Temperature pauses when mashing malt for beer. Protein break

Acid break

Temperature range: 35 – 45 °C

An acid rest can be used after soaking for any mashing method. During the acid break, the pH of the mash decreases to the values we need, and glucans are also destroyed, which turn the mash into a paste. The typical temperature range is 35-45 °C, at which the enzyme phytase breaks down phytin molecules, releasing phytic acid, which lowers the pH of the mash.

Phytase is very sensitive to heat, so much of it is destroyed by heat during malting. For the same reason, phytase is present only in lightly roasted malts. Moreover, it really shines when using soft water with a slight pH buffer and lightly modified malt. Typically, to change the pH of the mash, simply add acid while adding water at one of the pauses. There is another reason why brewers often ignore this pause; it takes at least an hour for there to be a noticeable change in the pH of the mash.

The second role of this temperature pause is the breakdown of glucans. Beta-glucans are carbohydrates found in grains along with starch. Beta-glucanase is an enzyme that breaks down these carbohydrates. There are a number of similar enzymes that are active at temperatures up to 60°C, but the most important of these, 1,4 beta-glucanase, is most active at 45°C. Most beta-glucans are found in rye, wheat, oats and lightly modified malts. Beta-glucans are known to be responsible for cloudiness in beer.

Beta-glucans should not appear in fully modified malts, however, if there are problems with filtration or cloudiness of the beer, a 15-minute acid rest should be maintained.

Protein break

Temperature range: 45 – 59 °C

In this temperature range, two enzymes work - proteinase and peptidase, known as proteolytic enzymes, enzymes from the class of hydrolases that cleave the peptide bond between amino acids in proteins.

Proteinase works with proteins from long chains of amino acids, breaking them down to medium length. Pepdidase promotes the cleavage of terminal amino acids from protein molecules. Optimal temperature The actions of these enzymes are different, so you can prefer the action of one enzyme to another.
Brewers do not need proteins from long chains of amino acids in their wort. A high concentration of such proteins leads to cloudiness and instability of beer. At the same time, we are interested in proteins from medium chain amino acids - they add foam stability and body to beer. The optimal temperature for peptidase is 45-53 °C, for proteinase - 55-58 °C. A pause of 15-30 minutes in the optimal temperature range for the proteinase reduces haze and does not negatively affect the foam or body of the beer.

Another important point is that low temperature rests are more effective in thick mash (1.7 - 2.1 liters per kg of ground malt). Next, the mash can be made more liquid by raising its temperature hot water before saccharification pauses.

A weak effect of beta-glucanase is also observed during the protein break. For this reason, some brewers spend this very protein break. Do not perform a protein rest at temperatures of 45–53 °C to avoid problems with the stability of the foam in your beer. If you are brewing with lightly modified malt, a temperature range of 55-58°C will be useful for reducing mash viscosity.
Whether or not this pause affects the breakdown of proteins, and the quality of the wort depends on it. Extra stirring and time spent on pauses have a positive effect on the extract of the mash. This is especially true for brewers who rarely stir their mash or typically experience poor boil efficiency.

Saccharification

Temperature range: 61 – 72 °C

The only temperature pause that cannot be avoided is the saccharification pause. When using fully modified malt, this is often limited.

Starch conversion is carried out by two enzymes that attack starch molecules in different manners. These enzymes are called diastatic. Typically, the saccharification pause is carried out at 61–71°C. Sometimes a narrower range of 66–70°C is used. Remember that enzymes do not stop working completely outside their temperature range.

Beta amylase bites off the ends of starch molecules, producing maltose. Since starch molecules can be very long, the process can take up to two hours. A long pause at the beginning of the temperature range makes your beer drier.
Another enzyme, alpha-amylase, acts in a higher temperature range of 68–72 °C, although its action is also observed at higher temperatures. low temperatures. Alpha amylase breaks starch molecules at random places in the chain. This enzyme is quite cumbersome and cannot act at the sites of chain branching, resulting in unfermentable sugars - dextrins. These sugars give the beer body and sweetness. A short 20-minute rest in a fairly thick mash (2 liters of water per 1 kg of malt) will produce a very dense, full-bodied beer.

This is especially true for beers that are brewed with low diastatic malt, such as pale.

Alpha amylase is usually used in conjunction with beta amylase to produce a beer with a moderate and full body. The idea here is that by breaking starch molecules, alpha-amylase provides new ends of molecules for beta-amylase to work with. Operating at 66-67°C, these enzymes produce a mildly fermentable wort that is popular with home brewers. A temperature of 68°C will produce a fuller-bodied beer without being too sweet or overbearing.

The typical duration of the saccharification pause is 60 minutes. Most types of malt saccharify much faster.
Alpha amylase is less active and less stable in wort with low calcium ion content. This is especially true for liquid mash.

Mash out

Temperature range: 76 – 78 °C

Any beer that needs to be full-bodied requires a mash-out, a five-minute rest at 76-77°C. Also, ensure that the spent grain bed stays at this temperature during washing and filtering. The filtered wort should also not cool below this temperature, otherwise the enzymes will continue their work in the collected wort. Mash-out also reduces wort viscosity and improves wort filtration rate.

Mashing malt for beer is one of the most complex processes and perhaps the most important in home brewing. It is he who forms the basis on which our future beer - wort - will be based. It can be avoided by using ready-made ones, but such freedom in choosing a recipe and such opportunities to influence the final taste of the product is only given by grain brewing, which cannot be done without mashing. It is connected with this that usually grain brewing inevitably becomes the next step in the evolution of the brewer after extract brewing, which has to be done despite all the difficulties, financial and time costs. Also, to carry out mashing, certain knowledge is needed, especially in the theory of so-called temperature pauses. This will be discussed in this article.

Mashing malt- this is the cooking process beer wort, in which the ground is mixed with water and kept at certain temperatures. This is done to activate various enzymes in order to break down glucans, starches and proteins. The activity of various enzymes depends on temperature, and they need a certain time to complete their tasks. This is related to the need for temperature breaks. The exact duration of all temperature pauses depends on the beer recipe and the type of malt. In total, there are 4 types of temperature pauses:

1.Acid break(35-45°C, 15-70 minutes). It is named so because during the acid break the pH of the mash decreases to the desired values. True, a noticeable reduction in acidity is achieved only after 60 minutes of cooking, and even when using modern and various additives to water that can affect the pH, this is no longer necessary. Therefore, this pause is often ignored by brewers.

But in addition to reducing acidity, these temperatures also destroy glucans, which turn the mash into a paste. Most glucans are found in rye, wheat, oats and lightly modified malts, and when using such ingredients, it is advisable to pause for 15 minutes. Glucans are known to be responsible for cloudiness in beer.

2.Protein break(44-59°C, 10-15 minutes). At these temperatures, protein breakdown occurs. This has a beneficial effect on foaming and the stability of beer foam, and also increases the extract of the wort. It is worth noting that two enzymes are involved in this pause.

At a temperature of 44-50°C, proteases work, breaking down proteins into amino acids, which will subsequently be nutrients for yeast.

And at a temperature of 50-59°C, other proteases break down the protein into substances that promote beer clarity and foam formation.

3.Saccharification(61-72°C, 50-120 minutes). A key pause for any type (degree of modification), which cannot be avoided. It is responsible for converting starch into the sugar needed for fermentation, which is reflected in its name.

This pause also involves two enzymes (alpha-amylase and beta-amylase). They also operate at slightly different temperatures and have different effects on the final product.

At 61-67°C beta-amylase is activated, the longer this enzyme works, the drier and stronger the beer. A fairly long pause is required (about two hours) for the enzyme to work completely and produce a fairly dry beer.

When the temperature rises to 68-72°C, another enzyme comes into action - alpha-amylase. It forms unfermentable sugars that form the body of the beer, making the beer sweet, but the alcohol level in the beer will be lower because the concentration of sugars suitable for the yeast to be processed into alcohol is reduced.

4.Meshout or mash-out(77-79°C, 5 minutes). Not quite a temperature pause in the definition that we gave above, since during it the work of enzymes does not take place, but on the contrary, it serves to stop it. Performed before washing the malt to reduce the viscosity of the wort and increase the filtration rate, which is especially important in cases where the mash and boiling of the wort is carried out in various containers and the wort must be drained from the mash. The rinsing water should be used at the same temperature to prevent the enzymes from continuing to work. And at temperatures above 80°C, tannins will begin to form in the wort, which makes the taste astringent.

Very popular, especially among novice brewers, is o dnopause mashing(66-67°C, approximately 60 minutes). This method is suitable for modified malt and varieties without special malts such as rye and wheat. It will be especially convenient for brewers who do not have automated equipment and will allow them to obtain beer of moderate strength with a noticeable body. This is achieved by keeping the temperature in the range in which both enzymes responsible for saccharification work at equal strength.

And I need to say a few words about the modification of malt, namely, that the majority are modified. This means that most of the glucan and protein have already been destroyed and to obtain good wort It is enough just to convert the starch into sugars. Modification of malt is carried out at the malt house and does not involve any negative consequences for human health or beer quality. All this makes the use of such malt preferable and allows you to omit a significant part of the temperature pauses, which will significantly reduce the cooking time and simplify the process.

The topic of mashing and temperature pauses can be discussed in more detail on our forum.

And it makes no sense to fake it. The production process itself seems very simple, almost “just add water”, and the rest nature will handle itself.

- Can't be! - you say, but partly it is true. Brewers, in essence, simply create favorable conditions for the occurrence of all natural processes: grain dissolution, disinfection, further ripening.

Thus, in order to dissolve grain substances, it is necessary to maintain a certain water temperature, and over time it must change with pauses.

Mixing the ground grain with water at the right temperature to dissolve the extract is called mashing. So what are the mash temperature rests for beer?

Any grain contains a set of enzymes that are activated at a temperature specific to each one. Why is it so difficult? The answer is simple, sugars are “encrypted” in the form of a long starch molecule. This molecule is “hidden” in granules, and the granules are in protein shells that are located under the aleurone layer of the grain. All this is “stored” under layers of films and outer shells of the grain, protecting it from external influences.

Water in in this case acts as a carrier of energy, it penetrates through the membranes, activating enzymes of the aleurone layer, which “clear” the path of the liquid to the protein membranes. At this stage, enzymes activated by water are “connected”, which ensure the breakdown of protein and open the way to starch granules. When exposed to water, starch granules swell and burst, providing access to the “holy of holies” – starch. Water, as a source of life, awakens the grain from hibernation, stage by stage it starts physical and chemical processes in the grain in order to achieve the complete and unconditional breakdown of the starch molecule into sugars. Temperature pauses during mashing for beer are important here.

– Does grain destroy itself when exposed to water?
- Yes.
- For what?
– To break down starch into sugars.
- Why?
– Because sugars are a source of nutrition for the future sprout, and the brewer, in turn, uses them for his needs. Therefore, grain contains enzymes, like the locks of closed doors, and the key is temperature and the duration of temperature pauses.

Such a long introduction will make it possible to understand the reasons for the processes occurring during mashing and the immediate meaning of gradual temperature pauses.

Now let's talk about how you can regulate the composition of wort sugars and the taste of the finished beer with temperature pauses.

The first stage is the breakdown of polysaccharides of grain films and its protein structures. The optimal temperature for these processes starts from 35-37 C° . Water at this temperature penetrates the shell structures and activates the cytolytic enzymes of the grain, triggering the splitting mechanism.

Why 35-37 C°? This is the specificity of their action. The films contain starch, but of a different structure. Enzymes break it down into polysaccharides, which are not always desirable in beer because they increase the drink's astringency level, color, and viscosity.

Currently, this pause is practically not used, since grain films become quite permeable even at the malting stage. This happened thanks to the modernization of malting technology and the use of new agronomic techniques in the cultivation of barley.

At this temperature, lipoxygenase enzymes are also active. These are fat-soluble enzymes. They release fat that is located in the fetus. He uses it as fuel to grow. During the brewing process, fat is harmful because it oxidizes and imparts unwanted flavors to the beer.

This pause can only be found in classic recipes. Czech beer with decoctions, but we'll talk about that later.

Further heat the mash to a temperature of 45-55 C°. At this moment, the proteolytic enzymes of the grain are activated. They break down its protein structures. Cell walls and connective tissue consist of protein molecules, and inside the grain there is a protein that is completely susceptible to dissolution.

Proteolytic enzymes of grain are specific; each acts on a protein structure strictly defined for it. The result of this “activity” are peptides, polypeptides, as well as soluble protein and free nitrogen. Polypeptides in beer are the building blocks for foam, and free nitrogen and soluble protein provide nutrition for growth and development. Also, the presence of dissolved protein can have a positive effect on the fullness of taste.

So, the water has already “reached” the starch, heat it to 62-65 C°. This temperature pause during mashing for beer is very important and the longest. At these temperatures, a complex of enzymes associated with protein breakdown operates. The main role during this pause is given to the action of beta-amylase. As mentioned earlier, the starch molecule is a long chain of branched molecules. Beta-amylase destroys it, leaving large molecules of maltodextrins amylose and amylopectin, which no longer give the iodine staining characteristic of starch. These molecules are already sugars, but they are too large and inedible for. The maximum activity of the enzyme at this temperature is approximately 30 minutes, but if you increase its duration, the reaction rate will slow down, but will not stop.

Beta amylase prepares the “soil” for alpha amylase . In this case, we heat the mash to 71-73 C°, activating it. Alpha amylase acts on the starch molecules at the edges, breaking off small pieces of mono-, di-, tri-sugars. Highest value has the resulting disaccharide maltose.

Maltose is the main source of nutrition for beer; the more of it, the stronger and richer the beer will be. The amount of maltose depends on the initial amount of maltodextrins on which alpha-amylase acts, as well as on the duration of the reactions, that is, the longer we allow amylases to act on starch, the more sugars we get, and the greater the yield of extract the brewer will get.

To summarize, we see that Brewers use three main temperature breaks when mashing for beer. This:

protein 45-55 C°;
maltose 62-65 C°;
and saccharification 72-77 C°.

The maximum mashing temperature for beer is 78 C°. At this temperature, the action of enzymes stops due to their destruction. Therefore, if the brewer wants to prolong the digestion processes, he should not exceed this level.

However, they are not always available highest quality, in turn, low-quality grains contain few active enzymes, therefore, even after standing for a considerable time at all required temperatures mash, it will be under-sugared. In this case, enzyme preparations can be used.

These are the same enzymes, but obtained as a result of the vital activity of fungal microorganisms. In this way, all types of enzymes are synthesized, which different stages break down starch. What can I say, human saliva contains a complex of amylases that break down starch.

Such enzyme preparations are often heat-stable; when using them, there is no need for strict adherence to temperature pauses and their duration. They help break down even the starch of unmalted grains, helping the brewer achieve his desired extract yield.

What's the matter? Why does one beer have a dry aftertaste, while another tastes sweet? The secret lies in the duration of exposure of the enzymes at the selected temperatures.

The ideal jam is one where everything is split. It is unlikely that we would drink such beer, because it would not have foam, it would have a dark color, like old beer, it would be very strong, dry, and sour. It is for this reason that the protein pause is so short - up to 20 minutes, because it is necessary for the peptides to remain for foam. In some cases, it is skipped altogether.

The maltose pause is from 30 to 60 minutes, so that there is not too much dextrins, and the saccharification pause is reduced to 20 minutes, so that all the dextrins do not have time to break down to maltose.

It all depends on the preferences of the brewer, the quality of the raw materials used, and the chosen style of drink. If the raw materials are of very high quality, then with short temperature pauses they can split a large number of starch. In this case, it is recommended to reduce the duration of pauses or, in general, eliminate some of them.

If the brewer is using unmalted grain, he will increase the maltose rest to the limit to ensure saccharification is successful. Well, if you need to brew beer for diabetics, you should ensure more content difficult to ferment dextrins, after reading this article you already have an idea of what to do in this situation.

Choosing your beer's mash temperature rests is fundamental to creating the best beer. If you still have questions, be sure to ask them at

The influence of temperature on the mashing process

10-35 0 C – activity of proteolytic enzymes. Strengthening germination phenomena (in particular, crushing)

40-45 0 C – formation of predominantly phosphates

45-52 0 C – temperature of peptonization (formation of protein breakdown products). Danger zone of proteolytic enzyme activity; breakdown of proteins into albumins, peptones, polypeptides and amino acids.

50 0 C is the optimal temperature for the formation of formol nitrogen.

55 0 C is the optimal temperature for the formation of non-coagulable soluble nitrogen.

53-62 0 C – formation of easily fermentable maltose.

63-65 0 C – maximum formation of maltose.

65-70 0 C – decrease in the formation of maltose and increase in the formation of dextrins. Optimal temperature of the liquefying enzyme.

70 0 C – breakdown of proteinases.

70-75 0 C – increasing the rate of saccharification. Formation of weakly fermentable sugars and dextrins.

76 0 C is the activity limit of the saccharifying enzyme.

80-85 0 C – formation of dextrins. Well-established liquefaction activity.

85-100 0 C – boiling starch under the influence of heat.

Since I like beer that is moderately dense and boozy, today we are doing a multi-pause mash. And let's start with a pause of 52 degrees. In our case, a temperature of 54C is quite enough. The filling is warm and will not cause a big drop in temperature.

So, add it and mix thoroughly.

The temperature dropped to the desired level. 53C. Close the lid and wait 10 minutes.

Turn on the steam generator and raise the temperature of the mash until the next pause. Basic.

During the heating process, the mash should be stirred to avoid local overheating.

And again let's turn to competent opinion.

Personally, I believe that for modern malt only two rests are definitely needed: 62 (+\- 2 degrees C) and 72 (+\- 2 degrees C). The first pause gives us sugars that are edible for yeast (fermentable sugars). The second pause, although historically called a saccharification pause, does not produce any sugars. And it gives us the absence of starch, turning it into short pieces of starch called dextrins. Yeasts do not eat dextrins - they “can’t get into their mouth.” It is dextrins that make real beer thick, viscous, jelly-like, and give that very state, in jargon called “dense, full body of beer.”

So, if you start mashing with a pause of 62 degrees. and you keep the mash at this temperature, the amount of fermented sugars will increase with every minute. And thus it will grow alcoholic strength beer.

You can always estimate a certain possible maximum strength of beer. If from 1 kg of malt we can bring into solution 80% (plus/minus depending on the quality of the malt) of the total mass of malt, then the maximum amount of DM that can be converted into fermentable sugar is also 80%. Of course, there is a big plus/minus here, taking into account the quality and types of malts and the mashing regime. For example, malt may contain too much protein, but it does not provide us with alcohol. In colored, caramel malts, the sugars are roasted (caramelized) and are also largely less fermentable. It’s one thing if you keep a pause of 62 degrees for an hour and a half, and quite another if you take a pause of 62 for only 10 minutes, or skip it altogether. Eventually, even during fermentation, yeast can stop working for a variety of reasons.

With some degree of error, we can assume this: in our 12% beer, 80% of the sugars will be fermented during a pause of 62 degrees for an hour.
Those. at a density of 12% we have 120 grams of sugars per liter of wort. Of these, 120 x 0.8 = 96 grams can be made fermentable (maximum, theoretically). Of these 96 grams, exactly half will turn into alcohol after fermentation.

But even if you skip the 62 degree pause completely and immediately achieve a mash temperature of 72 degrees, there will still be alcohol in the beer. After all, even before mashing, malt already contains a certain amount of fermentable sugars. Plus, with a pause of 72 degrees, the enzyme that ensures the conversion of starch into dextrins (alpha-amylase) also produces a small amount of fermentable sugars. And the enzyme, which should work at 62 degrees (beta-amylase) in the case of a single pause of 72 degrees, is not destroyed instantly, but manages to work for some time, producing fermentable sugars.

Thus, if we need thick beer, we skip the 62C pause and keep it at 72C for an hour and a half. And if drunk, then we emphasize the pause 62C. There are recipes that suggest keeping the temperature at 67C. It’s like all the enzymes are working here.

Let's continue, however. After a pause of 62C for 45 minutes, turn on the steam generator again, and constantly stirring the mash, raise its temperature to 72C.

20 minutes on pause at 72C and you can do an iodine test. Take a little wort and place it on a clean porcelain plate. Add a drop of iodine to the wort. If the color has not changed, then everything is OK. Starch is destroyed. If the sample turns blue, we have problems. The pause should be extended.

In our case, everything is zerut. The color does not change, you can continue. We raise the temperature of the mash to 78-80 degrees, thereby turning off the activity of enzymes. A 10-15 minute break is enough.

Temperature range: 35 - 45 °C

Beta-glucans should not appear in fully modified malts, however, if there are problems with filtration or cloudiness of the beer, a 15-minute acid rest should be maintained.

Protein break

Temperature range: 45 - 59 °C

In this temperature range, 2 enzymes work - proteinase and peptidase, known as proteolytic enzymes, enzymes from the class of hydrolases that cleave the peptide bond between amino acids in proteins.

Proteinase works with proteins from long chains of amino acids, breaking them down to medium length. Pepdidase promotes the cleavage of terminal amino acids from protein molecules. The optimal temperature for the action of these enzymes is different, so it is possible to prefer the action of one enzyme to another.
Brewers do not need proteins from long chains of amino acids in their wort. A high concentration of such proteins leads to cloudiness and instability of beer. At the same time, we are interested in proteins from medium chain amino acids - they add foam stability and body to beer. The optimal temperature for peptidase is 45-53 °C, for proteinase - 55-58 °C. A pause of 15-30 minutes in the optimal temperature range for the proteinase reduces haze and does not negatively affect the foam or body of the beer.

A weak effect of beta-glucanase is also observed during the protein break. For this reason, some brewers spend this very protein break. Do not perform a protein rest at temperatures of 45-53 °C to avoid problems with the stability of the foam in your beer. If you are brewing with lightly modified malt, a temperature range of 55-58°C will be useful for reducing mash viscosity.
Whether or not this pause affects the breakdown of proteins, and the quality of the wort depends on it. Extra stirring and time spent on pauses have a positive effect on the extract of the mash. This is especially true for brewers who rarely stir their mash or typically experience poor boil efficiency.

Saccharification

Temperature range: 61 - 72 °C

The only temperature pause that cannot be avoided is the saccharification pause. When using fully modified malt, this is often limited.

Starch conversion is carried out by two enzymes that attack starch molecules in different manners. These enzymes are called diastatic. Typically, the saccharification pause is carried out at 61-71°C. Sometimes a narrower range of 66-70°C is used. Remember that enzymes do not stop working completely outside their temperature range.

Beta amylase bites off the ends of starch molecules, producing maltose. Since starch molecules can be very long, the process can take up to two hours. A long pause at the beginning of the temperature range makes your beer drier.
Another enzyme, alpha-amylase, acts in a higher temperature range of 68-72 °C, although its action is also observed at lower temperatures. Alpha amylase breaks starch molecules at random places in the chain. This enzyme is quite cumbersome and cannot act at the sites of chain branching, resulting in unfermentable sugars - dextrins. These sugars give the beer body and sweetness. A short 20-minute rest in a fairly thick mash (2 liters of water per 1 kg of malt) will produce a very dense, full-bodied beer.

This is especially true for beers that are brewed with low diastatic malt, such as pale.

Temperature range: 35 - 45 °C

Protein break

Temperature range: 45 - 59 °C

Saccharification

Temperature range: 61 - 72 °C

Mash out

Temperature range: 76 - 78 °C