MOTHER'S ALCOHOL FUEL COOKBOOK

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Rinse and drain the kernels once or twice a day to prevent the accumulation of mold-forming bacteria. And-in about two days-you should have a fine batch of malted corn.]

CORN AND COMPOST MASH: This unusual formula was suggested to us by a fellow from Alabama-Jim Langely who tackled the whole solar-produced alcohol problem by the seat of his pants and came up with a number of interesting ideas. In fact, Jim is now producing enough 195-proof "juice" to power his motorcycle and lawnmower! MOTHER is currently testing the Alabamian's still design, and if it works as well as Mr. Langely's results indicate, we plan to feature it in an upcoming issue of this magazine.

Jim's mash recipe, however, does require a good bit of sugar (and is obviously the result of some "by guess and by gosh" figuring). So, although the compost mix will certainly produce a product that's high in alcohol content, it might not be cost-effective unless you can locate an inexpensive source of the cane sweetener.

If you want to try the Cotton Stater's unusual formula, add 5 pounds of cornmeal to 4 gallons of 90-100°F water. Then, mix 1/4 pound of baker's yeast with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of 98°F water. Stir the yeast mixture until the solid ingredients are dissolved, at which time you can pour it-along with 2 addi tional pounds of sugar—into the corn and water "soup".

After three days have passed, add another 1/8 pound of yeast, 2 more pounds of sugar, 1 or 2 pounds of any non-meat table scraps (such as most vegetables, starchy foods, or fruits), 1 cup of potato peelings, and 2 cups of green wood chips.

GROUND CORN MASH: We're including this recipe because of its simplicity and because it'll produce a quality mash for folks who might not have access to whole corn kernels in quantity. Just pour 25 pounds of coarsely ground cornmeal into 50 gallons of 80°F water, then mix in 1/2 pound of finely crumbled baker's yeast and add 5 pounds of cane sugar.

MASH PREPARATION

Probably the most important detail to remember when preparing any of the above mashes is to keep your containers clean. The fermentation process depends only upon the action of the yeast ... and outside microorganisms—such as those found in the air all around us—can render a whole batch useless.

Therefore, it's very important to use bleachscrubbed plastic or wooden vessels for every step in the mixing and fermenting process. (Metal drums can also be used ... if they're lined with fiberglass—or a plastic sack—and made to seal.) Furthermore, the containers must be equipped with some sort of air lock, which is a device that lets the fermentation-produced C0 2 Out, while not allowing any air in.

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