amylase

[palecricket1]

My current experimental batch, which I just started today, is going to be a sort of braggot, made with both honey and kvass. Kvass is a weak Russian beer made primarily from unmalted wheat/rye/barley, sugar, and of course water and yeast, plus the occasional additive like raisins or mint. While some recipies do use malt, most don't. Now what I want to know is whether or not it would be reasonable to use a papaya derized enzyme blend of papain and amylase, which break down the starch like malt but doesn't impart a flavor. While it won't hurt to try, this stuff isn't exactly cheap so before I go wasting 5 bucks of enzyme I'd like to know 1) if the spent enzymes will make any nasty off flavors during fermentation 2) if there is any activation energy I would need to provide (which i don't think there is since amylase functions in saliva at body temp) and 3) if it wouldn't just be a whole lot easier to ignore the starch and add sugar.

 

[JoeM]

The major components of papaya enzymes are papain and bromelain which are proteolytic enzymes that will not break down starches. The optimal temperature ranges of these enzymes are 105-120 degree Fahrenheit (which is interesting since I know Burton’s water salts contain papain to aid in clearing proteins). You mentioned that amylase works optimally at body temperature, but this is not necessarily true for fruit derived amylases And even if it were true body temp is still 98 degrees, which most would agree is too hot for proper fermentation.

To be honest with you I don’t know what the results of this experiment would be. As I mentioned I know for a fact that papain is used in beer brewing, and in fact I’ve used it myself with no ill results. Whether or not it actually does what it is advertised as doing, and whether or not the amylase would do what you would want it to do at room temperature, are questions that remain to be answered as far as I know.

 

[palecricket1]

mine must be fortified wtih amylase then; it's in the ingredients but it doesn't specify the source so naturally I assumed it was just from the papaya.

Made a test batch of kvass last night to see how it would turn out in its own, there was a little left over from bottling so I'll try the additive on that. The fermentation's over so I shouldn't have any trouble if I raise the temperature. But you know in retrospect this stuff is pretty sweet all on its own, and clears out just fine. So I'm not really sure if I will need to worry about the starch at all. Still, can't hurt to try.