Maize

From Brewing Forward
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Maize (corn) is a cereal grain that can be used as an adjunct in beer. High additions contribute or corn or "popcorn" character.[1]

Corn starch gelatinizes at (73-79°C vs 60-75°C ?). However, corn flakes and corn meal are typically gelatinized during production and can be added to a mash without further pre-treatment.[2][3] The extract content from corn is about the same as for barley malt.

Corn contains a lot of oil that is typically removed during processing to produce flakes or grits.[3][4]

Raw/ungelatinized corn requires a cereal mash. Since the typical gelatinization temp is 70-75°C, 10% malt at 78°C is sufficient to liquefy maize starch. Higher temperatures result in lower extraction since retrogradation takes place if there starch is not liquefied by enzymes (alpha-amylase).[4]

Corn gives beer a full clean flavor.[5]

The gelatinization temperature range for corn grit starch is 62°C to 74°C.[5]

Maize has a gelatinization temperature above that of barley so it must be pre-gelatinized before use. It lacks a husk and has less protein than malt so it does not contribute to filtration in the mash/lauter tun and tends to dilute FAN, TSN, foam potential and color. It has less flavor potential than barley so it is used to enhance the drinkability of beers. It's said to give a smoothness to beer palates. Maize is thought by some to give a corn-like aroma and taste to beer.[6]

Corn contains higher levels of polyphenols andhas a higher antioxidant capacity than other cereals such as wheat,rice and oats(1).[7] Pigmented corn varieties are distinctive owing totheir higher content of phenolic compounds of the flavonoidgroup, most notably anthocyanin.

  • Escalante-Aburto, A., Ramírez-Wong, B., Torres-Chávez, P. I., Barrón-Hoyos, J., de Dios Figueroa-Cárdenas, J., and López-Cervantes, J.(2013) The nixtamalization process and its effect on anthocyanin con-tent of pigmented maize, a review,Rev. Fitotec. Mex. 36(4), 429–437.

References[edit]

  1. Krottenthaler M, Back W, Zarnkow M. Wort production. In: Esslinger HM, ed. Handbook of Brewing: Processes, Technology, Markets. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA; 2009.
  2. Kunze W. Wort production. In: Hendel O, ed. Technology Brewing & Malting. 6th ed. VLB Berlin; 2019:261.
  3. a b Kunze W. Raw materials. In: Hendel O, ed. Technology Brewing & Malting. 6th ed. VLB Berlin; 2019.
  4. a b Meussdoerffer F, Zarnkow M. Starchy raw materials. In: Esslinger HM, ed. Handbook of Brewing: Processes, Technology, Markets. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA; 2009.
  5. a b Stewart GG. Adjuncts. In: Stewart GG, Russell I, Anstruther A, eds. Handbook of Brewing. 3rd ed. CRC Press; 2017.
  6. Howe S. Raw materials. In: Smart C, ed. The Craft Brewing Handbook. Woodhead Publishing; 2019.
  7. Flores‐Calderón AM, Luna H, Escalona‐Buendía HB, Verde‐Calvo JR. Chemical characterization and antioxidant capacity in blue corn (Zea mays L.) malt beers. J Inst Brew. 2017;123(4):506-518.