Does cornstarch need to be cooked before adding to mash?

[z-bob]

I've done cereal mashes before with rice; I know how that works. I want to try brewing with cornstarch. Can it be added directly to the mash or does it need to be cooked first? If it needs to be cooked, is a gallon of water enough to gel a pound of starch? I will add a handful of malt and heat it slowly from 150° to 160° before bringing it to a simmer. But it would be a whole lot easier to just stir it dry into the mash if that is hot enough to work.

I have found this question asked before and it didn't get answered. I opened a new thread instead of necro'ing the old one.

 

[day_trippr]

No need to do anything to corn starch other than include it in a mash with at least a minimum net Lintner rating (40-something) to convert whatever's in the mash...

Cheers!

 

[Bobby_M]

Corn starch goes through a longer production process that strips out all the protein so it should be ready to convert at typically mashing temps with adequate amylase content either added as powder or borrowed from some other malt. It will gelatinize at typical mashing temps.

 

[JohnDBrewer]

So do you use corn starch as a direct replacement for like flaked corn?

 

[z-bob]

So do you use corn starch as a direct replacement for like flaked corn?

I never have used it, but I intend to use it as a replacement for sugar, but at higher percentage of the mash. (I sometimes make cream ales using 95% malt and 5% sugar, going to go about 90:10 with cornstarch.) I *think* cornstarch will be mostly fermentable but will leave some dextrin and other unfermentables behind.

I don't think it will be a direct replacement for flaked corn; cornstarch has more starch and less protein. (instant grits or cooked grits or corn masa tamale flour would be a direct replacement for flaked corn)

 

[BigEd]

Cornstarch is ready to go as is. The easiest way to use it is to mix with the dry crushed grain before adding the strike water. Once the water hits the grist the cornstarch will liquefy almost immediately.

 

[Bobby_M]

I *think* cornstarch will be mostly fermentable but will leave some dextrin and other unfermentables behind.

Think of cornstarch as any other starch source in the mash. Its fermentability and dextrine makeup is completely driven by the mash schedule. In that way, you do have more control over the fermentability than you do with a straight sugar addition but it requires attention.