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Some reflections on
mashing – Part 1
HIGHLY FLEXIBLE | Despite the fact that malt quality can undergo have fostered the development of high lev-
els of enzyme activity in the malt. One goal
fluctuations from year to year, brewers are very reluctant to change
of breeding programs with malting barley
their mash schedules for fear of the inscrutable consequences based on the variety Diamant and its suc-
cessors, such as Triumph, Alexis, Arena,
this might have on the quality of their beer. But this is precisely
Dorett, Gimpel, Scarlett, Grace, etc., has
what the process of mashing is all about. Mashing is a highly flex- been to increase the soluble nitrogen con-
tent. This objective, however, seemed to take
ible instrument which affords a brewer the capacity to effectively
little heed of the effects this might have on
overcome the challenges of contending with difficult malt. Thus, beer foam. Behind this very extensive degra-
dation of raw protein are enzyme potentials
it offers a brewer the means to effectively compensate for the short-
(endopeptidases active in the weakly acidic
comings of a particular year’s crop and, in turn, helps to ensure range), whose behavior is attributable to the
presence of a sulfhydryl group at the active
a consistently high quality product even if the quality of the raw
site. These enzymes are very sensitive to oxi-
materials does not always remain the same. The mashing process dation, and by limiting the influx of oxygen,
their activity is preserved, thus leading to
also provides a brewer with a great deal of creative control, which
an increase in the degradation of protein
can be harnessed in the development of novel and unique beers – during mashing. This is apparent in the re-
duction of nitrogen values as determined
a boon for brewers looking to alleviate monotony in their prod-
with MgSO4 to significantly less than 200
ucts. Through a clever combination of rests, the performance of mg/l. The advances made in barley breed-
ing have also found expression in significant
the enzymes derived from the malt can be made to rival any sup-
increases in grain yield, which resulted in a
plemental technical enzymes, and the malt’s own enzymes are, of change in the response to nitrogen fertiliza-
tion and yield-motivated “protein dilution”,
course, fully in compliance with the German Purity Law for Beer.
which occurs even in years of severe sum-
mer drought as long as the precipitation in
THE MOST COMMON mashing process procedure (fig. 1). And as the name implies, spring is sufficient to promote tillering. The
for pale lagers and pilsners is known in Ger- the procedure is of a relatively brief dura- consequences of this change have been a
man as the Hoch-Kurz Maischverfahren tion (sometimes less than 60 minutes). The decline in the formation and stability of
(literally “high-short mashing process”) strike water and the grist are mixed so that foam and high levels of residual FAN after
[1]. Originally, it was conceived as a double they come to rest at a relatively high mash- fermentation is complete. These high resid-
decoction mashing process with the two in temperature (62 °C). The high level of ual FAN levels compromise flavor stability
decoctions being quite short. In brewing, acceptance for this mashing procedure in and also increase susceptibility to infection.
decoction refers to an interval when a por- breweries is due to two recent develop-
tion of the mash is boiled. Nowadays, it is ments: First, technological advances have lThe “high-short” mashing process
mostly carried out as an infusion mashing enabled brewers to conduct mashing with The “high-short” mashing process was im-
very little, if no, oxygen uptake with the ad- plemented in order to restrict the activity of
vent of wet milling. A wet mill is essentially the endopeptidases and thus increase the
a modern mechanical pre-masher of sorts. percentage of high molecular weight nitro-
The mash enters modern mash vessels from gen while retaining sufficient FAN forma-
below, and with energy-saving measures, tion through the activity of the more ther-
Authors: Dr. Bertram Sacher and Prof. an infusion procedure is generally pre- mostable carboxypeptidases. However, the
Dr. Thomas Becker, Chair of Brewing and Bev-
ferred, thus pumping the mash between carboxypeptidases are somewhat inhibited,
erageTechnology, TUM; em. Prof. Dr. Ludwig
Narziß, TUM; Freising, Germany vessels has little relevance today. Second, since the endopeptidases largely set the pace
the advances in breeding malting barley of protein degradation, and they have been

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80
75
70
Temperature (°C)
65
60
55
50
45
40
0 10 20 30
Time (minutes)
Fig. 1 A modern Hoch-Kurz mashing process performed as infusion
incapacitated by the higher mash-in tem-
peratures. The positive effects are evident
in enhanced foam formation and stability, a
more pleasant mouthfeel, less residual FAN
resulting in a more robust color and im-
proved flavor stability. The latter is also ulti-
mately a consequence of eliminating the li-
poxygenase activity (temperature optimum
approx. 45 °C), which causes fewer carbonyl
compounds to arise from fatty acid oxida-
tion. At 62 °C, the phosphatase activity is
very limited. This, in turn, lowers the buffer-
ing capacity, resulting in a more rapid drop in
pH, a lighter color and greater precipitation
of prolamins, a fraction of proteins known
to cause haze. Extended amylolytic rests,
especially a long dextrin rest, releases glyco-
proteins in greater numbers, improves foam
quality and produces a better mouthfeel in
the finished beer. However, since essentially
no β-glucan degradation occurs, and con-
versely, high molecular weight β-glucans
are released by β-glucan solubilase at 62 °C,
problems can develop during filtration when
working with malt with less cytolytic modi-
fication. Conducting mashing operations
as oxygen-free as possible, notwithstanding
the comments above, and adjusting the pH
to between 5.4 and 5.5, continues to be con-
sidered beneficial.
Mashing performs the task of continu-
ing and correcting the degradation process-
es which occurred during malting. It also
serves to fine-tune the quality of the wort to
the style of beer being brewed. The enzyme
310 BRAUWELT INTERNATIONAL | 2016/V
wise intervening with mash enzymes is so
effective.
lMash parameters
Adjustment of the mash parameters pro-
vides a means for regulating enzyme ac-
tivity during mashing [2]. Controlling the
temperature is of the greatest importance
during mashing – both the temperature
when mashing-in and during the rests.
The former involves bringing the enzymes
into solution in the mash at a temperature
far below their temperature optima prior
to commencing the mashing process. Af-
ter reaching the actual temperature of the
rest, more active molecules of the desired
enzymes are available without having been
40 50 60 70 damaged by heat as a result of this gentle
procedure. This should increase the rate
of enzymatic degradation during mash-
ing. Maintaining the temperature during
the rests also aims to directly foster enzyme
activity by remaining at the so-called tem-
activity desired during mashing should be perature optimum of the enzyme in ques-
encouraged, if possible, while that of un- tion. This is defined as the temperature at
desirable enzymes should either be halted which the maximum value on the curve
or at the very least slowed. Naturally, the of enzymatic activity reaches equilibrium.
method is also designed to be economical This equilibrium comprises, on one side,
and produce the best possible extract yields. the increase in the rate of the enzymatic
The rate at which enzymatic reactions oc- reaction as the temperature of the medium
cur doubles with a temperature increase of increases and, on the other, the decline in
10 K (according to the so-called Van t’Hoff the same rate through ever progressing de-
equation). Therefore, at 60 °C, based on a naturation. Both processes strike a balance
factor with an average doubling of the tem- at the temperature optimum. Enzymatic
perature, the expected reaction rate will degradation, however, depends not only on
be approximately 16-fold compared to the the activity of the enzyme and the reaction
same reaction at a temperature of 20 °C (24 time, but also on the stability of the enzyme
= 16), though synergies, such as gelatiniza- under the conditions in the medium. This is
tion and enzymes that help determine the called the half-life of the enzyme and refers
rate of the reactions, have not been consid- to the period in which the activity is reduced
ered. This explains why correcting or other- by thermal denaturation, oxidation and
proteolytic degradation to half of its origi-
nal activity. At the temperature optimum,
RELATION BETWEEN this is very short, rarely more than 20 min-
GRIST QUANTITY AND utes. For this reason, the duration of a rest
MASH PH at the enzyme’s temperature optimum ex-
tending over half an hour makes sense from
Grist quantity Mash ph neither a biological nor an economic stand-
1 : 2.5 5.39 point. Attempting to save time during one
1 : 3.0 5.48 particular rest, however, should be avoided.
In fact, speaking of the economic aspects of
1 : 3.5 5.54
mashing, the time saved in curtailing other
1 : 4.0 5.60 rests should be “reinvested” in the dextrin
1 : 4.5 5.65 rest. At this temperature, starch liquefac-
1 : 5.0 5.70 tion through the action of α-amylase is
important for downstream processes, as
1 : 5.5 5.74
is the formation of glycoproteins through
Table 1
reactions involving the degradation prod-
 BREWHOUSE | KNOWLEDGE | BRAUWELT INTERNATIONAL

ucts of proteins with dextrins. As this rest

progresses, there is an added benefit for 100
foam and mouthfeel. This notion should be
taken into account when devising mashing 90 Tun
procedures of a particularly short dura- ĞdžƚƌŝŶŝnjĂƟŽŶ
ďLJɲͲĂŵLJůĂƐĞ <ĞƩůĞ
tion (due to extremely high malt quality at
80

high levels of enzymatic activity, mash filter
flour).
Because of its influence on the structure
of the catalyst molecules, the hydrogen ion
concentration is almost as important as
the temperature. It is affected by the qual-
ity of the brewing liquor, additions of acid
and the mash concentration. The last pa-
rameter is often underestimated, as the ac-
companying table shows. The ratio of the
quantity of grist to that of the mash liquor
plays a major role in determining the ulti-
mate pH of the mash through dilution of
the acids in the malt (table 1). The choice of
infusion or decoction (physical digestion) is
an important mash parameter. Not only is
the thermal disintegration of inaccessible
structures in the endosperm important, but
decoction also allows brewers to create new
combinations of enzymatic rests – features
not offered by infusion. In a true decoction
process, substantial portions of the mash
are boiled, and despite the partial destruc-
tion the enzymes, decoction processes pro-
duce beers with remarkably high degrees of
attenuation. The reason for this is the stag-
gering of the rests, an aspect of decoction
that is impossible with an infusion process.
With infusion, the α-amylase is used to set
the pace for the enzymatic degradation of
the starch only after the -amylase rest has
occurred. However, with decoction, by
performing a dextrin rest in the mash ket-
tle, along with the associated pre-digestion
of the starch, and a subsequent maltose
rest with the entire mash in the mash tun
(fig. 2), the enzyme activity is arranged in
a more efficient sequence, resulting in a
Temperature (°C)
70
60
33 % thick mash
50
40
30
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
Time (minutes)
Fig. 2 A single decoction with a subsequent infusion mashing process
significantly higher quantity of ferment-
able sugars in the wort. Another beneficial
feature of decoction is the inactivation of
the polyphenol oxidases. This results in
polyphenols with a lower polymerization
index, thus increasing the antioxidant
potential. This effect is even intensified in
the second decoction. Furthermore, the
inactivation of the endopeptidases in the
decoction mash is advantageous for the
foam. The lipoxygenases are damaged as
well, and this is beneficial for the flavor
stability. At this point, it should be noted
that actually boiling the separated por-
tion of the mash is not absolutely neces-
sary in order to reap the benefits of de-
coction mashing. For the sake of energy
savings, it is sufficient in most cases to
heat the mash in the mash kettle up to
96 °C and hold it there for 5-10 minutes.
Knowledge of the enzymatic activity in the
DĂůƚŽƐĞĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ
ďLJɴͲĂŵLJůĂƐĞ͕
EVG q
mash as well as the targeted adjustment of
the mash parameters and how to combine
them allows brewers to elegantly resolve is-
sues, which have been recent topics of dis-
cussion, such as malt quality, brewhouse
processes and the composition of beer. This
small contribution should provide some
sense of how to confront these issues. These
topics will be discussed in the second article
appearing in BRAUWELT International no.
6, 2016. ■
lLiterature
1. Kuhnert, M.: “Erfassung und statis-
tische Auswertung möglicher techno-
logischer Einflussfaktoren hinsichtlich
der Gushing-Problematik”, diploma
thesis, TUM, 2000.
2. Narziß, L.; Back, W.: “Technologie der
Würzebereitung”, Wiley-VCH: Wein-
heim, 2009.

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Some reflections on
mashing – Part 2
APPLICATION | The first part of this two-part article (BRAUWELT FOR A “HIGH-SHORT”
International no. V, 2016, pp. 309-311) consists of a detailed dis- MASH PROGRAM ...
cussion of mash parameters and how they can serve as a powerful ... the required malt quality

tool for enhancing wort and beer quality. The skillful manipulation Friabilimeter value > 90 %
Modification > 90 %
of these parameters provides a highly effective means for compen-
Homogeneity > 75 %
sating for a particular year’s harvest and the natural fluctuations Viscosity (65 °C) < 1.6 mPas
in quality which may occur. Mash parameters also afford brewers β-glucans (65 °C) < 350 mg/l
Table 1
more creativity by allowing them to tailor their wort to the needs
of a particular beer style through the targeted use of malt enzymes. tion, and then mixed back into the main
mash where the amylases remain active. Be-
Selected examples are presented in the second part of this essay to
cause modern mashing methods are much
illustrate precisely how to bring these concepts to fruition. less intense, the gelatinization temperature
is a parameter that cannot be ignored.

THE TERM GELATINIZATION de- lacking a well-rounded flavor which can be

scribes the transition starch molecules
undergo during mashing. The crystalline
form of these macromolecules is present in
the starch granules found in malt. Through
hydration, a colloidal solution develops,
and the starch becomes accessible to malt
enzymes. Therefore, gelatinization is essen-
tial for comprehensive enzymatic degrada-
tion over the short duration of mashing.
The gelatinization temperature for barley
malt starch under normal conditions is
approximately 61 °C. Growing seasons
in which the barley undergoes a hot, dry
period of maturation give rise to changes
in the structure of the starch. In malt pro-
raw, harsh and perhaps even oleaginous,
i.e. imparting an unpleasantly thick and
somewhat fatty mouthfeel. Such beers are
also highly susceptible to over-attenuating
beer-spoilers. The gelatinization tempera-
ture plays a rather minor role in decoction
mashing procedures. The decoction mash
has been thermally treated, exposing the
malt starch to further enzymatic degrada-
80
75
46 % of the
Te m p e r a tu re (°C)
l Decoction – For All
Practical Purposes
Confronted with high gelatinization tem-
peratures in its malt, a large German brew-
ery has attempted to solve the problem by
employing a Hoch-Kurz-Maischverfahren
(literally “high-short mashing process”)
with numerous steps and several amylolytic
rests (a staggered maltose rest at 62/64 °C, a
approx. 10 % of
the β-amylase
acvity

duced from barley subjected to this kind of 70 β-amylase acvity

maturation, gelatinization temperatures of

65 °C or higher have been measured. If the 65
gelatinization temperature exceeds the op- almost no resi-
timal temperature for β-amylase, the activ- dual β-amylase
60 acvity!
ity of the enzyme will be drastically reduced 25 % of the
due to its short half-life [1]. This results in β-amylase acvity
a low final attenuation as well as in beers 55

50
Authors: Dr. Bertram Sacher and Prof. Dr. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Thomas Becker, Chair of Brewing and Bever-
ageTechnology,TUM; em. Prof. Dr. Ludwig
Time (minutes)
Narziß,TUM, Freising, Germany
Fig. 1 Infusion mash for high gelatinization temperatures

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combination β-/α-amylase rest at 67 °C, see

100
fig. 1). The rather short half-life of β-amylase
90 55 °C/t½ = 41.2 min.
at such temperatures (approx. 18.5 min at

Acvity (% of the inial value)

60 °C/t½ = 27.8 min.
62 °C and 9.3 min at 64 °C) brings about a 80 65 °C/t½ = 4.7 min.
70 °C/t½ = 1.7 min.
fairly rapid loss in its activity (fig. 2). By the 70 75 °C/t½ = 0.7 min.
time the mash reaches 67 °C, there is prac-
60
tically no β-amylase activity. Thus, from
the standpoint of increasing the maltose 50
content of the wort, the rest at 67 °C can be 40
deemed largely superfluous.
30
A more effective strategy for solving the 62 °C: 18.5 min.
problem would be a mashing process ap- 20
64 °C: 9.3 min.
proximating decoction during which the 10
kettle mash is not actually boiled (fig. 3). 0
After mashing-in approx. 50 percent of 0 10 20 30 40 50
the grist at 62 °C directly into the kettle,
Time (minutes)
it is heated to 72 °C and allowed to dextri-
nate, meaning that many α-glucan frag- Fig. 2 Change in the β-amylase activity in barley malt at various temperatures
ments with reactive ends are formed. The
depolymerization of the starch is already
underway, which impedes subsequent ret- 80
7
rogradation, the reformation of quasi-crys- 75
talline structures when the starch cools to 2 6
below the gelatinization temperature. The 70
Temperature (°C)

second half of the grist is mashed-in at

52 °C in the mash tun in order to preserve 65
1 5
the β-amylase. After dextrination in the 4
60
kettle, the two mashes are mixed together
in the mash tun to reach a temperature of 55
3
62 °C. The intense maltose formation in mash tun
the pre-digested substrate increases the 50 mash kele
final attenuation to the desired level. The 45
procedure then continues according to the
high-short mashing process. The amount 40
of time required for the whole procedure 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
is no longer than the previously described
Time (minutes)
infusion process.
Fig. 3 “Nested” Hoch-Kurz mash program
lEstery notes in Weissbier
In many breweries producing South-
ern German-style wheat beer, otherwise 6
known as weissbier, after the installation of
new cylindroconical fermentors, it is com- 5
mon for the beers to exhibit a noticeable
Isoamyl acetate (mg/l)

decline in the bouquet characteristic of the 4

style, which consists of primarily of com-
pounds like isoamyl acetate (banana ester)
3
[2]. The reason behind this somewhat di-
minished weissbier aroma is, among oth-
ers, the high rate of yeast reproduction, 2
which reduces the amount of the acetyl-
coenzyme A available for ester formation. 1
In addition, the high hydrostatic pressure
in vertical vessels moderates the produc- 0
tion of higher alcohols, thus reducing the open horizontal vercal CCT
numbers of reactants for the formation of fermentor tank tank
esters. In short, the higher the liquid level
is in a fermentation tank, the stronger the Fig. 4 Influence of the fermentation vessel on ester formation in Bavarian wheat beer

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100 A strategy for increasing the ester con-

tent within the confines of the Reinheitsge-
90
bot targets the maltose rest (β-amylase) pri-
80
Maltose formaon mash tun
or to the maltase rest for glucose formation.
mash kettle
70 Owing to the gelatinization properties of
3 barley malt starch and the temperature op-
Temperature (°C)

60
6 tima of the enzymes in question (β-amylase
50 60 - 65 °C, maltase 35 - 40 °C), this cannot
2
40 5 be accomplished with infusion mashing.
4
1 For this reason, the mashing process ap-
30
proximating decoction once again proves
20 Glucose formaon its utility. The mash in the kettle should not
10 be boiled, otherwise when the kettle mash
0 is mixed with the mash in the tun, it will
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 rise to well above 40 °C. If the kettle mash
Time (minutes) is to be boiled, in order to achieve a more
robust, grainy note, it would be better to
Fig. 5 Mash program for generating high concentrations of glucose mash-in thicker and to cool the boiling hot
kettle mash with cold brewing liquor prior
80 to mixing it with the other portion of the
liberaon of β-glucans 7 mash. The percentage of glucose among
70 the fermentable sugars will double or even
2 6 quadruple using this method (e.g. from 8.2
3 g/l to 17.4 g/l), while the concentrations of
Temperature (°C)

60
50
40
1 1. Mash-in thin (pH!) at 30 °C; the ratio of
30
20
0 10 20 30
Fig. 6 Mash program for the greatest amount of β-glucan degradation
convection and homogenization, which
results in a reduction in the formation of
esters (fig. 4). In contrast, outside of Ger-
many the so-called diauxie effect is known
(from Greek: dýo = “two”, auxáno = “I re-
produce”, meaning “reproduction using
two sources of nutrition”) in wort contain-
ing high concentrations of glucose, for
instance with disrupted fermentation in
high gravity brewing processes in which
glucose syrup is added to the boiling wort.
They often exhibit a misshapen extract
curve with a plateau forming after an ini-
tial, rapid decline in extract, followed by a
short interval of yeast reproduction. An
increased ester content expressed as fruity
aroma notes, an atypical characteristic for
bottom-fermented beer, is the result. The
estery notes in beer have been observed to
become more pronounced as the ratio of
5 This procedure is summarized below (fig.
4 5):
mash tun
mash kele
β-glucan degradaon
40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140
Time (minutes)
glucose to maltose tips in favor of glucose
[3]. Alcoholic fermentation with yeast in
the presence of high concentrations of glu-
cose leads to a delay in the onset of maltose
metabolism after an initial rapid decline in
the extract content of the wort (similar to a
“second lag phase”). This explains the pla-
teau in the extract curve. During this time,
the yeast are scarcely reproducing and are
compensating with the synthesis of malt-
ose permease and maltase. The diminished
yeast reproduction results in overflow of
the acetyl-CoA pool and thus greater es-
ter formation and fruitier beers. Taking
advantage of these circumstances techno-
logically would be interesting, not only for
the primary fermentation of weissbier in
CCTs but also for “dry beers” (estery, very
highly attenuated) and for beer styles, like
Oktoberfest or Märzen.
ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate double
(e.g. from 1.1 mg/l to 2.9 mg/l).
malt grist to mash liquor should be 1 :
4.5 to 1 : 5 with no acidification! Objec-
tive: higher pH values favor maltase.
2. Pull a thick mash (22 %, 1 : 2.5) and
transfer it to the kettle; the main mash
rests at 30 °C.
3. The kettle mash undergoes a maltose
rest, then is heated to 67 °C for com-
bined β-/α- amylase activity to maxi-
mize the maltose content.
4. Return the kettle mash to the main
mash to reach a temperature of 38 °C.
5. A maltase rest ensues with glucose for-
mation through the cleavage of malt-
ose.
6. Heat to 72 °C, bypassing an additional
maltose rest.
After the maltase rest – if it fits with the
style of beer being brewed – a protein rest
is also possible or even a decoction step. It is
important, however, that no further malt-
ose is generated subsequently, which is the
reason the rest at 62 °C should be omitted
for the entire mash.
lInsufficient cytolytic modification
Modern mashing procedures beginning
with a high mash-in temperature (e.g.
62 °C) and less overall intensity with under-

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modified malt can lead to disruptions in the lowed to rest in the mash tun at a lower tem- lar weight β-glucans present in the cell
filtration process. Indicators are unsatisfac- perature. The practical implementation of walls of under-modified malt are liber-
tory friabilimeter values, and as a conse- this process is described below (fig. 6): ated.
quence the malt has glassy, adjunct-like tips 1. Mash-in thick (grist : mash liquor = 1 3. The kettle mash (65 °C) is cooled with
with abundant cell walls left unmodified. : 2.5) at 35 °C with a wet mill or a grist cold liquor (12 °C, around 50 % of the
Since no β-glucan degradation occurs at hydrating auger. volume of the mash) to 47 °C.
62 °C (the β-glucanases are predominantly 2. 25 percent of the mash should remain 4. The kettle mash is pumped back into
denatured), but ample β-glucans are liber- in the mash tun, a large portion (75 %) the mash tun (total mash temperature
ated through the activity of β-glucan solu- is pulled into the mash kettle where it after mixing: 45 °C).
bilase, the β-glucan content of the wort and is heated to 62-65 °C. Aside from ge- 5. Extensive degradation of the β-glucans
beer can increase dramatically. As a result latinization of the starch and extensive occurs in the mash tun.
of shearing forces on the cold side of the saccharification (maltose formation, 6. A rising temperature infusion mash
production, the formation of β-glucan gel β-amylase), the native, high molecu- program follows the rest at 45 °C,
(“Fransen micelles”) brings about a rapid
rise in the pressure difference in a diatoma-
ceous earth filter (> 0.5 bar/h), shortening
filter runs and causing premature stoppage.
Modern Hoch-Kurz mashing procedures
necessitate very high quality malt, espe-
cially with regard to cytolytic modification
(table 1). If this is an issue, for example due
to a particular year’s barley crop, the mash
program has to be altered to compensate
for these shortcomings. This means stimu-
lating more intense degradation of the
β-glucans, for which there are three prima-
ry strategies:
■ lower the mash-in temperature;
■ separate a portion of the mash;
■ acidify the mash at 62 °C.
Quite often, only the mash-in tempera-
ture or the temperature of the first rest is
lowered to, for example, 45 °C. With un-
der-modified malt, a rest at 45 °C has little
to no effect, because after initial degrada-
tion by the β-glucanases at lower tempera-
tures, many more high molecular weight
β-glucans are liberated during the maltose
rest at 62 - 65 °C. These can no longer be
broken down, because the β-glucanases
have already been denatured due to the in-
crease in temperature. A reliable and almost
complete degradation of β-glucans can be
achieved, however, if the β-glucan solubi-
lase activity is initiated in the mash before
the β-glucanase rest occurs. The tempera-
ture optima of both enzymes (endo-β-1,4-
glucanase: T opt. approx. 45 °C; β-glucan
solubilase: T opt. approx. 62 °C) make infu-
sion impossible. Therefore, an ample sized
portion of the mash needs to be separated
from the main mash, and the insoluble
β-glucans must be liberated at an elevated
temperature. Due to its considerable vol-
ume, this portion of the mash must be cooled
with cold liquor prior to being returned to
the main mash. Afterwards, β-glucan deg-
radation occurs once the entire mash is al-

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THE EFFECT OF MASH ACIDIFICATION AT HIGHER
MASH-IN TEMPERATURES ON THE
... β-glucans in beer
Extract, % d.m.
Viscosity (mPas), adjusted to 8.6%
Friabilimeter value, %
Friabilimeter, completely glassy kernels, %
β-glucans (Congress wort, Calcofluor), mg/l
β-glucans (65 °C mash, Calcofluor), mg/l
Mash program
Beer analyses
Foam (NIBEM)
Foam (R&C)
β-glucans (Calcofluor, mg/l)
Table 2
though the maltose rest can be reduced
if not completely omitted.
7. Through the dilution step, the grist to
mash liquor ratio at the end of the pro-
cess is approximately 1 : 3.7.
This mashing procedure takes time, but
the amount of enzymatic degradation is
comparable to that achieved with the addi-
tion of technical enzymes [4].
The fact that the acidification of the mash
was originally employed to stimulate proteo-
lytic activity has been largely forgotten, in
part because of the high enzymatic capacity
of modern malt. For example, lowering the
pH of the mash in order to increase protein
degradation and raise the FAN content of the
wort is no longer necessary and, in fact, can
be counterproductive. Moreover, mash acid-
ification does not benefit α-amylase (pH opt.
5.6 - 5.8), which is essential as a “pace set-
ting” enzyme in starch degradation and thus
for its influence on the iodine value and the
limit of attenuation of pale beers. Modern
water treatment methods allow for the crea-
tion of almost any type of brewing liquor,
396 BRAUWELT INTERNATIONAL | 2016/VI
no concern at a high mash-in temperature
(62 °C) because phosphatases are no longer
active at that temperature. On the other
hand, inhibition of β-glucan solubilase
increases as the pH drops (pH optimum =
83.5
6.8). This represents the greatest hurdle to
1.445
β-glucan solubilase activity, which experi-
90.6 ences a steep drop as the pH approaches 5.4,
0.3 where it is all but non-existent. Malt samples
225 exhibiting exceptionally high β-glucan val-
509 ues in wort produced in an isothermal 65 °C
Mash program B mash in the laboratory, nevertheless yield
Mash program A (clas- acceptable values in wort produced in an ac-
(Hoch-Kurz with acidi-
sic infusion)
fication) tual brewhouse (table 2), as was found in re-
Mash-in at 52 °C, rest Acidify the mash to a search conducted at the end of the 1990s. At
for 30 min at 52 °C pH of 5.35 that time, the central question was whether
Heat to 62 °C (1 °C/
Mash in at 62 °C, rest
or not mash acidification could round out
min), rest for 30 min at the character and serve to enhance the body
for 30 min at 62 °C
62 °C and possibly the values for foam stability in
Heat to 72 °C (1 °C/ Heat to 72 °C (1 °C/ beers suffering from a lack of malt protein.
min), rest for 30 min at min), rest for 60 min at
Although the foam characteristics were not
72 °C 72 °C
improved, mash acidification did compen-
Heat to 76 °C (1 °C/ Heat to 76 °C (1 °C/
min), rest for 10 min at min), rest for 10 min at sate for the absence of colloids, which are
76 °C 76 °C responsible for mouthfeel. Even more sur-
Mash out Mash out prising was that by acidifying the mash in
conjunction with an abbreviated, high tem-
A B perature mashing method (Hoch-Kurz), the
174 181 β-glucan content actually dropped to a nor-
97 98 mal, technically manageable level. At the
171 198 time, malt produced from the problematic
barley variety Scarlett tended to possess an
excessive amount of β-glucans, though for
all other cytolytic attributes the values were
thus basically eliminating the need to cor- fine. Brewing with a mash filter confers one
rect the pH of the mash through the addition further advantage: more β-glucans are lib-
of natural lactic acid. Furthermore, through erated at 62 °C from the huge surface area
mash acidification coupled with mashing-in of the fine malt flour than from the coarser
at low temperatures (45-52 °C), the buffer- grist employed in a lauter tun. However, the
ing capacity of the wort increases, thereby liberation of these β-glucans can be signifi-
causing the pH of the finished beer to end up cantly reduced through mash acidification.
somewhat higher than it would if the mash A knowledge of the relevant enzymes,
had not been acidified (acid phosphatase: T their optima and the degradation processes
opt. approx. 52 °C, pH opt. 5.0-5.3), which is they bring about as well as an awareness
attributable to the buffered, less precipitous of the mash parameters as boundary con-
drop in pH during fermentation. ditions for the targeted regulation of en-
However, mash acidification can also be zymatic activity enables brewers to design
very advantageous, one benefit being that it mashing procedures to compensate for
renders softer, more satisfyingly full-bodied fluctuations in the quality of raw materials,
beers with a pleasingly rounded character. thereby ensuring consistent product quality.
Producing beers with these attributes is pos- Decoction mashing methods are considered
sible even with very abbreviated mash pro- obsolete, because they are time and energy
grams, such as those frequently employed intensive and also due to the thermal stress
in brewhouses equipped with mash filters. associated with the boiling a portion of the
Lactic acid produced by means of natural mash. Decoction is now largely limited to the
fermentation using bacteria also introduces production of specialty beers. However, this
reductones, providing protection against approach to mashing brings with it myriad
oxidation. In the end, the negative impact benefits through clever and more efficient
of increasing the buffering capacity is of combinations of enzymatic activity, which
 BREWHOUSE | KNOWLEDGE | BRAUWELT INTERNATIONAL

are simply not available with infusion. Boil-
ing the kettle mash is, in fact, not necessary.
Most often, it is sufficient to the target the
“pace setting” enzymes through rests and to
allow the degradation processes to run their
course prior to mixing the kettle mash with
the portion still in the mash tun. Issues one
may currently experience with barley malt,
such as high gelatinization temperatures or
difficulties stemming from under-modifica-
tion, can be elegantly solved with these kinds
of procedures – still within the confines of
the Reinheitsgebot – since the enzymatic
degradation achieved using these methods
cannot otherwise be accomplished without
utilizing technical enzymes.
Additionally, a mashing process approxi-
mating decoction permits the creation of
beers with a distinctive character, which is
not feasible with a simple infusion method,
as with the production of glucose-rich wort
to elicit a fruity note in beer. ■ Aromastoffe bei der Herstellung von
lReferences
1. Back, W. (Hrsg.): “Ausgewählte Kapitel
der Brauereitechnologie“, 2. Akt. Au-
flage, Fachverlag Hans Carl: Nürnberg,
2008, pp. 64-65.
2. Back, W.; Diener, C.;Sacher, B.: “Hefe-
weizenbier – Geschmacksvarianten
und Technologie“, in: BRAUWELT Nr.
28/29, 1998, pp. 1279-1284.
3. Herrmann, M.: “Entstehung und Bee-
influssung qualitätsbestimmender
Weißbier“, Dissertation, TUM, 2005.
4. Gerber, K.: “Alpha-Glucane und Fil-
trierbarkeit der Biere“, Diplomarbeit,
TUM, Diplomarbeit, 1980.

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