Stephonovich
Well-Known Member
Hey all, I don't know how many of you frequent /r/homebrewing on Reddit, but this is an x-post from there to get a wider range of thoughts. This is the Reddit post, which I reproduced below if you'd rather not go there and follow the trail.
//Begin Reddit
I previously posted about ways to save my stout, which was stuck due to (I suspect) incomplete conversion from too high of mash temps, or new-to-BIAB-confusion, or something.
I didn't want to use Beano, as it's notoriously hard to control once it gets going; also, this seemed more, um, natural.
Due to the weather not supporting a desire to be outdoors, I turned to the internet for an alternate source of enzymes. I found this paper from 1920, detailing the extraction/conversion of starches into sugars, relying only the diastatic power of the sweet potato. Also, this paper, which stated (among other things) that the beta enzyme was distributed throughout the sweet potato, with alpha being mostly directly underneath the skin.
Now, of course, I didn't want to boil the sweet potatoes, as that would denature the enzymes. At the same time, I wasn't thrilled about the potential for an infection, so I compromised. I boiled the water I would use, then cooled it to mash temp. I sanitized all surfaces/equipment used. I skinned the sweet potato, hoping that any lacto on the exterior wouldn't find its way to the flesh.
This album is the result. After three days, SG has dropped from 1.056 to 1.043! I shook the bucket to rouse the yeast (a mixture of WLP028 and US-05 currently, as the initial thought was the 028 gave up the ghost), and it's happily bubbling away.
There has been no krausen during this time, but gravity readings don't lie.
As I haven't boiled the wort since adding the enzymes, they will continue to convert sugars. My current method of FG control is hope in the reported attenuation capabilities of WLP028/US-05, with US-05 being the big one of concern. Assuming it makes it to 80%, that would put me at about 1.020, which is a tad lower than I'd like, but alright. I'm hoping for 1.025, which is 76% attenuation.
//End Reddit
So, HBT, thoughts? It's still bubbling about once every 15-20 seconds. I plan on taking a reading again in a week or so. For the record, I just took a hydrometer reading to confirm a refractometer; it's at 1.041.
//Begin Reddit
I previously posted about ways to save my stout, which was stuck due to (I suspect) incomplete conversion from too high of mash temps, or new-to-BIAB-confusion, or something.
I didn't want to use Beano, as it's notoriously hard to control once it gets going; also, this seemed more, um, natural.
Due to the weather not supporting a desire to be outdoors, I turned to the internet for an alternate source of enzymes. I found this paper from 1920, detailing the extraction/conversion of starches into sugars, relying only the diastatic power of the sweet potato. Also, this paper, which stated (among other things) that the beta enzyme was distributed throughout the sweet potato, with alpha being mostly directly underneath the skin.
Now, of course, I didn't want to boil the sweet potatoes, as that would denature the enzymes. At the same time, I wasn't thrilled about the potential for an infection, so I compromised. I boiled the water I would use, then cooled it to mash temp. I sanitized all surfaces/equipment used. I skinned the sweet potato, hoping that any lacto on the exterior wouldn't find its way to the flesh.
This album is the result. After three days, SG has dropped from 1.056 to 1.043! I shook the bucket to rouse the yeast (a mixture of WLP028 and US-05 currently, as the initial thought was the 028 gave up the ghost), and it's happily bubbling away.
There has been no krausen during this time, but gravity readings don't lie.
As I haven't boiled the wort since adding the enzymes, they will continue to convert sugars. My current method of FG control is hope in the reported attenuation capabilities of WLP028/US-05, with US-05 being the big one of concern. Assuming it makes it to 80%, that would put me at about 1.020, which is a tad lower than I'd like, but alright. I'm hoping for 1.025, which is 76% attenuation.
//End Reddit
So, HBT, thoughts? It's still bubbling about once every 15-20 seconds. I plan on taking a reading again in a week or so. For the record, I just took a hydrometer reading to confirm a refractometer; it's at 1.041.
