General Category > All Grain Brewing

Does mashing for a light or full body beer affect the efficiency?

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imperialstout:
Enzymes convert starch to sugar. It makes sense to me that an increase in enzyme activity would increase the efficiency of converting starch to sugar.

Light body beers are mashed at a lower temp which increases enzyme activity and results in a lighter body beer (and higher efficiency?)
Full body beers are mashed at a higher temp which decreases enzyme activity and results in a fuller body beer (and lower efficiency?)

Just read this in Beer Smith under mash profiles help.

hokerer:

--- Quote from: imperialstout on February 09, 2013, 11:45:55 AM ---Enzymes convert starch to sugar. It makes sense to me that an increase in enzyme activity would increase the efficiency of converting starch to sugar.

--- End quote ---

Not sure that's the way it works.  The increased activity that happens at lower mash temp is more about converting more of the more complex (unfermentable) sugars into simpler (fermentable) sugars thus a more fermentable wort and lighter body.  But, regardless of whether they are complex or simple sugars, they all count toward gravity and hence efficiency.  That is, 80% efficiency means you got 80% of the potential out of your grain.  It says nothing about how much of that 80% is fermentable and how much is not.

BrewArk:
Depends on what "efficiency" you are talking about.  There are multiple enzymes in barley, and each as an optimal temperature range.

If your goal is strictly to maximize your alcohol production, then you would indeed want to mash at a slightly lower temperature that favors those enzymes that produce fermentable sugars.  Other enzymes convert starches to non-fermentable sugars.

There are a lot of efficiency claims thrown out on this board.

Don't go out and buy blue spray paint for your boil kettle to try to up your "efficiency".

tschmidlin:
As mentioned above, there are different enzymes to consider.  When you mash low to favor the beta amylase, you are increasing the activity of that enzyme, but the activity of the alpha amylase is not at it's peak.  When you mash higher you are favoring the alpha amylase, but at the expense of the beta amylase.  But the products of both beta and alpha amylase are still soluble and would be measured when you are trying to calculate your efficiency.  If you are way out of the range for both of those enzymes then your efficiency will take a hit.


--- Quote from: BrewArk on February 09, 2013, 12:09:26 PM ---Don't go out and buy blue spray paint for your boil kettle to try to up your "efficiency".

--- End quote ---
True, spray paint doesn't work.  It has to be blue naturally. ;)

denny:

--- Quote from: imperialstout on February 09, 2013, 11:45:55 AM ---Just read this in Beer Smith under mash profiles help.

--- End quote ---

Boy, I kinda hope you misunderstood what Beersmith is saying.  Otherwise Brad needs to do some rewriting.

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