Effect of various microbial starters for amylolytic fermentation on some quality attributes of rice beer

Rice beer was prepared, using nine different starter cakes predominant among various tribal communities of Northeast India. A comparative study was done based on their physicochemical, biochemical and microbiological properties. The starter cakes were tested for their physicochemical properties such as density, hardness, colour and significant variation was found. The proximate composition analysis revealed that carbohydrate was the major part and in addition it has low moisture. The pH, titrable acidity, alcohol content, sugars and starch did not vary much among the prepared rice beer. Polyphenols were present in the final product in various concentrations and the rice beers also evinced considerably high antioxidant activity. Yeasts and lactic acid bacteria were dominant in all the samples and spoilage microbes were absent. The study revealed significant variations of the physicochemical, biochemical and the microbiological properties among the starter cakes and the final product.