Details of the project EPI

Organic grain production and processing of brewery residues into meal, using an innovative dehydration method

01-08-2022 do 31-12-2024

6 626 887,00

EFRROW; national public funds; own funds

www.grist.eu

The aim of the operation is to increase the competitiveness of Polish agriculture through the development of technology for the production of organic cereal grain as a raw material for malt production, followed by the dehydration of brewery residues and the production of a functional meal with high nutritional and health-promoting value.

The following scope of work is planned: 1. Development of new/significantly improved ecological technologies for the cultivation of hooded barley and Indian dwarf wheat, on light soil, in autumn and spring sowing, under conditions of different tillage methods, organic fertilization and microbial biostimulation. 2. Development of new technologies for obtaining functional meals from brewing residues (spent grains), using an innovative dehydration method, from organic grain of Indian dwarf wheat and black hooded barley. 3. Production of new products - brewing residue meal from organic grains of Indian dwarf wheat and hooded barley. 4. Development of a new marketing method for the promotion of organic production of primary cereal grains as raw material for the production of functional meals and their use in the manufacture of end products with versatile, consumer applications.

Growing consumer expectations of food, manifested by increasing demand for products with high nutritional and health-promoting qualities and proven provenance, including organically produced food, create the need to develop this primary production sector and the associated processing sector. Another important aspect of the operation is the modification of the water cycle in the brewery. The brewing industry is characterized by very high water consumption. Depending on the technological and apparatus sophistication, water use ranges from 4-12 hL of water per 1 hL of beer produced. Improving the technological process in the direction of ensuring a closed water cycle, its recirculation not only in the heating - cooling system, but also the use of technological water seems very reasonable. The quality of Polish soils is among the lowest in Europe. The production potential of an average hectare of soil in Poland corresponds to the potential of an average 0.6 hectares of arable land of EU c

The need for a food supply with high nutritional value is the biggest stimulus that is leading to an increased interest in the original grain crop species planned for use in operations. The cultivation of such species offers the chance to obtain grain with higher nutritional value compared to improved, high-yielding modern species and varieties. Cultivation of primary grains in an organic system can have a particularly beneficial effect on the quality of the yield obtained. Technologies for growing valuable species of hooded barley and round grain wheat on light soils will be developed. Previous research will confirm the high nutritional value of round-grain wheat (Skrajda-Brdak et al. 2020; Szczepanek et al. 2021 and hooded barley (Kępińska-Pacelik and Biel 2021; Research Report 2022). The quality of Polish soils is among the lowest in Europe. An important impact on the level of agricultural production of such soils is to increase humus content, mainly through the application of organ

The development of a new ecological technology for the cultivation of hooded barley will enable the introduction of this valuable (from the point of view of the health-promoting values of the grain) species into agricultural and consumer use. In turn, the improved technology for growingIndian dwarf wheat will provide the basis for recommending autumn sowing for this species of wheat In the case of both the above-mentioned species of primary cereals, through technology elements such as innovative microbial stimulation of plant nutrition with nitrogen, no-till tillage, under conditions of different strategies for increasing the amount of organic matter in soils, the expected concrete effect will be to increase productivity and improve the quality of yield from crops grown on light soils. The cultivation technologies being developed for both species are aimed at achieving high grain yields suitable for the production of malt and, subsequently, brewery residue meals. The project will develop an innovative method for dehydration of brewery residues by recovering and recirculating process water in a recirculation system. This will contribute to a significant reduction in water consumption at the brewery. This is because the water after the dehydration process will be fit for reuse, such as in the mashing process, and the relatively mild dehydration conditions will allow the bioactive properties of the by-product to be preserved. A comprehensive method of managing the by-product will also be proposed, which is very important for the brewing industry, as it accounts for up to 80% of all production waste (except water). In addition, thanks to the micronization method, the product will be characterized by a higher bioavailability of nutrients, increased content of the soluble fraction of fiber and greater ability to lower blood cholesterol levels. Micronization also improves the functional properties of the product, which is characterized by greater water absorption or susceptibility to fermentation, hence the resulting functional meal produced from brewery residues will be widely used in the production of bread, extruded snacks, pasta or breakfast cereals.

The result of the operation will be the development and implementation into agricultural and production practice: a) New/significantly improved technologies, i.e. - a new ecological technology of cultivation of hooded barley on light soil, with stimulation of nitrogen nutrition of plants, under conditions of different methods of tillage and fertilization - significantly improved, ecological technology of cultivation of spring Indian dwarf wheat from winter sowing and spring wheat on light soil, under conditions of different methods of tillage, organic fertilization and biostimulation - Technology for obtaining functional meals from brewing residues (spent grains), using an innovative dehydration method, from organic grain of round-grain wheat and hooded barley b) New products, i.e., brewing residue meals from hooded barley and Indian dwarf wheat c) A new marketing method - for grain producers, processors and research units of a marketing strategy for the promotion of the ecological way of production of primary cereal grains as raw material for the production of functional meals from brewing residues (thresh) and their use in the manufacture of final products with versatile, consumer applications.

management of waste, intermediates and residues