Visiting breweries in China and sampling the product may sound like good fun but for Functional Grains Centre scientists it’s all part of research to develop markets for Australian sorghum.

FGC Director Professor Chris Blanchard and postdoctoral researcher Dr Siong Tan spent five days in China during July to build research links and gain new insight into the production of baijiu- a clear spirit usually distilled from fermented sorghum that’s between 40 to 60 per cent alcohol.

The FGC research team is evaluating the quality requirements of sorghum for baijiu production and how the grain produced in Australia stacks up.

"We believe there are opportunities to add real export value to the sorghum for Australian producers by understanding the science behind Chinese Baijiu production,” Professor Blanchard said.

During the recent visit to China Professor Blanchard and Dr Tan met with research collaborators at Tianjin University of Science and Technology and the State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety.

“We also visited baijiu breweries to learn more about the fermentation and distillation of the spirit, as well as the quality control measures and marketing of the final product.

“The Jin Jiu Group Baijiu Factory at Tianjin has an onsite museum where they show cast the history of baijiu in general, the products that they have produced previously and the baijiu products currently available in the market.

“We also sampled three types of baijiu, a strong one, a light one and a rose flavour baijiu.

“The Hangzhou Tong Fu Yong Brewery produces baijiu, huangjiu, guojiu, vinegar and soy sauce. It was interesting to tour the fermentation floor and learn about their marketing through an online shop.”

During a visit to the Institute of Agro-Products Processing Science and Technology at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing Dr Tan presented a talk on his studies on high value products from canola meal.

“The tour was an opportunity to cement research collaborations, explore new opportunities for collaboration and gain insight into how to run baijiu fermentation under simulated conditions and a pilot scale study as the next phase of our research in Australia,” Dr Tan said.