Genetic basis of barley contributions to beer flavor

Barley malt is critical for the malting, brewing, and distilling industries, as it is one of the main ingredients of beer and some types of spirits. There is growing evidence that barley genotype -via malt -can impact the flavors of beers and spirits. However, information on the barley genes involved in these flavors is lacking. Therefore, we used quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of malt quality traits, beer sensory descriptors and metabolic compounds on a biparental population of doubled haploids derived from the cross of the cultivars Golden Promise and Full Pint. Putative candidate genes for QTLs were identified by alignment with the reference barley genome sequence. There were thirty-seven QTLs across all chromosomes except 4H, with three QTL clusters located on 3H (1 cluster) and 5H (2 clusters: mid-5H and end-5H). Those hotspots contained QTLs for multiple phenotypes. Several candidate genes that regulate plant metabolism were identified within the QTLs and included HvAlaAT, HvDep1, HvMKK3, HvGA20ox1 and HvGA20ox2. These genes are involved in seed dormancy and plant height. Alleles at these loci, and perhaps at physically linked loci, can have key downstream effects on malting quality, beer flavor, and abundance of volatile metabolites.

Automated summary

Barley malt plays a critical role in the malting, brewing, and distilling industries as it is a main ingredient in beer and some spirits. However, the knowledge of barley genes influencing flavor is limited. In this study, we used QTL mapping to identify candidate genes and found several genes associated with plant metabolism that may have downstream effects on malting quality, beer flavor, and volatile metabolites. This research provides valuable insights into the genetic factors affecting the flavors of beer and spirits.