BrewingScience issue July/August 2026 out now

Nuremberg | The latest BrewingScience issue 7/8 2026 contains articles on evaluating alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers; ancient spring barley varieties; agrivoltaics in hop cultivation and biodiversity; and the potential of brewers' spent grain for functional food applications. The abstracts below give an overview of the contents, the full articles can be found at brewingscience.de.

A mouthfeel wheel based on physiological mechanisms for the sensory evaluation of beer and alcohol-free beer (K. Wolinska-Kennard, C. Schönberger, J. Tillner, M. Puiu, J. Dailey, A. Fenton, A. W. Sahin)

Mouthfeel is a multimodal sensory experience and an important component of overall flavour perception, yet it remains less clearly defined than taste and aroma. This study aimed to develop and sensory-validate a practical mouthfeel wheel for beer, with particular focus on alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers. Existing mouthfeel frameworks, including the Meilgaard Beer Flavour Wheel, Langstaff ’s beer mouthfeel framework, and Gawel’s wine mouthfeel wheel, were reviewed to refine terminology and guide the development of a comprehensive physiology-based mouthfeel wheel. A simplified version was created for sensory validation and comparison with existing frameworks.

The simplified Wolinska-Kennard Mouthfeel Wheel organises beer mouthfeel attributes into four main categories: Irritation, Sensation, Movement, and Texture. It was compared with the Meilgaard and Langstaff frameworks during sensory evaluation sessions using alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer samples. Panellists assessed the frameworks for clarity, layout, logic, structure, and descriptor use. Statistical analysis showed that all four main categories significantly discriminated between the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer samples while maintaining acceptable panel agreement. Compared with the Meilgaard and Langstaff frameworks, the simplified Wolinska-Kennard Mouthfeel Wheel provided broader perceptual coverage and more consistent descriptor use.

These findings suggest that the simplified Wolinska-Kennard Mouthfeel Wheel offers a clear and practical tool for beer mouthfeel evaluation, while the comprehensive framework provides a flexible model for future adaptation to different beer styles, applications, and consumer-oriented evaluations.

Sensory analysis and consumer acceptance of lager beer brewed with ancient spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties (D. Häge, C. Ponickau, B. Lindemann)

Given the limited understanding of the brewing performance and sensory characteristics of beer brewed with ancient barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties, this study investigated lager beers brewed with Pilsner malt derived from ancient spring barley variety Mahndorfer Hanna, Kraffts Riedgerste, and Alpine Pfauengerste. For comparative purpose, modern spring barley variety Avalon was included in these small-scale brewing trials. Analytical parameters of the beers were determined, followed by descriptive sensory analysis. These results were compared with the previously determined sensory profile of hot steep malt extracts. At the end, a consumer acceptance test was conducted to see how consumers react to these beers.

The findings indicate that the use of ancient spring barley varieties in brewing may have limitations for industrial-scale breweries, due to complications in solid-liquid separation during lautering. Lager beer brewed with ancient barley varieties showed significantly lower alcohol content 4.68 - 4.96 (% v/v) compared to Avalon (5.4 % v/v). Lager beer brewed with ancient spring barley variety Alpine Pfauengerste also differed significantly from all other varieties, for instance in terms of lowest apparent attenuation (74.1 %). Lager beers brewed with Mahndorfer Hanna and Kraffts Riedgerste exhibited in descriptive sensory analysis a significantly paler colour compared to beers brewed with Avalon, Results of beer analysis confirm these findings, as these two ancient spring barley varieties showed colour values of 5.8 EBC and 5.7 EBC. In contrast, lager beer brewed with the third ancient barley variety Alpine Pfauengerste was characterised by 11.3 EBC. In descriptive sensory analysis this lager beer was described as being significantly more brownish. It also exhibited a creamier, less watery mouthfeel. The sensory profiles of hot steep malt extracts were not predictive of the final beers’ sensory profile. Consumer acceptance data revealed no significant differences in overall liking between beers brewed with Mahndorfer Hanna, Kraffts Riedgerste, and Avalon, whereas beer produced with Alpine Pfauengerste was significantly less liked.

When brewing with ancient barley varieties, it is important to emphasise attributes such as local production and sustainability, which resonate strongly with consumers. Many are also willing to pay a premium for locally brewed beer made from ancient varieties. These ancient barley varieties may therefore hold particular value for craft beer brewers aiming to differentiate their products from standardised industrial beers.

HoPVen – Impacts of agrivoltaics on hop production and biodiversity (M. Riedl , S. Wagenbrenner, T. Troidl, M. Beck , M. Reinke, J. Portner, S. Fuß, J. Pauly)

Increasing temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and a growing frequency of extreme weather events pose significant challenges to hop cultivation in Europe, particularly in the Hallertau region, the world’s largest hop-growing area. The research project “HoPVen” investigated the effects of agrivoltaics (AV) on soil moisture, plant health, hop yield and quality, as well as on flora and fauna, in a two-year field trial conducted during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons.

As part of the experiment, the hop varieties Hallertauer Tradition (HTR) and Herkules (HKS) were cultivated under two different shading treatments, corresponding to reductions in solar radiation (RSR) of 28% and 37%, respectively, and compared with an unshaded control.

The results demonstrated that the agrivoltaic system improved soil moisture retention, particularly during the comparatively dry growing season 2025. While powdery mildew infestations increased under the AV system, hop aphid settlement was noticeably reduced. Hop yield declined with increasing shading intensity; however, shading had only a minor effect on alpha acid concentration and hop oil content. No significant effects of the agrivoltaic system on flora and fauna within the hop field were observed. Instead, biodiversity patterns were primarily influenced by agricultural management practices.

These findings indicate that agrivoltaic systems may support climate change adaptation in hop cultivation without adversely affecting the characteristic agroecosystem. Further optimisation of system design and management is required to improve yield performance and maintain plant health.

Brewers’ spent grain protein: A promising functional ingredient for innovative food applications (J. Zhang, A. E. Herrero, A. Perez-Gavilan, A. C. Neves)

The global food system is confronted with major challenges including food waste and food insecurity, driving the urgent need to find alternative sustainable food sources. At the same time, the brewing industry faces growing economic and environmental pressure to reduce both energy consumption and waste generation. Brewers’ spent grain (BSG), the dominant by-product of the brewing industry, represents a promising resource due to its widespread availability and rich content of proteins and bioactive compounds.

The incorporation of BSG-derived ingredients can enhance the nutritional profile of food products and may contribute to the reduction of diet-related disease risk and associated mortality. Nevertheless, further research and technological innovation are needed to broaden its applications in food manufacturing.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the physicochemical, functional and bioactive properties of BSG protein, as well as its digestibility and role in functional food development, thereby providing valuable insights for brewing by-product valorisation and identifying directions for future research.