Hydrolysis is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution,elimination,and solvation reactions in which water is the nucleophile.
Malt is any cereal grain that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and then stopped from germinating further by drying with hot air,a process known as "malting". Malted grain is used to make beer,whisky,malted milk,malt vinegar,confections such as Maltesers and Whoppers,flavored drinks such as Horlicks,Ovaltine,and Milo,and some baked goods,such as malt loaf,bagels,and Rich Tea biscuits. Malted grain that has been ground into a coarse meal is known as "sweet meal".
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide,it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets,and is contained in large amounts in staple foods such as wheat,potatoes,maize (corn),rice,and cassava (manioc).
A diastase is any one of a group of enzymes that catalyses the breakdown of starch into maltose. For example,the diastase α-Amylase degrades starch to a mixture of the disaccharide maltose;the trisaccharide maltotriose,which contains three α(1-4)-linked glucose residues;and oligosaccharides,known as dextrins,that contain the α(1-6)-linked glucose branches.
An amylase is an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of starch into sugars. Amylase is present in the saliva of humans and some other mammals,where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Foods that contain large amounts of starch but little sugar,such as rice and potatoes,may acquire a slightly sweet taste as they are chewed because amylase degrades some of their starch into sugar. The pancreas and salivary gland make amylase to hydrolyse dietary starch into disaccharides and trisaccharides which are converted by other enzymes to glucose to supply the body with energy. Plants and some bacteria also produce amylase. Specific amylase proteins are designated by different Greek letters. All amylases are glycoside hydrolases and act on α-1,4-glycosidic bonds.
Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn/maize and contains varying amounts of sugars:glucose,maltose and higher oligosaccharides,depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture,add volume,prevent crystallization of sugar,and enhance flavor. It can be processed into high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) by using the enzyme D-xylose isomerase to convert a large proportion of its glucose into sweeter fructose.
Maltose,also known as maltobiose or malt sugar,is a disaccharide formed from two units of glucose joined with an α(1→4) bond. In the isomer isomaltose,the two glucose molecules are joined with an α(1→6) bond. Maltose is the two-unit member of the amylose homologous series,the key structural motif of starch. When beta-amylase breaks down starch,it removes two glucose units at a time,producing maltose. An example of this reaction is found in germinating seeds,which is why it was named after malt. Unlike sucrose,it is a reducing sugar.
Maltase is an informal name for a family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of disaccharide maltose into two simple sugars of glucose. Maltases are found in plants,bacteria,yeast,humans,and other vertebrates.
Dextrins are a group of low-molecular-weight carbohydrates produced by the hydrolysis of starch and glycogen. Dextrins are mixtures of polymers of D-glucose units linked by α-(1→4) or α-(1→6) glycosidic bonds.
Maltodextrin is a name shared by two different families of chemicals. Both families are glucose polymers,but have little chemical or nutritional similarity.
In brewing and distilling,mashing is the process of combining a mix of ground grains –typically malted barley with supplementary grains such as corn,sorghum,rye,or wheat with water and then heating the mixture. Mashing allows the enzymes in the malt to break down the starch in the grain into sugars,typically maltose to create a malty liquid called wort.
Mizuame is a sweetener from Japan. A clear,thick,sticky liquid,it is made by converting starch to sugars. Mizuame is added to wagashi to give them a sheen,eaten in ways similar to honey,and can be a main ingredient in sweets. Some Mizuame are produced in a very similar fashion to corn syrup and are very similar in taste.
Barley malt syrup is an unrefined sweetener processed by extraction from sprouted,malted barley.
Glucose syrup,also known as confectioner's glucose,is a syrup made from the hydrolysis of starch. Glucose is a sugar. Maize (corn) is commonly used as the source of the starch in the US,in which case the syrup is called "corn syrup",but glucose syrup is also made from potatoes and wheat,and less often from barley,rice and cassava.p. 21
Carbohydrase is the name of a set of enzymes that catalyze five types of reactions,turning carbohydrates into simple sugars,from the large family of glycosidases.
°Lintner or degrees Lintner is a unit used to measure the ability of a malt to reduce starch to sugar,that is,its diastatic power. Degrees Lintner is an intensive unit,not an extensive one;it is independent of the quantity of malt used. While the measurement is applicable to any amylase,in general it refers to the combined α-amylase and β-amylase used in brewing. The term is also generalized to diastatic malt extracts and separately prepared brewing enzymes. The abbreviation °L is official,but in brewing applications it may conflict with °L used for degrees Lovibond.
α-Amylase is an enzyme that hydrolyses αbonds of large,α-linked polysaccharides,such as starch and glycogen,yielding shorter chains thereof,dextrins,and maltose,through the following biochemical process:
High-maltose corn syrup (HMCS) is a food additive used as a sweetener and preservative. The majority sugar is maltose. It is less sweet than high-fructose corn syrup and contains little to no fructose. It is sweet enough to be useful as a sweetener in commercial food production,however. To be given the label "high",the syrup must contain at least 50% maltose. Typically,it contains 40–50% maltose,though some have as high as 70%.
