Question about Cracked Corn (Australia)

[runsonbundy]

g'day

Im keen on starting a UJSM within the next day or two, and ive called around various stock feed places looking for cracked corn as I cant seem to find a "Food Supplier" that sells cracked corn.

Now i can get 25kg bags from the stock feed places, but none of them could answer if it was safe for humans to consume, one even said some might contain medication for animals?
So i called one of the manufactures and they flat out said not safe for humans to consume, but i guess they have to say that as it was licensed and manufactured for stock.

Ridleys is one of the brands - http://www.agriproducts.com.au/agri/default.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow Seems to be straight out cracked corn.

As you can appriciate, I dont want to waste money, get anyone sick from using tainted ingredients or have bad tasting drink

Anyone in Aus had experience with cracked corn from stock suppliers?

Thanks

[decoy]

The corn will be fine to use for distilling..

i have a customer who sells feed and grain, the human consumption side of it fits into stages of how its transported and tested before being bagd and sold for human consumption.

the only items that contain additives are pellets and some meal type feeds.

things to watch for are signs of poor storage, these can be identified as foul smeling, dicoloration, mold or if the bags have moisture damage.

some of the grain may have lower starch content and will produce a lower yield but is still fine to use.

cheers.

[rad14701]

Pretty good rule of thumb is that if it's fit for animals to eat, it's fit for mashing...

Cow eat corn... Man eat cow... Chicken eat corn... Man eat egg and chicken...

As long it isn't seed corn, covered with chemicals it should be fine... Some corn has a small amount of oil coating on it but generally not enough to cause problems...

[blanikdog]

runsonbundy, I buy all my grain and molasses from the local produce store and there's nothing wrong with me, me, me, me, me ... I think it's all about the constant threat we now have of litigation and decoy covers that. One has to wonder how we have survived for so long pre litigation.

Alternatively you could buy corn and crack it yourself, but to be honest now that I know it can be purchased cracked, I'll look further into it and go that way myself.

blanik

[decoy]

there's nothing wrong with me,
blanik

I bet ya $5 you to scared to go for a second oppinion from a profesional...

[runsonbundy]

Thanks guys, Ill be off to get a bag shortly and start it up :>

Cant wait to try it...

[Dnderhead]

I use cracked corn from farm supplies a lot, only thing I found was it is not cracked as fine as I like. so I run threw malt mill

[runsonbundy]

Another question...

Ive got a 5ft tall valved reflux thats packed with s/s wool, If i pull all the packing out and run no reflux, this should do the job ?

I do have a stainless steel 3" dia column with a liebig condensor originally made for this purpose thats untested sitting around... but its untested

[decoy]

id just turn the reflux off but leave the packing in, also insulate the column.

I would go out of my way to look for copper scrubbers, you can also go to a scrap metal yard and get a pile of bare copper wire, fine stuff to scrunch into ball and pack into the column.
It will dramaticly improve the flavour.

cheers.

[runsonbundy]

Thanks decoy.

I have two columns, one is all copper 5ft with valve reflux, the other is a shorter but bigger diameter s/s with liebieg condensor. Ill only be using the copper valved reflux as you suggested with 0 reflux.

Just got the cracked corn, gonna mix up the batch tonight

[carlos castenada]

Hi,

I made my first UJSM batch with my detuned reflux, and it stripped 80% of the flavour out.
i ended up making a pot still, theres no comparison between the two. much much more flavour

[HookLine]

there's nothing wrong with me,
blanik

I bet ya $5 you to scared to go for a second oppinion from a profesional...

[punkin]

The ridleys corn is a very good product. it has a fine, even crack that extends through all the kernels, there is a little floating chaff that looks like rat shit but it's generally just chaff and dirt ect. You can skim it off when it floats to the top if you like or just leave it there.
the only question you need to ask when talking to suppliers about food for fermenters, is has it been treated with anything chemical? Fungicides, preservatives ect. When seed corn or other seeds has been coated with stuff like this, it's my experience that a colour is put in the additive.


Don't forget, you are not gunna consume the corn. You are only gunna consume part of the steam that comes off the fermented juice of the corn. So it don't have to be pretty or too clean, just chemically safe.

[runsonbundy]

Yeah i picked out alot of stems and crushed cob while weighing it up and scooped out most of the big bits. I've got the fermenter sitting in the temp controlled fridge @ 25 degrees.

Thanks

[bourbonbob]

Fresh corn in my area is not available till christmas. I buy it direct off local growers, usally organic.

[runsonbundy]

That was going to be my last resort, there is alot of corn farms not *to* far away. Maybe in the future after some experience with the need for better ingredients ill make the trek.

[punkin]

You'll need a very good mill, if you want to buy direct, mate. I can get the ridleys one but i generally buy direct from the seed graders while i'm there buying other grains. I save a couplea bucks (not much), but the cracked corn from the graders is highly variable. It needs to be run through my mill again.
It is never the same crack twice and the mix of uneven grain size and large percent of uncracked grain makes it unsuitable to use as is.

Stick with what you're using and you'll do fine.

[The Tippler]

Someone always has an idea, mate and I were talking about cracked corn. I suppose not everyone has a meat mincer though I am running the next batch through the medium plate on his suggestion, I recon it will do a great job.....Cheers..Tippler

[Dnderhead]

I do not know about in aus. but hear in the states chicken (chooks ?) food is much finer grind than cow/horse/sheep, corn/maze. check it out mite help.
just make shore it does not have antibiotic in it.

[The Tippler]

In Aus all bagged feed,whatever type must have an attached sewn in label, telling what has been added and the protein content of the contents. If antibiotics have been added then it must be shown on that label. Non compliance does attract penalties if the product is found to not comply with the label. If you buy any seed and it does not have that label then,buyer beware.........You can be assured in Aus check the label ...What you see is what you get Cheers......Tippler

[decoy]

Someone always has an idea, mate and I were talking about cracked corn. I suppose not everyone has a meat mincer though I am running the next batch through the medium plate on his suggestion, I recon it will do a great job.....Cheers..Tippler

i might try this, a medium or coars plate could work well..

intrested o hear results...

cheers..

[punkin]

I think they call em 'corona mills' over in the states. Plenty of info here about there use.

[decoy]

thanx punkin..

did a gogole and it turns out there the mill is about $60 Aus, the motor etc i have already..

cheers..

[Hack]

I've got a little hand crank food grinder. Brand name Universal. I picked it up for seven bucks at an antique store. I see them all the time now that I'm looking out. It works pretty well for grinding up your grains. I've used it for my home malted corn. It'd work fine for smaller quantitys. Aything over ten pounds would get a bit tedious though.

[runsonbundy]

Thought i might update this thread.

I now have a 3rd gen ferment going in 2 x 20L containers.

Somethings ive found - My reflux still runs it to fast, i need a controller for the elements, but this doesnt seem to affect quality of the outputted alchol. Im using about 15cm of packing in the column and with NO reflux im getting 80% out pretty quickly.

I have one fermenter sitting in a shaded area in my shed, and another one in a temperature controlled fridge. I tasted both after they were fermented and the one in the fridge tasted ALOT better than the one that sat in 30degree ambient temps, the ambient temp fermenter was alot more bitter, I'm not sure how this affects final taste yet as i distilled both at the same time, on the next distill i might run them seperatly to see if there is any difference. oh and both are using "Lowans Premium Bakers Yeast"

The third gen ferment started bubbling hell fast compared to the first 2 washes.

questions:
Is this stuff supposed to smell somewhat like tequila? heh, it seems like it does, but the taste is great (white dog, virgin) and im sure will be better when aged on oak.

Anyone know where i can get "maple charcoal" or an equivilant in australia?

Thanks guys, and thanks Uncle Jesse

Time for some burnouts in the orange challenger

[slimjim]

Sounds like your trying to make JD
Sugar maple can be found from some woodworking type stores in australia but Im not sure if it gets treated when it is imported.
I have seen small slabs of sugar maple in barbeques galore, they are used for placing meat on and cooking so the flavour of the wood goes through the meat. At about $20-$30 for 2 small slabs, roughly 10x20cm, its expensive but would be easy to turn into charcoal and should be safe to put in your whiskey.
Bunnings also sell Jack Daniels smoking pellets (not the chips), made from used maple charcoal but this has sawdust added to it so Im not sure if it would be safe to use.
Good luck

[runsonbundy]

Not really trying to make anything in particular, thought it might be interesting to see what happens if i did a similar process to JD's filtering. Im trying to get my hands on anything really that could improve/change flavours etc.

[Dnderhead]

Hard wood charcoal for bbq ?

[runsonbundy]

Hardwood aging ? .. plenty of hardwood around here heh... i bought 2 x 2mx120mm lengths lately for $130 :>

[punkin]

Not really trying to make anything in particular, thought it might be interesting to see what happens if i did a similar process to JD's filtering. Im trying to get my hands on anything really that could improve/change flavours etc.

You don't have to source anything cept white oak for flavouring. This can be sourced if you do a google for cooperages and ring some of the barrel makers and ask for some offcuts. Look around for threads on toasting oak here.

Az far as your ferments go, the most important thing as far as keeping good flavours is consistent temps.

That'll be a lot of the reason your temp controlled version is topping the one that heats up during the day and cools down at night. I know this is important from making beer.