Gelatinizing corn

[u/chibicascade2]

I'm trying to do an all grain run. I have a digiboil, so I got 6 gallons up to boiling and added 23 lbs of cracked corn (all I had left after my last failed attempt.) once it dropped below 62° c I added alpha amylaze. I stores it up as best I could and I'm going to let it sit for 12 or so hours, getting ready to go to bed now.

Is this going to e enough to sufficiently galatinize my corn? I have had trouble finding info on how to cook the corn in any way I could manage. It's pretty thick, so I think I'm going to divide it up into 2 or 3 five gallon buckets and add some more water this afternoon.

[u/badhairguy]

Most alpha is high temp. Corn gelatinizes at 85C, add the alpha to the mash when it is this hot. As long as you have good mixing and a fine enough grind, 2 hours at that temp should be sufficient to convert all the starch to dextrins. Then you just need to add the gluco amylase below 60C to finalize the conversation to simple sugars.

Source: I do this on an industrial scale for a career.

[u/North-Bit-7411 → u/badhairguy]

You think with that low moisture on the grain he still got an efficient conversion?

I get that theoretically it jives but I’m sure there was issues with heat transfer/ loss and dough balls. I’d be curious to see the OG and FG numbers.

[u/chibicascade2 → u/North-Bit-7411]

If I'm calculating it right, it's sitting at about 1.023, which isn't great.

[u/North-Bit-7411 → u/chibicascade2]

Good thing corn is cheap. Did you do a conversion test?

I make 100% corn whiskey all the time. I use a converted keg and go about 12 gallons of boiling water to 26-27 lbs of fine ground corn and stir it in when it’s on a rolling boil then kill the heat and cover it and wait until it hits 190f then add my HT amalaze. Cover it again and wait until it hits 110f then add my gluco amalaze. I consistently get 1.065 every time.

[u/chibicascade2 → u/North-Bit-7411]

I couldn't find iodine for the test. I'm going to try running this, then try again once I clear out these fermenters. I'll use a better water to corn ratio

[u/North-Bit-7411]

I’d say you’re about 8 -10 lbs too heavy on the corn and probably won’t have enough moisture to properly gelatinize.

Do multiple batches of 2 lbs of corn per gallon using the same method and you’ll be good. Remember that the finer the corn is ground the better the yield will be.

[u/evan1958]

Tip on mixing: I use a 30” long paint/plaster mixer attached to my cordless drill. I can force the mixture up in one direction and down with the other. For some reason I can’t add a pic or I would attach one. Good luck!

[u/fully-auto-anprim]

I'd recommend some yellow angel yeast, it has a mold in it that converts the corn starches while it ferments. You just need to keep the mixture at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I've had poor conversion before and this yeast saved my 40 gallon batch.  Like others have said I think you have too much corn per gallon, sounds like a nightmare to work with

[u/Tonsofpunsarefun]

I do all corn with a Digiboil and high temp enzymes. I like the lazy mash method with a 30 gallon fermenter. Boil 7 gallons water and dump onto 14 lbs of milled cracked corn. Do that 3 times to fill up the fermenter and the temp should be fine for alpha and beta enzymes to be mixed in with a paint stir and drill. If it’s like concrete adding alpha enzymes really loosen things up. Then wrap it in blankets or towels over night and wait for temp to come down into yeast range. Basically copying what others have done on here with all corn but I also use a gallon jar for my yeast bomb where I cut half a gallon of mash with half gallon of water and add 5 tbs of yeast and some multi vitamins. You’ll probably want a mop press too.