Enzymic (Lactic Acid) Malt?

[alwilson]

Hi All,

I came accross an old recipe I've used in the past for a Winter Warmer, and it has Enzymic Malt in it, which google tells me is malt sprayed with lactic acid.

Why would one use this? What does it do?

Cheers
Alex

[jmc]

The Malt Miller sells it

Weyermann Acidulated Malt

EBC 3-7

PH 3.4-3.6

For use in Pilsner, Light Beer, "Schankbiere",and Wheat Beer or where mash ph is to be reduced. Use at a rate of 1-5%

[seymour]

A quible: it's usually enzymatic or aciduated malt.

I've been using small percentages for several reasons (you'll notice my current Chocolate Milk Stout contains 2%). It lowers the pH in your mash (slightly more acidic) which improves the extraction efficiency, stabilizes it against infections, and slightly improves the flavor in my opinion. Acid is perceived by our taste buds as sour, though, so beware. If you overdo it, some people will count it as a fault. I really enjoy faint sourness, like sourdough bread or the old Guinness Foreign stout sour-mash process (pretty sure they don't do sour mashes anymore.) Lactic acid is also produced by lactobacilus bateria, you know, such as acidophilous used to ferment yogurt and sourkraut? Those are disgusting comparisons for some beer lovers, but if you think about it, it's a nice familiar taste used in moderation. You've probably achieved this accidentally to some extent if you've ever done overnight mashes, really long lag-times before your yeast kicked in, etc. Tart, tangy and snappy, but unlike the citrusy sourness (hints of orange peel, grapefruit, lemonade, etc) we're more familiar with from many hops.

I'd strongly recommend you go for it and decide for yourself if you like it. If you want to taste a commercial example first, seek out Berliner Weiss. The tart, sharp, fruity, lightly metallic and highly spritzy taste reminds many people of Champagne.

I'll post this recipe again. It doesn't actually contain aciduated malt, but the sour-mash process produces lactic acid naturally.

JJ Berliner Weisse
from a Ratebeer recipe by JoeMcPhee
6 US gallons = 5 imperial gallons = 22.7 liters

50% = 4 lbs = 1.8 kg, Two-row pale malt
50% = 4 lbs = 1.8 kg, Wheat malt or any cheap, cracked unmalted wheat

0.5 oz = 14 g, any noble hop

Nottingham yeast

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Crush malt and combine. Remove 0.5 lbs/227g from total bill, set aside.
2. Dough-in at 120°F/49°C and do a protein rest for 30 minutes.
3. Stir hops into the mash, raise temperature to 154°F/68°C for 60 minutes.
4. Mash-out at 172°F/78°C for 10 minutes.
5. Sparge to collect 6 US gallons/5 imperial gallons/22.7 liters of wort.
6. Cool the wort and split the batch (this is a no-boil recipe) into a 4.5 US gallon batch and a 1.5 US gallon batch.
7. Pitch your yeast pack into the 4.5 US gallon batch and ferment normally.
8. To the 1.5 US gallon batch add the grain you set aside at the beginning and allow to sour outside, the hotter the better. Let it go for at least 3-4 days, we got good results after 6 days of souring. This batch will look disgusting, a thick white film will cover the surface and it will smell and taste extremely sour.
9. Pour this batch through cheesecloth or strainer into the larger batch, stir.
10. After 1-2 days rack to secondary for one week.
11. Prime for high level of carbonation and bottle/keg.

STATS:
OG : 1.031
FG : 1.006
ABV : 3.2%

More good background and recipe info for Berliner Weiss: http://hopwild.com/2010/04/01/recipe-be ... -naturale/

[alwilson]

Cheers Seymour.

Regarding the spelling, according to the bag its Enzymic, and according to the internet they are synonyms; http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Enzymatic

[seymour]

...Regarding the spelling, according to the bag its Enzymic, and according to the internet they are synonyms; http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Enzymatic

Sure, sure. I was just sharing the more common term so you could read more online, plug it into recipe calculators, etc, but you obviously already figured that out. Cheers!

[zgoda]

Berliner Weisse is acidified additionally by entering lactic acid bacteria into fermenting wort. I tried both versions and the one made without it was considerably less like Berliner Kindl Weisse.

I am one of those who frequently visited West Berlin in late 80's and I remember the taste of Schultheiss Berliner Weisse ohne Shuß.

[seymour]

...Berliner Weisse is acidified additionally by entering lactic acid bacteria into fermenting wort. I tried both versions and the one made without it was considerably less like Berliner Kindl Weisse. I am one of those who frequently visited West Berlin in late 80's and I remember the taste of Schultheiss Berliner Weisse ohne Shuß.

I believe you of course, zgoda, you are a brewing scholar and a gentleman. But I assure you, when I followed the recipe above during last summer's heat wave, setting the half-batch outside for 5 days in 107°F/41.6°C temps along with a splash of dregs from a previous batch, the result was powerfully sour. It clearly produced all the lactic acid necessary.

That said, I would be thrilled to taste yours or any others authentically brewed with added lactic acid bacteria. The commercial examples I've tasted are: 1809 Berliner Style Weisse, Bayerischer Bahnhof Berliner Style Weisse, and several American craft-brew versions. Not sure of their exact techniques.

But getting back to your original question, alwilson: I'm sure the Winter Warmer recipe you saw called for enzymic malt as a simple mash chemistry amendment, preservative, and to add a subtle tartness in the palate to counter an otherwise dominant malt sweetness/full-bodied mouthfeel. Just one more layer of complexity to cut-through while you're sitting with a snifter in front of the fireplace.

[jmc]

...
But getting back to your original question, alwilson: I'm sure the Winter Warmer recipe you saw called for enzymic malt as a simple mash chemistry amendment, preservative, and to add a subtle tartness in the palate to counter an otherwise dominant malt sweetness/full-bodied mouthfeel. Just one more layer of complexity to cut-through while you're sitting with a snifter in front of the fireplace.

+1

The recipe might be trying to get a hint of an 'Old Ale' taste by adding a subtle hint of acidity.

Guiness used to add a portion of older, more acid ale and other brewers have done the same.
GK 'Stong Suffolk' used to be a great beer. IMHO its a lot less complex than it used to be now, but still a good brew.
Quote from Greene King Website

Strong Suffolk

A unique blend of two classic ales – BPA and two-year-old vintage 5X – Strong Suffolk is dark and intense, almost ruby in colour, with an appetising spicy fruit cake aroma. A full-bodied ale, it combines flavours of oak, caramel and burnt toffee that will march across the palate.