The relevance of amylogram characteristics in malt evaluation.

Lloyd, W.J.W.

Abstract
The relevance of amylogram characteristics of approx. 100 commercial malts taken from UK 1975 and 1976 harvests has been studied. The Brabender amylograph has been used to obtain viscosity cooking curves of malt mashes and the same malts were analysed by standard IoB and EBC methods. Pilot brews were also made from some of the malts. In a number of instances, correlation coefficients were high between the standard malt characteristics which are related to quality of extract and the initial and final mash viscosity as measured by the amylograph. In contrast, malt analyses concerned with modifidation correlated better with the area under the viscosity curve and peak amylogram viscosity. Barley variety which partly determines available extract also influences amylogram characteristics. Amylograms, while reproducible, are influenced by various interreacting characteristics of malts and are of more use in research than in quality control.
Keywords: amylolysis malt quality statistical analysis viscosity