The experiment was very interesting. A lot was learned. Overnight mashing temperature is 50 to 55F to limit enzymatic action and to avoid tannin extraction, which is a time, temperature, pH thing. Overnight mashing is used when malt is steely. Pils Urquell sometimes uses overnight mashing if the brew master isn't happy with the malt. Before deciding on using a proteolytic rest to reduce Beta Glucan it is better to obtain the malt spec sheet for the malt that you are intending to purchase because Beta Glucan content is listed and if the number is good, the rest isn't needed. The edible stuff that enzymes turn Beta Glucan into is glucose, the sugar yeast enjoy eating. Beta Glucan is a fiber, and it shouldn't be moved into a fermenter, it doesn't settle to the bottom. Also, Alpha is active at 130F, and it doesn't take very long for liquefaction to occur. You really didn't need to soak the malt overnight at 130F, but you gave it a shot. The rest takes about 10 minutes to do what it's supposed to do. Usually when a rest at 130F is used, the next step is conversion at 140F and a couple of higher temperatures in the 155 to 160F range are used. Basically, it is step mashing. Malthouse provide a malt spec sheet with every bag of malt. Malt spec sheets are online, and they are used in brewing for determining the quality of malt before malt is purchased. I'm not sure if you know the difference between high modified, high protein, malt and higher quality, under modified, low protein, malt. Malthouse produce both types of malt. Both types are on the market and both bags are stamped Brewers Malt. A malt spec sheet lets a moonshiner that uses high modified, high protein, malt and an ale and lager brewer that uses high quality, under modified, low protein malt, know which malt is which. The chemical acronyms and numbers listed on a malt spec sheet determines the quality of malt. A recipe that doesn't list the malthouse that produced the base malt is worthless because a malt spec sheet cannot be obtained. During a protein rest mash temperature around 120F is used and depending on the Kolbach Index, which is listed on a malt spec sheet and determines modification, a protein rest shouldn't be used. It is actually called an albuminous rest. A condition similar to over modification occurs when the rest is used, and the beer can turn out thin and insipid. It can be sweet tasting, but thin. Beta amylase is responsible for conversion and activates at 140F. Starch isn't involved during conversion. At 150F, Beta denatures, it is the sweet spot for Alpha. Moonshiners use 149, 150F because at the temperatures Alpha releases the highest volume of simple sugar, glucose from simple starch within one hour, so they didn't get caught. Glucose is responsible for primary fermentation and ABV and the more glucose the more alcohol. The high temperature denatures Beta. Due to the complex types of sugar that form during conversion and from what occurs afterward, moonshiners purposely denature Beta. During conversion Beta turns simple sugar, glucose, not "starches", into fermentable, complex types of sugar maltose and maltotriose, which aren't needed for making moonshine. Maltose and maltotriose are the sugars that produce ale and lager, glucose provides only alcohol. When conversion occurs, secondary fermentation takes place due to maltose. Maltotriose is responsible for natural carbonation. Beer doesn't need to be artificially carbonated with sugar or CO2 injection when conversion occurs. Artificial carbonation forms quickly dissipating, soda pop fizz that isn't tight enough to float the head and sometimes carbolic acid forms, as well. There are two types of "starches" in malt, simple starch, called amylose, and hard, heat resistant, complex starch, called amylopectin, which is the richest starch in malt that you manage to throw away with the spent mash, paid for. During liquefaction, Alpha liquefies 1-4 links in the amylose starch chain and when that happens two chains form but the name changes. The one chain is called the reducing end, the other chain is the nonreducing end. The reducing end basically contains sweet tasting, nonfermenting types of sugar. The nonreducing end is simple sugar, glucose. Depending on how high the temperature is above 150F, more or less, sweet tasting, nonfermenting types of sugar form and less glucose. Amylopectin makes up the tips of malt and contained in the starch are the ingredients that form body and mouthfeel in ale and lager. Contained in amylopectin are tasteless, nonfermenting types of sugar, called limit dextrin, and pectin. Pectin is "glue" that holds everything in beer together during conditioning and storage. Limit dextrin, pectin and a particular type of protein form body and mouthfeel in ale and lager. In home brewing, the temperatures recommended in recipes aren't high enough to burst the heat resistant, starch where the starch enters into the mash liquid, before Alpha denatures and that is why the starch is turned into compost. In moonshining the starch is sold and amylopectin is made from it. To take advantage of amylopectin the decoction brewing method is used. When Alpha liquefies amylopectin, dextrinization and gelatinization. In home brew, starch carry over, Beta Glucan and protein goop provides body and mouthfeel, and you were actually trying to get rid of the stuff, which also reduces quality and shelf life of beer, to produce cleaner, more stabile, beer. To replace the thrown out starch, home brew recipes recommend ingredients that loads extract with sludge, so you may be fighting a losing battle. It would be good to experiment with the Hochkurz double decoction method because that is the brewing method that ale and lager breweries worldwide have been using since 1960, previous to 1960, the triple decoction method was used. Single temperature infusion produces American, home brew style, moonshiners beer that advertisers renamed, Real Ale, when they invented CAMRA and invented stories, recipes and contests to set the hook.
Love the sweatshirt very fashionable
Thank you - someone with really great taste gave it to me :-)
The experiment was very interesting. A lot was learned. Overnight mashing temperature is 50 to 55F to limit enzymatic action and to avoid tannin extraction, which is a time, temperature, pH thing. Overnight mashing is used when malt is steely. Pils Urquell sometimes uses overnight mashing if the brew master isn't happy with the malt.
Before deciding on using a proteolytic rest to reduce Beta Glucan it is better to obtain the malt spec sheet for the malt that you are intending to purchase because Beta Glucan content is listed and if the number is good, the rest isn't needed. The edible stuff that enzymes turn Beta Glucan into is glucose, the sugar yeast enjoy eating. Beta Glucan is a fiber, and it shouldn't be moved into a fermenter, it doesn't settle to the bottom. Also, Alpha is active at 130F, and it doesn't take very long for liquefaction to occur. You really didn't need to soak the malt overnight at 130F, but you gave it a shot. The rest takes about 10 minutes to do what it's supposed to do. Usually when a rest at 130F is used, the next step is conversion at 140F and a couple of higher temperatures in the 155 to 160F range are used. Basically, it is step mashing. Malthouse provide a malt spec sheet with every bag of malt. Malt spec sheets are online, and they are used in brewing for determining the quality of malt before malt is purchased. I'm not sure if you know the difference between high modified, high protein, malt and higher quality, under modified, low protein, malt. Malthouse produce both types of malt. Both types are on the market and both bags are stamped Brewers Malt. A malt spec sheet lets a moonshiner that uses high modified, high protein, malt and an ale and lager brewer that uses high quality, under modified, low protein malt, know which malt is which. The chemical acronyms and numbers listed on a malt spec sheet determines the quality of malt. A recipe that doesn't list the malthouse that produced the base malt is worthless because a malt spec sheet cannot be obtained.
During a protein rest mash temperature around 120F is used and depending on the Kolbach Index, which is listed on a malt spec sheet and determines modification, a protein rest shouldn't be used. It is actually called an albuminous rest. A condition similar to over modification occurs when the rest is used, and the beer can turn out thin and insipid. It can be sweet tasting, but thin.
Beta amylase is responsible for conversion and activates at 140F. Starch isn't involved during conversion.
At 150F, Beta denatures, it is the sweet spot for Alpha. Moonshiners use 149, 150F because at the temperatures Alpha releases the highest volume of simple sugar, glucose from simple starch within one hour, so they didn't get caught. Glucose is responsible for primary fermentation and ABV and the more glucose the more alcohol. The high temperature denatures Beta. Due to the complex types of sugar that form during conversion and from what occurs afterward, moonshiners purposely denature Beta. During conversion Beta turns simple sugar, glucose, not "starches", into fermentable, complex types of sugar maltose and maltotriose, which aren't needed for making moonshine. Maltose and maltotriose are the sugars that produce ale and lager, glucose provides only alcohol. When conversion occurs, secondary fermentation takes place due to maltose. Maltotriose is responsible for natural carbonation. Beer doesn't need to be artificially carbonated with sugar or CO2 injection when conversion occurs. Artificial carbonation forms quickly dissipating, soda pop fizz that isn't tight enough to float the head and sometimes carbolic acid forms, as well.
There are two types of "starches" in malt, simple starch, called amylose, and hard, heat resistant, complex starch, called amylopectin, which is the richest starch in malt that you manage to throw away with the spent mash, paid for.
During liquefaction, Alpha liquefies 1-4 links in the amylose starch chain and when that happens two chains form but the name changes. The one chain is called the reducing end, the other chain is the nonreducing end. The reducing end basically contains sweet tasting, nonfermenting types of sugar. The nonreducing end is simple sugar, glucose. Depending on how high the temperature is above 150F, more or less, sweet tasting, nonfermenting types of sugar form and less glucose.
Amylopectin makes up the tips of malt and contained in the starch are the ingredients that form body and mouthfeel in ale and lager. Contained in amylopectin are tasteless, nonfermenting types of sugar, called limit dextrin, and pectin. Pectin is "glue" that holds everything in beer together during conditioning and storage. Limit dextrin, pectin and a particular type of protein form body and mouthfeel in ale and lager. In home brewing, the temperatures recommended in recipes aren't high enough to burst the heat resistant, starch where the starch enters into the mash liquid, before Alpha denatures and that is why the starch is turned into compost. In moonshining the starch is sold and amylopectin is made from it. To take advantage of amylopectin the decoction brewing method is used. When Alpha liquefies amylopectin, dextrinization and gelatinization. In home brew, starch carry over, Beta Glucan and protein goop provides body and mouthfeel, and you were actually trying to get rid of the stuff, which also reduces quality and shelf life of beer, to produce cleaner, more stabile, beer. To replace the thrown out starch, home brew recipes recommend ingredients that loads extract with sludge, so you may be fighting a losing battle.
It would be good to experiment with the Hochkurz double decoction method because that is the brewing method that ale and lager breweries worldwide have been using since 1960, previous to 1960, the triple decoction method was used. Single temperature infusion produces American, home brew style, moonshiners beer that advertisers renamed, Real Ale, when they invented CAMRA and invented stories, recipes and contests to set the hook.
Thank you for taking the time to write this :-) excellent information and good ideas :-)