Canned & hopped syrup extract enzymes?

Andri · 03-11-2009, 08:33 PM

I'm wondering if the canned extract has any enzymes in it, I live in Iceland and the shop here doesn't carry anything for beer-making except canned stuff.
I'm just wondering because the canned extracts require sugar... if I could somehow use the syrup to convert oatmeal starches to sugar.
Or maybe I should just spit in a can with oatmeal in it and let my enzymes do it ?

(Read on wikipedia that some japanese people did that when they were getting rice to convert its starches to sugar to make sake)

Iceland has about 300k people and there are really few beer brewers.

**Edcculus** · 03-11-2009, 08:36 PM

Good question. I'm going to say no. I have nothing to back this up. I say this because they have to boil the wort to concentrate it. Once they boil, the enzymes are denatured.

menschmaschine · 03-11-2009, 08:46 PM

I agree with Edcculus... the LME is boiled, so no enzymes. What about adding Beano to the oatmeal (assuming it's available there)?

**IrregularPulse** · 03-11-2009, 08:49 PM

Are you just wanting to do this to use Oatmeal as a base malt?

Andri · 03-11-2009, 10:20 PM

I probably wont be doing this but yeah I was just wondering if that was possible instead of using the sugar.
The shop here will be importing stuff so we icelanders can brew all grain

BigEd · 03-12-2009, 01:22 AM

Years ago I recall seeing a diastatic extract from one of the British suppliers. I can't remember the name but maybe this product is still available if you search around.

Found this: http://www.muntons.com/mmi/products/liquid_malt_cereal_extracts.asp#liquid

That is a commercial product but perhaps Munton's still offers it for the retail homebrew customer.

**ajf** · 03-12-2009, 01:47 AM

You can still get diastatic malt extract from the UK. Perhaps it's available in Iceland.
In addition to Muntons, you may want to try EDME.
They sell a product named DMS or DME which stands for Diastatic Malt Syrup or Diastatic Malt Extract, not Dimethyl Sulfide or Dry Malt Extract.

-a.

The Blow Leprechaun · 03-12-2009, 01:46 PM

Extract isn't boiled in a pot, it's boiled under pressure, so I'm not sure what temperature it actually gets to, but it isn't 200+

Still, the pressure might kill the enzymes, or the spray dehydration of DME might... I think it's unlikely they still work for anything.

Isn't Beano like crazy powerful at converting staches?

**david_42** · 03-12-2009, 02:54 PM

Your best bet is to buy some Alpha galactosidase (sold as Bean-O in the USA) or alpha-amylase enzyme. If you 'mash' your oatmeal with either of these enzymes, then add the results to the boil, the heat will de-nature the enzymes and prevent them from breaking down all of the complex sugars in the extract.

Spit does work, but it would take a lot of spit to convert 250 grams of oatmeal.

**Edcculus** · 03-17-2009, 08:35 PM

I'm still not convinced sure bean-o can substitute for the amylase enzymes found in malt. From what I have read Alpha galactosidase converts sugars differently than amylase enzymes. Amylase enzymes convert carbohydrates to maltose, maltriose, limit dextrin and glucose. Alpha galactosidase converts carbohydrates into galactose and glucose.

I'm not a chemist or scientist, so I'm not too sure if this is right or what that means to the home brewer. It seems that these enzymes do not do the same thing. I just keep hearing what Jamil always says in my head. "The type of enzyme determines the type of sugar produced." Thats why we can mash corn or rice with malted barley and get the desired maltose sugars. Change they enzyme, and you are changing the type of sugar produced. Change the sugar and you aren't making beer anymore.