Anyone use Beano?

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Noontime

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I'm thinking of stovetop mashing some rice and/or teff, oatmeal, etc. I have amylase enzyme formula, but I was just reading that it is only alpha and not beta. I also read that Beano is beta-amylase. Has anyone used a combination of these to mash any grains? It seems to me (being the uneducated and inexperienced brewer I am), that boiling the grains, then throwing some of the amylase formula and Beano in with the grains at 150 deg. for a while would convert a lot of those starches to sugar. Am I wrong in my thinking? Is there a better technique?

Thanks.
 
Amylase is a good way to convert starches to sugar when you can't use grains that can convert themselves. It is predictable, and made for brewing. Very similar to using other brewing grains in the mash and utilizing their enzymes.

Beano is a crap shoot. It will always convert more than amylase, but you never know how much more. Often times it can convert the entirety, leaving you with no complex sugars at all. I do not recommend using it unless you have a very specific reason and application where you need to dry something out to extreme amounts. For instance, I would consider it in an 18% ABV beer.
 
Beano has gluten in it. I'm not sure what the PPM would be in a batch.
 
Beano has gluten in it. I'm not sure what the PPM would be in a batch.

Well THAT'S a good thing to know! Thanks!

I was just telling my wife (celiac...her condition, not her name :D ) about this thread and as soon as I mentioned Beano she says "that has gluten!".

Anyone know of another source for beta-amylase? And does anyone know of a good source on these enzymes? I see conflicting information about temperatures, and then I read about gamma-amylase which I never heard of. As I'm sure you are all familiar with gluten information, it's scattered all over the place in bits and pieces and I'm seeing the same thing with trying to get info on these enzymes. I have no problem doing the research, but if there's a good site or book ot thread about these and/or how they pertain the brewing it would be greatly appreciated. :tank:
 
I really dont think you need beta amylase. Just use the normal stuff and you should convert a large amount. Check out the chestnut beer posts for more detailed procedures if you like, Lee has used amylase in every one of his chestnut beers.
 
I've use Amalyse is every one of my chestnut and quinoa brews. I got mine off the internets from Crosby and baker. I still have close to 3/4 of the 1.5 oz bottle and I've used it in 5 gf batches.
 
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