Kiviluoma, M.1, MacLeod, A.2, Jensen, S.3, Galant, A.3, Hartikainen, S.1 and Otama, L.1, (1)Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Vantaa, FINLAND, (2)Hartwick College Center for Craft Food and Beverage, Oneonta, NY, USA, (3)Anheuser-Busch InBev, Inc., Moorhead, MN, USA
Poster
Alpha-amylase is responsible for rapid degradation of starch during mashing and promotes fast conversion. Alpha-amylase is synthesized during the malting process and is influenced by variety and the degree of modification. Low levels of alpha-amylase can lead to long conversion times and poor extract yields in the brewery. In modern malt quality laboratories, alpha-amylase activity is measured by monitoring the color change of the reaction of a buffered extract of malt with a dextrinized starch substrate and iodine using segmented flow analysis to increase sample throughput; however, these systems are expensive and require large amounts of reagents. In this paper, a fast, automated alpha-amylase analysis method for Thermo Scientific™ Gallery™ discrete analyzers is presented. The method is adapted from chemistries described in ASBC method Malt 7-A and 7-C using fixed reaction time and temperature. Reactions are performed at 37°C and a photometric endpoint measurement at 660 nm. A method comparison study was performed by analyzing a series of malt samples using a range of alpha-amylase. The comparison included the automated method and ASBC Malt-7C as a reference method. The novel method was well correlated with the reference method over the range of activity normally encountered. The repeatability and reproducibility of the new method was also determined. Benefits include automation of sample dispensing, standardized analysis conditions and use of microliter volumes of reagents that reduces both analysis time and costs without compromising method performance. Discrete analyzer technology enables multiple samples and parameters to be analyzed simultaneously.
Liisa Otama earned both B.S. and M.S. degrees in analytical chemistry from the University of Helsinki, Finland. She joined Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2008 and has held several positions ranging from process engineering to R&D. In her current role as a product manager for discrete analyzer reagents and applications, she is responsible for identifying new customer needs, as well maintaining and continuously improving the existing product portfolio. Her expertise is highly customer-focused and includes evaluating industrial product feedback and addressing inquiries, in addition to supporting customer training.
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