Starch

File:Amylose2.svg

Structure of Amylose Starch

A complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice; an important foodstuff and used otherwise especially in adhesives and as fillers and stiffeners for paper and textiles.

For the purposes of alcoholic beverages, starches are converted to sugars during the process of mashing. These sugars are then converted into alcohol and CO₂ during fermentation.