Polenta/sugar wash

[satchy]

Hi guys im wanting to make a Whiskey corn/sugar wash I have polenta (miaze) which I got at the local iga

just waana know if I add this to a TPW if it will give me a good flavor from a pot still

what other benefits would this give me apart from taste (if any)

Any help/recipes would be greatly appreciated I was just going to do a TPW but add 3kg of polenta and 3kgs sugar ?

should I get barley,wheat or malt to add ?

Cheers

[bt1]

Hello satchy,

good to see someone moving up from straight TPW's.It's an interesting area sugar/grain heads with lots to offer in terms of flavour.

Polenta added straight to the fermenter is will add some good flavours. Corn whiskeys like this do turn/ flavour faster that most grain washes and are very drinkable sooner than most.
By adding directly to fermenter you'll get no starch conversion to sugars however and you'll be relying solely on the sugar for yield, which as you can guess will be down at only 3kg as you mentioned.
If you're heading down the no cook path would suggest as purely a flavour booster <=1kg would be plenty.

A Polenta cooked partial cook (ie not full AG) is another story and is a personal fave for a corn whiskey. For a 10lt stock pot(you may wish to vary based on space) 1 - 2kg of Polenta and 1kg of a good quality 6 row low colour malted barley works. Your chasing a high starch to sugar conversion malt so stay away from Caramalts, Cystalmalts.

Polenta takes up plenty of water and can be as thick as so suggest starting with just 1kg of each on first, unless you have plenty of space in pot and at least a 60lt fermenter.

Corn is low in protein compared to wheat and ryes so the protein rest won't be required realistically when /if cooked. Would suggest a good half hour in 55- 65c range for enzyme/long sugars and as long as you can stand it for starch to sugar conversion in the 67 -72c range. Regardless, 1 -2 kg of corn and 1 kg barley malt won't yield heaps of fermentable sugars. You need to boost sugar content for yield most likely.

Downside of a cooked version is it sets like a brick in fermenter and is therefore not suitable to a bottom fermenting yeast like lagers. It also benefits from a good couple of stirs while fermenting. It also can be sour mashed well and the normal 10% throw out rule per wash should see you get 4 tasty washes done before flavour fades.

The cooked version has a better flavour imho.

kk, just a heads up a pure corn/sugarhead will taste slightly sweet after flavouring with oak for a few months. If that's not your taste pref...suggest a mixed grain bill. Corn spirit is nice drunk fairly young, great mixer and real good for blending with other batches.

trust this gets you underway!

enjoy!
bt1

[satchy]

Wow thanks for the great reply mate

I've got a few 25l fermentors so what amounts would you recommend for a great tasting run ?

Really appreciate your post helps out the newbies Like me that love this hobby so much

Lee