Can You Make Beer From Corn?

Beer from corn??? Really? Are you kidding? 

Apparently not. There is beer made from corn (and sorghum too!) – let’s take a look!

So, can you make beer from corn?

Yes, you can make beer from corn. Corn is often used as an adjunct in brewing, providing fermentable sugars to the beer. It’s a common practice, especially in some traditional American beer styles like Cream Ales and American Lagers. While it’s not the sole ingredient, corn plays a significant role in brewing and can contribute to the final beer product’s flavor, texture, and characteristics. 

Can Corn Be an Alternative in Brewing?

Brewing typically involves four main ingredients: water, malted barley (or other grains), hops, and yeast. These components create a base for beer. However, alternative ingredients can be popular because they offer a variety of unique flavors (these may include corn, sorghum, wheat, rice, and unmalted barley). However, this procedure is limited in order to guarantee that beer is high-quality.

They can help brewers experiment and create distinctive brews. Corn, for instance, can serve as an alternative ingredient in brewing. It provides fermentable sugars during the mashing process, contributing a lighter body and sometimes a slightly sweet flavor to the final beer. Using alternative ingredients like corn can be a way to craft beers with distinct characteristics, appealing to different tastes and preferences in the ever-diversifying world of beer.

Using Corn in Brewing? How? 

Understanding Brewing Adjuncts

Brewing adjuncts are additional ingredients used alongside the primary components in beer production. They are introduced to influence various aspects of the final beer, such as flavor, mouthfeel, and alcohol content.

Corn is a popular adjunct in brewing due to its unique advantages. Some key benefits of using corn in brewing include:

• Fermentable Sugars: Corn provides fermentable sugars that contribute to higher alcohol content without adding intense flavors, making it an excellent choice for light and crisp beer styles.
• Lighter Body: Corn can contribute to a lighter body in beer, giving it a cleaner and smoother texture, which is desirable in certain styles.
• Mild Sweetness: Corn can impart a subtle sweetness to the beer, which can be pleasing in styles where a touch of sweetness is desired.

Types of Corn Used in Brewing

Brewers typically use two main types of corn as adjuncts in brewing:

• Flaked Maize (Corn): This is corn that has been processed into flakes, making it easy to mix with the malted barley. It’s commonly used in American lagers and cream ales.
• Corn Syrup (High Fructose Corn Syrup): Corn syrup, especially high fructose corn syrup, is another form of corn used in brewing. It’s a concentrated source of fermentable sugars and is often employed in large-scale brewing, including some commercial lagers.

Proportion of Corn in Brewing

The quantity of corn used in brewing varies depending on the desired beer style and the brewer’s preferences. The proportion of corn in the grain bill typically ranges from 5% to 40%. Lighter lagers and cream ales tend to have a higher percentage of corn, while other styles use it more sparingly. The amount of corn used has a significant impact on the beer’s taste, body, and mouthfeel, allowing brewers to fine-tune the characteristics of their brews.

Brewing with corn involves several key steps, including malting corn, mashing corn, and fermenting the wort made from corn. Here’s a concise explanation of each process:

Malting Corn

Malting corn is the initial step in using corn as an ingredient in brewing. However, it’s a less common practice compared to malting barley. To malt corn, it’s soaked in water to trigger germination. After a few days, when the corn sprouts, it’s dried in a controlled environment to halt germination. This drying process is crucial, as it converts the starches in corn into fermentable sugars. The resulting malted corn can then be ground into coarse flour or processed into flakes for use in brewing.

Mashing Corn

In mashing, malted corn is combined with other grains, typically barley, in hot water. The heat activates enzymes that break down the starches in the grains, including the corn, into sugars. This sugar-rich liquid is known as the wort. Mashing is an essential step, as it releases the fermentable sugars from the corn, contributing to the overall sugar content of the wort. The mashing process is responsible for the flavor and characteristics of the beer, and corn plays a role in influencing these qualities.

Fermenting Wort Made of Corn

Once the wort is prepared, it’s cooled and transferred to a fermentation vessel. Yeast is then added to the wort to initiate fermentation. During this process, the yeast consumes the sugars in the wort, including those from the corn, and converts them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation period typically lasts a week or more, depending on the beer style. The result is a beer with the desired alcohol content and flavor profile, influenced by the corn and other grains used in the mashing process.

Which Beers Are Made With Corn?

Beers made with corn, such as Cream Ales, Mexican Lagers, and American Lagers, have distinct qualities that make them special. Here’s a brief overview of what sets these styles apart:

1. Cream Ales:

Cream Ales are an American beer style known for their smooth and approachable characteristics. What makes them special is their use of corn as an adjunct. The inclusion of corn contributes to their light and slightly sweet flavor profile, often described as “creamy” despite being an ale, not a lager. Cream Ales are known for their easy-drinking nature and are often enjoyed as a refreshing choice for warm weather.

2. Mexican Lagers:

Mexican Lagers are famous for their crisp and light-bodied qualities, making them highly popular in warm climates. These lagers often incorporate corn as an adjunct, which is pivotal in their flavor. Corn adds a subtle sweetness and a clean, dry finish, complementing the overall refreshing character of the beer. Mexican Lagers are a staple in Mexican cuisine and pair exceptionally well with spicy foods.

3. American Lagers:

American Lagers, which include classic brands like Budweiser and Coors, often use corn as a brewing adjunct. Corn contributes to these lagers’ light, clean, and crisp taste. The use of corn helps produce a pale and highly carbonated beer with minimal hop bitterness, making it a widely favored choice, especially in the United States. These lagers are known for their refreshing quality, making them popular for casual drinking.

Wrapping It Up

Beer made with corn offers a unique and distinctive flavor profile that appeals to those seeking a lighter, slightly sweet, and easy-drinking experience. Whether it’s Cream Ales, Mexican Lagers, or American Lagers, the use of corn as an adjunct contributes to the refreshing qualities of these beer styles, making them a popular choice for various occasions and tastes. Corn’s role in brewing is a testament to the versatility of this grain in creating a wide range of beers, each with its own unique characteristics.