amylase enzyme question

I recently brewed the miller light triple hopped recipe I got off of here.

Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 5.50
Anticipated OG: 1.030 Plato: 7.68
Anticipated SRM: 2.0
Anticipated IBU: 17.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 18.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 6.85 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.022 SG 5.64 Plato


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
36.4 2.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
31.8 1.75 lbs. Pale Malt(6-row) America 1.035 2
31.8 1.75 lbs. Flaked Corn (Maize) America 1.040 1

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.60 oz. Cascade Pellet 5.75 17.0 60 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade - Iowa Whole 5.75 0.0 0 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade - Iowa Whole 5.75 0.0 Dry Hop


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 Tsp Amylase Enzyme 14 Days( 2ndary fermenter)


Yeast
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Fermentis US-05 Safale (For Summer brewing)
Chuck's version calls for Wyeast 2007


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 5.50
Water Qts: 7.43 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 1.86 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.35 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 147 Time: 90
Mash-out Rest Temp : 175 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 175 Time: 10


Total Mash Volume Gal: 2.30 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.



Notes
-----

The enzyme goes in the 2ndary - DON'T FORGET THIS!!!!

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I let this set until the SG was 1.010 and had been there a couple of days....added the ammlase enzyme over a week ago...just checked the SG and it is still 1.010........is there a trick or technique to get this to work?

Got it.. Seems I used it wrong ( but according to the recipe)......called the brew shop and my brew guy told me it had to be used in the mash to work..... I checked the SG on another beer I used it in and it has not budged either so he must be right.

i'm such a dumb noob. i've got a recipe that'll cook up amylase from bran by basicly letting it grow hair in a very warm environment. and here you say i can just buy the stuff.

OHIOSTEVE said:

Got it.. Seems I used it wrong ( but according to the recipe)......called the brew shop and my brew guy told me it had to be used in the mash to work..... I checked the SG on another beer I used it in and it has not budged either so he must be right.

Click to expand...

I think your brew guy might be wrong. Amylase is producing during the mash so adding amylase then makes no sense to me. You might just need to rouse up your yeast to get it going again.

the recipe doesn't make chemical sense unless the intent is break down left-over starches after fermenation (produce a secondary fermentation from the broken down starches). to be honest, you're running your temps up pretty high at 174, and if your thermometer is off by a few percent the enzymes will be destroyed. i'd be inclined toward putting the enzymes in when it rests. i think the 150 degree range is when they're doing their best work.

the more i read, the more i believe a long cool-down is best, and you never really want to take any part of your wort above 155 degrees F.

but i have yet to actually brew a real beer so i'm probably all wrong.

With that much six row, there will be far more then enough amylase in the mash already, so adding it there will be useless. On the other hand, I don't know what it could possibly do in secondary, so I have no idea what's going on here.

Certainteed said:

the recipe doesn't make chemical sense unless the intent is break down left-over starches after fermenation.

Click to expand...

I'm almost positive that is actually the point of adding amylase to BMC lite. It helps reduce the carbs and up the ABV

dcp27 said:

I'm almost positive that is actually the point of adding amylase to BMC lite. It helps reduce the carbs and up the ABV

Click to expand...

If the intent is to make a Miller Lite clone, alpha amylase will only catch a few of the straggling starches. Amyloglucosidase will catch most of them.

Probably the best thing to do here would be to mash normally in the lower 150's then collect your runnings and raise the temp of the wort to 156 or so and add the amylase and hold that temp for 15 to 30 minutes. Then boil as usual. Putting it in the secondary at a cool temp doesn't make any sense to me at all. It isn't going to convert any starches at those temps and if you've racked then you're missing most of your yeast as well.