Abstract
Unmalted cereals can reduce brewing cost and provide distinctive beer character, but they often increase wort viscosity and cause separation problems during lautering. This study examines enzymatic treatment of unmalted cereals for improved wort separation. Brewing trials were prepared using barley malt blended with unmalted cereal adjuncts and treated with targeted amylolytic, proteolytic, and beta-glucanase enzyme preparations. Wort viscosity, filtration time, extract recovery, fermentable sugar profile, beta-glucan concentration, protein solubilization, turbidity, and lautering performance were evaluated. The results show that enzymatic treatment reduced viscosity and improved wort flow by degrading starch, cell-wall polysaccharides, and high-molecular-weight proteins. Beta-glucanase treatment was particularly effective in reducing filtration resistance, while amylolytic enzymes improved fermentable sugar release. Excessive enzyme dosage reduced body-forming components and weakened mouthfeel potential. The study demonstrates that enzyme-assisted processing can improve unmalted cereal use when enzyme type, dosage, and mash conditions are properly optimized.