Starch conversion in corn

[H12rpo]

Just mashed some chipped corn. Got it up to 70 degrees and added some alpha amylase and kept it at temp for an hour and a half........cooling down overnight.
Tested the wort this morning with iodine and it’s strongly blue/black so plenty of starch extracted from the grain but no sugar (although oddly it’s sweet and very sticky) !
Took it up to the boil today and added more alpha .....an hour later still the same test result.
Just measured specific Gravity and it’s a very poor 1012. Wtf is going on ?

[Easydrinker]

I once did a frozen corn wash.
Lovely all the way through, just low SG.
I added sugar for a decent ferment.
Superb taste.
I am happy to be corrected, but all grain/seed mashes will only produce a low start and finish brew. It is the taste that is sought there.

Robert.

[RumJohn]

@H12rpo: As EasyD said, its the taste your looking for here. Even the moon shiners will add sugar to boost the alcohol return. Providing sugar is available. If not you will have to work harder and longer, but it is doable.

I always add considerable sugar - the corn is for flavor.

[Mash]

What is the weight of corn and volume of water.
I agree with the guys, you still need to add sugar but 1012 does seem low.

Personally I think 70c is a bit high.

[H12rpo]

I believe it was 4 kilos of corn topped up with 22 litres of water

Bit of an update.....I boiled up the strained off wort with about 3/4 kilo of malted barley in a bag and just let it soak there for an hour and the Starch conversion has clearly taken place (as shown with iodine) .....I don’t know whether the malt in the barley had the effect or whether it was an additional period of heat

More experiments I think!

[Mash]

Barley will establish the enzymatic action on its own. So yes it will have helped.

I was thinking it might be best to do a 50/50 mash.

[Easydrinker]

From my limited experience, enzymes in barley can do a whole lot for any grain brew.
But not everything, if you seek high alcohol washes, you need extra sugar, IMHO.

Robert.

[Mash]

Yup. Absolutely. You need to sugar for the top end.

I would use the barley and not the bottled potion.