How do I get sprouted malt corn?

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Northgamtns
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How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
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Usge
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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.
Last edited by Usge on Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by rad14701 »

Check the Research and Theory as well as this forum for topics related to malting... Also see malting on the parent site...
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by Northgamtns »

is a gallon jug filled with corn meal not the same thing?
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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??
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by cofradiawhiskey »

Dnderhead wrote: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.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by 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.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by Dnderhead »

I beleve they frowned upon yeast as if they had any it was "bakers/bread" yeast and even that has changed over the years.I can remember bakers yeast coming in a lump.it looked like some thing off the bottom of you fermenter. it took many hours to rise bread. if i remember right most mixed up the batter and left it over night to rise.
the "wild" yeast that some vintners are using is not really "wild" but more like home gardening.
the skins from a good batch of wine is spread on the ground where the grape vines are grown.
thus it keeps that strain going.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by jmashspirits14 »

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to share my method for malting corn. Yellow corn works but white its better for malt if you can get it. I put my corn in a grain sac and I soak the corn in warm water for 12 hours, I change the water and soak another 12 hours using warm water again. Always use warm water. After the second 12 hours I drain the water and rinse the corn well with warm water and I let it drain until it stops. I put the sac of corn in a bucket with a lid, no holes in the bucket and once a day I take the bag out and rinse the corn well with warm water and put it back in the bucket. I do this everyday until the rootlets are about 2" long. I don't mix up the corn because it breaks the roots, they are very tender and beak very easy. As long as you rinse once a day with warm water and don't let the corn get much over 70f it will not mold. Washing or rinsing the corn very well the first day ensures no mold will grow as long as you rinse it once a day with the warm water. Also when I say rinse I just mean to pour the warm water through the bag and make sure it goes through all of the corn, not take the corn out of the bag. This is for every daily rinsing. On the first day I put the grain in a colander and rinse it very well before I put it into the bag. I have done all my corn malt this way and still do and have had no mold. The corn is going to smell some because it actually starts to ferment and the growth of the amylase enzyme will smell kind of moldy or fermenty.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by shadylane »

Just a thought.
Malting grain is different than sprouting grain for growing the plant.
Don't worry about hurting the roots.
Worry about getting the malt to right stage of modification before fungus or bacterial can get a toe hold.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by jmashspirits14 »

But breakage of the roots/sprouts could slow or stop their growth, couldn't this affect the production of amylase enzymes? This is the reason I try to not break the roots and sprouts. This last batch is taking forever because its so cold here right now and i'm having a hard time keeping the corn warm enough but not so warm mold grows. Its been 10 days today and the roots are only an inch long. But that just goes to show about the mold, 10 days and still no mold.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by Usge »

Thanks for sharing your method JM. Been lots of folks try and some had luck and some didn't. As Dnder once surmised...probably has more to do with where you live than not. Expectations also play a large role. I guess the bottom line is whatever works :thumbup: and gets the job done.

Depending on your location, the various methods may, or may not work or need to be adjusted. But, at least it gives you a starting point for experimenting...and for expectation. Thanks again for those who've shared their methods, successes, and failures. It all goes to the knowledge base and will help others!
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by liquid therapy »

Is it important to dry the corn, or can you grind it wet and still be ok?
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by Usge »

You can grind it wet...fine. Taste just might be a little different.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by jmashspirits14 »

If your going to use it right then it can be ground wet. Drying is more for long term storage. It really doesn't even have to be ground as long as it crushed or broken but it works faster and more thoroughly if its ground.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by liquid therapy »

Great, thanks. I've been wanting to do an all corn but can't find malted corn anywhere.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by Usge »

Just wanted to point out that other's have reported in the past that there is a distinct flavor difference between using the malt prepared wet vs dry. Using the malt "green" (wet/milled) gives a more spicy/grassy taste. Where as..using it dried...is a more earthy/loamy taste.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by liquid therapy »

:mrgreen: Hummm grassy doesn't sound very good. I may have to rethink this.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by woodshed »

All corn can be done with liquid enzymes as well and is a lot easier.
See Booner's recipe. PM me if you are interested in enzymes.
Got some new ones allowing me to use less than listed in recipe with slightly better results. Woodshed
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by jmashspirits14 »

Woodshed, have you ever heard of BSG Handcraft brand amylase enzyme formula? I bought one pound and it calls for one tsp per 5 gallon of mash and it didn't work. Any input? My corn malt works fantastically. I use mine fresh to make a batch each time I make corn malt and my sprirts don't taste grassy. It tastes better than anything i've tried on the market. Not saying anyone is wrong but I didn't have that experience. I use dried corn to make my malt so its dry first and when you put it into your mash it gets wet so I just don't see how it would make a difference. The roots and shoots are broken off and discarded anyway. I don't know, it just didn't happen to me is all i'm saying.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by Jo Diesel »

How do you grind or crush wet corn? Seems like it would be a mess.
Once malted do you have to do anything else or can you just toss it into fermenter?
Can you rinse the sugars out with warm water then ferment not on the grain?
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by MichiganCornhusker »

How do you grind or crush wet corn? Seems like it would be a mess.
Not sure, always done mine dry. Blender, or maybe it would go through a corona mill.

Once malted do you have to do anything else or can you just toss it into fermenter?
You still need to mash it at 150 degrees. Malting creates enzymes, and makes the starches available, but they still need to be converted to fermentable sugars.

Can you rinse the sugars out with warm water then ferment not on the grain?
Once mashed, you can drain, sparge, squeeze the wort away from the corn. Not quite as easy as "rinse", but possible.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by Usge »

How to grind up green/wet corn malt. Lots of ways. You could put it in a blender. Bit the easiest way I've seen is to put it into your mashtun and use a motar mixer on a drill or some sort of long hand held mixer (don't let your wife catch you using hers) to chew it up good. You can do this while it's heating up to mash temps. Try to hold it between 140-150F for about an hour. I usually leave mine overnight (after to cool on it's own and continue mashing out).

As stated before...you can drain or squeeze out the juice and ferment off the grain if you want. Either way you got to strain it at somepoint (on or off the grain). The left over corn outter casings will usually form enough of a bed that it will drain somewhat readily off...if you got a drain on your pot. You wouldn't normally want to sparge or rinse a corn mash...or add water to your mash after you've started unless you want to make up volume and/or lower your SG. However, one of Dnder's tricks was after you've drained off all your mash into the fermenter...sparge the remaining grains and use the water from that to start the next batch. This will add a point or two to your next round's SG.
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by Jo Diesel »

So you can blend most malted grains and mash, just like makin beer? Then ferment clean? That would take up so much less space
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Re: How do I get sprouted malt corn?

Post by still_stirrin »

Jo Diesel wrote:So you can blend most malted grains and mash, just like makin beer? Then ferment clean?
I do.
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