corn/rice

[lordbeermestrength]

Got a question:

I don't want to go into the specifics of why, but I want to know how possible it would be to get fermentable sugars out of corn and or rice. I can't use koji or enzymes from malted barley to convert the starches either. Is this possible? I don't think it is with rice, but isn't there a certain amount of sugar that you can get out of corn by simply cooking it? Or does the corn need to be malted, or need something like koji?

 

[Brewsmith]

They make rice syrup extract.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/sugars.html

 

[lordbeermestrength]

right...

but thats not what I'm trying to do. I can already make a normal, good beer. I'm kinda running some experiments now. I want to be able to buy bulk grains and make some sort of fermented beer-like beverage.

 

[lapaglia]

You can sprout and malt corn. Then use it in an AG brew in the place of Barley malt. It takes more corn and a lot more work to make your own corn malt. But you can do it.

 

[lordbeermestrength]

You can sprout and malt corn. Then use it in an AG brew in the place of Barley malt. It takes more corn and a lot more work to make your own corn malt. But you can do it.

Is that the only way to convert the starch? Does it HAVE to be malted?

 

[BigEd]

Is that the only way to convert the starch? Does it HAVE to be malted?

You need enzymes to convert starch to sugar. The malting process creates and activates enzymes in grain. So the answer is yes.

 

[lordbeermestrength]

Actually, I found out the answer is technically NO. You do't need to malt the corn. You DO need to add enzymes though. Apparently in South America they chew it up and spit it out (enzymes from your mouth).

I don't think this is an option for my challenge beer... I don't know though. I still think something like koji or nuruk would work though.

Anyways not that anyone cares. This is just a stupid personal challenge to make a fermented beer-like beverage using only ingredients found at a groucery outlet type store.

 

[lapaglia]

So go to a store that sells Goya Malta. Its a malt beverage similar to wort. add yeast and a little water and presto you can make a beer like beverage. My local store sells it.

You need some form of amylase to convert starch to sugar. Saliva has, it as do sprouted grains. It is also in the inner white part of a banana peel. Fresh Ginger is a good source of it too. There are other ways to get it but I doubt your local grocery store has it. I have use ginger to convert grain starch to sugar. It does work.

 

[JayC]

One of my LHBS carries amylase. That plus any sort of starchy stuff oughta make fermentable sugars. You should probably boil/gelatinize the starchy stuff first though, for the amylase to work.

 

[david_42]

The alpha amylase concentrates most LHBS carry are not made from barley.

There is a little sugar available in corn, but not much.