Corn meal AG

[1965 wite]

So I'm still playing with corn meal. I want to try my first AG. Here's what I have

25 stainless clad pot
50 lbs cornmeal
10lbs 2 row malted barley
alpha amalayze enzyme packets
Bakers yeast but open to suggestions on that
I've got a 32 gallon brute ferment vessel
Does anybody have a recommendation for a AG recipe. I have done about four conversions of corn starch in the Past but have always added sugar and water to it to bring up the SSG. If I want to try an AG sour mash I could just use backset from previous run for the next but with new grain??Wondering if I should use some rye in the recipe and also wondering about ferment temps for the AG. What temps do you recommend? Thanks!

[Morning Wood Bourbon]

I also use cornmeal for my bourbon since it's cheaper. I have a 10 gallon still and make about 6 gallons of mash. I use my brewing buckets so these volumes are easier for me. I start with 6 gallons of carbon filtered water. I add 2 tsp of gypsum and bring to about 200°F. Add 10 lbs of cornmeal. After sitting for about 30 mins I add 1/2 lb of 2 row to help liquefy mash. Add my backset. Once temp is down to 155 I add 2 lbs more or 2 row and 2 lbs of rye. Mash at 150-145 for 90 minutes and my S.G. is consistently 1.065. Can scale to your equipment but this seems to work well and taste great.

[Morning Wood Bourbon]

Sorry forgot I use white labs bourbon yeast wlp070 and ferment on the grain at 68-70. Done within 4 days and run.

[1965 wite]

Do you siphon off and run? Do you have any issues with suspended solids in your mash?

[1965 wite]

How much backset are you adding?

[Morning Wood Bourbon]

I drain mash through a large brewers bag that I have to remove solids. I add about. 1000ml of backset. Seems to lower pH enough based on my water profile. No problems with solids in mash, like I said I just strain before I run through still. I know some people prefer a wort, that is sparging and leaving grain out of fermentor, but I prefer fermenting on grain. I also add 3 crushed beano tabs to ferment, similar to adding amalayze.

[Bourbon_Greg]

Can you use self rising corn meal?

[hellbilly007]

Greg, this thread is 4 years old. To your question, I personally wouldn't. I like to have control of how much of what goes in my ingredients.

Baking powder and salt is what makes it "self rising". The baking is a combination of baking soda (alkaline) and a acid (I'm clueless as to what acid), kind of sounds like a pH stabilizer. Salt has been said to boost yeast activity in yeast fermentation according to International Journal of Wine Research.

Bottom line, it could be used but you're better off using straight corn meal and supplying your own additives (nutrients and pH stabilizer)

[The Baker]

Yeast does not like direct contact with salt, and if too much salt it will kill the yeast.

I have not heard of salt in self-raising flour.

Geoff

[hellbilly007]

It may not be in self-rising flour. I was just recalling what i was taught in my family living class in "high" school. Details tend to be a bit fuzzy at times. I just checked Google, it lists salt as one of the ingredients in self-rising flour. Who knows?

[TDick]

According to Google, SR flour and corn meal does include a small amount of salt.
No idea how much is TOO much.
But a quick look at Sam's shows 25 pounds of Plain corn meal for $12.98.
A dollar for for SR.
That's almost double the cost of cracked corn ($16/55#) but of course you use less meal and it's more efficient,


EDIT

Re: Corn meal AG

Bourbon_Greg
When I search Samsclub I only see self rising

I could have SWORN what I saw was plain corn meal. I was also looking at flour so that must have been it.
HOWEVER, they do have corn grits - white or yellow - $12.98 for 25 pounds which should do as well if not better:

Sams Grits 1298.jpg (13.32 KiB) Viewed 4215 times

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/prairie-m ... roduct:1:8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I ASSuME yellow is preferable - perhaps old pros know better.

[The Baker]

I just checked the price of cracked corn at a dollar a kilo at one store in Australia; yours is maybe two thirds the price. I'll look around!

Geoff

[Bourbon_Greg]

When I search Samsclub I only see self rising

As for this being a 4 year old thread.... That shows I am reading

[hellbilly007]

As for this being a 4 year old thread.... That shows I am reading

Nothing wrong with that.

Grits work great. The yellow tends to produce more oils, as with any corn. I know some folks avoid these oils or skim them off the top, perhaps it'd be best to leave 'em to avoid puking.

[mercmar]

I drain mash through a large brewers bag that I have to remove solids. I add about. 1000ml of backset. Seems to lower pH enough based on my water profile. No problems with solids in mash, like I said I just strain before I run through still. I know some people prefer a wort, that is sparging and leaving grain out of fermentor, but I prefer fermenting on grain. I also add 3 crushed beano tabs to ferment, similar to adding amalayze.

what is your FG after fermenting. I ran this and OG was 1.065 as per recipe but after 4 days fg is 1.038. is this normal or do I let it work a little more.

[jonnys_spirit]

You want it to get down to 1.000 or until it stops dropping for three consecutive days. Not sure about SR cornmeal but i’ve often used the cheapest plain yellow corn meal and generic oatmeal from the grocery. Now I usually buy a 50# bag of feed corn for about $7 and grind it myself. It’s practically free.

Cheers!
-jonny

[mercmar]

thanks the reply jonnys. the FG is actually 1.010 and I letting it sit a few more days. I used my refractometer to check the fg which was obviously wrong to do. ya I used cornmeal from 50 lb bag. good conversion but I cheat with amylo 300.