100% Victory Malt Beer

[Die_Yankees_Die]

Hello All.

I have been trying to think outside the box lately in beermaking...and the idea came to me one day--what if you made a base malt out of a non base malt (ie--zero diastatic activity) using amylase enzyme?

I read a thread on here in the past about using more than 50% victory malt. I've also read MANY conflicting reports of victory malt. Some sites claim a diastatic activity of 50L. Others say less. Some say there is none. So I figured I'd just mash the damned thing and see if it converts.

I did a one gallon batch. I mashed at 153 degrees F for 90 minutes. The results? Nada. Zero. Nothing. No conversion. I can say with 100% certainty that the victory malt I received from my LHBS--and I suspect all victory malt--has no enzymatic activity. So I added a little bit of amylase enzyme. Conversion! Yes, I definitely tasted the first hints of sweetness in my wort. But it was taking too long. So I added more. Then I added more. 2 hours went by and the conversion still wasn't close to complete, as verified by iodine test/hydrometer. I had a gravity of 1.01. So I added the entire damned bottle and kept mashing. It just wouldn't convert.

So here's what I learned: victory malt is 0L. Amylase will begin to convert it. The amount of enzyme in a 1 oz jar is apparently still WAY below the amount of enzymes in normal, malted grain. Also: amylase is also sometimes added at room temperature in the fermenter to break down. It's well below the optimum temperature, but over the course of weeks the enzyme breaks down starches.

Also, "Amylase enzyme" is sort of generic. I couldn't find much information on the subject...but I'm fairly confident it's mostly/all B-amylase.

Anyway. I did a boil with zythos hops and then threw it in the fermenter. I put in a normal dose of MORE amylase and sure enough, a LONG, SLOW fermentation ensued. That was 10 days ago and I'm still seeing the slightest of activity. So I'm pretty sure the enzyme is still working.

So there you go. I'll update you on taste later when I actually taste it...but this is what I've learned from the whole process. I hope ya'll find it interesting or educational in the least bit. I'm thinking I might try 100% brown malt beer next.

 

[Jeepaholic]

I'm very interested in your results. I have been thinking of using the same strategy with making a triple style beer with all the base malt removed for much lower alcohol but hopefully still have some good flavor.

 

[Die_Yankees_Die]

Ok. I just tested the gravity and had a taste. Granted--the beer is flat and will taste different when cold and carbonated...

but to my surprise--it wasn't bad! It had a real nice nutty bitterness evened out with the sweeter zythos hops.

It did, however, lack any sort of body whatsoever. It's like drinking nutty hop water--which isn't horrrible...It's entirely drinkable--but still some body would be nice. Some dextro or carafoam would do the trick.

 

[brew_ny]

next time mash at 156 and for 60 minutes that will give you more body, maybe even try 158 or 45 minutes

you maybe able to boil some maltodextrin in a bit of water an add it to your keg or before you bottle

all the best

S_M

 

[Sloobie]

Mashing hotter is only going to cause more problems if you try this again. If you are correct in thinking that your exogenous enzyme is mostly beta-amylase then it's going to be denatured within minutes in the 156 range. Granted, oftentimes added enzymes are more heat stable than those found in malted barley, but it's still unlikely that you're getting decent conversion at 153 as beta-amylase works best between 130 and 140 degrees. If you were to try it again you need to make sure that you're adding both beta and alpha-amylase (as well as limit-dextrinase and a cocktail of proteases) as you need the alpha-amylase to break up the starch chains and create more reducing ends for the beta-amylase to be effective.

All in all it sounds like a pretty good idea, though. Keep us informed!

 

[brew_ny]

Mashing hotter is only going to cause more problems

you are right indeed I took the time to read what Victory Malt is , I was thinking more a long the line of a base malt

I have been doing a bunch of SmaSH brews and doing 156 - 158 degree mash for 60 minutes with pale ale malt, Vienna, Munich

it is giving me great body from the single malt but I now understand what Victory is and is not

all the best

S_M

 

[letsbrew]

how was this experiment did you try more of this?