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**AnOldUR** · 05-29-2012, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ResumeMan

So what would happen is that the amylase enzymes in the grain that you mash the extract with would break down some of those bigger sugars into fermentable ones, just as they do in a regular mash.

This noob would guess that enzymes convert starches into sugar, not sugar into other types of sugars.

Denny · 05-29-2012, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnOldUR

This noob would guess that enzymes convert starches into sugar, not sugar into other types of sugars.

No, the sugars can be broken down further sometimes. That's the purpose of mashing for 90 min. as opposed to 60, for instance. But in extract you often have things like crystal malts and dark malts that are largely unfermentable. Those won't be affected by "mashing" the extract. I've known a few people who've tried this and haven't reported success. All I'd like to see is evidence that it works.

Lennie · 05-29-2012, 08:00 PM

I base my extract recipes on extra-light DME just to avoid fermentability issues, it seems to ferment well enough.

I can see this working though, given the order of a typical step mash where you get a lot of simple sugars firt, then some larger stuff that adds body. Remashing at the lower temp with new malt is key since the beta-amylase in the original wort is destroyed by the higher temps favoring alpha-amylase.

And yes there will be some stuff that remains unfermentable but considering the real extract of a typical 75% apparent attenuation brew can have 35% unfermentables (Noonan's Lager book says 40% more than apparent), it might be that a good portion of those could be converted with the extra enzyme.

I've always thought the beta and alpha temp optima were backwards with respect to how I'd like them to be.