Enzymes and Alcohol (part 1)

This is just the introduction of my paper as I am beginning to write it.  At the moment I am having trouble finding good, useable patents that I can discuss.  (My prof wants at least 3 patents to be discussed.)

Enzymes have been of increasing interest in the field of beer and spirits.  Various enzymes are used in the brewing and fermentation processes at nearly every step.  There are some differences in the types of enzymes used for the production of beer and alcohol, but the processes of rendering fermentable sugars from a source and then fermenting them are similar.  There has been considerable work on enzyme science and the production of alcohol.  The creation of new processes to prevent deactivation of enzymes in low calorie beer production, to genetically altered enzymes that can split non-fermentable dextrins in to fermentable sugars, are two examples that will be covered in better detail later.  A secondary area of study on alcohol and enzymes has been on human enzyme mutations that effect alcohol metabolism in the body and how these differences are split by ethnic lines.

In simple home brewing operations there are only two basic enzymes that are of concern, alpha-amylase and beta-amylase.  These two enzymes can control flavor, body, alcohol content, and a creamy feeling.  An entire family of enzymes known as proteolytic enzymes is capable of splitting complex protein chains in to simpler proteins and amino acids which can affect rate of fermentation, clarity, quality of the beer, and the head of the beer.  Small scale home brewers would not have to worry about enzyme concentration in most cases but as production moves to large scale manufacturing enzyme controls can give a much better control of the end product as well as speed up processes.

MEW

Enzymes and Alcohol paper

This is just a reference dump for my upcoming paper on enzymes and alcohol.  Most of these sources are availible on the Amazon Kindle, which I totally love mine.

Enzymes in Industry and Medicine Gordon Bickerstaff.

Varitations in Alcohol Metabolizing Enzymes in People of East Indian and African Descent in Trinidad and Tobago

The Complete Joy of Homebrewing Pg.242-252

Alcohol Production From Various Enzyme Converted Starches PDF file.

I have this coming weekend off, at work so I am aiming to have the rough draft pretty well hammered out by this coming Saturday evening.

MEW

Enzymatic processes in brewing and other fermentations

Later this month I have a 6 page research paper, rough draft, for a class I am currently taking in Bio process Engineering.  I am part of a 3 member team that choose to do a presentation at the end of the year on industrial enzyme production and use.  The area that I am focusing in on is alcohol and fermentation related.  My professor doesn't allow presentations on making beer, he used to but after too many people bought "Home Beer making:  The Complete Beginner's Guidebook" by William Moore Click here for the Amazon link., or other books like this, and presented their findings as a book report instead of an actual research project, he black listed this topic.  So I am only being allowed to do my paper and 1/3 of the presentation on this if I focus on enzymes and think outside of the box.

The next couple of weeks I hope to have a lot of information dumps on this blog for you to look at and even the various drafts of my paper.

At the moment I want to share some of the starting points that I have for this paper and presentation.

• Why home brewed beer is a healthier alternative to store bought beer, the mechanisms that cause higher yeast concentration in home brew to have higher levels of complete B vitamin complexes.
• Several enzymes are listed by name in section 3.6 of "Bio process Engineering, Basic Concepts" Click here for the Amazon link as useful in beer making and fermentation, so I would like to dive in to what those enzymes are doing.
• I would also like to explore how some yeast strains can produce higher alcohol content beer and what gives these yeast strains the ability to be resistant to higher alcohol concentrations.
• Finally, I recently bought an ingredient kit for Milk Stout which includes lactose and maltodextrin, how does this effect the fermentation process and what can we assume about the flavor of the end product.

Coming Out Forever

I AM GAY!  So stop assuming I am straight.

I recently switched jobs at the auto factory where I work here in Michigan.  At my previous job all my coworkers knew I was gay and only a few of them had a problem with it, and yes they were exactually the types you would expect to be homophobic.

Now I work in an entirely different area of the plant with people that I have never worked with before.  In the first week all the typical co-worker banter was brought up, "Are you married?  Do you have kids?  Do you have a girlfriend?"  It is really hard to know people well enough to know if they open minded enough to come out or if it would cause huge problems to come out to them.  They are all women and I don't think there would be a problem, but people talk and rumors fly pretty quick in that factory.

I also have a lot of reservations about coming because I know there are alot of bigots that work in this area.  These pictures all came from the handicapped stall in the men's room on this side of the plant.  There are a few racially charged comments written on the walls too.  Seeing this doesn't really make me fell better about the idea of coming out at work, FOR THE 3RD TIME.

I am 31, I have been open about my sexuality for the last 12 years but I am getting really tired of having to constantly come out to people all the time.  I know I don't really seem "Gay" but why does that mean you should immediately assume I am straight.  More importantly why does it freaking matter.