Reassessing the importance of barley starch and amylolytic enzyme properties in malting and brewing

Efficient conversion of starch to fermentable sugars and dextrins is essential during brewing as it drives process efficiency, resource efficiency, and the quality of the end product. Recent changes in barley growth conditions due to climate change challenge brewers in maintaining these essential aspects of the brewing process. The main component of barley, starch, is also undergoing changes, which can lead to detrimental effects on the brewing process. Additionally, variations in barley genotype and preparatory processing, such as malting, can affect starch properties of the barley malt. These changes in and fluctuations of the raw material barley for brewing have led to recent research focusing on the importance of starch granule proportions, starch structure, and starch behavior as a means to cope with these new challenges. In this review, we summarize the main findings regarding starch properties and behavior from barley to beer, discuss the importance of balancing starch gelatinization and starch hydrolysis during the mashing process, identify research gaps, and suggest potential trajectories for future research.