Inactivation of Malt Enzymes

Question 1

What happens to malt enzymes during wort boiling?

Answer 1

They are destroyed (or denatured)

This denaturation occurs due to the heating of wort up to boiling point.

Question 2

What is the process called when enzymes lose their ability to catalyse reactions due to heat?

Answer 2

Denaturation

Denaturation involves the breaking of bonds that maintain the enzyme’s three-dimensional structure.

Question 3

What effect does denaturation have on the sugar spectrum of the wort?

Answer 3

It does not change substantially

Denatured enzymes cannot catalyse the hydrolysis of their substrates.

Question 4

What does denaturation prevent in the brewing process?

Answer 4

The breakdown of dextrins

Dextrins contribute to the body of the beer.

Question 5

What is the impact of denaturation on the fermentability of beer?

Answer 5

It limits fermentability

This ultimately affects the beer’s alcohol by volume (abv).

Question 6

What happens to microbial cells in the wort during boiling?

Answer 6

They are killed

The temperatures during wort boiling can eliminate all vegetative microbial cells.

Question 7

Fill in the blank: The active site on the enzyme is modified due to increased _______.

Answer 7

temperature

This modification prevents the enzyme from binding with the target substrate.