I want to make chicha, but I'm wondering about the necissary malt content, how much do you really need?

Question

I have seen descriptions stating the 100% of the corn is either malted or mouth-saccrified.......I'm using malting to save a lot of time and spit, but as a homebrewer, I know that only 10-20% malt is really necissary for full conversion. (the other 80% might need to be geletinized, and might leave haze, thus requiring fining) Is chicha a "malty" beverage?? or can I use 20% malted corn.......or god forbid barley, and achieve a similar result?

Answer 1

You *can* use 20% malted corn...you will just need more time to mash so that the enzymes will have that extra time to do the conversion. To get a complete conversion you definitely need to boil the remaining corn to gelatinize it, otherwise, you'll be wasting available starches during the conversion. If you're dead set against malted barley and you don't want the contamination risk of the extra mashing time, check with your local homebrew shop and see if they have amylase enzymes...you can add the enzymes directly without having to malt the corn or add barley.\

If you have to resort to barley, see if you can get the 6 row instead of the 2 row...more enzymes per grain, so you'd need less barley for the same enzyme action and therefore minimize the maltiness of your chicha.

Answer 2

That's a good question, I was wondering the same thing myself

Answer 3

I'm curious too