Potential effect of “chit” malt on beer foam stability

The tightness of the foam depends on the presence of some polypeptides, derived from barley and a-acids coming from hops. The goal of this work is to fi nd a direct interaction between foam stability and “positive foam” proteins and to investigate the possibility to increase their content using different raw materials in the formulation. Five craft beers were brewed with different percentage of Chit malt which has a content of protein fractions potentially higher than a normal base malt. The protein content of the fi ve beers was determinated with the test BCA, the CE analysis and the stability of the foam of each beer sample was measured with the NIBEM instrument. The data obtained confi rm a direct relationship between the content of “positive” protein fractions and the persistence of foam and that the use in the formulation of under modifi ed malt could be a viable alternative to traditional techniques adopted to improve the foam stability of beer.