Alpha Amylase Enzyme

[Dark Maiden]

Hey All, New member here.

I recently did an Oatmeal Stout where through this site worked out I probably mashed a little too high and had some unfermentable sugars. So got some Alpha Amylase Enzyme to help break it down.

How long would this usually take do you think? Should I give it a good week or so before checking the gravity?

Cheers all.

 

[citraman1]

I didnt have much luck with this enzyme had 2 tablets in fermenter for a week with no change in gravity

 

[Bendymann]

I didnt have much luck with this enzyme had 2 tablets in fermenter for a week with no change in gravity

Me actually not knowing the answer myself, am also asking a question....
For the enzyme to work, wouldn't the Beer/Wort temperature need to be higher than fermentation temperature? Ie. need to be at a Mashing temperature?
I've had similar issue myself..

 

[MHB]

Well if it was Barley Amylase then yes it would work faster at higher temperatures (tho it still works at low temperatures, wouldn't be much use to the sprouting barley seed if it didn't). You have Amylase in your spit, its peak activity is close to body heat (thankyou evolution).
Point is the name Amylase describes what an enzyme does (splits up starch), in Barley there are several other Amylases besides Alpha (Beta and Gamma) do the same thing but have different ways of doing it and different optimum conditions (pH, Temperature, starch concentration...)
The Amylase in "Dry Enzyme" is mostly an Alpha Amylase (chops up starch chains at random) and is cropped from GM bacteria ( commonly Aspergillus niger that black stuff that grows in bathrooms) it will work from near freezing to near boiling point.
By tablets if you are referring to some sort of diet pill - your on your own, get some dry enzyme from your local HBS and it will if there is starch there convert it. Worth looking up how to do a starch test and knowing that if you have unconverted starch in your kettle it will foam like buggery (I'm talking massive foamy boilovers).
Mark

 

[Bendymann]

Well if it was Barley Amylase then yes it would work faster at higher temperatures (tho it still works at low temperatures, wouldn't be much use to the sprouting barley seed if it didn't). You have Amylase in your spit, its peak activity is close to body heat (thankyou evolution).
Point is the name Amylase describes what an enzyme does (splits up starch), in Barley there are several other Amylases besides Alpha (Beta and Gamma) do the same thing but have different ways of doing it and different optimum conditions (pH, Temperature, starch concentration...)
The Amylase in "Dry Enzyme" is mostly an Alpha Amylase (chops up starch chains at random) and is cropped from GM bacteria ( commonly Aspergillus niger that black stuff that grows in bathrooms) it will work from near freezing to near boiling point.
By tablets if you are referring to some sort of diet pill - your on your own, get some dry enzyme from your local HBS and it will if there is starch there convert it. Worth looking up how to do a starch test and knowing that if you have unconverted starch in your kettle it will foam like buggery (I'm talking massive foamy boilovers).
Mark

Awesome, Thankyou very much.[emoji4]