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Recent industry roadmaps such as Crops 2030 and the Irish Whiskey Association's Sustainability Roadmap 2022 emphasize the importance of increasing the use of Irish-grown grain in brewing and distilling. With the growth of the Irish distilling sector, there is a corresponding demand for raw materials and locally sourced grains. In Ireland, approximately 500 hectares of rye are harvested annually, with rye containing a similar range of starch as wheat. However, because rye contains more hemicelluloses and pentosans than other cereals, and because water-soluble pentosans tend to form viscous solutions in concentrated flour-water slurries, it is not widely utilised as a fermentation substrate. The purpose of this study is to examine pre-treatment with β-glucanase to enhance the alcohol output from rye flour. The research determined a baseline alcohol production of 187.1 LA/tonne dwb without the addition of β-glucanase. Using four predictor variables, response surface techniques were used to investigate the influence of β-glucanase on alcohol yield. A Box-Bekhan design was used to investigate time, temperature, calcium ions, and β-glucanase. When β-glucanase was administered at a dose rate of 3 U/g with the addition of 200 mg/L calcium ions and run at 50 °C for 30 min, the response surface approach yielded the highest alcohol output of 406 LA/tonne dwb. While, this yield is consistent with previous authors' findings; it is lower than average yields for malted barley, wheat, and maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley and maize have dominated the Irish whiskey sector, but in recent years, alternative grains have started to gain traction. Ireland has a high average wheat yield, producing grain that is high in starch but low in protein, offering the potential for use in distillation. To successfully utilise Irish-grown wheat in distillation, cultivars that are suitable to the Irish climate and give high yields of alcohol need to be identified. This necessitates the development of a rapid screening test for grain alcohol yield. This study examined the optimal temperature, time period, α-amylase dose rate, and calcium concentration to be used in the cooking of wheat grain to maximise alcohol yields. It was determined that lower cooking temperatures are more successful in achieving higher alcohol yields, and it was confirmed that temperature is a key variable in the cooking process. By optimising all parameters, alcohol yields of 458 LA/tonne were obtained, demonstrating that the optimum parameters can be successfully used for both hard and soft endoderm wheat produced in Ireland as well as for different varieties. This indicates potential for producing higher alcohol yields using Irish-grown wheat in Irish distilleries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]