This study aimed to evaluate the quality characteristics of wheat-Makgeolli (WM), a traditional Korean cereal alcoholic drink, using three varieties of wheat, namely Jokyoung (JK), Baegjoong (BJ) and Keumkang (KK). Samples of WM brewed from 100%, 85% and 70% milling rates of the three Korean wheat cultivars were analyzed for alcohol, pH, coloring degree, total acids, soluble solid, free sugars, and organic acids. As the milling rates in wheat decreased, total sugar content in WM increased while the pH of all samples decreased. The WM exhibited 0.95~1.27% in acidity, 10.2~12.5 °Brix in total sugar, and 14~16% in alcohol content. The most organic acids in WM was lactic acid, ranging in all the samples from 85.3~650.3 mg%. The results showed that BJ under a 70% milling rate had the highest reducing sugar contents and 15.97% in alcohol content. The carbohydrate content increased with the milling rate of wheat. Resulting in a positive correlation between carbohydrate content of wheat and total acids, reducing sugars (p<0.001), and alcohol content (p<0.05) in WM. Total sugar content is positively correlated with alcohol and reducing sugar content (p<0.001). Considering the yield, the milling rates will be adjusted to raw material prices.

“Joongmo2004”, a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar was developed by the National Institute of Crop Science, RDA. It was derived from the cross “Bacanora88/Keumkang//Keumkang” during 1996. “Joongmo2004” was evaluated as “Iksan320” in advance yield trial test in 2006. It was tested in the regional yield trial test between 2007 and 2009. Its heading date was April 26 in upland and April 23 in paddy filed conditions, and Maturing date was June 5 in upland and June 4 in paddy field, which were similar to Keumkang, respectively. It showed 830 in number of spikes per m2, 35 of grain number per spike, 44.9g of 1,000 grain weight, and 806g of test weight. “Joongmo2004” showed moderate to Fusarium head blight (Scab) in test of specific character although “Keumkang” is susceptible to scab. “Joongmo2004” had higher flour yield (75.5%) than “Keumkang” (72.5% and 0.42%, respectively). “Joongmo2004” showed similar ash (0.42%), lower protein content (12.3%), SDS-sedimentation volume (43.0ml) and gluten content (10.3%) than “Keumkang” (0.42%, 13.1%, 57.8ml and 10.8%, respectively). It showed higher lightness (89.97), redness (-1.38) and yellowness (10.76) in flour color than “Keumkang” (89.61, -1.15 and 9.46, respectively). “Joongmo2004” exhibited lower hardness (3.50N), similar springiness and higher cohesiveness of cooked noodles (0.92 and 0.65) compared to “Keumkang” (4.54N, 0.93, and 0.63, respectively). The average grain yield in the regional yield trial was 5.17MT/ha in upland and 5.34 MT/ha in paddy field, which were lower 11% and higher 3% than those of the check cultivar, Keumkang, respectively.