b-amylase source

[WRTom]

moving away from hijacking some other blokes thread. i tripped over a thread talking about bread improver as a source of amylase and apparently it's inadequate. i read that sweet potato is a source of b-amylase so i bought a kilo and tried to convert corn starch with bread improver augmented by sweet potato. so far i've been at temp for about an hour
and not much has been converted. whether the sweet potato has converted itself whilst leaving the corn based starch i dunno. so far i've used a kilo of sweet potato three cans of corn and a packet of bread improver.
being a noob i might be missing a component, so please chime in

[bluc]

There was a digestion aid tablet mentioned on one of my threads I think it was beano available in liquid and tablet form. May be a help. Are you aiming for an all corn whiskey? Otherwise barley malt is the best source of b amylyse..

[WRTom]

yeah that was the thread, well i mean i'm at a kilo of sweet potatos so far to 1.2 k corn which blows an all corn mash out of the water, no i just noticed that just about everything has been used to try and get something fermentable, but theres little on using sweet potato even though someone mentioned bread improver and this and that, then i noticed that barley and sweet potato being used by labs as sources of b-amylase, so i thought seeing as i've got the long weekend without the ball and chain around i'd see what can happen and so far either sweet potato isn't a good source or i haven't done something properly. i've never heard of beano and wouldn't know where to get it

[bluc]

My mad ninja google Foo found this it may help http://www.brewmart.com.au/brewmart-shop/catalogue/?detail&ItemID=2446&SZIDX=0&CCODE=31010&QOH=28&CATID=218&CLN=1

[Meatheadinc]

Mods delete if necessary

http://www.enzymash.biz/

[WRTom]

i don't think i could ad more than this could say ^:)^

[EziTasting]

Isnt there a temperature specific range for the Amylase!?!

How is it affected by pH?

[WRTom]

yeah so i kept the sweet potato corn mix at temp for a few hours. i have no way of testing pH so i added a squirt of lemon juice as a precaution. this morning i tested the mix and the liquid at the surface showed conversion. when i mixed it and tested again there was still a large amount of starch.

[WRTom]

here's an interesting read http://www.jbc.org/content/44/1/19.full.pdf
the sweet potatoes i used were woolies gold sweet potatoes which are the beauregard variety apparently. i'm not sure what degree lintner they are though

[WRTom]

complete Fail. sweet potatoes don't have any enzymes that convert sugars.

[EziTasting]

That's unfortunate.

How much amylase is necessary? Does any one know how much/many mg is required for how much grain?

[wynnum1]

White labs sells enzymes has anyone tried to get from Australian supplier of yeast as they need to be kept under refrigeration could be sent with yeast .
There seems to two Opti-Mash and Ultra-Ferm that are used in combination one is 60 Celsius and the other 70 Celsius.
The home brew sell 10 ml but that price looks excessive .

[EziTasting]

From what I've gleaned of my reading, there's Alfa Amylase (spelling is up to shyte), and Beta Amylase.

A-A worx at the higher temperature and breaks the 'branches' of the starch into simpler, starches.
B-A worx at the lower temperature and breaks down the ends of of the starches into simpler sugars so that yeast can digest it into co2 and alcohol...

Again this is only my simple understanding.

[Moonshine Millar]

Hi guys,

if you would like a brilliant explanation on amylase enzymes watch these 4 episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSEA9v7ix8Q

I know it is beer based and some of the processes are different, but the knowledge is tranferrable.

[wynnum1]

complete Fail. sweet potatoes don't have any enzymes that convert sugars.

How did you use the sweet potatoes does not all things that ripen have enzymes they may not be practical and the water content of sweet potato only 20% is starch and unless getting very cheap or waste product expensive sugar source the same with potato. .

Sweet potatoes are not very sweet or moist when first dug. It takes six to eight weeks of proper curing and storage before they have the sweet, moist taste and texture desired when baked, says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/crops ... t-potatoes

[moonshinindawg]

Sweet potatoes are not very sweet or moist when first dug. It takes six to eight weeks of proper curing and storage before they have the sweet, moist taste and texture desired when baked, says LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dr. Tom Koske.

Yeah you got it, they release the amylase enzymes when they mature, its a last pitched effort to get some energy.

I don't think your going to get a better source of enzyme then malt or those chinese yeast cakes, that they grow aspergillus on.

None of the aussie enzyme places wanted to play ball with me when I hit them up for a sample :/ figures, china was more than obliging to help me and my "clients" "industrial" bioethanol plant ;)

Its interesting i'm brewing lots of a LC Rogers clone from AHB at the moment and the mash is all done at 70deg for 30min, I believe this is to inhibit the action of Beta-Amylase, it is the slightly less resistant to temperature then its partners alpha, however is also faster. This means you get a bit of conversion to unfermentable sugar which isn't immediately cleaved by beta to give it the magic mouthfeel!!!!

[wynnum1]

Amylase enzymes if you look at how they work then equipment to get full conversion and full value is going to be able to keep mash at constant temperature for extended time .

[sp0rk]

I've been tossing up buying a bag of this
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/181873314682 ... EBIDX%3AIT

[EziTasting]

Surel that's available in Oz!?!?

[sp0rk]

Surel that's available in Oz!?!?

Not that I've been able to find