Adding Amylase to Starchy Beer

[PfeiffenBrau]

So, I brewed an extract kit (Delirium Tremens Clone from Austin Homebrew Supply) last weekend and now I have some pretty starchy brew going on.

I know the first reaction is that I won’t have starch in an extract brew, however, this kit for some reason included 8 oz of Munich malt for steeping which in my understanding must be mashed to convert. The directions did seem to set up a sort of "mini-mash" as they instructed to bring the steeping water to 155F and then add the steeping grains and let sit for 25 min. The timeframe also seemed to be short to me for a full conversion in a mash...but as skeptical as I was, they made the kit so I followed the instructions.

The end result is that fermentation is completing ( currently day 4 @ 1.020 - targeting 1.015 FG from 1.085 OG) and most of yeast have settled out but the beer is still crazy hazy and now I have to assume that this is from unconverted starch.

I have read about using amylase to resurrect a stuck fermentation and I am considering it as a solution here. I have read that the enzyme will dry out the beer significantly and since the beer is quite big already, my thought was to add the enzyme after I rack to the secondary and fermentation has completed.

My guess is that the end result will clear up the beer, give it a bit more sweetness, and not drop the gravity all that much - if at all.

Has anyone else tried using amylase for the purpose of clarifying only?

Any thoughts about when to add?

Thanks for the help!

AHS Delirium Tremens Kit
10 lb - Extra Pale LME
1.5 lb - Clear Belgian Candi Sugar (crystal form)
11 oz. - Lyles Golden Syrup (Cane Syrup)
5 oz - Belgian Biscuit
3 oz - Belgian Aromatic
8 oz - Munich
1.5oz Styrian - 60 min
.25oz Styrian - 15 min
.25oz Czech Saaz - 5 min
3/4 tsp - Seeds of Paradise - 5 min

 

[homebrewhaha]

Did you hit the expected OG?

I wouldn't necessarily assume the haziness is from unconverted starch. You could be right, but there are a lot of other things that can cause your beer to appear hazy. Could be as simple as still having yeast in suspension. I would just give the beer some time before you do anything "crazy" ...

I don't have experience with using amylase, so I can't speak to that. If I thought starch was my problem, I'd probably just to to cold crash it before bottling.

 

[daksin]

Yea, i would guess that even with the munich in there, you probably have some other haze going on. Are you sure it's not caramunich?

 

[PfeiffenBrau]

Thanks for the advise.....

I think I will hit FG.....as I am only 5 points away now. I guess I will see in a few days.

I thought about cold crashing, but I thought it was to get yeast to drop.....I did not think that it could have an impact on starch.

Regarding caramunich vs Munich.....you may have a point, however, the recipe just said Munich so I am not sure.

I will have a lot of time to go on this beer, so we will see what happens.....

Maybe I draw off a liter or so and try an experiment......