Optimization of mashing process in beer production using rice as an adjunct

Abstract

Beer manufacturers worldwide use adjuncts like rice, wheat and sorghum to reduce the cost of production replacing the starch source malt. In Sri Lankan context, rice can be added as the adjunct. Optimization of mashing process in order to obtain maximum sugar yield at a minimum cost is vitally important for the profitability in beer industry. This research investigates the effectiveness of mashing process at different rice-malt ratios and temperatures, thus identifying the optimum conditions for the mashing process when using rice as the adjunct. According to the statistical model developed using experimental data, up to 30.75% rice can be added as an adjunct without adding enzymes externally, and the optimum mashing temperature is 62 °C.