Corn cooking project

[Uncle Jemima]

Thanks Lupus. That makes more sense to me now. Something else to add to the old Amazon wishlist for now.

You know. I could have probably filled my shed with top notch bourbon from the store with what I've already spent on this hobby. But what fun would that be right?

[[andy]]

If you are going to use your grain right away, why not put your grain in a pressure cooker for 20 to 30 minutes and bypass the jars, lids and cleaning. Simply pressure cook your gain or grains?

[Slowninja]

If you're going to use the grains immediately, I would personally do a double boiler setup.

[Jimbo]

Maybe Im missing something in the thread, but all this talk of canning and pressure cooking the corn seems incredibly complex for just gelatinizing some corn. Whats wrong with just bringing some water to a boil, adding the corn and letting it steep for a few hours before adding the malt. Bone ass simple. Thats what I do and I get a great conversion, as good as any on here. Why over complicate a simple process?

[Slowninja]

It actually simplifies, especially if you make small batches.

With the canning method, you don't have to stir. You don't really have to do anything. Set it and forget it for an hour, pull from heat and let cool. No stirring, never any scorching at all.

The added bonus, I just used my canned corn that I cooked a few weeks ago. Once its canned, hypothetically it will be good for a long time. Which means mashing is no longer an all day affair.

[Uncle Jemima]

That's why I'm interested in it Ninja. Yeah. It sounds simple when you put it that way Jim. Boil water. Add corn. Cook for an hour or two. Remove heat.

Some how that process always seems to take me six - eight hours though. I've usually pre mashed so I'll have six or seven pounds of corn chops already sitting on two or three gallons of water/Backset. So I'm slowly heating that up while bringing the additional 2-3 gallons of water/Backset to a boil separately to add to my mash.

Even though its not constant stirring at this point I'm stirring pretty regular. By the time I get all of this combined and boiling it's been about two hours now.

I then keep it at boiling temperatures anywhere from 1-2 hours constantly stirring. Time just depends on how long it takes to grab the biggest chunks I can find and chew them and they're soft enough I would serve.

Once even the biggest prices are soft enough to chew I cut off the fire and let it start cooling to mash temps while I grind my barley. Anything from this point on isn't worth keeping track of as it'll be the same procedure with corn I boiled or corn I canned. I'll still usually have another 3-4 hours but the 3-4 previous hours of constant to near constant stirring can be removed with the canning method.

I'm definitely intrigued. I don't mind the cooking and the stirring. Makes me value the end product that much more. But after a long week working, my wife and kids usually want some time with me too. So if this frees up a little time to be outside with the family or watching a movie or something. It'll definitely be worth taking a look at.

[Jimbo]

Yeah. It sounds simple when you put it that way Jim. Boil water. Add corn. Cook for an hour or two. Remove heat.

Nope, still too complicated. Boil water, stir in corn, remove heat. Go chill with the fam for 3 hours. Stirring corn on the fire sucks.

Some how that process always seems to take me six - eight hours though....

Laughed my ass off at this part. Ya, no joke, it does take a while. But Im not standing over the pot for most of it, see above.

Anyway, whatever works for you guys, not knocking it. And I like the part about having cooked canned corn ready to mash whenever you want without that extra 3 hour part in front.

Cheers

[SwineOnShine]

Yeah. It sounds simple when you put it that way Jim. Boil water. Add corn. Cook for an hour or two. Remove heat.

Nope, still too complicated. Boil water, stir in corn, remove heat. Go chill with the fam for 3 hours. Stirring corn on the fire sucks.

Some how that process always seems to take me six - eight hours though....

Laughed my ass off at this part. Ya, no joke, it does take a while. But Im not standing over the pot for most of it, see above.

Anyway, whatever works for you guys, not knocking it. And I like the part about having cooked canned corn ready to mash whenever you want without that extra 3 hour part in front.

Cheers

I'd like for you to explain how you are getting "great" conversion by letting corn soak in what was, at infusion, boiling water, for 3 hours. I ask because no one else in the world can add dry corn to boiling water and let set for 3 hours, and get "great" conversion, that I know of, in my experience. More details please. What do you consider "great" conversion, what type of corn are you using specifically (feed, fresh, sweet, etc.), what type of vessel are you mashing in, what type of vessel do you add the boiling water to the corn in (is it your mashing vessel), do you pre-soak the corn, grind fine or just cracked, etc. Please, let us know because I want to try it.

[Jimbo]

A clear skeptic. 1.063 theoretical. 1.048 at yeast pitch. 1.063+ equivalent yield at wash run time after fermenting on the grain. Most of the starches gelatinize just fine in this cracked corn after steeping in boiling water for hours. The rest of it converts during the ferment after mashing, clearly , based on the final yield (Dnder enlightened me on that after I was puzzled how my yield was so high with a 1.048 SG)

I used a 15.5g keggle, boiled 12 gallons water, 1/2 gallon backset and 2 tsp gypsum. Stirred in the corn (16.7 lbs, 1/3 bag). Wrapped a blanket around it and left the room for 3 hours. Then cooled it to 150, and mashed with 5 lbs 2 row. Same blanket got wrapped around it for the mashing process. Cooled to 80F and pitched yeast in the morning.

Do what ye may, its a free world.

[10Gallon]

I love the idea of having corn ready at any time. Now I 'HAVE' to replace the wife's pressure cooker fast. and maybe pick up a few more boxes of jars too. Thanks for the op and idea!

[Barney Fife]

I've never used a pressure canner, but I've used a pressure cooker in the kitchen a lot, and instead of waiting forever for it to cool down before opening it, I just put it in the sink and run water on it to cool it. Start with hot water so's not to shock the cooker and perhaps crack or warp it, then gradually(like, 45 seconds to a minute) take it to full cold water. It'll be ready to open in just a few minutes. Learned this trick from a pro chef a long time ago....

[Slowninja]

One prob with that Barn,

When using a canner, you have glass jars inside. If you cool them off too fast, the glass WILL break.

[Barney Fife]

And that's why I mentioned that I had never used a pressure canner.....

Thanks for clarifying!

[SwineOnShine]

A clear skeptic. 1.063 theoretical. 1.048 at yeast pitch. 1.063+ equivalent yield at wash run time after fermenting on the grain. Most of the starches gelatinize just fine in this cracked corn after steeping in boiling water for hours. The rest of it converts during the ferment after mashing, clearly , based on the final yield (Dnder enlightened me on that after I was puzzled how my yield was so high with a 1.048 SG)

I used a 15.5g keggle, boiled 12 gallons water, 1/2 gallon backset and 2 tsp gypsum. Stirred in the corn (16.7 lbs, 1/3 bag). Wrapped a blanket around it and left the room for 3 hours. Then cooled it to 150, and mashed with 5 lbs 2 row. Same blanket got wrapped around it for the mashing process. Cooled to 80F and pitched yeast in the morning.

Do what ye may, its a free world.

Thank you for the info. At some point I will give that a try. Do the ferments go a little longer with your method?

I will also try the canning method at some point. Canning is really easy to do.

[Fastill]

I also never boil my corn and am very happy with the conversion I get.
I crack my corn in a corona, 14 lbs at a time, and put it in a 15 gallon redwing crock that is wraped with an old quilt. I bring 10 gallons of water to a boil, 5 gallons at a time, and pour on the corn. I cover the crock with a 2" thick cutting board and let it sit. It takes most of the day for this to drop to 155, I check often. I turns into a big pot full of corn porridge. I then add 6 lbs of 2 row barley and let this sit until I get complete conversion, I check this with Idophor, works great. Once all is converted I add cold water to fill the crock to almost the top, this helps thin out the mash and makes straining easier after fermentation is done.
I get 4.5-5% potenetial ABV, strip and repeat until I get a boiler full of low wines and then do a spirit run.
Even if my yield isn't perfect, I am feeding lots of grain to the animals anyways, so I might as well get something for myself out of at least some of all that corn I buy.

[Jimbo]

A clear skeptic. 1.063 theoretical. 1.048 at yeast pitch. 1.063+ equivalent yield at wash run time after fermenting on the grain. Most of the starches gelatinize just fine in this cracked corn after steeping in boiling water for hours. The rest of it converts during the ferment after mashing, clearly , based on the final yield (Dnder enlightened me on that after I was puzzled how my yield was so high with a 1.048 SG)

I used a 15.5g keggle, boiled 12 gallons water, 1/2 gallon backset and 2 tsp gypsum. Stirred in the corn (16.7 lbs, 1/3 bag). Wrapped a blanket around it and left the room for 3 hours. Then cooled it to 150, and mashed with 5 lbs 2 row. Same blanket got wrapped around it for the mashing process. Cooled to 80F and pitched yeast in the morning.

Do what ye may, its a free world.

Thank you for the info. At some point I will give that a try. Do the ferments go a little longer with your method?

I will also try the canning method at some point. Canning is really easy to do.

The canning thing looks interesting, since it gives you corn ready to run whenever. For largish batches kinda hard tho. I do 1/3 bag of cracked corn at a time. Thats a lot of corn to put in jars.

The ferments take a little while yes, I use ale yeast at the bottom end of the temp range (68), so it takes a week or so but i think gives a nice clean ferment without too many esters and assorted crap from going hot and fast. Important thing to pay attention to is to run as soon as its done. Malt grain is loaded with bacteria, and since we're not boiling or pastuerizing that part, the bacteria will take over and go crazy soon after the yeast is done. DONT let it sit around for days after the bubblin stops or you'll have a bucket of putrid pukey smellin nasties.

Cheers. Good luck, fun stuff this.

[Jimbo]

I also never boil my corn and am very happy with the conversion I get.
I crack my corn in a corona, 14 lbs at a time, and put it in a 15 gallon redwing crock that is wraped with an old quilt. I bring 10 gallons of water to a boil, 5 gallons at a time, and pour on the corn. I cover the crock with a 2" thick cutting board and let it sit. It takes most of the day for this to drop to 155, I check often. I turns into a big pot full of corn porridge. I then add 6 lbs of 2 row barley and let this sit until I get complete conversion, I check this with Idophor, works great. Once all is converted I add cold water to fill the crock to almost the top, this helps thin out the mash and makes straining easier after fermentation is done.
I get 4.5-5% potenetial ABV, strip and repeat until I get a boiler full of low wines and then do a spirit run.
Even if my yield isn't perfect, I am feeding lots of grain to the animals anyways, so I might as well get something for myself out of at least some of all that corn I buy.

Yup, sounds like we do it the same Works great!

[Halfbaked]

OK you are going to find out just how red my neck is. When I was much younger I had to can lots. Way to much. I also canned deer, way to much. Spending time watching pressures not much fun. Here it is. We cut 55 gal drums down to size and put cinder blocks in it and but a piece of tin (false bottom) over cinder blocks. Set 55 gal drum on cinder blocks. (if you want to do lots cut the side out of a 275 oil drum) Fill drum with jars and then fill drum with water to top of jars. Build a fire and water bath them. Deer took 8 hrs boiling slow and let fire go out and cool till the next day. I can't remember how many jars fit but I thing 50-60. I could be way off on the count. You could use 1/2 gal jars if want or you could use glass mayonnaise jars. When you water bath you don't have to have mason jars. You want water to stay almost to top of jars. If you add water hot water is better and add slow. Cold water can crack jars so ad slow. 275 drum will can 10-15 deer. Corn wouldn't take that long.

[Jimbo]

OK you are going to find out just how red my neck is. When I was much younger I had to can lots. Way to much. I also canned deer, way to much. Spending time watching pressures not much fun. Here it is. We cut 55 gal drums down to size and put cinder blocks in it and but a piece of tin (false bottom) over cinder blocks. Set 55 gal drum on cinder blocks. (if you want to do lots cut the side out of a 275 oil drum) Fill drum with jars and then fill drum with water to top of jars. Build a fire and water bath them. Deer took 8 hrs boiling slow and let fire go out and cool till the next day. I can't remember how many jars fit but I thing 50-60. I could be way off on the count. You could use 1/2 gal jars if want or you could use glass mayonnaise jars. When you water bath you don't have to have mason jars. You want water to stay almost to top of jars. If you add water hot water is better and add slow. Cold water can crack jars so ad slow. 275 drum will can 10-15 deer. Corn wouldn't take that long.

I wish more people appreciated the fundamentals of life and a little hard work to get what you need. I can some too, mostly tomoatoes, raise a big garden, fruit trees and bees too. And make my own beer and hooch. This instant I want it NOW culture is a mess, its making me grumpy and dislike most people in general, and Im really worried about my kids and the next generation. Maybe a big reset is coming, dunno, I think we're past due. We're (the US) is worse in that respect than anywhere best I can tell ( Itravel alot for work) but the planet is a mess in general. Ok, enough, sorry, stepping off soapbox.

[Rivver]

Started up another batch last night with 5.5 lbs corn, 2.5 lbs oats, and 2 lbs distillers malt. Also started up a version of Hook Rum, but I ended up using more bronw sugar to get my SG up, and not so much molasses. Figgured it might look a bit strange if I walked out of the grociery store with 10- 12 oz jars of molasses.