Home Made Corn Mash Moonshine Recipe | 2024 (2024)

FAQs

How much sugar do I need for 5 gallons of corn mash? ›

For a 5 gallon mash: (201)

7 lbs (3.2kg) cracked corn. 6-8 pieces/kernel is the proper crack. If using bird feed, make sure it is perishable, or in other words is free of preservatives. 7 lbs (3.2kg) of granulated sugar.

I would suggest using enzymes to break down the corn. I have 30 gallon barrels. I have a couple recipes that uses 40 lbs of cornmeal (I have my own grinder) 8 lbs of 2 Row and 4 lbs of 6 row. I then add rye, or different toasted wheats for flavor but the base is always the same.

The Role of Sugar in Alcohol Strength

The amount of sugar added during (not after) the fermentation process is what affects the alcohol content or alcohol levels of a co*cktail. Sugar added via mixers or simple syrup doesn't increase the ABV of alcohol in a drink.

First, yeast can get lazy if offered simple sugars up front, and stall out early or ferment slower than normal once they have to convert more complex sugars. To prevent this, add the sugar after a few days of primary fermentation.

Measuring Fermentation - the Easy Way

After pitching yeast, simply check on the mash every 12 hours or so to make sure that sometime during the first 12-48 hours after yeast is added there is movement in the airlock (the airlock should bubble a at least few times a minute).

Within 24-36 hours, carbon dioxide normally starts bubbling through the airlock, as long as everything is working correctly and if the fermenter is sealed properly. Fermentation can take as little as 3 days if you are using a fast-acting yeast and the temperature is ideal.

By adding granulated sugar after the mash I were able to increase starting alcohol content. To make thin mash, I followed steps 1-6 above then simply added granulated sugar before moving on to step 7. Note, I typically also add yeast nutrient for any mash that either is not made with 100% grain or that exceeds 10% ABV.

#1 – Use Distilled and Not Tap Water

Rather than taking the risk of ruining your batch of moonshine, invest in a couple jugs of distilled water. The cost of distilled water is a small price to pay for a smoother, cleaner batch of moonshine.

So it's easy to assume that more sugar = more alcohol. However, too much sugar in your mash can actually hinder your yeast's ability to make alcohol, and most people want to get as high an alcohol content as possible when making moonshine.

Do you leave corn in mash while fermenting? ›

Also, because corn wort can be so viscus and difficult to strain out the liquid, fermenting (and distilling) on the grain also represents an increase in yield because we can be assured that any (converted) liquid absorbed by the grain solids will also contribute to alcohol yield during fermentation and during the ...

It depends on what type of wash you have but as a general rule of thumb, it is best to distil within 2-3 days after fermentation is complete. The wash will keep for up to a month so long as the fermenter is airtight. The period can be extended if the wash is racked off into a clean airtight container.

One of the primary ingredients in a classic moonshine mash is cracked corn—a type of feed corn that has been coarsely ground or broken to expose the starchy insides. However, cracked corn doesn't come ready to be mashed because its starches are not readily accessible for fermentation.

Also known as dextrose or priming sugar, corn sugar can be used to prime or add fermentables to beer. Use it at a rate of 1 oz. per gallon of beer (or 5 oz. per 5 gallon batch, about 3/4 cup) to prime beer for bottling.

Assuming you add enough grains to craft a 6.3% ABV beer, according to the chart, you'll need to add at least 1lb of sugar to hit a potential alcohol of 7.5%, because adding 1lb of sugar will increase the potential alcohol by 1.2% for a 5 gallon batch. 1 lb.

If the sugar concentration level of the must becomes too high at any given point--either at the beginning or during the fermentation--it starts to have an inhibiting effect on the yeast's ability to produce alcohol.