OK, I know I am a noob...

[Journeyman]

So here's a question.

All I know about diastasis so far is from looking up a comment from @Otto Von Blotto (I think) in a thread about gushing bottles. It seems (IIRC) it's a particular aspect of some saison yeasts and can 'enhance' the attenutation of a brew. 

The OP description has "Diastatic Power WK" - I have no idea what that WK means but diastatic power is a measure of how much enzyme there is to do the conversion - base malts have it but many speciality grains do not. But it is in numbers, so what is WK? (I've seen it for a few grains)

Also I've seen a grain available called "Diastatic Malt" but looking THAT up suggests it's a baking grain - helps with browning. So why would a beer shop be selling it? Does it speed up the sugar conversion and thus shorten fermenting times? 

[Journeyman]

6 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

Yeah the Scots have a reputation but did you know the Swabians in Germany were expelled from Scotland for being stingy? And the Dutch invented copper wire when two guys were fighting over a penny.  

The Grand Canyon was formed when a Jew lost a penny down a gopher hole...

(I'm guessing we don't have any snowflake PC types here - would they even make their own anything? Let alone a plebeian product such as beer?  )

[ben 10]

6 hours ago, Journeyman said:

So why would a beer shop be selling it?

It appears to be normal malted grain used for baking.

What beer shop is selling it?

[Journeyman]

5 minutes ago, Ben 10 said:

It appears to be normal malted grain used for baking.

What beer shop is selling it?

Beerbelly, under 'Extracts & Kits' - I should'a asked while I was there but forgot. 

[Otto Von Blotto]

It's just a scale, Windisch-Kolbach. 

[Journeyman]

15 hours ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

It's just a scale, Windisch-Kolbach. 

So in the OP,  this... "Malting Moisture % Max 4.5 Extract % FG, Dry Basis Min 81.0 Colour EBC 4.5 - 7.0 Diastatic Power WK, Dry Basis Min 200" should be read as...

Malting Moisture % Max 4.5
Extract % FG, Dry Basis Min 81.0
Colour EBC 4.5 - 7.0
Diastatic Power WK, Dry Basis Min 200

And that would mean (Correct me if wrong please) that if I have 1 kg Premium Ale grain,  I have 200 units to play with by adding speciality grains with no enzyme power of their own?

So if I have 200 it becomes a matter of adding up the weight of all the grains and 'spreading' the 200 across them all? e.g. 5 kg @ 200 plus 5 kg of adjuncts gives me a mash of 100 points? So it WOULD convert OK?

Edited January 30, 2020 by Journeyman

[Marty_G]

On 1/31/2020 at 8:03 AM, Journeyman said:

So if I have 200 it becomes a matter of adding up the weight of all the grains and 'spreading' the 200 across them all? e.g. 5 kg @ 200 plus 5 kg of adjuncts gives me a mash of 100 points? So it WOULD convert OK?

That is sort of how it works.  You need the mean DP of the weight of the grains.  This is the calc    DP for batch = Σ(DP for grain * weight of grain) / (totat batch grain weight)  and that final number needs to be over  90WK or 30⁰L .   If there are say 3 grains  this will be (DP for grain 1 * weight of grain)+(DP for grain 2 * weight of grain)+(DP for grain 3 * weight of grain) / (totat batch grain weight)  and that final number needs to be over  90WK or 30⁰L if not add more base malt.      Hope that helps. 

Edited February 1, 2020 by MartyG1525230263

[Journeyman]

4 minutes ago, MartyG1525230263 said:

Yep that is how it sort of how it works.  You need the mean DP of the weight of the grains. So it is the sum of the each grain DP/ by the weight of that grain divided by the total weight of grains and  that needs to have a final figure of 90WK or 30⁰L if not you need to add more base malt.    This is the calc    DP for batch = Σ(DP for grain * weight of grain) / (totat batch grain weight)  and that final number needs to be over  90WK or 30⁰L .   If there are say 3 grains  this will be (DP for grain 1 * weight of grain)+(DP for grain 2 * weight of grain)+(DP for grain 3 * weight of grain) / (totat batch grain weight)  and that final number needs to be over  90WK or 30⁰L if not add more base malt.      Hope that helps. 

Excellent. Although I did read it should be over 40°L to be successful - is that a variable amount (as in less just means a longer mash or something) or does it depend on the grains?

Now I have to go find out how to do the Hex for the Σ character...  

[Marty_G]

13 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

is that a variable amount (as in less just means a longer mash or something) or does it depend on the grains?

Both.  it depends on the grains as it is the grains and their DP that will alter the mean DP.  And if it is too low you need a longer mash time and even then conversion efficiency may still be low.  Best it to keep the DP high.  I doubt it would every be an issue as I cant see too many recipes where the base malts ratio would be so low as to not have enough DP in the mash.   The last Pale Malt I used has a DP of 314WK and in the mash I only used 15% zero DP grain.  That would still only bring the DP of the mash down to 266.  At 314 i would have to use nearly 2/3rds of the mash as adjuncts with zero DP and that just doesnt happen.