Investigation of the Suitability of Hulled Wheats for Malting and Brewing

Hulled wheats (einkorn, emmer, and spelt) are gaining interest in Italy as wholesome, tasty grains that are linked to the land and tradition. Their use in products like biscuits, pastas, and breads is already well established, but there are fewer reports on their use for malt and beer. This study analyzed three Italian varieties of Triticum dicoccum and one cultivar of T. monococcum with regard to their suitability to be malted and used as brewing raw materials. The unmalted grain quality parameters investigated were moisture, 1,000-kernel weight, total protein content, 1,000-spikelet weight, germinative energy, water sensitivity, high molecular weight P-glucan content, amount of unhulled kernels, husk content, and vitreous and floury structure of the endosperm. After these parameters were measured, all of the samples were malted. Before the malting trials, a study of water uptake was performed, and different steeping cycles were conducted to achieve a steep-out moisture of 47%. The resulting malts were analyzed, and the following parameters were determined: moisture, extract, saccharification time, extract difference, total nitrogen, soluble nitrogen, Kolbach index, free amino nitrogen, viscosity, apparent final attenuation, diastatic power, pH value, malt color, high molecular weight beta-glucan content, and wort obtained after mashing.