Enzymes

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An enzyme is a protein that facilitates a chemical reaction. Enzymes play an important role in every fermented beverage.

For beer production, grain is malted in order to increase the amount of enzymes. Enzymes active during the mash include α- and β-amylase, proteases, peptidases, β- (1,3)(1,4)-glucanases and lipases. The most important action of these enzymes is that during the mash they break down the starches in the grain into fermentable sugars. Brewers may sometimes add extra enzymes such as glucoamylase in order to further break down the complex sugars (dextrins). Hops also have enzymes that can break down dextrins.

In the mash, the most important property of enzymes is their activity in breaking chemical bonds in the substrates (i.e. proteins and starch). This activity depends on various factors, but most importantly on the temperature. Each enzyme has its own optimal temperature. At higher temperatures, the enzymes denature, which is the unfolding of the enzymes' three-dimensional structure, making them inactive. Enzyme activity is also affected by pH. Enzyme activity is also affected by pH, and activity decreases at pH values higher or lower than each enzyme's respective optimal value, although the effect of pH is not as large as the effect of temperature.

In wine production, a group of enzymes known as pectinase is commonly added to improve clarity and extraction.

Microbes use a large variety of enzymes in order to grow, survive, and conduct fermentation. (See Fermentation.)

Some enzymes can have a negative impact (such as polyphenol oxidase in fruit) and we can take steps to inhibit their undesirable effects.

The action of enzymes is influenced by pH, temperature, and other factors. High temperatures will permanently disable enzymes because the protein structure becomes irreversibly distorted, preventing them from functioning.

• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Evan_Evans/publication/230559002_Assessing_the_impact_of_the_level_of_diastatic_power_enzymes_and_their_thermostability_on_the_hydrolysis_of_starch_during_wort_production_to_predict_malt_fermentability/links/5789973608ae5c86c99ae90f.pdf
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Evan_Evans/publication/226691242_The_Properties_and_Genetics_of_Barley_Malt_Starch_Degrading_Enzymes/links/578f1cf408ae81b4466ed501/The-Properties-and-Genetics-of-Barley-Malt-Starch-Degrading-Enzymes.pdf
• http://lowoxygenbrewing.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1821