converting starches

LONEEAGLE155 · Post by **LONEEAGLE155** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:04 pm

Ok thanks for the replies on the bugs my problem seems to be in converting the starches now I am going to use my mash (see bugs) but after 24 hours my starch is not converted (useing the iodine test)
I used
12# of corn
4# of barley
12 gallons of water
15 drops of beano was not able to hold the temp at 150 for but about 1/2 hour as I ran out of propane
should I reheat and hold
should I add water
or is this normal after 24 hours
Thanks JD

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:42 pm

I've always thought mashing was the hardest part of this hobby. Welcome to the learning curve...

hard to tell what you mean by normal. If you ran out of gas and didn't get to finish making your mash then its hard to say what to do. If you still have grain in that mash then your iodine test may show starch, (really hard to convert everything) but you may also have plenty of starch converted to sugars for a good ferment. All I can say is to keep trying.

keep mashing, keep fermenting, keep distilling... (not neccesarily drinking) sooner or later you'll get it all right and you'll know it.

Watershed · Post by **Watershed** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:18 am

I've taken to using Koji - Aspergillus oryzae as it neatly allows starch conversion to carry on during the ferment - cook the grains first then pitch the yeast and fungus when it's cooled.

LONEEAGLE155 · Post by **LONEEAGLE155** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:05 am

Thanks wanted to let you know I added more beano last nite and checked this morning useing iodine and yaaaaa no starcth just pitched the yeast
Yaallll have a great day

TRANSPLANTED HILLBILLY · Tue Sep 19, 2006 4:12 pm

just wonderin' whether or not you boiled your cracked corn to the point of being like creamed corn. If not, compounded with the running out of gas, and not being able to keep the temp up for 90 min., I would think that is what slowed everything down. Dried corn don't give up its starch very easy. Last time I did a mash like that, it took me around 3 hours to break down 10 lbs. cracked corn. Had to get the wife to stir for a while so I could have a beer

. She tasted some, scooped it out and put it beside a pork chop for supper

.

LONEEAGLE155 · Post by **LONEEAGLE155** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 2:02 am

Hillbilly no it wasn't to the point of cream corn but did finally convert and is bubbleing away nicely at this moment
Thanks
JD

pothead · Post by **pothead** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:04 am

Watershed wrote:I've taken to using Koji - Aspergillus oryzae as it neatly allows starch conversion to carry on during the ferment - cook the grains first then pitch the yeast and fungus when it's cooled.

Where can I get Koji? and how well does it convert?

oldpete · Post by **oldpete** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:36 am

why not take a page from the book of home breweres, get yourself a big ass cooler, fill it with all of your grain and add hot water to bring it up to the 150 degree range and let it sit for 90 min, when your done just dump it out into a fermenter if you want to ferment on your grains or make a manifold to just drain off the sweet liquid. no waiting days, complete starch conversion, plus its pretty simple.

Watershed · Post by **Watershed** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 11:38 pm

pothead wrote:
Where can I get Koji? and how well does it convert?

I got it from here:
http://www.tibbs-vision.com/maltrice/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

It grows on steamed rice and converts extremely efficiently - it produces a lot more amylase than malt and if you add the koji after boiling, the fungus will just sit in the fermenter happily churning out sugar for your yeast.

Post by **theholymackerel** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 1:10 pm

Yep.

I've used kama koji, and it works well, though slowly at room temperature.

The downside for me is it's unusual taste profile. It adds a definate mettalic tang to the ferment that I'm rather sensitive to. I like that taste in mokkli and saki, but not in most other stuff.

Many folks have trouble tastin' what I'm talkin' 'bout, or if they can taste it they like it. So definately give it a try.

BTW: koji is an easy way to make homemade miso. I've also used it to make a sweet black-bean dessert from the locally grown produce.

Watershed · Post by **Watershed** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:53 pm

It definitely adds a flavour to the wash but I haven't ( in all of two runs... ) noticed much of it coming across into the distillate, basmati has been my main grain to use with it though and that has a fairly distinctive flavour of its own.