Corn beer

[Dusty Merritt]

I recently stumbled across this sketch from Confederate POW John Jacob Omenhausser's classic collection:

http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnyc...0/ae00026v.jpg

Anyone here ever attempt to make anything like this "sharp and sweet" corn beer? Is it just fermented corn drank before going through the distillation process to make corn whiskey? I assume if they did it at Point Lookout, it probably didn't require a great variety of ingredients or equipment. I've been talking with a home brewer friend of mine and we thought this could be an interesting experiment if anyone could point us in the right direction. Then again, it could be horrendous. Either way, we'd gladly share our method and recipe were we to figure this out! Cheers!

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Corn beer

I recently stumbled across this sketch from Confederate POW John Jacob Omenhausser's classic collection:

http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/nhnyc...0/ae00026v.jpg

Anyone here ever attempt to make anything like this "sharp and sweet" corn beer? Is it just fermented corn drank before going through the distillation process to make corn whiskey? I assume if they did it at Point Lookout, it probably didn't require a great variety of ingredients or equipment. I've been talking with a home brewer friend of mine and we thought this could be an interesting experiment if anyone could point us in the right direction. Then again, it could be horrendous. Either way, we'd gladly share our method and recipe were we to figure this out! Cheers!

I have not tried to make it but here is a recipe from an 1882 pharmaceutical journal. Sorry I could'nt find a closer period reference on making it, but I will keep looking. Anytime I see Beer in a thread, I read it...:)

http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA975&dq=corn+beer&ei=UWhkTaPBM4L6lwfryY2MBg&ct=result&id=oewKAAAAYAAJ#v=onepage&q=corn%20beer&f=false

LIGHT FERMENTED BEVERAGES FOR WARM WEATHER.*

Corn Beer.—Five gallons of water, 2 quarts molasses,

1 quart sound corn. Put all into a keg and shake well; in a few days fermentation will have been brought on as nicely as with yeast. Keep it bunged tight. It may be flavoured with oil of lemon, etc. The corn will last five or six makings. If it get too sour add more molasses and water in the above proportions. This drink is cheap, healthy, and there is no better with yeast.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Corn beer

Check that. Good ole Dr. Chase has a recipe in his 1857 publication. seems the same as above..:)

http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA62&dq=corn+beer&ei=UWhkTaPBM4L6lwfryY2MBg&ct=result&id=zDjiAAAAMAAJ#v=onepage&q=corn%20beer&f=false

7. Corn Beer, Without Yeast.—Cold water 5 gals.; sound nice corn 1 qt.; molasses 2 qts.; put all into a keg of this size; shake well, and in 2 or 3 days a fermentation will have been brought on as nicely as with yeast. Keep it bunged tight.

[Dusty Merritt]

Re: Corn beer

Beautiful--thanks! This seems incredibly simple. If we attempt it I'll give you a full report. Though probably not the night of the attempt...

[Silas]

Re: Corn beer

I've made molasses beer for an event based upon something from the Confederate Receipts Book. Added some ginger to the batch. That was a violent fermentation as compared to other homebrews I've made. The taste was nasty. Brought a full carboy to an event hoping to get rid of it. What a headache. Literally. Haven't made it since. The corn might calm the fermentation a bit, but it will still be a beer based upon molasses instead of malt or wheat.

Hmmm. Makes me want to try adding some corn to my next brew.

[Justin Runyon]

Re: Corn beer

This would be incredibly easy, and not very good. Feel free to shoot me a line if you have any technical questions or I can help in anyway...I've done more with alcohol production than I want to publicly admit for legal reasons.

[Lt1stNCSS]

Re: Corn beer

bleed off the green stuff first, that will make you sick, once it runs clear its good to go!! BUT on a more serious note relating to the thread..I made the molasses beer once, i didnt even bother to put it in a bottle..it went out the back door and into the woods....I'd llike to know how the corn brew tatses..

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Corn beer

I've messed around with home brewing before, but I am puzzled as to what one uses in place of yeast?? What turns the sugar into alcohol with out the yeast?
Also what is "sound nice corn"?

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Corn beer

I've messed around with home brewing before, but I am puzzled as to what one uses in place of yeast?? What turns the sugar into alcohol with out the yeast?
Also what is "sound nice corn"?

Most fruits and vegetables have wild yeast that grows on them naturally so there is Yeast and it multipies very quickly when there is plenty of sugar to be found. My guess is sound corn is a word to describe quality corn. I wish I new the form it was in when used in this process. I imagine it isn't very good either though.

http://www.aaccnet.org/cerealchemist...chem41_230.pdf Here is a link on the Studies on Fat Acidity of Sound Corn (or quality corn) by the Rapid Method

[J. Donaldson]

Re: Corn beer

Nothing mentions cracking the corn, which I would assume enables the fermentation process. This sounds like Mayan chicha a bit.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Corn beer

Beer was brewed from corn and sold at Andersonville, too. Don't know if any memoirs from there have more explicit directions, but some might have clues.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Corn beer

Beer was brewed from corn and sold at Andersonville, too. Don't know if any memoirs from there have more explicit directions, but some might have clues.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

Good Lead Hank! Here you see the Corn was boiled and mashed which meant they had to add yeast at this point. Good stuff. It is lookiong based on where I found some of the recipes and accounts of this corn beer that it was more of a medicinal drink vs. for pleasure.

As early as July (1864) Captain Wirz, at the recommendation of the medical staff, put into operation the brewing of "corn beer," and this was given to those suffering from scurvy, and it had a most salutary effect in checking the trouble, as it acted as an antidote to the scorbutic poison. The beer was made from corn meal and also from whole corn being scalded in hot water and a mash made of it; some yeast was added to it to promote fermentation, and in a few days a sharp acid beverage was produced, very wholesome and palatable. This same corn beer was made within the stockade by the prisoners, but not to the extent that it was manufactured on the outside, nor of so good a quality.
Captain Wirz did not rest here. He lent assistance to some of the prisoners within the inclosure to make the beer. A prisoner known as "Limber Jim," afterward our chief of police, obtained a barrel or small tub and some utensils from Wirz and started quite a little distillery.
I have gone into the corn beer subject at considerable length for the reason that none of the Andersonville writers have had the fairness to mention Captain Wirz's name in connection with the subject. It wouldn't do even to hint that Wirz was instrumental in introducing a beverage that was so beneficial to the poor, sick prisoners.
But all that Wirz and his staff of medical men could do failed to stop the ravages of disease and death.

The true story of Andersonville prison: a defense of Major Henry Wirz It was written by Late 2nd Lt. James Madison Page of Co A 6th Michigan Cavalry in 1908

[FloridaConscript]

Re: Corn beer

damn post of the week right there Pete.

[PetePaolillo]

Re: Corn beer

damn post of the week right there Pete.

Thanks Bryant. I dont want to detract from the thread about Corn Beer, but this really interested me, because I did know about this book. Check your PM Box