Beer Enzyme

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Introductions

The truth is that brewers use the beer enzymes was used into beers to get all these unique flavors. In recent years, brewer's enzymes have been used more and more in the brewing process as they have been creating successful beers that satisfy the current desires of craft beer lovers everywhere. Brewer's enzymes are special proteins that accelerate chemical reactions. They do this by reducing the activation energy required for the chemical reaction, but they are not consumed in the process itself. Enzymes are used in a variety of basic reactions in the human body, but they also have many interesting applications in the food and beverage industry. There are many types of enzymes inherent in the grains used for brewing, but there are two main brewing enzymes that brewers can manipulate: proteases, also known as protein scavenging enzymes, and amylases, also known as starch scavenging enzymes.

Beer Enzymes: Proteases' Function

Brewer's enzymes break down the larger proteins into smaller ones. This is important in brewing because brewers are concerned about the amount of nitrogen in their beer. Yeasts are necessary for brewing beer and they use nitrogen as their main nutrient. Nitrogen is present in all proteins, but yeast prefers free nitrogen. Brewer's enzymes are essential for cleaving proteins and providing free nitrogen to the yeast. Using commercially available proteases allows the brewer to control the amount and quality of the foam or head. This is something you want to get right; too little foam can make a beer seem flat or stale. Brewer's enzyme works with another protein-scavenging enzyme, peptidase, to produce free nitrogen for the brewer's valuable yeast. After the brewer's enzyme has completed the initial protein breakdown, the peptidase cuts these shortened chains into smaller molecules. Brewer's enzyme essentially breaks down these molecules from the outside in, while the protease cleaves them down the middle. Because of the structure of the protein, this means that the cleavage by the peptidase enzyme ultimately releases nitrogen for the yeast.

Preventing Haze with Beer Enzymes

Beer enzymes can also prevent haze from forming in your beer. Haze can be a sign of too much protein and polyphenols hanging around in your beer, or it can be a more urgent symptom of a bacterial infection. Proteases can relieve precipitated proteins and polyphenols by breaking them down and improving the clarity of your beer. Bacterial contamination is another story, and it can change the flavor of your beer in undesirable ways. While proteases usually enhance the head or foam of a beer, abusing them can over-dilute it. This can produce an unwanted, watered-down beer. It is important to follow the instructions for any protease or enzyme kit you purchase. And, depending on the ingredients in your beer, you may have to find your own best brew.

Optimizing Enzymes in Brewing

With so many beer enzymes to consider and the emphasis on balancing them perfectly, it is important for brewers to know how to manage them properly. Each enzyme has an optimal temperature and pH for operation. Therefore, manipulating the temperature and pH of your beer will allow you to activate and deactivate these enzymes.