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Enzymes?

I have home brewed but never malted my own grain.

Malting is the process of allowing the grain to germinate then roasting the sprouted seed (darkers roasts make darker beer).

It converts starches into simpler carbs that ferment more readely. Not aware of an enzimes needed for brewing being involved. I could be wrong.

IIRC, the owner of a microbrewery I talked to once mentioned that malted barley produces an enzyme that helps break down the starches into simpler, more easily fermented sugars. He made it sound like other grains lacked this enzyme and that malted barley could be used to help break down the starches in those other types of grain. Thus malting corn, as the author mentions, didn't make any sense. Perhaps all malted grains will release this enzyme, but barley produces more of it.

I didn't understand what 'carefully made floors' might have to do with malting so I went looking for more info. I found what I was looking for AND a reference to 'enzymes'.

The first and most important step in brewing is cleanliness. "Brewing is ninety percent janitorial," said Frederick Bowman, founder of Portland Brewing. (Bowman) The first step in the actual brewing process is malting. Malting is what is done to the barley to prepare it for brewing. The steps of the malting process release the starches that are contained in the barley, while minimizing haze and off-flavors. Grain is allowed to soak in 60° F. water to increase the moisture content of the grain to about 40-45%. The grain is usually spread out on the floor of the germination room, or some other container. These grains are kept at a temperature of about 60° F. The germination is complete when the sprout has grown to about 3/4 the length of the grain and the hard part of the grain, or the shell, has turned soft. The goal for germination is for the starches within the grain to break down into shorter lengths. At this shorter length stage, the grain is called green malt. Kilning is the next stage after the grains have sprouted. Kilning is the process of drying the grain in the kiln where the temperature is slowly raised during the 30-35 hour period. After kilning, the result is finished malt, with soluble starches and developed enzymes. These grains each have a different and distinct flavor depending on how long they are cooked in the kiln. (Porter)

I'm assuming that the enzymes have something to do with "break[ing] down proteins to the more soluble and usable amino acids" when the milled, malted grain is turned to mash.

Making Beer Info