying. In turn, the
moisture contents of BSG samples were reduced almost nine-
fold in comparison with the frozen samples. The results of
the study (Table 3) showed that there are significant differ-
ences in protein contents among oven-dried, freeze-dried and
frozen samples. The frozen samples had a higher protein con-
tent than oven dried and freeze-dried samples. The lower
protein content in the freeze-dried and oven-dried samples is
due to the losses in volatile nitrogen compounds during the
freezing and drying processes. The frozen samples have a fat
content of 5.8% which is higher than oven-dried and freeze-
dried samples. The oven-dried and freeze-dried samples have
nearly similar fat percentages. It was reported that ~ 30% of
the fatty compounds present in BSG, susceptible to extraction
by diethyl ether (more volatile compounds), were lost during
the freeze-drying and oven-drying processes in comparison
with freezing.
In the work done by Bartolome et al. [30**] the total pentose
(xylose and arabinose) and hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic
and p-coumaric acid) contents in eight lots of BSG preserved
by different methods (freeze-drying, oven drying [at 60°C for
18 h] and freezing) were determined (Table 3). Results from
the study showed that the frozen lots had a lower arabinose
content than oven-dried or freeze-dried samples. This change
can be attributed to the microbial alteration during defrosting.
There were no significant differences between ferulic and p-
Preservation techniques
Freeze-drying Freezing
13.6 – 17.8 13.5- 17.2
8.0 – 9.9 6.6 – 9.0
0.14 – 0.29 0.16 – 0.26
0.065 – 0.109 0.041 – 0.15
9.35 77.81
21.8 26.4
3.6 5.8
coumaric acid with respect to different preservation methods.
The study concluded that freezing is not a good method for
preservation of spent grains as there is less reduction in BSG
volume along with alterations in the arabinose contents.
Successful applications of BSG
Recently, more research studies are focusing on finding po-
tential uses of BSG [48**]. So far, the main current applica-
tion of BSG is in dairy cattle feed [2**]. Due to the relatively
low cost of BSG and its high nutritive value, it could be po-
tentially used in human nutrition as well as in industrial and
biotechnological processes. To strengthen the economy of the
brewing industry, it is important to develop other alternative
uses of this high value by-product. Some of the potential ap-
plications of BSG were discussed in the earlier sections of
this paper and are summarised in Table 4.
Future research direction
The generation of bulk quantities of high moisture content
BSG is a major challenge for breweries globally. By remov-
ing the flavour and aroma, the usage of BSG flour into the
human food products can be increased. Research must be
conducted to find economic and less energy intensive meth-
ods for drying BSG. The drying processes must be capable of
removing flavour and aroma without affecting the nutritional
quality of BSG. Chemical compounds also need to be devel-
oped for improving the shelf-life of BSG without altering its
constitutional composition. BSG contains an abundance of
nutritionally rich minor components and antioxidants. Re-
search is needed to extract and salvage these valuable frac-
tions.
Commercially feasible methods must be developed for ex-
tracting high quality protein fractions from BSG. Alternative
uses of BSG also need to be explored. Lignin extracted from
BSG can be used for making polymers and resins, which can
be used in making eco-friendly marketable products. Since
BSG is a source of nutrients like N, P, K, Ca, Mg and C,
studies should be carried out to improve BSG’s alternative
use in agriculture as an organic fertiliser.
5
Johnson et al. / Stewart Postharvest Review 2010, 4:2
Table 4. Specific areas of application of BSG.
Uses of BSG Comments
Animal nutrition Cattles, poultry, pigs, fish, rats and hamsters
Human nutrition Flakes, whole-wheat products (breads, cookies, cakes and spaghetti) and extruded snacks
Energy production Direct combustion or fermentation to produce biogas
Charcoal production BSG charcoal has a calorific value of 27 MJ/Kg
Biotechnological processes Substrate for cultivation of microorganisms, as a substrate for production of enzymes
Brewing process As an additive or carrier in brewing process
Brick constituent Bricks having high porosity can be produced
Adsorbent Pyrolysed spent grains can be used as an adsorbent for removing volatile organic compounds
such as lead and cadmium from waste gases
Paper manufacture Paper towels, business cards and coasters
Agronomic application For improving the productivity of fragile soils
Conclusion
BSG can be considered a potential by-product with multiple
uses. The bulk quantities of BSG produced appear to be a
challenge for the brewing industries worldwide. But by find-
ing suitable techniques for extracting the components of
BSG; it can be made a source of profit for the breweries.
There is a need for an economical drying technique for han-
dling bulk quantities of BSG without altering the composi-
tion of BSG. BSG is a rich source of many nutrients specially
protein, which is considered a major nutrient for both human
and animal nutrition. By finding suitable cost effective meth-
ods for extracting nutritionally rich components potential
utilisation of BSG can be improved in the near future.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Natural Sciences and Engineering Re-
search Council of Canada for their financial support for fund-
ing their research works in related topics.
References
Papers of interest have been highlighted as:
*Marginal importance
**Essential reading
1 Xiros C, Topakas E, Katapodis P and Christakopoulos P. Hydrolysis and
fermentation of brewer’s spent grain by Neurospora crassa. Bioresource
Technology 2008: 99:5427–5435.
2 Mussatto SI, Dragone G and Roberto IC. Brewers’ spent grain: genera-
tion, characteristics and potential applications. Journal of Cereal Science
2006: 43:1–14.
** This review paper focuses on the main characteristics and potential applica-
tions of BSG.
3 Keller-Reinspach HW. Emissions during the combustion of spent brew-
ers’ grains. Brauwelt 1989: 129:2316–2319.
4 Hassona HZ. High fibre bread containing brewer’s spent grains and its
effect on lipid metabolism in rats. Die Nahrung 1993: 37:576–582.
5 Miranda MZ, Grossmann MVE and Nabeshima EH. Utilization of brew-
ers’ spent grain for the production of snacks with fiber. 1. Physicochemi-
cal characteristics. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 1994a:
References
[19, 68–72]
[4, 8, 19]
[73, 74**]
[75, 76*]
[11, 79]
[14, 80]
[20*]
[78]
[77*]
[12*]
37:483–493.
6 Öztürk S, Özboy Ö, Cavidoglu I and Köksel H. Effects of brewers’ spent
grain on the quality and dietary fiber content of cookies. Journal of the
Institute of Brewing 2002: 108:23–27.
*The study was done to investigate the effects of BSG addition on the quality
and dietary fibre content of cookies.
7 Ainsworth P, Ìbanoğlu Ş, Plunkett A, Ìbanoğlu E and Stojceska V. Effect
of brewers spent grain addition and screw speed on the selected physical
and nutritional properties of an extruded snack. Journal of Food Engi-
neering 2007: 81:702–709.
*The study was done to analyse the effects of adding BSG as a fibre source, on
physical and nutritional properties of a chickpea based extruded snack product.
8 Townsley PM. Preparation of commercial products from brewer’s waste
grain and trub. The Master Brewers Association of the Americas Techni-
cal Quarterly 1979: 16:130–134.
9 Aikat K and Bhattacharyya BC. Optimization of some parameters of
solid state fermentation of wheat bran for protease production by a local
strain of Rhizopus oryzae. Acta Biotechnologica 2000: 20:149–159.
10 Chou C and Rwan J. Mycelial propagation and enzyme production in koji
prepared with Aspergillus oryzae on various rice extrudates and steamed
rice. Journal of Fermentation and Bioengineering 1995: 79:509–512.
11 Sangeetha PT, Ramesh MN and Prapulla SG. Production of fructosyl
transferase by Aspergillus oryzae CFR 202 in solid-state fermentation
using agricultural by-products. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
2004: 65:530–537.
12 Mbagwu JSC and Ekwealor GC. Agronomic Potential of Brewers' Spent
Grains. Biological Wastes 1990: 34:335–347.
*The research was carried out to determine the optimum application rates of
BSG and compare its performance with the recommended rates of inorganic
fertilisers for maize in Nigeria. The results indicated that there is a notable
increase in the maize yield with the application of BSG also its addition in-
creased the soil aggregation, aggregate stability and moisture-retention capac-
ity.
13 Novik GI, Wawrzynczyk J, Norrlow O and Szwajcer-Dey E. Fractions of
Barley Spent Grain as Media for Growth of Probiotic Bacteria. Microbi-
ology 2007: 76:804–808.
*The authors studied the application rate of the protein and polysaccharide
fractions of barley spent grain as a basis of growth media for probiotic bacteria.
14 Roberts RT. Use of an extract of spent grains as an antifoaming agent in
fermentors. Journal of the Institute of Brewing 1976: 82:96.
15 Brányik T, Vicente A, Cruz JM and Teixeira JA. Spent grains—a new
support for brewing yeast immobilisation. Biotechnology Letters 2001:
23:1073–1078.
6
Johnson et al. / Stewart Postharvest Review 2010, 4:2
16 Brányik T, Vicente A, Cruz JM and Teixeira JA. Continuous primary
beer fermentation with brewing yeast immobilized on spent grains. Jour-
nal of the Institute of Brewing 2002: 108:410–415.
17 Brányik T, Vicente A, Oliveira R and Teixeira J. Physicochemical sur-
face properties of brewing yeast influencing their immobilization onto
spent grains in a continuous reactor. Biotechnology and Bioengineering
2004a: 88:84–93.
18 Brányik T, Vicente AA, Kuncová G, Podrazký O, Dostálek P and
Teixeira JA. Growth model and metabolic activity of brewing yeast
biofilm on the surface of spent grains: a biocatalyst for continuous beer
fermentation. Biotechnology Progress 2004b: 20:1733–1740.
19 Huige NJ. Brewery by-products and effluents. In: Handbook of Brewing.
Edited by Hardwick WA (editors): New York: Marcel Dekker; 1994 pp.
501–550.
20 Russ W, Mörtel H and Meyer-Pittroff R. Application of spent grains to
increase porosity in bricks. Construction and Building Materials 2005:
19:117–126.
*The technical properties of bricks produced with spent grains for improving
porosity has been investigated.
21 Sodhi HS, Garcha HS and Kiran U. Screening of mycoflora of spent-up
brewers’ grains for aflatoxin production. Journal of Research (Punjab
Agricultural University) 1985: 22:331–336.
22 Al-Hadithi AN, Muhsen AA and Yaser AA. Study of the possibility of
using some organic acids as preservatives for brewery by-products. Jour-
nal of Agriculture and Water Resources Research 1985: 4:229–242.
23 Kuntzel U and Sonnenberg H. Preservation of pressed brewers’ spent
grains with potassium sorbate. Monatsschrift fuer Brauwissenschaft
1997: 50:175–181.
24 Santos M, Jiménez JJ, Bartolome B, Gómez-Cordove C and del Nozal
MJ. Variability of brewer’s spent grain within a brewery. Food Chemis-
try 2003: 80:17–21.
** Demonstrates the variability in the main components (moisture, protein, fat,
ash and total phenolics) of eight lots of BSG supplied by a brewery.
25 Valverde P. Barley spent grain and its future. Cerveza y Malta 1994:
122:7–26.
26 Hernández AM, Rodríguez JL, López B and Zerquera OL. Chemical and
functional characterization of brewer's grain Spent. Alimentaria 1999:
302:105–107.
27 Prentice N and D’Appolonia BL. High-fiber bread containing brewers’
spent grain. Cereal Chemistry 1977: 54:1084–1095.
28 Özvural EB, Vural H, Gökbulut Đ and Özen Ö. Utilization of brewer’s
spent grain in the production of Frankfurters. International Journal of
Food Science and Technology 2009: 44: 1093–1099.
29 Franks F. Freeze-drying of bioproducts: putting principles into practice.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 1998: 45:221–
229.
**Overview of the product and process parameters that determine successful
freeze-drying of bioproducts.
30 Bartolome B, Santos M, Jiménez JJ, del Nozal M J and Gómez-Cordovés
C. Pentoses and Hydroxycinnamic Acids in Brewer’s Spent Grain. Jour-
nal of Cereal Science 2002: 36:51–58.
** The total pentose (xylose and arabinose) and hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic
and p -coumaric acids) contents in eight lots of BSG preserved by three differ-
ent methods (freeze-drying, oven drying and freezing) has been determined in
this study.
31 El-Shafey EI, Gameiro M, Correia P and de Carvalho J. Dewatering of
brewers’ spent grain using a membrane filter press: a pilot plant study.
Separation Science and Technology 2004: 39:3237–3261.
*The application of membrane filter press for producing dry, shelf-storable,
BSG cakes which can be used as an animal food as well as a start material for
other BSG uses has been investigated.
32 Tang Z, Cenkowski S and Izydorczyk M. Thin-layer drying of spent
grains in superheated steam. Journal of Food Engineering 2005: 67:457–
465.
*The study focuses on developing equations for describing the thin-layer dry-
ing of BSG and DSG in SS, to analyse the thin-layer drying characteristics of
spent grains in SS, and to quantify the change in nutrient composition of the
SHS dried samples.
33 Tang Z, Cenkowski S and Muir WE. Modelling the superheated steam
drying of a fixed bed of brewers’ spent grain. Biosystems Engineering
2004: 87: 67–77.
34 Stroem LK, Desai DK and Hoadley AFA. Superheated steam drying of
Brewer’s spent grain in a rotary drum. Advanced Powder Technology
2009: 20:240–244.
*The drying of BSG using a SHS rotary dryer at pilot-scale is evaluated.
35 van Deventer HC and Heijmans RMH. Drying with superheated steam.
Drying Technology 2001: 19:2033–2045.
36 DiBella FA. Advanced steam atmosphere drying system. Report
TR7020-003-96. Waltham, MA: TECOGEN Division, Thermo Power
Corporation; 1996.
37 Erdesz K and Kudra T. Superheated steam drying––book review. Drying
Technology 1990: 8:891–893.
38 Jensen AS. Pressurized drying in a fluid bed with steam. In: Drying 92.
Edited by Mujumdar AS. New York: Elsevier Science Publishers; 1992
pp. 1593–1601.
39 Meunier J and Munz RJ. Flash drying with superheated steam––a mathe-
matical model. In: Drying 86. Edited by Mujumdar AS. New York:
Hemispere; 1986. pp. 580–587.
40 Wimmerstedt R. Steam drying––history and future. Drying Technology
1995: 13:1059–1076.
*An overview of steam drying technology and its future prospects
41 Kumar P and Mujumdar AS. Superheated steam drying––a bibliography.
Drying Technology 1990: 8:195–205.
42 Shibata H. Drying mechanism of sintered spheres of glass beads in super-
heated steam––thesis summary. Drying Technology 1991: 9:799–803.
43 Macleod AM. The physiology of malting. In: Brewing Science, vol. 1.
Edited by Pollock JRA: New York: Academic Press; 1979 pp.145–232.
44 Kanauchi O, Mitsuyama K and Araki Y. Development of a functional
germinated barley foodstuff from brewers’ spent grain for the treatment
of ulcerative colitis. Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chem-
ists 2001: 59:59–62.
45 Baublis AJ, Lu C, Clydesdale FM and Decker EA. Potential of wheat-
based breakfast cereals as a source of dietary antioxidants. Journal of the
American College of Nutrition 2002: 19:308–311.
46 Kim K, Tsao R, Yang R and Cui SW. Phenolic acid profiles and antioxi-
dant activities of wheat bran extracts and the effect of hydrolysis condi-
tions. Food Chemistry 2006: 95:466–473.
47 Graf E. Antioxidant potential of ferulic acid. Journal of Free Radicals in
Biology and Medicine 1992: 13:435–448.
48 Jay AJ, Parker ML, Faulks R, Husband F, Wilde P, Smith AC, Faulds CB
and Waldron KW. A systematic micro-dissection of brewers’ spent grain.
Journal of Cereal Science 2008: 47:357–364.
** Evaluation of the composition of a range of fractions that can be obtained
from BSG under controlled conditions.
49 Mariani E. Chromatographic examination of the amino acids of beer and
spent grains. Brasserie et Malterie de Belgique 1953: 3:50–53.
50 Mussatto SI, Fernandes M, Rocha GJM, Órfão JJM, Teixeira JA and
Roberto IC. Production, characterization and application of activated
carbon from brewer’s spent grain lignin. Bioresource Technology 2010:
101:2450–2457.
51 Mussatto SI, Fernandes M, Milagres AMF and Roberto IC. Effect of
hemicellulose and lignin on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose from
brewer's spent grain. Enzyme and Microbial Technology 2008: 43:124–
129.
52 Gan Q, Allen SJ and Taylor G. Design and operation of an integrated
membrane reactor for enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis, Biochemical Engi-
neering Journal 2002: 12:223–229.
7
Johnson et al. / Stewart Postharvest Review 2010, 4:2
53 Mussatto SI, Fernandes M and Roberto IC. Lignin recovery from
brewer’s spent grain black liquor. Carbohydrate Polymers 2007: 70:218–
223.
54 Santos F and Curvelo AAS. Recovery of lignins from kraft liquors. Pro-
ceedings of the Sixth Brazilian Symposium on the Chemistry of Lignins
and Other Wood Components 2001: 310–314.
55 Gargulak, JD and Lebo SE. Commercial use of lignin-based materials. In:
Lignin: Historical, Biological, and Materials Perspectives. Volume 742.
Edited by Glasser. WG, Northey RA, Schultz TP (editors). Washington:
American Chemical Society; 2000 pp. 305– 320.
*The usefulness of lignin-based materials has been demonstrated by the au-
thors.
56 Saito K, Miamoto K-I and Katsukura M. Influence of external additives
on the preservation of carthamin red colour: An introductory test for
utilizing carthamin as a herbal colorant of processed foods. Zeitschrift für
Lebensmitteluntersuchung und -Forschung A 1993: 196:259–260.
57 Serghat S, Mathlouthi M, Hoopman T and Birch GG. Solute-solvent
interactions and the sweet taste of small carbohydrates. Part 1: Effect of
solvent polarity on solution properties. Food Chemistry 1992: 45:25–32.
58 Satterlee LD. Utilization of Proteins from Biomass By products. Indus-
trial and Engineering Chemistry Product Research and Development
1984: 23:278–283.
** Summarizes some of the efforts to recover, evaluate and to utilize the pro-
teins from the biomass by-products.
59 Diptee R, Smith JP, Alli I and Khanizadeh S. Application of response
surface methodology in protein extraction studies from brewer’s spent
grain, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation 1989: 13:457–474.
60 Celus I, Brijs K and Delcour JA. Enzymatic hydrolysis of brewers' spent
grain proteins and technofunctional properties of the resulting hydrolys-
ates. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2007: 55:8703–8710.
** Study was focused on enzymatic hydrolysis of BSG protein concentrates for
improving the solubility of BSG proteins.
61 Celus I, Brijs K and Delcour JA. The effects of malting and mashing on
barley protein extractability. Journal of Cereal Science 2006: 44:203–
211.
62 Vassell B, Stephens SJ and Celusta-Howard PR. Solubility studies on the
nitrogenous contents of spent brewer’s grain. Cereal Chemistry 1949:
26:182–186.
63 Bhumibhamon O. Solubilizing effects of pretreatments of spent grains
with crude proteolytic enzymes. Journal of Agricultural Science 1981:
14:5–15.
64 Celus I, Brijs K and Delcour JA. Fractionation and Characterization of
Brewers’ Spent Grain Protein Hydrolysates. Journal of Agriculture and
Food Chemistry 2009: 57:5563–5570.
65 Ervin V, Alli I, Smith JP and Zhuo L. Extraction and precipitation of
proteins from brewer’s spent grain. Canadian Institute of Food Science
and Technology Journal 1989: 22:216–221.
** Different methods used for extraction and precipitation of proteins from
BSG are described.
66 Tang D, Yin G, He Y, Hu S, Li Bing, Lin Li, Liang H and Borthakur D.
Recovery of protein from brewer’s spent grain by ultrafiltration. Bio-
chemical Engineering Journal 2009: 48:1–5.
*The authors investigated the possible application of ultrafiltration technique in
the recovery of protein from BSG. The effectiveness in removing water and
salts were also evaluated in the study.
67 Templin TL, Johnston DB, Singh V, Tumbleson ME, Belyea RL and
Rausch K.D. Membrane separation of solids from corn processing
streams. Bioresource Technology 2006: 97:1536–1545.
*In this study the membrane filtration was investigated as a method to remove
water and recover solids from corn processing streams. The effectiveness of
microfiltration and ultrafiltration in removing water and solids from different
corn processing streams were determined.
68 Dung NNX, Manh LH and Uden P. Tropical fibre sources for pigs—
digestibility, digesta retention and estimation of fibre digestibility in vitro.
Animal Feed Science and Technology 2002: 102: 109–124.
69 Kaur VI and Saxena PK. Incorporation of brewery waste in supplemen-
tary feed and its impact on growth in some carps. Bioresource Technol-
ogy 2004: 91:101–104.
70 Dhiman TR, Bingham HR and Radloff HD. Production response of
lactating cows fed dried versus wet brewers’ grain in diets with similar
dry matter content. Journal of Dairy Science 2003: 86:2914–2921.
71 Gondwe TNP, Mtimuni JP and Safalaoh ACL. Evaluation of brewery by-
products replacing vitamin premix in broiler finisher diets. Indian Journal
of Animal Sciences 1999: 69:347–349.
72 Kanauchi O and Agata K. Protein, and dietary fiber-rich new foodstuff
from brewers’ spent grain increased excretion of feces and jejunum mu-
cosal protein content in rats. Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemis-
try 1997: 61:29–33.
73 Ezeonu FC and Okaka ANC. Process kinetics and digestion efficiency of
anaerobic batch fermentation of brewers’ spent grains (BSG). Process
Biochemistry 1996: 31:7–12.
74 Okamoto H, Kitagawa Y, Minowa T and Ogi T. Thermal-catalytic con-
version of high moisture spent grains to a gaseous fuel. MBAA Technical
Quarterly 1999: 36:239–241.
** This study investigated the possibility of direct conversion of spent grains
into gaseous fuel. The gas products of composition: carbon dioxide (49%-
50%), methane (33%) and hydrogen (14%) were obtained in the process.
75 Okamoto H, Sato K, Yagi N, Inoue M, Yamasaki S, Ishida S and Shibata
J. Development of production process of charcoal bricks from spent
grain. Kagaku Kogaku Ronbunshu 2002: 28:137–142.
76 Sato K, Yagi N, Okamoto H, Inoue M, Ajiri T and Shibata J. Physical
property and burning property of spent grain charcoal. Shigen to Sozai
2001: 117:587–590.
*The study evaluated the various physical and burning properties of charcoal
made from BSG.
77 Ishiwaki N, Murayama H, Awayama H, Kanauchi O and Sato T. Devel-
opment of high value uses of spent grain by fractionation technology.
MBAA Technical Quarterly 2000: 37:261–265.
* The authors investigated the possibility of developing unique applications for
each size fractions separated from BSG.
78 Low KS, Lee CK and Liew SC. Sorption of cadmium and lead from
aqueous solutions by spent grain. Process Biochemistry 2000: 36:59–64.
79 Wang D, Sakoda A and Suzuki M. Biological efficiency and nutritional
value of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on spent beer grain. Bioresource
Technology 2001: 78:293–300.
80 Kado H, Ishii S, Takoi K, Mitani Y and Shinotsuka K. Effects of spent
grains or their extract on yeast performance. MBAA Technical Quarterly
1999: 36:187–190.
© 2010 Published by Stewart Postharvest Solutions (UK) Ltd.
All rights reserved. www.stewartpostharvest.com