Saccharification and Flavor Contributions of Individual Grains in Five‐Grain Baijiu Production

ABSTRACT Five‐grain baijiu (Wuliangye baijiu), comprising sorghum, corn, wheat, rice, and glutinous rice, is a popular liquor in China. However, the role of each grain in five‐grain‐type baijiu is not sufficiently clear. In this study, each grain used in five‐grain baijiu was individually fermented to determine its contribution to saccharification and liquor flavor. Various starch experiments have been conducted to understand the differences in saccharification. The chemical components, microorganisms, and primary flavor substances of each fermented grain of baijiu were analyzed to evaluate their contribution to liquor flavor. Sorghum, rice, and glutinous rice were the key contributors to saccharification. Starch experiments revealed that sorghum and glutinous rice contain amylopectin in their starch. Among all the grains, glutinous rice showed the greatest decrease in molecular weight during saccharification. Wheat starch particles increased the most in size during fermentation. The crystal structure and irregular shapes of all starch particles were destroyed during fermentation. Rice and glutinous rice had the highest amylopectin contents and, thus, the highest amounts of reducing sugars. While corn contributed the maximum amount of moisture, and wheat had the richest variety of microorganisms, sorghum baijiu contained the most comprehensive range of flavor substances. These findings explain the contribution of each grain to saccharification and liquor flavor and provide a scientific foundation for the raw material formula of five‐grain type baijiu.