Abstract
The global expansion of the craft beer market has driven the incorporation of native ingredients to enhance the sensory and nutritional profiles of beer. This study focused on optimizing a craft Ale-type beer enriched with Cañihua Malt (CM) and Banana Passionfruit Juice (BPJ) using a D-optimal experimental design. The aim was to evaluate how varying concentrations of these ingredients (CM: 15-25 %, BPJ: 5-15 %) influence the physicochemical, technological, and sensory attributes of beer. Results demonstrated that the malting process significantly improved the nutritional composition of cañihua, increasing fiber content (23.32 g/100 g), phenolic compounds (141.13 mg GAE/100 g), GABA (229.48 mg/100 g), and antioxidant capacity (1975.41 μmol TE/g dw). These enhancements positively affected the physicochemical properties of beer, especially foam stability and body. The addition of BPJ significantly modified the physicochemical characteristics of beer, particularly by reducing the pH and increasing the acidity. Sensory analysis showed high consumer acceptance, with positive evaluations for aroma, appearance, and body, particularly in samples containing moderate levels of CM (15-16 %) and BPJ (5-10 %). Optimization using the desirability function identified ideal concentrations of 24%-25 % CM and 5 % BPJ, achieving a balance in critical parameters such as foam stability, density, pH, and bitterness. These findings underscore the potential to combine CM and BPJ to develop a distinctive craft beer with enhanced sensory attributes and nutritional benefits.