An investigation of a barley protein (SE/BTI-CMe) and its influence on beer haze stability.

Abstract

In this study, SDS-PAGE immunoblot analysis using an antiserum that was raised against a silica eluent (SE) protein fraction (obtained from silica gel, used for the colloidal stabilisation of beer), detected a range of protein bands in barley, malt, beer and haze. A polymorphism was observed in which some barley varieties contained a MW ~ 12000 band (SE +ve) while in other varieties this band was absent (SE -ve). A survey of 219 Australian and international barley varieties, including a comprehensive selection of current and past malting varieties, identified 181 varieties as SE +ve, and 38 varieties as SE -ve. The genetic basis for the presence or absence of the SE protein was determined by interval mapping analysis which found that the MW ~ 12000 band mapped to the short arm of chromosome 3H." " ... The results of this study suggest that the selection of SE -ve malt varieties for brewing combined with optimised stabilisation and filtration treatments, has the potential to improve beer haze stability.