glucoamylase

[IsonAd]

Looking for advice on glucoamylase 400

I've used this enzyme a few times now. When used in the mash, I didn't find it reduced the FG by much at all. In the fermenter at 2ml per 21l it took a cream ale with an OG of 1.047 to 1.002.

I've got an IPA in the fermenter (1.065 OG)at the moment and was thinking of using just a touch of it to dry it out just a little. Hoping to get to around 1.006-7 ish. I generally find my IPAs of this gravit finish around 1.012-14 even with low mash temp, use of simple sugars, minimal dextrins, lots of attenuative yeast, O2 etx. So wondering if this may help.

Trouble is I don't want it to end up being a Brut IPA. Recommended dose is 2ml per 23l in fermenter so if wondering if I use less (0.5ml-1ml )would it drop the FG a little without drying it out too much? Or is there some scientificy reason why it can't be that simple?

 

[MHB]

Probably not a good idea.
The Amylase in the dry enzyme preparations is cropped from bacteria and will just keep working until it's denatured. I have tested some that don't denature until 90oC so any that you add to your beer will just keep working until it runs out of carbs to cut up. A small amount will do the same job as a larger amount, it will just take longer to get there. Which is why we have recommended doses, its enough to reduce the carbs while the yeast is still very active.

If you as you say adjust your mash temperature/time, use some simple sugars and use a decent yeast you shouldn't have any trouble getting the gravity you want.
Bit more information on your grain bill, sugar and yeast along with your mash settings would help is you want more accurate answers.
Mark

 

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

The glucoamylase that I used had a dosage rate of 0.5ml in 55L of wort, to drop it 13 gravity points.

In a 21L batch, the same dose would drop it by 30L.

The product I used eventually hit its limits, but this is a difficult product to use with precision or predictability.

 

[IsonAd]

Thanks Mark. Not the answer I was hoping for but suspected it would be something along these lines.

Current batch is a mix of ale and pils malt with about 10% Munich and 200g of Cara red plus about 300g of sugar. Usually mash in at around 60 then slowely ramp up for sacc rest at 66 for an hour, but I did single infusion on this occasion at 66 for 75mins. Using wlp001 with 3l starter and plenty of O2 at pitching. I ferment at 18-19 and ramp up during ferment to about 21c but I dont keep a.close eye on this so it could be an area I look.

Just can't ever seem to get below 1.012 or 1.010 on a good day.

 

[eastgummy]

If you want more attenuation and lower FG (dry beer) but you don't want to go crazy with the dry enzyme (don't want to loose all maltiness) you can:

- lower the saccharification step temperature of your mash. This will extract short chain sugars that are preferred by saccharomyces cerevisiae.
You can do 64 instead of the 66 you are doing, or even 62

- choose another yeast with higher attenuation capacity. Saison yeast attenuates the most I believe (for a non-brett). If you keep the fermentation temp low you won't get a lot of esters.

- use sugar as part of the fermentables. Yeast eats pretty much all of it, so with the same OG you'll get lower FG

A part from that you have to check all factors affecting yeast are within range: PH, temperature, nutrients (I always use 1/2teaspoon/10L of yeast nutrient), oxygen and time. Some yeasts are faster than others!

Raising the fermentation temperature will make yeast eat faster but not necessarily eat more but you can try to give it a bump if you think it's stuck.

I've also read heavy early dry hopping might slow down fermentation as well. If you plan on making a neipa, it's good to do the dry hopping in 2 steps:
- 1/3 to 1/2 on high krausen -> biotransformation makes it fruitier
- the rest 2-3 days before packaging

 

[eastgummy]

P.s. I've used dry enzyme 3 or 4 times and it's all or nothing . The amount of it you use will make it faster or slower but more or less of it won't make it break more or less sugars. Don't know if that's scientifically true, but that's my experience.

Also, keep in mind it will be there if you reuse the yeast for another beer!

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

You can add it into the kettle after sparging as long as the temperature is not allowed to go too high, this would b as close to controlling it as you could get I think.

I added it to the kettle at 60 C for 2 hours, then started the boil, Nottingham yeast took the gravity from 1.092 to 1.016 in 2 weeks for 82% apparent attenuation.

 

[MHB]

You can add it to the mash to, I think most people would be a bit hotter than 60 going into the kettle.
There are even specialty enzyme preparation (i.e. Promalt) designed to do exactly that.
Mark

 

[Sidney Harbour-Bridge]

Yes Mark, I had to wait for it to cool a bit first, I only went that low because I didn't have any data on the enzyme I was using, morgans low carb I think it was.