1,720,971 research outputs found
Microbreweries, brewpubs and beerfirms in the Sicilian craft beer industry
No full textPurpose: This paper aims to illustrate the organisational and managing models characterising the craft beer producers in Sicily (Southern Italy) and the main issues of the provision of raw materials. Design/methodology/approach: A direct survey involving the overall population of 41 craft breweries operating in Sicily in 2016 was carried out. Then 29 questionnaires were collected for exploratory analysis. A hierarchical cluster analysis was also performed out to group companies by similar structural, productive and economic features. Findings: The findings of the survey showed a Sicilian craft beer industry characterised by a substantial dependence on the import of malts hops and yeasts and the limited use of local raw materials among brewers. Furthermore, the characteristics of the processing plants and the sales channels appear to influence the diversification of the products and the turnover levels of the Sicilian craft beer producers. Originality/value: This is the first study describing the craft brewing industry in Sicily. The findings contribute to enrich the knowledge on the organisational models applied in the craft beer industry. In particular, the findings could contribute to shed light on some critical issues about the provision of raw materials, suggesting possible paths for the successful development of the craft beer industry in the region
Adapting American Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) Varieties to Mediterranean Sustainable Agriculture: A Trellis Height Exploration
Full text linkIn recent years, Italy’s craft beer industry has seen remarkable growth, fostering the local production of key ingredients, notably hops. However, a research gap exists in exploring open-field hop productivity in typical Mediterranean climates using low-trellis systems. This study addressed this gap by evaluating the productive performances of “Cascade” and “Chinook” hop varieties on “V” trellis systems at different heights (2.60, 3.60, and 4.60 m above ground) in inner Sicily’s Mediterranean climate and soil conditions. The results highlighted the significant impact of trellis height on various parameters, with Cascade displaying exceptional adaptability to low-trellis farming. Key factors like stem and leaf weight emerged as crucial drivers of cone yield, emphasizing their significance in hop cultivation. The distinct responses of Cascade and Chinook varieties to varying trellis heights underscored the need for tailored approaches, offering valuable insights for optimizing hop cultivation practices in semi-arid climates
Nutraceutical content in 'Melanzana' and 'Dottato' fig fruit (Ficus carica L.)
No full textConsumption of fig fruits (Ficus carica L.) has positive health effects due to the presence of nutraceutical compounds that may help preventing the cardiovascular disease occurrence and the growth of carcinoma cells. The aim of this study was the postharvest assessment of the most representative fruit chemical (total soluble solids and titratable acidity), physical (color) and nutraceutical components (phenolics, ascorbic acid and carotenoids) of 'Melanzana' and 'Dottato' fig cultivars. Total carotenoids and total polyphenols contents (from fig peel and pulp) were measured by spectrophotometry at different time of storage in bio-oriented bags at 4°C and 85% of RH. Total carotenoids trend observed during the storage showed no significant differences between the investigated cultivars both in the peel and in the pulp. The average total carotenoids was 4.73 and 4.04 Î1⁄4g g-1for peels and 15.07 and 11.08 Î1⁄4g g-1for pulp, respectively for 'Dottato' and 'Melanzana'. Total polyphenols content showed significant differences among cultivars and within the same cultivar depending on the tissue analyzed (peel or pulp). 'Melanzana' polyphenols content was 743.47 and 1276.22 Î1⁄4g g-1, while for 'Dottato' the content was 553.27 and 990.60 Î1⁄4g g-1, respectively for peel and pulp. During refrigerated storage, a slow decrease of fruit polyphenols concentration was observed for both investigated cultivars
Myosin heavy chain isoforms, fatty acid composition, sensory evaluation and quality of cinta senese pig meat
No full textMyosin heavy chain isoforms, fatty acid composition, sensory evaluation and quality of cinta senese pig meat
Full text linkThe aims of this study were to examine the effects of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms on Cinta Senese meat and sensory quality. The research was carried out on 65 pigs and muscle samples characteristics such as MHC isoform, meat quality, fatty acid composition, and sensory were evaluated. The results demonstrated that MHC slow isoform content was significantly correlated with pH24h (r=0.25, P<0.05) and drip loss (r=-0.31, P<0.005), whereas the content of MHC isoforms was only weakly correlated with fatty acids. Sensory evaluation was done by a trained panel test and the results shown that the MHC fast/slow ratio was correlated with the juiciness (r=-0.32, P<0.005), off-flavor (r=0.33, P<0.01), and tenderness attributes (r=-0.42 to -0.46). We therefore conclude that the content of MHC isoforms can be one of the most important factors for examination of overall quality of Cinta Senese pigs
Effect of baking time and temperature on nutrients and phenolic compounds content of fresh sprouts breadlike product
No full textSprouting has received increasing attention because of the enhanced nutritional values of the derived products. Baking affects the nutrient availability of the end products. The aim of this study was to evaluate how different baking time and temperature affect the nutritional values of bakery products derived from fresh wheat sprouts. Results indicate that the breadlike products showed comparable total polyphenol content and the thermal processes affected the free and bound fractions. Low temperature and high exposure time appear to promote the availability of the free polyphenols and sugars, while high temperature and low exposure time appear to preserve bound polyphenols and starch. Sugar profiles were influenced by baking programs with a higher simple sugar content in the samples processed at low temperature. Phenolic acids showed a strong decrease following processing, and free and bound phenolic acids were positively influenced by high baking temperatures, while an opposite trend was detected at low temperatures. Significant differences in phenolic acid profiles were also observed with a redistribution of hydroxycinnamic acids among the bound and free fractions. It may be concluded that grain type, germination conditions, and the baking programs play a fundamental role for the production of high-nutritional-value bakery products
Preliminary evaluation of durum wheat (Triticum Turgidum Subsp Durum) during malting process:
No full textBackground and objectivesEffects of 45 and 70 degrees C final malt drying temperature on a traditional Italian durum wheat (SM45, SM70) were evaluated for the malt quality parameters and the wort characteristics when employed in rate of 40% with commercial barley malt (BM), using a common wheat (CWM) as a control test.FindingsDrying temperatures and wheat genotypes were major contributors to variability in malt quality parameters. SM45 and SM70 were characterized by reduced protein and starch degradation, lower solubility for beta-glucans (BG), and high levels of water-extractable arabinoxylans (WEAX) compared to CWM. Alpha- and beta-amylases, endo--glucanases, and endo-1,4--d-xylanase activities detected on SM45 were higher than SM70 and CWM, likely due to the combined effects of the cultivar characteristics and the low temperatures used during the kilning phase. When SM45(40%) and SM70(40%) were used, the derived worts have had lower color, FAN levels, saccharification time, beta-glucans (WBG), and viscosity than CWM40%.ConclusionsMalting conditions and genotypes affect the malt quality attributes, mainly in terms of extractable compounds and enzyme activities. The use in mashing of 40% of durum wheat malt results in low viscosity and reduced availability of BG.Significance and noveltyThese first results indicate that durum wheat malt has good characteristics and can be suitable for brewing purposes
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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