Revision as of 02:12, 24 November 2008

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In mashing the milled grain (grist) is mixed with water to create the mash. It is an essential process in the production of beer and a continuation of the malting process on the way to sweet wort. During the mash soluble malt compounds like enzymes, proteins and sugars are dissolved by the mash water and insoluble malt compounds like starch and some long chained proteins are converted into soluble compounds and dissolved into the water. The latter happens through a combination of physical and biochemical process which can be controlled by the brewer to achieve a sweet wort of desired quality. The biochemical processes are catalyzed by various malt enzymes. Their function and behavior is dependent on the conditions in the mash (e.g. temperature, pH, concentration, etc.) and the brewer should be familiar with that behavior in order to control the quality of the sweet wort that is run off from the mash in the lautering process.

Enzymes

Enzymes are very important to mashing they catalyze conversion reactions which break down malt compounds (the largest one being starch)

• what is an enzyme?
• structure of an enzyme
• how does it work
• temperature affects on enzymes
• idealized model for enzymatic activity
• optimum temperature vs. time

• [1]
• [2]
• pH effects are reversible if pH shift is low
• the effect of temperature on enzymes

Starch

• where it is found
• glucose and 1-4/1-6 branches
• amylose
• amylopectin
• starch granule structure

Starch conversion

• gelatinization
• active enzymes
• emzyme temperature and pH optima
• mash parameters affecting conversion

Proteins

• [3]

Other enzymes in mashing

Sources