How do I get sprouted malt corn?

[Northgamtns]

In this video Jim Tom says he uses "a gallon of sprouted malt corn to make it work" Where do I get this at? I've had some Jim Tom shine just recently and its pretty damn good. I'd like to mimmick that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEq500o3xQg

[Usge]

You have to make it from whole kernel corn. There's a few older threads around on process. The basics are you wet the corn first, get it to "germinate" or start to sprout, then after the sprouts grow to be about 1.5 inches long, you dry it, knock the roots off (put them in a bag and bang it against something), and grind it up good. Iv'e tried 3 different methods and while I got it to work (sprout) it all went bad (mold, stink, soured) before the sprouts reached long enough. I gave up and just use regular barley malt for conversion when I'm using grain mash.

Basic method...take a plastic paint bucket...drill a few small holes in the bottom so water drains out real slow. Put 5-10lbs of whole kernel corn in it and fill it up with water. Let the bucket slowly drain (you can put it in a large sink or tub). Keep doing this, filling the bucket at least twice a day, and tossing the corn, until most of it has sprouted and the longer ones are 1 to 2 inches long. Then spread the corn out on plastic or a screen and dry it. You can do this in an oven but it has to be VERY low heat. You can do it in the sun, or use a fan to blow on it. Knock the rootlets off and grind it.

J.Tom pours his whole corn into a mesh/nylon duffle bag...then puts it in a running creek where the water is just up to the top. The moving water keeps it fresh/oxygenated and keeps heat from building up. After a day or so, he takes it out and buries the sack under some leaves to keep it damp/cool until sprouts are long enough. J. Tom also don't use any storebought yeast.

A "gallon" of corn is approximately 6 to 6.5 lbs. He's using a "barrel" recipe (50 to 55 gallons). Bushel is approximately 56lbs.

Malting "is" the process of sprouting grain. Any grain, rye, barley, corn, etc., can be "malted". So, "malt" only refers to the process, not the grain itself. You can have "malted corn", or "malted rye", or "malted barley", etc.

[rad14701]

Check the Research and Theory as well as this forum for topics related to malting... Also see malting on the parent site...

[Hillbilly Rebel]

Nothgamtns, there is a topic entitled, "Sour Corn" that was about May of this year. You may want to find that thread for information on some problems and different ways that people malt their corn. Following is the way that I do it and which I had posted on that thread. I'm not saying this is the best, just the way that I do it and what works for me.

I put a couple of gallons of corn in a pillow case, wet it thoroughly with warm tap water, then place it in a plastic storage box. I let the water drain off for 15 to 30 minutes then pour the water out. I then put the pillow case with the damp corn back in the box with the lid attached and put the whole thing in my garage. Once a day I open the box, pull out the pillow case and check it to see if it is still moist. If not, I will sprinkle enough water on it to get all the corn damp. Then I shift it back and forth in the pillow case to air and stir the corn inside. I then put it back in the box upside down from the way it was the day before and shut it back up. Usually in three days I have sprouts. I take it out and start drying it on the fifth day when the sprouts are about one and a half inch long. Oh yeah, my first time it soured on me (I didn't drain the excess water out the first time), but grew sprouts anyway. I dried it, used it in the mash and distilled it. The final product was just fine.

I do not remove the sprouts for corn. Once dried I grind it all up together.

[Northgamtns]

is a gallon jug filled with corn meal not the same thing?

[Dnderhead]

""is a gallon jug filled with corn meal not the same thing""
no sprouting the grain increases the enzymes that convert the starches to sugars.
it is a chain reaction , a small amount of enzymes under the right moister and heat conditions
convert some starch to sugars. this are used by the plant to grow. as it sprouts more enzymes are produced.
converting more starch to sugar. this proses continues until there is no more starch. of course
that whould be over malted. ideally the proses is stopped when the enzymes are the highest.

[Usge]

I would add, that I finally got some malted corn to work. The main thing is NOT to use too much water...corn should be "damp" not "wet", and turn it often (a few times a day). That did the trick and has it coming along without turning slimey/smelly. I'm not even sure the "initial soak" for 24hrs is necessary....although that's what I did this time. I put a pillow case in a bucket of water overnight. Then drained it really good and laid it out flat with the wet corn in it on plastic, and covered it with plastic. It started to smell/mold the 3rd day (just like clockwork)..again...it was too wet. So, I took the plastic cover off and let it start to dry out some and it doesn't smell, and is growing rootlets. Day 5 has it with inch long rootlets and the acrospires are just starting to pop out of the kernel. Probably take a few more days before they reach an inch or so. The sprouted corn smells like dirt/earth.

[Dnderhead]

the proses you use depends on climate, where cool you can git away with a bucket. more humid neads to be spread out more.
I read the other day that terracotta works good, as the water evaporates it cools the grain. any way you do it grain neads air
so keep it turned over.

[cofradiawhiskey]

very interesting information. I wonder if someone can tell me the difference in taste...Jim tom says that using yeast would give you a headache, Therefore he does not use yeast. However, I am confused because in the movie "Still making Moonshine" Jim Tom adds corn meal +sugar only to his keg, but, he never says or does add the sprouted kernels (grinder corn) Did you guys caught that??

[Dnderhead]

First he is using yeast ,,its wild yeast. next he is making sugar head or fermenting sugar not corn,the corn is there for nutrients and some flavor.

[cofradiawhiskey]

First he is using yeast ,,its wild yeast. next he is making sugar head or fermenting sugar not corn,the corn is there for nutrients and some flavor.

Thank you kindly Dnderhead.

[WalkingWolf]

No added yeast is usually an old-timer. Golden Pond frowned (greatly) on adding yeast to a ferment. Do a search for golden pond posts and you will get a gold mine of info on how many of the old-school guys ran their goods.