Roasting of malt and xanthohumol enrichment in beer

The use of commercial roasted malts increases the content of the hop polyphenol xanthohumol (XN) in beer. This carrier effect is caused by high molecular melanoidins from roasted malt. Three roasting trials with different malts were performed in order to study the development of XN enrichment of wort and beer in laboratory and brewing trials. Different colour measurements, malt and flavour analysis, radical formation and antioxidative activity of selected samples were carried out. Furthermore, sensory tests of beers were conducted. During roasting the XN and isoxanthohumol enrichment in wort and beer rose with the roasting intensity of malt until it reached a maximum. The XN content in wort increased linearly with the colour of wort made from the malt samples. In PVPP-treated worts and in filtered beers, the XN content increased exponentially with the colour. After passing through a maximum, both the colour value and XN content in wort and beer decreased. Interestingly, the colour losses were more intensive than the losses of XN in worts and beers. The development of radical formation and the reducing power was linked during roasting. That means reducing groups of melanoidins are responsible for reducing power and prooxidative properties of malts. These functional groups of melanoidins are involved in the development of XN enrichment properties, because a linear correlation between these parameters was found. In conclusion, the roasting regimes showed potential for the development of special malt for the XN enrichment in beer- or malt-based beverages in late roasting stages. The use of this special malt brings more XN with less coloured malt in beer.