Lactose Question Lactase Enzyme

[Chookers]

First off, I'd like to say sorry about posting in this forum, I didn't know where the appropriate place to post would be.

I use Zymil, being slightly lactose intolerant, I have noticed this milk is sweeter than ordinary milk and after doing some very brief research I learned this was due to Galactose as well as the glucose, which is produced from Lactose when the enzyme Lactase is added. See this link http://www.lacteeze.com.au/howtouse.html

Here is a link of sweet scale http://chemistry.elmhurst.edu/vchembook/549sweet.html

I know lactose alone is NOT sweet in the slightest.

Has anyone used lactase to

make their brews sweeter and Lactose free (where they have added it) eg ciders, Hard Lemonade etc?

Does anyone here know if Galactose is non-fermentable?

Something to think about maybe?

Like to know others thought on this

 

[Bribie G]

Interesting point. Galactose comes from the greek "gala" for milk, in fact it's what the Galaxy is named after in modern English.

Where would you buy lactase I wonder?

Plus one with the lactose not really being sweet - it tastes a bit like slightly sweetish chalky cornflour to me.

 

[MHB]

Short answer is no, not by brewing yeast, some other strains can and will.
Galactose isn't all that sweet either, less sweet than Glucose and Fructose, which we all know are less sweet than Sucrose
Here is a link to a fairly simple experiment on the fermentability of various sugars Yeast Lab
Mark

 

[Chookers]

Bribie you can get the enzyme drops in Chemist Warehouse for around $25 its called Lacteeze, but there are three types only one of which is in the liquid form.

MHB - galactose is sweeter than maltose according to that page I found, and it is definitely sweeter than Lactose.

http://owlsoft.com/pdf_docs/WhitePaper/Rel_Sweet.pdf

All I can say is go and buy some Zymil and see how sweet that is compared to regular milk, it has no added sugar so I assume this perceived sweetness is due to the galactose, although in retrospect it could be from the glucose which is also produced in the conversion... I don't know I'm not a chemist.

Id like to try out these drops, just gotta get used to the idea of risking $25 on something that might not change anything.. well I could always just use it up in something else I guess.

 

[MHB]

A lot cheaper than buying Galactose, people are charging about $1/g yep $1,000/Kg

Not that I suggested it wasn't sweeter than Lactose, but you will only have half as much. As you surmised, Lactose will be split into Glucose and Galactose, the Glucose will be fermented, so half the mass you ad will be turned into alcohol and CO2.

I also have no Idea how much body Galactose will add, less than Lactose or Maltodextrin would by my first thought.

Interesting Idea, would be good to hear the results, good luck with the brew.
Mark

 

[peteru]

What would the recipe be? Cross between cheese making and brewing? 5L of Jersey milk and some oatmeal in your stout?

 

[Chookers]

I wasn't really looking at Galactose as a sweetener. Thing is I have some lactose which I bought after reading a hard lemonade recipe on the liquorcraft wed site http://www.liquorcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWebPage=13636&idDetails=105

it called for lactose as a sweetener (WHICH IT IS NOT!!!) as I found out it is not sweet, and my brew was a complete waste, lucky I had only tried for 5Lt. I just thought I could try it again or salvage the lemonade by adding some Lacteez and see if it got sweeter. Well I could have had I not tipped the lot down the drain.

Well it was an interesting theory in any case.

Peteru - that would be interesting 'Cheese Beer'

Thanks Mark, I would need to experiment a bit I think.