An overview on the role of lipids and fatty acids in barley grain and their products during beer brewing

• Lipids and fatty acids are important parameters of barley grain.
• Several properties of the grain and malt can be modulated by lipids and individual fatty acids.
• Enzymatic activity and water uptake by the grain are also modulated by the presence of lipids.

In recent decades, research in barley has led to improvements in several biochemical and chemical characteristics (e.g. protein, starch, β glucans) associated with malt composition and end product quality (e.g. beer). Although lipids and fatty acids (FA) represent between 1 to 3% of the grain weight (dw), they can play an important role in barley grain and malt derived materials. However, the role of lipids and FA in both barley and malt quality is still not well understood. The aim of this article is to provide an overview on the role of lipids and FA in the chemical and industrial properties of barley grain, malt and wort.