Abstract
The degree of hydrolytic modification (marked by parameters: extractive capacity, diastatic power and degree of fermentation) in wheat malts significantly influences their quality, determining their potential for use in brewing. Nitrogen fertilisation at a dose of 60 kg N·ha(-1) applied in 3-year field experiments had a positive effect on the extractability value of wheat malts, with an average value of 84.51% d.m. The value of diastatic power in the obtained malts, depending on the variety, was on average at the level of 334-414 units W-K (Windisch-Kolbach) and 357-380 units W-K, depending on nitrogen fertilisation. Wort attenuation obtained from the analysed wheat malts was at a similar level (on average 78.1%), except for malt obtained from grain of wheat fertilised with a nitrogen dose of 40 kg N·ha(-1), for which significantly lower values were obtained (respectively, by 5.12%). The viscosity parameter of wheat malts, determining the degree of cytolytic modification, varied and averaged 1.95 mPa·s for the variety and for the nitrogen fertilisation applied. In 2-year canopy experiments, at a nitrogen fertilisation level of 60 kg N·ha(-1), the Elixer cultivar was characterised by the best indicators of the degree of hydrolytic and cytolytic modification.