The Grocery Store Challenge

[Velnerj]

I guess there's beta amylase in sweet potatoes and there's enough diastatic power to convert themselves... Another rabbit hole for someone else...

 

[Miraculix]

Congrats! Our baby is only 8 months old. I'm always amazed how liquid the leftover oatmeal in her bowl is (if you leave it for a bit). I think the enzymes contained in saliva do a good job breaking down those starches. Wonder how much spit you'd need to convert an entire 5 gallon batch? ^^

I know oatmilk is made using enzymes, but I'm afraid those have been deactivated prior to packaging. This might be pushing the limits of "grocery store", but I'd go to a larger Asian grocery store and look for anything koji-related. Maybe I'd find some source of alpha-amylase there.

Look for Chinese rice wine yeast. It's mainly koji with some additional yeast.

 

[bracconiere]

well, my brown rice didn't sprout...so that's a flop for me....

 

[VikeMan]

I guess there's beta amylase in sweet potatoes and there's enough diastatic power to convert themselves... Another rabbit hole for someone else...

Mashed potatoes.

 

[cmac62]

I guess there's beta amylase in sweet potatoes and there's enough diastatic power to convert themselves... Another rabbit hole for someone else...

How do you get the amylase working without cooking the potatoes first? I guess I'd run them through the food processor until pulpy and add some water. Sweet potato and banana or mango might get you there? Interesting.

 

[bracconiere]

it's a hollow victory...but i got a gallon out of half my fermenter of table sugar....just need some kool-aid, so it won't be just crap vodka......still should get another gallon...and

 

[Velnerj]

How do you get the amylase working without cooking the potatoes first? I guess I'd run them through the food processor until pulpy and add some water. Sweet potato and banana or mango might get you there? Interesting.

I remember reading an article that the best mash temperature for sweet potatoes was 55C. But your results may vary.

 

[cmac62]

@Velnerj, you got me thinking (and googling). I found this abstract. Enzymatic conversion of sweet potato granular starch into fermentable sugars: Feasibility of sweet potato peel as alternative substrate for α-amylase production I did not pay for the article, but sounds promising that SP peel can possibly be used as an amylase in our grocery store beer.