Steviol Glycoside Malting Germination Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural and seasonal crop variations in cereal quality, influenced by weather, can negatively affect cereal malting performance and beer quality, as traditional malting processes struggle to consistently meet minimum quality requirements.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating steviol glycosides into the malting process by steeping cereal grains in water, followed by the addition of steviol glycosides, which stimulates enzyme formation and accelerates germination, resulting in a malt product with specific characteristics such as fine ground extract, viscosity, protein content, and soluble nitrogen levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional malting process is used, then cereal grains can be processed into malt, but germination time is extended and quality consistency is poor due to natural and seasonal crop variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adding steviol glycosides to alter the germination process parameters. This chemical addition changes the physiological state of the cereal grains, accelerating enzyme formation and rootlet growth, thereby reducing germination time while maintaining quality consistency across different crop variations
Solution Approach 2:
Steviol glycosides act as an intermediary substance that mediates between the cereal grain and the germination process. This intermediary accelerates the natural germination process by stimulating enzyme activity and rootlet development, enabling faster processing without compromising the enzymatic transformation quality
2Reliability
If natural and seasonal crop variations occur, then cereal quality varies, but traditional malting processes cannot consistently meet minimum quality requirements
Solution Approach 1:
By adding steviol glycosides, the patent changes the germination parameters to ensure consistent enzymatic activity and rootlet development. This parameter modification compensates for natural variations in amino acid and protein composition, ensuring that malt quality specifications are reliably met regardless of crop variations
Solution Approach 2:
The steviol glycoside treatment is applied during the steeping phase, before the main germination process begins. This preliminary action pre-conditiones the cereal grains, ensuring they are primed for uniform and accelerated germination, which helps guarantee consistent quality outcomes across different crop batches
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of steviol glycosides shortens germination time, improves malt quality, and maintains or enhances beer quality by reducing the time needed for rootlet growth, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional malting processes.
Implementation Method 1
The malting produces enzymes in the cereal kernel such as cytolytic enzymes (e.g., beta-glycanases and cytase), protein degrading enzymes (proteases), phosphoric acid splitting enzymes (phosphatases), and starch degrading enzymes (alpha- and beta-amylases)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3A
Figure 3B
AI summary
A method of germinating cereal grains includes: steeping cereal grains in water to obtain steeped cereal grains having average moisture content of 36 wt% to 55 wt%; adding a steviol glycoside to the steeped cereal grains to form a mixture; germinating the mixture to form a germinated mixture; and drying the germinated mixture sufficiently to result in a malt product.