Is Long Mash Time Harmful?
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Never done it. But 130 is to low to mash in. As an all grain brewer, I normally do an hour mash, but most of the time, the conversion is done in 10 min or so (using the iodine test).
scinerd3000
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you will possibly get some B-amylase activity but almost nothing....What are you trying to achieve? That low is going to hit the high end of your proteinases NOT saccrification enzymes. Most likey you will breakdown almost all the proteins and not convert the starches to sugar. You will end up with starchy liquid....no sugars.
What are you attempting to mash? I think 130 is a little low to really get what you are looking for. If I remember right, BYO Magazine did a nice article a few months back on the benefits of longer and shorter mashes and proved that an hour is about all you will ever need, but at a higher temperature than you are looking at, in the 150s.
I do all-grain brew in a bag brewing and I usually let the grains sit at around 152-154 for 60-75 minutes. 130 to me just seems too low no matter how long you let it sit there.
I do all-grain brew in a bag brewing and I usually let the grains sit at around 152-154 for 60-75 minutes. 130 to me just seems too low no matter how long you let it sit there.
There's no harm in extended mashing, plenty of folks do overnight mashing. But like others have said, your temp is the issue, not the time doing it.
In fact I think your in the range lacto would form, meaning a sour mash.
In fact I think your in the range lacto would form, meaning a sour mash.
You'll end up with a sour mash if you mash that length of time at that temp, Keep it above 140F if you want to mash overnight, there's a few threads on here about long mash times with lots of good info.
ArcaneXor
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The various amylase enzymes work at room temperature, and certainly at body temperature (they are present in saliva). Using powdered amylase is a common way to fix a stuck fermentation. So yes, you will get conversion... eventually. It will take very long, and the ratio of fermentable to unfermentable sugars will be screwy. You will also break down a lot of proteins at that temperature. You may get a lactic tang.
I just wanted to add to ArcaneXor's comment as this is a common misconception.
The charts that are out there showing the temperature ranges for the various enzymes are technically correct, but often misinterpreted. The charts show the temperatures only for the optimal activity rates. As ArcaneXor said, the enzymes are active over a very wide range of temperatures. All of them are always doing conversion of their substrates, be it proteins or starches - as long as you are below the temperature at which the proteins are denatured.
These enzymes are perfectly happen functioning at 50 F. That is a pretty common soil temperature when the barley is planted and the embryo signals for the various hydrolytic enzymes to do their thing to supply the growing embryo with the sugars and amino acids it needs to grow. We just co-opted the enzymes for our uses to make beer. It is actually rather fortuitous that these enzymes are as stable as the are over such a wide temperature range. Many of the enzymes in us warm blooded creatures aren't very active unless they are within a few degrees of body temperature - salivary amylase being an exception as it is relatively stable like it's plant counterpart
komomos
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I don't reach high OG's with my malt i think. 1030-1045 is my maximum range. I don't trust my malt also. Maybe it could be damaged by over germination. I don't know.
Can I use raw barley for the mash? Are B-Amylase and A-Amylase enzymes from malt able to disrupt the starches in the barley? I don't want to add sugar for the boost gravity any more.
Can I use raw barley for the mash? Are B-Amylase and A-Amylase enzymes from malt able to disrupt the starches in the barley? I don't want to add sugar for the boost gravity any more.
Un-malted barley does not contain any alpha amylase. That is only produced once the germination process has begun. That being said, one can buy alpha amylase enzyme that you could add to do the mash to do the conversion.
Yes you can add un-malted barley to the malted barley in a mash. I think you might be able to go up to 40% un-malted / 60% 2-row but that would be pushing it. If you had 6-row available you might be able to go up to 60/40
If you try mashing at 130F, it will not be hot enough for the starch to gelatinize. i.e. the enzymes will not be able to fully convert the starches. You need a temperature of 148F or greater to achieve gelatinization. I generally mash for about 90 minutes at 150F which works well for me using English pale malt.
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