Heavy Wheat Corn Whisky

[Steve3730]

Looking for some input on a recipe I put together that i'm looking to do this summer.Recipe is based on a 6 gallon batch but will be scaled up to 24 gallons. It'll be ran twice through a pot still no thumper

Flaked Corn 12lbs 67%
White Wheat Malt 3lbs 17%
6 row 2lbs 11%
flaked wheat 1lbs 6%
Yeast DADY

[still_stirrin]

The flaked corn is pre-gelatinized. So you won’t need a high temperature mash for it. But the flaked wheat (also pre-gelatinized) will tend to get sticky at saccarification temperatures. So, mashing it with the barley and wheat malt with a protein step at 125*F will help reduce the stickiness.

The wheat malts will give you a creamy smoothness to the beer. Yet the flaked grains will ferment dry with diminished grain flavors. Overall, your recipe will be a soft, sipping whiskey based upon the grainbill. I haven’t run a mash efficiency calculation, but I would try to keep the OG around 1.070-1.074 for best results.

It’ll be worth your efforts. Good luck.
ss

[Steve3730]

The flaked corn is pre-gelatinized. So you won’t need a high temperature mash for it. But the flaked wheat (also pre-gelatinized) will tend to get sticky at saccarification temperatures. So, mashing it with the barley and wheat malt with a protein step at 125*F will help reduce the stickiness.

The wheat malts will give you a creamy smoothness to the beer. Yet the flaked grains will ferment dry with diminished grain flavors. Overall, your recipe will be a soft, sipping whiskey based upon the grainbill. I haven’t run a mash efficiency calculation, but I would try to keep the OG around 1.070-1.074 for best results.

It’ll be worth your efforts. Good luck.
ss

I've always mashed my corn higher like 160 for 25 minutes or until it drops to 152 then added my flaked wheat or rye and 6 row shooting for a rest at 145-147 for 60 minutes. I've never done a step mash that you mentioned. Can you give me a little more info on the process versus what I'm doing? thanks

[still_stirrin]

...Can you give me a little more info on the process versus what I'm doing?

Sure. Here’s a great place to start reading: https://byo.com/article/the-science-of-step-mashing/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
And this: http://howtobrew.com/book/section-3/the ... st-mashing" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
ss

[still_stirrin]

...I've always mashed my corn higher like 160 for 25 minutes or until it drops to 152...

This is actually counterproductive because at this temperature it will denature amylase enzymes very quickly (if present). The barley malt is the source of your enzymes, so pre-mashing flaked corn is a waste of your time.

Again, since the corn is flaked, you don’t need to gelatinize it to make the starches ready for conversion...the flaking process does that for you. So, you can mash flaked corn at the saccharification temperature (145-150*F) for fermentability.

I suggest reading up on some of the homebrew websites to learn more about the brewing processes (as I’ve linked a couple of suggestions already).
ss

[Steve3730]

Awesome thanks I'll read up on step mashing. I've never used it for brewing or whisky. I think the holding corn at a higher temp process is a process we first read may have used cracked corn so we have always done it but i can see how it can be a waste. Thanks again for the input and advice

[MichiganCornhusker]

I like your recipe, I think you’ll be happy with the whiskey.

I’ve never used flaked corn, but if I did I would want to do a test to compare cooked and uncooked conversion rates.
Depending on the process, I believe flaked or rolled grains in general see more or less heat.
It really takes high heat to fully gellatinize corn starches.
Maybe flaked corn, especially from a brew shop, is fully cooked, I’d just want to know.
Especially because it’s the bulk of your grain bill.

Either way, I don’t think heating corn of any kind at 160F does anything to the starches, and is indeed a waste of efforts.

You could save quite a bit of cash by using raw ground corn, or meal, and just add it to boiling water.
I did many many batches like this when I started out with good results.

These days I use ground whole corn and high temp enzymes, I think it is the best way to go.
But I can also see where the ease of flaked corn might be worth the expense for some.