Brewing beer from 100% barley

Cutting edge enzymes enable brewmasters to bring out the best in barley whilst reducing CO₂ emissions

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BREWERS use enzymes to help increase their productivity, as when they use them to convert barley grain into fermentable wort to break down cell walls and to release amino acids and simple sugars for yeast growth. With The varying quality of malt, and the fact that it often represents the largest proportion of raw material costs, has encouraged brewers to seek effective alternatives that do not jeopardise the consumer's experience. Novozymes' latest innovation empowers brewers to brew great-tasting beer using 100% barley and creatively cut down on the CO₂ emissions associated with their production. Danish brewer Harboe explored the benefits offered by this revolutionary new solution.

Sprout of an idea becomes game changer

The key to both beer production and Novozymes' revolutionary new brewing solution is the enzyme, 'Ondea', which allows brewers to bring out the best in barley and produce great-tasting beers using barley as the sole raw material. This enzyme solution offers the industry a freedom and flexibility never before achieved, and the opportunity to truly slash its carbon footprint. "This simple process will change the future of brewing," says Niels Elvig, Novozymes Ondea project leader from R&D. "Our new solution works in synergy with the enzymes naturally occurring in barley during an infusion mashing program. What's more, it works with all standard brewhouse equipment. And the liquid solution has a robustness that makes it possible to work with a wide variety of barley types from many different geographical areas." The unique benefits offered by Ondea successfully overcome many of the challenges currently facing the brewing industry. "Modern brewing operations are constantly under pressure to improve productivity and increase cost savings. Corporate stakeholders are demanding that brewers become more socially responsible, and consumers are urging brewers to create new brands through their relentless search for new beverage experiences," says Patrick Patterson, market director of Novozymes' Beverage division. "Ondea brewing is the answer to many of these issues ."

Freedom, flexibility, quality, and taste

Martin Schade, director at Harboe Brewery, says that with Ondea Pro, the extract yield is better than typically encountered when using barley in combination with malt. And the wort and beer filtration is exceptionally efficient - and comparable to the performance expected when using well-modified malts. "Ondea Pro enables us to support our own local economy while speeding up our productivity. It's a more stable and robust process, offering us so much more flexibility with the barley that we use," according to Mr Schade. Consumer tests have proven that there is equal taste preference for beer made with barley and beer made with malt, says SØren HØjfeldt Lund, regional marketing manager for Brewing at Novozymes: "We ran consumer tests in both Denmark and Germany, offering the participants two blinded beers from Harboe - one regular pilsner and one made with 100% barley. The overall results indicated that the participants liked the taste of the barley beer as much as they liked the malt beer - and they expressed an interest in buying it."

Creatively cutting down CO₂ emissions

Today's consumers acutely aware of the impact that industry and increased consumption have on the environment. Productivity-enhancing enzyme solutions offer the brewing industry an environmentally friendly edge, and with the largest raw material contribution to the carbon footprint of beer production coming from malt, Ondea brings sustainability in brewing to a new level. "If 18 tons of malt is substituted withLebron XIV 14 Low