Brewing with 100 % green malt:

process development and technical challenges

Celina Dugulin1, Luisa María Acuña Muñoz2, Jasper Buyse2, Irina Bolat3, Gert De Rouck2, David Cook1.
1 International Centre for Brewing Science, University of Nottingham. 2 Laboratory of Enzyme, Fermentation and Brewing Technology, Technology Campus Gent, KU Leuven. 3 Boortmalt, Antwerp.

Introduction
Brewing with undried, germinated (green) malt has the potential to lower energy and water usage in the malting and brewing chain. However, doing so introduces new technical,
as well as biochemical (flavour) challenges. Beers were prepared using 100 % green malt (n = 3) or kilned pilsner malt (n = 3) prepared from the same batch in each case utilising
the pilot brewery at KU Leuven, brewing at 50 % total capacity (2.5 hL). Three further pairs of beers were brewed whereby the green malt was pre-steeped under de-aerated water
for 1 hour; this procedure had previously been shown to lower LOX activity in green malt. The milling of green malt used a wet disc mill (Meura) in conjunction with lipoxygenase
hostile mashing parameters; mashing in at >63°C, pH: 5.2, under oxygen-limited conditions. The resulting mash was then filtered using a membrane assisted thin bed filter.
Samples were collected throughout the brewing process, and compared with wort and beer samples produced using conventional pale lager malt, brewed under the same
brewing conditions (other than the amount of brewing liquor). The objective of this project is to evaluate the feasibility of brewing using freshly germinated (green) malt, with
omission of the kilning step. Findings from these trials will help to develop a future more energy and water efficient alternative to the malting/brewing paradigm.
Keywords: green malt brewing; energy use efficiency; malting science

Wort and beer production Deaerated reverse osmosis water

• 5 hL pilot brewery
• Meura wet milling system
• Lipoxygenase hostile
conditions (pH: 5.2,
mashing-in temp. 63°C,
oxygen-free)
• Mashing protocol: 63°C (30
with Ca2+ (CaCl2) , pH adjusted
Green malt
Moisture content: 40 %
using 30 % lactic acid aiming for a
pH of 5.2
Green malt: 68.9 kg
Water needed: 70.4 L, 85ᵒC
Lactic acid: 1.4 ml/hl
Ca2+ 109 ppm (CaCl2)
yeast: S-04 (Fermentis,
top fermenting), 24°C
maturation: 14 days at
Pilsner malt
Moisture content: 4 %
0°C,

min), 72°C (15 min) 78°C (1
min) – 3°C/ min
• Meura, membrane mash-
filter
Figure 1: Pilot brewery, KU Leuven, Technology Campus Gent, Belgium
Pilsner malt: 44 kg
Water needed: 96.6 L, 69ᵒC
Lactic acid: 1.0 ml/hl
Wort boiling: 60 min.
Ca2+ 80 ppm (CaCl2)
first hop - Magnum
late hop - Tettnanger + Saaz
aim: 29 mg iso-α-acids/L in final
beer

Results & Discussion S-

Re-steeping trials methyl methionine Dimethyl sulfide
Technical challenges:
Green malt Kilned malt Green malt Kilned malt

4.3 ± 0.0
Homogenous mixing hard to achieve.
pH 4.2 ± 0.0 4.4 ± 0.1 4.4 ± 0.1
Difficulty in reaching desired strike
Colour (EBC) 7.3 ± 1.2 9.5 ± 2.1 5.3 ± 0.4 8.4 ± 1.7
temperature and pH throughout mash
Original gravity (°P) 12.1 ± 0.3 12.6 ± 0.5 12.7 ± 0.3 12.6 ± 0.3 120.4 ± 44.6 Green malt (ppb) 17.3 ± 10.1

Structure of spent grains: spongy, cohesive.

Real extract %(w/w) 3.8 ± 0.3 4.1 ± 0.4 4.0 ± 0.5 4.2 ± 0.0 28.8 ± 19.6 Kilned malt (ppb) 18.5 ± 10.2

FAN (mg/L) 50.3 ± 4.0 116.2 ± 32.2 106.3 ± 19.1 82.5 ± 15.8
Extended mash filtration, insufficient sparging. DMS and SMM levels in unpasteurized beer. Data are the mean ±SD of 3
biological and 2 technical replicate measurements
Polyphenols (mg/L). 234.9 ± 31.7 250.9 ± 46.5 251.2 ± 7.7 268.5 ± 12.8 Six pilot beers brewed from green malt to date:
TBI 10.6 ± 0.9 33.6 ± 6.4 15.5 ± 0.8 40.4 ± 5.1
No significant taints or off-flavours.

Overview of trial beer characteristics. Data are the mean ±SD of 3 biological and 3-4 DMS adequately controlled – DMS levels below
technical replicate measurements.
flavour threshold of 50 µg/L.
Low TBI.
Figure 2: SurGreen (left)
made of 100 % green malt, Acceptable colour, pH.
in comparison to our
reference beer (right) Low residual free amino nitrogen levels in untreated Figure 3: Impact of in-pack pasteurisation processes on
brewed with 100% pilsner green malt beers BUT not in re-steeped beers. finished beer DMS (20, 40, 60 PU)
malt. Data are the mean ±SD of 3 biological and 2 technical replicate
Promising flavour stability metrics. measurements.

Research Outcomes
Six green malt beers were brewed with acceptable specifications in terms of pH, alcohol content and colour. No significant taints or obvious defects were detected in green malt
beer compared to reference beers. Increased S-methyl methionine levels were detected in beers made from green malt, however DMS concentrations in the finished beers did
not differ significantly from the reference brews. The presented data suggest that pasteurization is not a major concern when brewing with green malt, provided that the initial
DMS concentration is in an acceptable range. Furthermore, our results demonstrate promising indicators for flavour stability, such as reduced TBI, but also low residual FAN in
brews using untreated green malt. Further analyses on beer flavour stability indicators are underway. Although further process optimisation is required, we proved that
acceptable, potable beers can be brewed using 100% green malt.

Contact: M.Sc. Celina Dugulin

We would like to thank Boortmalt Antwerp,
E-Mail: celina.dugulin@nottingham.ac.uk especially the production team, for their great
This project has received funding from the European Union’s
support within this project and their kindness in
Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the
providing the green and kilned malt samples.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 722166.

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/brewingscience