Oxidative degradation of lipids during mashing

Although hardly any polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are present in the endproduct, the ingredients used for the production of beer contain a high concentration of PUFAs, such as linolic and linolenic acid. These compounds are readily oxidized, resulting in the formation of lipid-derived products that reduce the taste and quality of beer enormously. During mashing relatively high amounts of PUFAs are exposed to atmospheric oxygen at a relatively high temperature. This makes mashing a critical step in the brewing process with regard to the formation of lipid-derived off-taste products. F-1 phytoprostane (PPF1) changes in antioxidant capacity and monohydroxy fatty acids (OH-FAs) were used as markers for the detection of oxidative damage to fatty acids during mashing. The pattern of OH-FA formation indicates that enzymatic oxidation of PUFAs is more important than nonenzymatic oxidation during the mashing process. Nevertheless, substantial nonenzymatic radical formation is evident from the increase of specific OH-FAs and PPF(1)s. It was found that a low oxygen tension reduces oxidative damage and gives a high antioxidant capacity of the mashing mixture. This indicates that mashing should be done under low oxygen pressure.