First corn mash! Kinda...

[DrGreenT]

Hey all, just wanted to pat myself on the back for a terrible first run at AG. My experience to date has been limited mostly to beer/wine brewing as well as a couple TPW through my VM still. I am nearing the end of my flute build, and wanted to start running some UJSSM to see what all the fuss is about, and get my feet wet prior to going all grain. So here I was with cracked corn in hand, and everything ready to put together the 1st gen sugarhead, when I thought to myself "Why not throw some malt in the mix and just see what happens".

So, I grabbed 1lb of 2-row and 1lb of flaked corn (because I knew I couldn't screw that up as bad), and set off for my first try at a mash. I had no intention of making a batch large enough to distill, nor do I plan on going AG in anytime soon, but I figured why not try cooking some corn to see what all the whining was about (and holy crap cracked corn is a PITA to gelatinize, props to you AG bourbon makers!). Long story short, after miserably failing at pressure cooking the cracked corn, having to take a bunch out of the pressure cooker after over-filling it, and no real measurement of either A) how much cracked corn actually made it into my mash, and in turn B) what degree of success/efficiency I got from this wash, I ended up with in my estimate 1lb of malt, 1lb of flaked corn and guessing ~3lbs of cracked corn semi-cooked. After step-mashing at 113, 131 and 150, my result is Edit: measured wrong, it was 2.5 gallons of mash @ 1.056, giving efficiency of 73%, not too shabby.1 gallon of 1.056 OG all grain mash, with an estimated efficiency of 43% This ws done in a pot on a stovetop, using a bit of heat in the oven to keep the pot at temp during mash steps. All in all, given I don't believe the cracked corn was fully gelatinized, the fact that it was half-ass, etc, I'm happy with the results.

Now for the part that will kill you AG guys a bit on the inside, I'm going to add some sugar water and the rest of the freshed cracked corn and run this as a traditional UJSSM. Hoping some of the AG flavors as well as distilling on the grain (just the malts and cooked corn from the mash) will make this brew drinkable. I think I might run future generations the same way (with a small AG wash added to the UJSSM) until I have the experience and equipment to go fully AG some day. Thanks for listening!

[acfixer69]

Hey Doc They call that a piggyback from Jimbo's Gumbo thread

AC

[BayouShine]

Hoping some of the AG flavors as well as distilling on the grain (just the malts and cooked corn from the mash) will make this brew drinkable.

This is the only thing I would discourage you from doing. Distilling on the grain without an agitator or bain marie type set up is just asking to scorch. Sparge or strain off the grains and run just the liquid.

The flavors will come though.

[DrGreenT]

Hoping some of the AG flavors as well as distilling on the grain (just the malts and cooked corn from the mash) will make this brew drinkable.

This is the only thing I would discourage you from doing. Distilling on the grain without an agitator or bain marie type set up is just asking to scorch. Sparge or strain off the grains and run just the liquid.

The flavors will come though.

Thank you, I'll take your word for it and strain

[fizzix]

Nothing wrong with a sugar head! I'm the King of intimidation by an all-grain recipe. You'll get there. If I can do it, trained monkeys can do it.
To further elucidate on what has been said, excuse me while I whip this out:

Look at this procedure for simply pouring rolling boiling water into your bucket on top of the corn/grain: Honey Bear Bourbon
Then what I do is put a paint strainer bag into the mop receptacle of a wringer bucket. Whatever grain is left in the fermenter after racking (syphoning) the liquid off, goes in the strainer bag in the wringer
and pump away! Dump the moist grain in your garden and now there's no grain left to scorch in the boiler. Picked that tip up here at Home Distiller and it has made grain life oh so much simpler.

Wringer Bucket

[hellbilly007]

Just to add what Fizzix posted, use a dedicated mop wringer You don't want mop water remnants in your wash

[DrGreenT]

Hey Doc They call that a piggyback from Jimbo's Gumbo thread

AC

AC,

I tried searching Jimbo's posts for a thread on gumbo, tried google, and it's not in his sig. Do you have the link by chance? Definitely didn't think it was anything new just figured for the extra bit of time and money it took might end up with a better product. Ended up with 2x 6gallon, one was the piggyback and the other was straight UJSSM with cornmeal (in a bag), so I'll hopefully get a chance to compare the two after some oaking! Thanks for referring Jimbo though, I saved his Bourbon thread, some good info there (and if the re-using grains for a "Gumballhead" sugarhead is what you're getting at, that's a great idea if I ever do a true AG mash)

[DrGreenT]

Thanks for the tips on the paint strainer/mop bucket, dedicated and clean of course lol! I've been thinking a lot about simplifying the equipment I get, so what I had originally planned was a converted keg kettle and BIAB mashing (I have access to cheap cornmeal so will probably go that route vs cracked corn, and bags are essential for cornmeal I believe), and then adapting a lid to ferment right in the keg. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Also, how much liquid & lbs of grain do you find you can get out of the spent grain through the mop wringer?

[TDick]

Hey Doc They call that a piggyback from Jimbo's Gumbo thread

AC

AC,

I tried searching Jimbo's posts for a thread on gumbo, tried google, and it's not in his sig. Do you have the link by chance? Definitely didn't think it was anything new just figured for the extra bit of time and money it took might end up with a better product. Ended up with 2x 6gallon, one was the piggyback and the other was straight UJSSM with cornmeal (in a bag), so I'll hopefully get a chance to compare the two after some oaking! Thanks for referring Jimbo though, I saved his Bourbon thread, some good info there (and if the re-using grains for a "Gumballhead" sugarhead is what you're getting at, that's a great idea if I ever do a true AG mash)

Good Afternoon Doctor !
Check below, see if it helps.
There is a reason they call them Tried & TRUE.
Also, I HIGHLY recommend you read the recipe you choose from beginning to end.
(I learned that after just reading the last two pages of one and asking a noob question. The answer was on the bottom of page ONE. )
There is a good deal of redundancy in many of them ("I'm going to try that next week!)
But it's good reading, especially if you have trouble falling asleep at night.
You'll find many questions answered before you think to ask them and a lot of issues addressed before you hit them.
Good Luck!