That’s the last time I use cornmeal

[Pesty]

What a mess.. omg!

Started working the sour mash and after the first two rounds with flaked corn, saw a bag of cornmeal on sale so sure, what the heck I’ll give it a try.

20 gallon rubber maid finished fermenting yesterday and it’s nothing but a soup. Had about 8” of milky Liguid on top and from there to the bottom.. spent grains and corn mush. I’ve brought the mop wringer home from work, got a mesh bag and been slopping this goop for the last hour.

Sure this sour mash tastes awful good when it’s all done, but I’m not really setup to handle and clean up the meal so I’ll be sticking to the flaked or cracked corn from here out. I don’t have an ULD element, it’s a step down from the 5500 as my 8 gallon can isn’t wide enough for the good element so I’m scared to put the slop in and risk scorch.

I’ve got enough liquid for 2 charges but getting the rest out is gonna be a mess, I may just pour the slop and run that first and see what happens, that way I have the good liquid to make backset from.

Other than a mop bucket and mesh bag.. got any other ideas?

[raketemensch]

Are you using enzymes at all?

[RedwoodHillBilly]

What a mess.. omg!

Started working the sour mash and after the first two rounds with flaked corn, saw a bag of cornmeal on sale so sure, what the heck I’ll give it a try.

20 gallon rubber maid finished fermenting yesterday and it’s nothing but a soup. Had about 8” of milky Liguid on top and from there to the bottom.. spent grains and corn mush. I’ve brought the mop wringer home from work, got a mesh bag and been slopping this goop for the last hour.

Sure this sour mash tastes awful good when it’s all done, but I’m not really setup to handle and clean up the meal so I’ll be sticking to the flaked or cracked corn from here out. I don’t have an ULD element, it’s a step down from the 5500 as my 8 gallon can isn’t wide enough for the good element so I’m scared to put the slop in and risk scorch.

I’ve got enough liquid for 2 charges but getting the rest out is gonna be a mess, I may just pour the slop and run that first and see what happens, that way I have the good liquid to make backset from.

Other than a mop bucket and mesh bag.. got any other ideas?

SebStar HTL as well as cooking it at the right temp. Strip it in a thumper (clear in boiler, slop in thumper) . Not that hard.

To each their own.

[BayouShine]

cornmeal + enzymes = awesome.

If you don't have the liquid enzymes, go a few pounds lighter with the cornmeal and lengthen your saccrification rest by at least a half hour. This will give the malt enzymes extra time to work on the big starch load that cornmeal gives off.

Edit: Check out this thread about straining too.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... &start=120

[StillerBoy]

You may want to read through the link below.. it's on the use of geotextile for filtering a mash such as what you got.. it does a pretty good job of cleaning the slop up..

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... &start=120

Mars

[Pesty]

Are you using enzymes at all?

For this sour, no I am not, just simple warm water to melt the sugar and keep the yeast happy with corn and a smidgen of rye for flavor.

I have mashed AG and corn many times In the past by sparging from a cooler and get really good conversation when I do, so not worried about that. This was my first time using meal and I wasn’t prepared for the after slop straining part.

My thumper is only 3 gallons and I only use it for the spirit run. Planning to get a 5 gal keg some time and then I can do thump slop runs.

[RedwoodHillBilly]

Are you using enzymes at all?

For this sour, no I am not, just simple warm water to melt the sugar and keep the yeast happy with corn and a smidgen of rye for flavor.

I have mashed AG and corn many times In the past by sparging from a cooler and get really good conversation when I do, so not worried about that. This was my first time using meal and I wasn’t prepared for the after slop straining part.

My thumper is only 3 gallons and I only use it for the spirit run. Planning to get a 5 gal keg some time and then I can do thump slop runs.

What size is your boiler? I would make my thumper at least the same size as my boiler. Double if you can, that way you can mash, ferment, and steam strip in the the thumper. Easy peasy. Just my (not so) humble opinion.

[Pesty]

Got an 8 gallon. I’m in an apt and work outside on the balcony so can’t upsize until we get into something bigger.

[RedwoodHillBilly]

A 15 gal keg as a thumper wouldn't add that much size, but would allow you to mash/ferment/and strip on the grain. I used to live in a apartment, and it would've worked for me. YMMV

[Cu29er]

...
I’ve brought the mop wringer home from work, got a mesh bag and been slopping this goop...

I needed to stop there, ick.

You want to buy a brand new mop wringer and clean and sanitize it.

.

[Pesty]

It was brand new.

[fizzix]

I wondered why I have no problem with cornmeal and wringer bucket while others do. Enzymes definitely make the difference.
Haven't graduated to SEBs yet. Really pleased with Brewhaus' high- and low-temp powdered enzymes. Turns that corn porridge into thin noodle soup.

[Pesty]

Was able to run everything last night and the soupy load did just fine. Burped a little bit otherwise went a-o-k!

I’ll do an enzyme run one day but the plan is to run this sour for 12 generations then save the backset in a cube and move onto something else.

[Oldvine Zin]

I wondered why I have no problem with cornmeal and wringer bucket while others do. Enzymes definitely make the difference.
Haven't graduated to SEBs yet. Really pleased with Brewhaus' high- and low-temp powdered enzymes. Turns that corn porridge into thin noodle soup.

Never had a problem with cornmeal and a wringer bucket - other than being time consuming and a bit messy. Always used the SEBs so can't comment on the powdered ones.

OVZ

[Hilltop]

Corn meal is too fine for a mop bucket, we generally just use a cheap white towl over a bucket. Works like a charm. I'm running a 100 lbs of corn and rye meal through one now.

[Pesty]

Well that ended badly... got the 4th generation mashed in, work got really busy, time got away from me and when I took the lid off a week later.. I had forgotten to pitch the yeast.. ants got into it as well as an infection.

20 gallons of nasty smelling something went down the toilet.. Done..

Back to step 1 and start over.

[bilgriss]

Sorry to hear that.

[fizzix]

Well that ended badly... got the 4th generation mashed in, work got really busy, time got away from me and when I took the lid off a week later.. I had forgotten to pitch the yeast.. ants got into it as well as an infection.

20 gallons of nasty smelling something went down the toilet.. Done..

Back to step 1 and start over.

Oh man. So sorry Pesty!