Variant polypeptides having beta-amylase activity and methods of making and using the enzymes in baking, detergents, personal care products, in the processing of textiles, in pulp and paper processing, in the production of ethanol, lignocellulosic ethanol, or syrups; as viscosity breakers in oilfield and mining industries.

Variant polypeptides having beta-amylase activity and methods of making and using the enzymes in baking, detergents, personal care products, in the processing of textiles, in pulp and paper processing, in the production of ethanol, lignocellulosic ethanol, or syrups; as viscosity breakers in oilfield and mining industries.

A method of preparing a wort with an increased level of free amino nitrogen (FAN) comprising: a) preparing a mash from a grist comprising malt and/or adjunct; and b) adding a protease having at least 80% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1.

A process prepares a beverage or beverage component. The process includes an enzymatic treatment of brewer's spent grain including addition of one or a combination of enzymes with alpha-amylase, gluco-amylase, cellulase, xylanase, protease and/or beta-glucanase activity and fermentation by a strain of lactic acid bacteria. The combination of enzymes and enzymatic treatment conditions is such that the lactic acid bacteria produce 4.5 g/L lactic acid and metabolise sugar such that the resulting fermented broth contains less than 2.5% w/w and preferably less than 0.5% w/w residual sugar or the lactic acid bacteria produce 4.5 g/L lactic acid and metabolise sugar such that the resulting fermented broth contains at least 2.5% w/w residual sugar.

A process for preparing a beverage or beverage component can have the following steps. Providing brewer's spent grain occurs. Then, performing a saccharification by enzymatic treatment of the brewer's spent grain and a fermentation of the saccharified brewer's spent grain with lactic acid bacteria and/or acetic acid bacteria and/or probiotics obtains a fermented broth. Filtering the fermented broth and collecting the permeate obtains the beverage or beverage component. Homogenizing the fermented broth is performed to obtain the beverage or beverage component.

Provided herein is a method of improving the taste profile of a glucosylated terpene glycoside (GTG).

A method of preparing a wort with an increased level of free amino nitrogen (FAN) comprising: a) preparing a mash from a grist comprising malt and/or adjunct; and b) adding a protease having at least 80% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1.

Provided herein is a method of improving the taste profile of a glucosylated terpene glycoside (GTG) comprising: a) mixing a malted cereal with a glucosylated terpene glycosides in water to form a GTG cereal mixture wherein the cereal comprises an amylase; b) adjusting the temperature of the mixture to a temperature sufficient to activate the amylase and for a time sufficient to form a mixture comprising glycosylated steviol glycosides wherein the average number of glucose units of the GTG in the GTG cereal mixture is reduced.

The invention relates to methods for preparing a beverage comprising at least 2 g/L β-glucan, wherein said β-glucans have an average molecular weight in the range of 80 to 200 kDa. The methods involve mashing barley kernels comprising at least 10% β-glucans and having a ratio of DP3/DP4 in said β-glucan of at least 3 in the presence of α-amylase and endo-1,3(4)-β-glucanase activity. The beverages have a viscosity providing a good mouth-feel, and at the same time they comprise β-glucans, which are able to aid in lowering LDL cholesterol levels. The beverages are generally stable and can be stored for months at room temperature without a significant decrease in β-glucan content.

The invention relates to a process for the production of wort, comprising the enzymatic treatment of grist in up to 100% unmalted (grain) form, for further processing into high quality beverage products. By the addition of a combination of exogenous enzymes (α-amylase, isoamylase/pullulanase, FAN generating activity (proteases) and beta-glucanase activity) to the mash and by the simultaneously thermal activation of the maltose-generating endogenous β-amylase, it is possible to obtain a wort based on up to even 100% barley. The invention further relates to a process for the production of a high quality beer or beer product and to the high quality beer produced according to the process.