Cornstarch Q.

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Foreigner

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Howdy Y'all.

Just a fast one for you: Is cornstarch pre-gelatinized? All the beer+cornstarch searches I have done seem to give me recipes for BBQ sauce. Delicious, but no help ;)

Thanks!
 
Normal cornstarch in the yellow box (Argo or Kingsford) is not pre-gelatanized. It must be brought to a boil for at least one minute (this is what Argo recommends on their website).

There are pre-gel cornstarches on the market but they aren't readily available and they will normally include the work instant in the title such as INSTANT CLEARJEL.







Dave
 
Thanks alot. The box I have doesn't say one way or the other. Perhaps I will save it for making the BBQ sauces I keep seeing :)
 
Maybe someone could tell my why you'd add corn starch to beer? if you boil corn starch it will thicken, so I can see some additional body from it, but once again, why?
 
brewitall said:
Maybe someone could tell my why you'd add corn starch to beer? if you boil corn starch it will thicken, so I can see some additional body from it, but once again, why?

The starch will turn to sugar in the mash leading to more alcohol in the long run.

In fact, I think it will lead to less body. It is a cheap source of sugar with less flavour than malt.
 
homebrewer_99 said:
I hate it when my wife's gravy turns to gelatin, but a "Beer-o" might work for me...:D ;)

Just don't put in little chunks of banana. Unless maybe its a hefe-beer-o :)
 
Foreigner said:
The starch will turn to sugar in the mash leading to more alcohol in the long run.

In fact, I think it will lead to less body. It is a cheap source of sugar with less flavour than malt.

If that's the sole purpose, I can't imagine it's cheaper than table sugar.
 
the_bird said:
If that's the sole purpose, I can't imagine it's cheaper than table sugar.

Could very well be. I just like to experiment is all. When I get around to making a lawnmower beer I imagine I will use it. I've heard it adds an interesting "grainy" taste.

I used Rice Syrup solids once. I think your comment applies very well to that ingredient.
 
Sucrose is expensive.

Corn starch is not.



Its great for belgians. There is some scuttle bug that chimay uses close to 30% corn starch.
 
Corn starch and other grain starches (rice, wheat, etc) are added to the mash so the barley malt enzymes can break it down to mainly maltose with less glucose and maltotriose to provide an energy source for the yeast. Adding starch in place of malt in the mash results in a thinner bodied beer with less flavor and generally lighter color compared to an all malt counterpart. By adding at least 20% starch to a pilsner one can extends the shelf life of the beer in the marketplace. Rice starch has a slight advantage over corn starch in that is more bland in flavor. Corn starch may have a slightly detectable corn note in some cases. However, in certian styles of beer, this is desired.

Dr Malt:mug:
 
OK, OK, in the mash, fully converted, I see the point, I thought it was for the boil, and could only imagine the thick gloopy mass slowly dripping out of my counterflow chiller.

I think grain tastes better.

Stupid tastebuds.:drunk:
 
Mornin Y'all,

4:00 am and I just woke up for no reason.
{It is terrible gettin old.}
Wide awake!
So I got up, and so as not to disturb my Coonhound 'Sandymae',
who was sleeping soundly in a pile in the middle of the bed,
I headed in here to my computer.
Opened me a homebrew and started running through my bookmarks looking for something interesting and there it was!
Corn starch!
Wow!


I was sleeping off a masterful dinner of chinese:
' beef and bell pepper.'
Which contains, and which I went to sleep thinking about,
corn starch!
In beef and bell pepper, the marinade has corn starch.
The main wok full of the beef and vegetables has corn starch.
And, after starting with less than called for,
I have been adding more and more of the various ingrediants to get the tastes down good.
It has been a long time since I cooked chinese food.
Ginger is critically essential to the dish!
And the hot red stuff in the jar oh yeah!!!
Vegetable stock is basically boiled down bean sprouts, carrots and celery,
mushrooms and such, not much taste but essential.

I went to Harry Hines north of Royal, {Dallas}
'China town',
and found a chinese food store parked, went inside and was just cruzing.
This Korean chick, a customer,
asked me what I was looking for as I must have been looking a little 'lost'.
I looked at her with such a hopeless expression she smiled,
and took me around and got me stocked with what she considered as being...essential.
I noticed several big gallon jars of Kimchi makins but didn't say anything.
She was right in that the marinade,
a big jar of black soy scented marinade to soak meat in before cooking is my favorite. The osyter sause has not gotten much use.
I love the ginger even though it doesn't taste good,
it adds a lot to a food after being cooked in.
Dried mushrooms, ect...


But corn starch.
It is a thickener.
But I had no idea it was used in brewing?
Or BBQ sauce!

Hmmm...

The forum here is very interesting.

Today, mushroom soup and you guessed it,

Beef and bell peppers.


Knife
 
I have an extra lb of cornstarch I just want to get rid of, so I thought would add it to a 10 gal cream ale mash. Do I boil it first and make a gravy? Can I just add the gravy to the mash or thin it with some amylase first?
 
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