ENZYMES IN THE BREWERY

Most of the enzymes which are available on the market are natural products as malt enzymes are. Commercial enzymes are mainly produced by fermentation.

The enzymes are quite simply proteins which have, in addition to their catalytic activity, structures and biochemical properties similar to other commonly known proteins. They are used in many food processes. The quantities used in the production of foodstuffs are always very low and their catalytic activities are inactivated during different successive stages of manufacture. For these reasons, the European Legislation classifies enzymes as processing aids and not as food additives.

The use of exogenous enzymes in brewery must be considered on the basis of some quite precise criteria:

– increase of raw materials extract yields
– time saving and thus greater productivity
– maintenance or improvement of the quality of produced beer
– adaptation of the manufacturing process:

– to produce a new product
– to the use of new raw materials.

The productivity and raw materials extract yield optimization implies also the necessary adaptation to the seasonal variations of raw materials quality.

The increase of productivity and of raw materials extract yield has to allow to save money including enzyme cost.

The improvement of one of the three criteria: productivity, yield and quality could already justify the use of an exogenous enzymatic preparation.