Adjuncts
In brewing, "adjunct" refers to unmalted cereal, such as rice, which can be used in the mash as an alternative to barley.[1] Adjunct grain is generally less expensive than barley, and therefore it's used as part of the grist in 85-90% of beer produced worldwide.
"Adjunct" may also be used to describe to other sources of fermentable sugars in beer other than barley malt, such as fruit.
Common adjuncts:
- Rice
- Corn
- Sorghum
- Unmalted wheat
- Unmalted barley
- Unmalted oats
- Sugars: Corn sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, Belgian Candi syrup, honey, maple syrup, etc.
- Fruit
When brewing with adjuncts, keep in mind that they generally do not provide adequate nutrition for the yeast.[1] Nutrient supplementation is typically beneficial to ensure a healthy fermentation.
Fun fact: The "Purity Law" restricts the use of adjuncts in German beer.