J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 75(4): [345][346][347][348][349][350][351][352][353] 2017 This research tested the hypothesis that barley genotype can affect beer flavor and assessed the relative contributions of genotype and location to beer sensory descriptors. Golden Promise, Full Pint, 34 of their doubled haploid progeny, and CDC Copeland were grown at three locations in Oregon, U.S.A. Grain from these trials was micromalted and the resulting malts used for nano-brewing. Sensory evaluations were conducted on the nano-brews. Barley genotype had significant effects on many sensory descriptors. The most significant sensory descriptorswhen comparing barley genotypes-were cereal, color, floral, fruity, grassy, honey, malty, toasted, toffee, and sweet. Golden Promise was significantly higher in fruity, floral, and grassy flavors, whereas Full Pint was significantly higher in malty, toffee, and toasted flavors. CDC Copeland was closest to neutral for most flavor traits. There were notable differences for some descriptors between locations. New combinations of parental flavor attributes were observed in the progeny. Multitrait analysis revealed regions of the barley genome with significant effects on malting quality and flavor traits. These findings are, of course, applicable only to the barley germplasm tested, the environment sampled, and the protocols used for micromalting and brewing. The necessary largerscale experiments involving optimized malts and larger volumes of beer are in process.

Previous research demonstrates that barley genetics can influence beer flavor. However, the chemical basis for differences in beer flavor attributed to barley is not well defined. Here, the associations between beer volatile compounds and sensory descriptors were investigated in a controlled experiment, whereby barley genotype was the main driver of variation in the system. Beer was brewed from three advanced barley breeding lines and compared to a CDC Copeland control. Sensory studies were performed via three independent panels (a consumer, brewery, and laboratory panel). The results suggest that the four beer samples have distinct flavor profiles that could be discriminated by the three sensory panels. Volatile compounds for the four beers were characterized using HS/SPME-GC-MS; quantitation and annotation were performed using a non-targeted metabolomics approach on 397 detected compounds. The O2PLS data analysis supports that alkane/alkenes, benzenoids, amides/amines, and fatty acid esters were associated with the most desirable lager traits, compared to Maillard Reaction Products that were more abundant in the beers with "non-ideal" lager traits. Taken together, these data further support the role of barley genetics in beer flavor and provide new information on the types of volatile metabolites that can vary in controlled systems.ABBREVIATIONS: ANOVA: analysis of variance; HS/SPME-GC-MS: headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry; O2PLS: orthogonal partial least squares; PCA: principal component analysis.

Winterhardiness is a complex trait that involves low temperature tolerance (LTT), vernalization sensitivity, and photoperiod sensitivity. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for these traits were fi rst identifi ed using biparental mapping populations; candidate genes for all loci have since been identifi ed and characterized. In this research we used a set of 148 accessions consisting of advanced breeding lines from the Oregon barley (Hordeum vulgare L. subsp vulgare) breeding program and selected cultivars that were extensively phenotyped and genotyped with single nucleotide polymorphisms. Using these data for genome-wide association mapping we detected the same QTL and genes that have been systematically characterized using biparental populations over nearly two decades of intensive research. In this sample of germplasm, maximum LTT can be achieved with facultative growth habit, which can be predicted using a threelocus haplotype involving FR-H1, FR-H2, and VRN-H2. The FR-H1 and FR-H2 LTT QTL explained 25% of the phenotypic variation, offering the prospect that additional gains from selection can be achieved once favorable alleles are fi xed at these loci.

Based on prior research that showed significant genetic differences between barley genotypes for beer sensory descriptors, the effects of degree of malt modification on these descriptors were assessed in two experiments. The first experiment involved sensory assessment of nano-beers made from micromalts of Golden Promise, Full Pint, 34 doubled haploid progeny, and the check CDC Copeland. Average degree of modification was assessed by sampling grain from each of the 37 genotypes stored for three postharvest intervals prior to malting and brewing. The second experiment involved sensory assessment of pilot beers made from intentionally under-, properly, and overmodified pilot malts of two barley varieties: Full Pint and CDC Copeland. In both experiments, genotypes were the principal sources of significant variation in sensory descriptors. Degree of modification and genotype × modification interactions were also significant for some descriptors. Based on the results of this study, the genetic characterization of and selection for barley contributions to beer flavor are warranted, even with undermodified malts. The contribution of barley variety to beer flavor will likely be modest compared with the flavors developed during the malting process and the flavors contributed by hops and yeast. However, in certain beer styles, the contributions of barley genotype may be worth the attention of maltsters, brewers, and consumers.

Facultative/winter six‐row malting barley is a distinct elite germplasm pool and a valuable resource that may prove useful in meeting the challenges of climate change. To preserve its diversity and make it accessible to the research and agricultural communities, the Oregon State University and University of Minnesota barley breeding programs are publicly releasing their winter/facultative six‐row malt advanced lines named the TCAP FAC‐WIN6 (MP‐1, NSL 512632 MAP), which also function as a genomewide association studies (GWAS) panel. The FAC‐WIN6 contains 296 lines—180 facultative and 116 winter—selected for disease resistance, malt quality, and general agronomic performance. To date, all lines have data for 6892 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and phenotypic data from six experiments (representing 3 yr, eight locations), including traits such as malt quality, disease resistance, nitrogen use efficiency, and winter hardiness. The FAC‐WIN6 is one of 24 barley and wheat mapping panels and populations from the USDA‐ARS Triticeae Coordinated Agricultural Project (TCAP). As such, all of the TCAP FAC‐WIN6 genotypic and phenotypic data can be freely downloaded from the TCAP's online database, T3 (http://triticeaetoolbox.org/barley/). Preliminary GWAS have identified novel loci for wort β‐glucan, low temperature tolerance, and disease resistance. Given these results, the FAC‐WIN6 is a singular resource both for future winter six‐row barley breeding and for identifying and deploying genes for key barley traits in all backgrounds.