Protein rest questions

[Brew-ta-sauraus]

I have some questions on the protein rest. I am under the impression from talking to several brew club members that any time your brewing with a lot of pilsner grain that a protein rest is required. First off is this actually the case? What exactly does a protein rest do?

I am reading Brew your own 30 great beer styles bt Jamil Zainasheff and most all the recipes in the book don't require a protein rest. Is this just to make mashing easier or would a protein rest on some of these recipes make the beer better?

 

[ShootsNRoots]

Pilsen, Pils or Pilsener malt is usually fully modified or well modified meaning the acrospire has grown to 100% of the length of the barley corn. If your malt is specifically labeled as "under modified" or "moderately modified" then a protein rest may be of use.

I would recommend picking up a copy of John Palmers 'How To Brew'. You can also read the online version.

You can read more about malts, modification and the purpose of a protein rest here:

Modification is the term that describes the degree of breakdown during malting of the protein-starch matrix (endosperm) that comprises the bulk of the seed. Moderately-modified malts benefit from a protein rest to break down any remnant large proteins into smaller proteins and amino acids as well as to further release the starches from the endosperm. Fully-modified malts have already made use of these enzymes and do not benefit from more time spent in the protein rest regime. In fact, using a protein rest on fully modified malts tends to remove most of the body of a beer, leaving it thin and watery. Most base malt in use in the world today is fully modified. Less modified malts are often available from German maltsters. Brewers have reported fuller, maltier flavors from malts that are less modified and make use of this rest.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I've never heard that one. I do a short acid and protein rest when brewing German and Belgian wheat beers, but that's about it. I brew with pilsner a lot and never do a protein rest unless it's for one of the aforementioned styles.

 

[sfrisby]

Hmmm. Interesting. Due to fully modified malts, I thought protein rest most benefitted oats when part of the recipe.

 

[StoneHands]

Some folks will say that the protein rest, especially a long rest at the lower end of the range (120F or so, for greater than 20-30 minutes) will be detrimental to head retention as some of the head forming proteins are broken down at that range. I can't speak to that, but I have no reason to doubt it.
But, a short rest at the upper end - I speak from experience - is not detrimental at all to the head. I do a 10 minute rest at about 130 on some beers and get nice foam. Now, how much it helps, I'm not sure, I've never done a direct comparison. From my standpoint, I think it can give you a clearer beer as some of the haze forming proteins can be broken down during that rest. Again, I've never done a side by side comparison.

 

[Brew-ta-sauraus]

Thanks all for your comments! I sat down and re-read the mashing section of Charlie Papazian's The Homw Brewers Companion which spelled out the protein rest pretty good. I just brewed a creal ale on Saturday and it called for 10 lbs 2 row, 10 lbs Pilsner, adn 3.87 lbs of Flaked Rice. I didnt do a protein rest do you think I should have witht he flaked rice amount?

FYI the Pilsner malt I am using is Bairds out of the UK so my guess is it's fully modified.

 

[pjj2ba]

I'm a protein rest person. I use a lot of pilsner malt. My beers have rocking heads on them. I believe (obviously) that there is benefits to a short protein rest (I do 20 min. at 122 F). When the maltsters do their thing, they are making a compromise malt that can work on the myriad of brew systems out there, commercial and home alike. Basically a one size fits all. One can wear a one size fits all sock, but it is nicer when the size is right.

Well modified largely means that it is modified enough so that you will not get haze if you skip the protein rest. That doesn't mean though that you can't eek out a little more foam and body producing peptides from the proteins. It may not be much, but I find in helps, particularly in keeping lighter styles from being too light

 

[Brew-ta-sauraus]

Ok more questions here I went to Bairds to read about my malt adn the web site gives three different percentages for each malt. They are ASBC, IOB, & EBC. What are these abbreviations for? Which one do I pay attention too?

 

[winvarin]

Subbed. I used to do a protein rest when I started brewing in the mod 90s because Charlie P. said so. About 5 years ago, I had a pro brewer tell me about malt modification and advise against the protein rest. I have not noticed a huge difference as I keg a lot and am usually pouring clear beer pretty quickly. Will be interested in hearing others' thoughts.

As they say on the radio call in shows, "I'll hang up and listen ..."

 

[TheZymurgist]

I'm subscribing as well. I'm looking into the benefits of a protein rest with Rye Malt, in particular. The recipe I'm using calls for 43% Rye, 43% 2-Row, and 14% specialty malts.

 

[pjj2ba]

A large rye load is a good time to use a beta-glucan rest to help reduce the gumminess.

From Palmer (slightly edited)

The other enzymes in this temperature regime are the beta-glucanases/cytases -... and are used to break up the beta glucans in (un)malted wheat, rye, oatmeal and unmalted barley. These glucan hemi-celluloses (i.e. brambles) are responsible for the gumminess of dough and if not broken down will cause the mash to turn into a solid loaf ready for baking. Fortunately, the optimum temperature range for the beta glucanase enzyme is below that for the proteolytics. This allows the brewer to rest the mash at 98 -113°F for 20 minutes to break down the gums without affecting the proteins responsible for head retention and body. The use of this rest is only necessary for brewers incorporating a large amount (>25%) of unmalted or flaked wheat, rye or oatmeal in the mash

 

[TheZymurgist]

So is rye never malted, then? It's odd that it's called Rye Malt, but it's not malted.

 

[winvarin]

A large rye load is a good time to use a beta-glucan rest to help reduce the gumminess.

From Palmer (slightly edited)

Would you do that to reduce the possibility of a stuck sparge or are their other benefits?

 

[winvarin]

Answered my own question by hitting the Palmer site. If you'd only added the very next sentence

 

[pjj2ba]

So is rye never malted, then? It's odd that it's called Rye Malt, but it's not malted.

Rye malt is malted. One can often find flaked rye, which is not malted, but is pre-gelatinazed so all you have to do is add it to your mash