Fatty Acids Composition Differences Between Beers Made with All-Malt and Brewer's Corn Grits and Malt

Barley is the main raw material used for beer production, but it must first be converted into malt before it can be used in brewing. Unmalted cereals, such as corn, rice, wheat, and sorghum, are often used as adjuncts. Corn products (which contain a more cost-effective form of carbohydrate) are traditionally used as adjuncts in the United States and Europe because they provide extract at a lower cost than can be obtained using malted barley. Corn adjuncts are readily available and provide other positive effects as well, such as color adjustment, fuller flavor, etc. The addition of corn products as raw materials in an all-malt beer recipe is considered an adulteration of the beer. The aim of this research was to evaluate the fatty acids composition of beer as a method of ascertaining the presence of corn grits used as an adjunct and to determine if its presence can be verified in labeled all-malt beers. A correlation between the different fatty acids compositions of beers with and without corn grits could be an index to evaluate the presence of solid corn adjunct in beer. The lipids contents and fatty acids profiles were evaluated for malt and corn, labeled all-malt beer, and labeled beer with added corn grits. The results obtained in this preliminary study showed a potential correlation between the fatty acids compositions of beer lipids and those of different raw materials used in a recipe.