Written by NATHANIEL KREEL, PH.D.
WHAT DISTILLERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
how ENZYMES WORK Enzymes are powerful organic molecules necessary for all life’s functions in all living things. A good example of necessary enzymes are catalases, which are found in animals, including in the human liver. This enzyme performs its function so fast that without it, the chemical reaction would take more than 31 years to occur in its absence. Enzymes are unique in their source and how specific they are to a certain function and can vary in how well they perform chemical processes under specified conditions, such as pH and temperature. Enzymes are extremely fast in their process, however, the same enzyme from two different sources can vary greatly in how they perform. This, among other factors, has a large impact on how an enzyme product performs better compared to a similar type product. The choice to use exogenous enzyme products is inherent to a company and craft distiller’s own goals, commonly associated with marketing the process and product. Not using enzyme products such as a thermostable alpha amylase to hydrolyze starch results in lost yields that can affect a company’s bottom line. Depending on the conditions, desired outcomes or situation at hand, the use of enzymes can support craft spirit production as processing aids to:
ENZYMES O
ver the past decade and perhaps more, few products used in the production of potable spirits have been as divisive a choice as exogenous enzymes produced by biotechnology companies. Perhaps the growth of the craft spirits industry and lack of training or other outside factors such as unknown financial expenditures make the use of enzyme products an afterthought. Initial capital investments such as site build outs, equipment, licensing, and permits are every craft distiller’s number-one line item(s). These are next followed by ingredient decisions — primarily sugar sources — for fermentation such as types of grains, sugar cane, and grapes.
EVOLUTION of ENZYMES in craft distilling Without the distiller even knowing or understanding the basics of biochemistry or enzymology, enzymes are a significant contributor to the process from beginning to end. First, malt is a cereal grain, most commonly barley, that has been harvested, steeped, and kilned, allowing native enzymes to be expressed and stored in the grain until further use in the mashing process. Yeast produce enzymes throughout their entire life cycle, enabling the microorganism to bud, grow, and support life processes in their exposed environment. In addition, metabolic processes in yeast for carbon and nitrogen 114
uptake and emission are based on a series of enzymatic steps. How, when and where exogenous enzyme products are used allow a craft distiller to produce distillate in a way that is non-energy intensive, at a low cost, and in a timely manner. Thus, enzymes are already present in the process, but are they effectively utilized? Enzymes have been studied for many years, largely driven by the brewing industry, to understand how and why processes were successful or unsuccessful to establish production consistencies. The etymology of “enzymes” derives from Latin “en” meaning “in” or “inside” and “zyme” meaning “yeast.” Zymology is the study of yeast. Enzymology is the study of what is inside yeast—enzymes! Major advances in enzyme products for craft distilling are built on decades of learnings and knowledgeable applications.
• Help lower energy input, • Reduce costs, • Save time and labor, and • Use feedstock ingredients as efficiently as possible to improve yields and nutritional quality of fermentation, leaving very little on the table as lost revenues. W W W . ARTISANSPIRITMAG . C O M
