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Analytical and Technological Insights into Beer, Malt, and Fermented Beverages

A special issue of Beverages (ISSN 2306-5710). This special issue belongs to the section "Quality, Nutrition, and Chemistry of Beverages".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 1600

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Fermentation and Cereals Technology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego 37, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: fermentation; grains; volatiles; gas chromatography; beer
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The dynamic evolution of research on beer and malt, as well as other fermented beverages, continues to accelerate, driven by analytical advancements, technological innovation, and shifting consumer demands for high-quality, sustainable, and health-conscious products. This interdisciplinary field emphasizes not only the scientific understanding of raw materials, fermentation and bioprocessing pathways, and flavor development, but also the growing recognition of bioactive compounds formed or transformed during fermentation. These include polyphenols, chalconoids, terpenoids, xanthohumol, and other fermentation-derived metabolites originating from malt, hops, microorganisms, and alternative substrates. Such compounds significantly influence sensory attributes (taste and aroma) and may contribute to functional and health-related properties, including antioxidant activity.

Modern analytical tools, such as chromatography, spectroscopy, metabolomics, chemometrics, and sensory analysis, enable precise characterization of fermentation substrates, process-induced chemical transformations, and final fermented beverages. These approaches provide critical insights into the extraction, stability, bioavailability, and interaction of bioactive and technologically relevant compounds during malting, brewing, and other fermentation processes. Increasing attention is also being given to non-conventional fermentation strategies, including non-alcoholic and low-alcohol products, novel microbial strains, alternative cereals, pseudocereals, legumes, and the valorisation of agri-food by-products as fermentation substrates, reflecting the sector’s pursuit of diversity, sustainability, and nutritional enhancement.

This Special Issue invites original research articles and reviews addressing innovations in beer and malt science within the broader context of fermented products and substrates for their production. Contributions may focus on bioactive compound formation and transformation, raw material selection, fermentation and processing optimisation, analytical and sensory methodologies, and sustainability-oriented approaches. Studies exploring how advances in fermentation science, substrate utilisation, and analytical insight collectively improve product quality, functionality, and environmental performance are particularly encouraged.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Foods.

Dr. Kristina Mastanjević
Dr. Alan Gasiński
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Beverages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • beer
  • malt
  • brewing
  • fermentation
  • bioactive compounds
  • polyphenols
  • chalconoids
  • terpenoids
  • xanthohumol
  • non-alcoholic beer
  • non-conventional yeast
  • alternative raw materials
  • antioxidants
  • sensory analysis
  • functional beverages
  • beer quality
  • hops
  • yeast
  • sustainability
  • lactic acid bacteria
  • fungi
  • probiotics
  • microbiome diversity
  • koji
  • functional foods
  • bioactive peptides
  • solid-state fermentation
  • spontaneous fermentation
  • upcycled fermentation
  • sourdough
  • acetic acid bacteria

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 294 KB  
Article
Determination of Concentration of Prenylated Flavonoids and Analysis of Physicochemical Parameters of Beers Available on the Polish Market
by Alan Gasiński, Józef Błażewicz, Przemysław Leszczyński, Mirosław Anioł and Joanna Kawa-Rygielska
Beverages 2026, 12(3), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages12030031 - 5 Mar 2026
Viewed by 358
Abstract
A total of 35 commercially available beers (of various beer styles) produced in Poland were analysed in this study to assess the concentration of xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol, prenylated flavonoids originating from the hops, which are known to possess multiple health-benefitting properties. High-performance liquid [...] Read more.
A total of 35 commercially available beers (of various beer styles) produced in Poland were analysed in this study to assess the concentration of xanthohumol and isoxanthohumol, prenylated flavonoids originating from the hops, which are known to possess multiple health-benefitting properties. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a UV/VIS DAD detector was utilised to identify and quantify hop flavonoids. Additionally, physicochemical parameters, such as wort extract content, extract content, alcohol content, and degree of attenuation, were analysed in all the samples. The xanthohumol content of the Polish beers varied the most from the analysed flavonoids and ranged from 0.029 to 2.459 mg per L of the beer. The concentration of the isoxanthohumol was, on average, higher and ranged from 0.621 to 2.510 mg per L. Full article
14 pages, 2389 KB  
Article
Monascus ruber in Beer Brewing—Preliminary Studies on Application of New Microorganism in the Brewing Sector
by Mateusz Jackowski, Jan Śmigiel, Tomasz Grygier, Maciej Grabowski and Anna Trusek
Beverages 2026, 12(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages12010012 - 12 Jan 2026
Viewed by 639
Abstract
Beer is a drink that has been a staple in human history, evolving from its beginning in antiquity to the present day. Nowadays, large breweries and other companies have set up laboratories focused on finding and developing new yeast strains for the brewing [...] Read more.
Beer is a drink that has been a staple in human history, evolving from its beginning in antiquity to the present day. Nowadays, large breweries and other companies have set up laboratories focused on finding and developing new yeast strains for the brewing sector to meet consumers’ demand for new beer styles. Monascus spp. are ascomycota that have been known for hundreds of years. They are widely popular in Asian cuisine, especially in fermented foods. Studies show that Monascus spp. produce numerous food dyes and substances that positively influence human health. In the presented work, Monascus ruber was tested as a potential microorganism for the beer industry. Experiments included fermentation trials with Monascus ruber in four regimes: in aerobic condition, anaerobic condition, anaerobic condition with pH kept above 4.5, and in anaerobic condition with pH set to 4.5. As a reference, commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces pastorianus were used. Fermentation parameters were evaluated by measurements of ethanol and extract level. The final product was tested for its colour in order to evaluate if monascus-derived pigments were present in the beverage. Moreover, a qualitative analysis of lovastatin and citrinin was performed in order to check if those monascus metabolites were present. Finally, small-scale consumer tests were performed in order to check the organoleptic properties of the obtained beverage. Results show that Monascus ruber is able to ferment beer wort in a similar manner as Saccharomyces strains, reaching a slightly lower degree of attenuation. Nevertheless, a longer lag phase was observed in monascus trials, except for the trial with preset pH at 4.5. The most visible change in the product was a reddish colour that appeared in the sample in aerobic conditions. The qualitative analysis showed that lovastatin and citrinin were present in the tested samples. Consumer tests show that experimental beer has a different taste than Saccharomyces-fermented products. Although the presented results are preliminary, they could be a good starting point for further research on monascus-based beverages. Full article
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