Flaked Maize

[reVoxAHB]

Hey gang,

I'm brewing shmick's Quittin' Time ESB tomorrow. The recipe calls for 300g Flaked Maize, which G&G no longer have in stock.

Chris up there suggested I sub it out with polenta, but that I'd have to gelatinize it first by boiling it.

Anyone here used polenta in a brew before?

Would I sub it straight up 300g Maize for 300g Polenta and how long would it need be boiled before the starches are gelatinized? What would be a good polenta to water ratio to achieve this?

I reckon I could just wing it, but hoping a few here could offer tips, or direction.

Cheers :beer:
reVox

 

[AUHEAMIC]

Dave at Greensborough Home Brewing has (English) flaked maize (no affiliation etc)

 

[DJR]

Yeah Polenta will work fine as a sub with a cereal mash. I think "Instant" polenta doesn't need it since it's pregelatinised?

Air-popped corn also works fine - without a cereal mash.

Cereal mash for Polenta is fairly easy, i think if you look at the oz.craftbrewer.org CAP recipe it outlines it there. Basically chuck 20% of the weight in pale malt into about a 1.5L to 2L/kg mash with the polenta, raise temp to 60 and slowly raise it to 70, then boil it and add it to your main mash. Since you'll be raising the temp of the mash it might help to start with a protein rest, or just mash in at a low temp jsut before you finish the cereal boil then add it to hit your normal mash rest temp.

 

[mikem108]

I've barred it from my recipes. when I used it in an ESB I could detect a slight "corny" flavour, just my 2c

 

[warrenlw63]

Revox

I'm with Mike. Just skip it and sub for the same in malt. Even mash lower if you're after further attenuation. 300g is not going to overly change the character of the beer anyway.

If you really want to go the corn/maize route you can sometimes buy maize flour from health food stores. Just carefully sift some into your mash to avoid lumps/clumps. Or mix it in when you crack your grains.

Warren -

 

[AndrewQLD]

Good Health Food stores will carry flaked corn which is the same thing, just make sure they don't give you corn flakes which is totally different.
Cheers
Andrew

 

[Fents]

Dave at Greensborough Home Brewing has (English) flaked maize (no affiliation etc)

+1..Daves got it, saw it last friday.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

As DJR said, Instant polenta is pre-cooked so you can just chuck it straight in the mash and its fine. I used it in my last couple of brews and didn't seem to have a problem. Well, aside from a slightly gummy mash that was a bitch to lauter. Maybe also include some rice hulls?? or perhaps a protien or beta glucan rest? Anyone else with experience??

Either way, aside from being a bit sticky, it seemed to work well.

Thirsty

 

[tangent]

i used 300grams of popcorn in a recent brew. i have to agree with bender and warren, even though pop corn is the easiest and just melts into the mash, it still had a bit of a hot corn taste. next time i'll just mash cooler and skip the corn.
tried polenta once, had to pre-cook it and it just wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[jpiwek]

Dave at Greensborough Home Brewing has (English) flaked maize (no affiliation etc)

Also Craftbrewer sells it too.

 

[Duff]

Homebrand Corn Flakes.

Used them in many ESB's :beerbang:

(I'm serious too)

 

[Mr Bond]

I use air popped corn and love it for its subtle flava and simplicity.
Never much more than 5/6 % though.It thins the mouth feel and adds a subtle sweetness that compliments that crystal sweetness.

 

[tangent]

what crystal are you using MrBond?

 

[reVoxAHB]

Hey, thanks everybody for the 2 cents worth.

I believe I'll skip it all together for tomorrow's brew, but down the track will grab maize from one of the shops mentioned above, and give her a go. Cheers for that.

I like Mr Bond's note of: "It thins the mouth feel and adds a subtle sweetness that compliments that crystal sweetness." That's what I'd like to play with, but it seems it can be quite easy to "over do-it", producing too strong of corn flavors. Interesting.

At 300g, I reckon your right Warren, it won't overly change the character to omit it.

And Duff, homebrand corn flakes? Seriously!? I've got a box sittin' right here!

Cheers,
reVox

 

[geoffi]

I use about 20pc air-popped 'popcorn' in my CAPs. Works a treat. Love the results. Cheaper than flaked maize too.

 

[SJW]

I thought that Wheat-bix or Vita-wheats was Flaked Maize?

 

[tangent]

both having wheat in their names?

 

[SJW]

Correct me if I am wrong but Flaked Maize should just be wheat cracked to small pieces, moistened, cooked, and flaked between rollers, or am I wrong?

 

[AndrewQLD]

Correct me if I am wrong but Flaked Maize should just be wheat cracked to small pieces, moistened, cooked, and flaked between rollers, or am I wrong?

Maize is corn, flaked maize is corn rolled between 2 rollers at high pressure causing the grain to gelatinise.
I think you are getting Flaked wheat and flaked maize/corn mixed up.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[tangent]

OK it's been until the next month before i could resist :blink: and :huh: