Lacustral wrote:
> I'm asking in beer brewing newsgroups because added amylases are used
to
> hydrolyse starch sometimes in brewing. The local brewing company
sells
> amylase enzyme. I don't know what exact situation you would use it
in.

Alpha amylase is the one of the two "critical" enzymes for brewing.
Naturally present in grain, this enzyme at certain temperatures cuts
down the large protein and startch molecules present. These simpler
forms can be digested by the yeast easier. (The other enzyme is beta
amylase.)

In brewing, you typically do a "mash" that hits both enzyme's naturally
active temperature at least part of the time. A typical all-grain
homebrewer might heat the mash (usually via infusions of hot water) to
around 154F -- a temperature in which both enzymes are moderately
active -- and let it soak for an hour. More thorough yields are
obtained by resting at both the beta and the alpha amyl

The only time I've heard alpha amylase being used in homebrewing is
when you overshoot your mash temperature, deactivating the alpha
amylase enzyme. You really need both alpha and beta enzymes working
together, either through the compromise temperature above or via
multi-stage temperature rests.

Just FYI: I Googled and found this book:
http://www.fao.org/icatalog/search/d...?aries_id=7490 -- from the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations which details
how to make maltose syrup from cassava starch using cottage methods and
cereal grain enzymes (which the two above are). Hey, it might be more
what you are looking for. It's not glucose syrup. (Though maltase is a
possible enzyme for converting maltase to glucose -- but again, I don't
know what the active ranges are for that.) Either way, such procedures
in this book may be a better way of producing an allergy-free sugar
syrup (which is your purpose, right?) from cassava starch at home.

Further comments: Maybe some of the more scientific folks can comment
on amyloglucosidase aka Beano. This enzyme has been used to make "light
beer", it's very good supposedly at breaking down complex carbs, and
has a better active temperature range (40C or below).