DSSC Cornmeal Recipe

  • Agar: 300 g
  • Soy flour: 700g
  • Cornmeal: 2940 g
  • Molasses: 2230 g
  • Yeast: 860 g
  • De-ionized water: 28 L
  • Propionate: 135 g
  • Nipogen: 200 g
  • Yeast Sprinkles (optional): a dash (<20 grains) in every vial

Cooking instructions for a steam kettle:

  1. Fill steam kettle with 17 L de-ionized water, depending on relative humidity (add less water when humidity is high).
  2. Set kettle to power 5 for five minutes.
  3. Turn kettle up to power 7.5 and bring to a RAPID BOIL (this usually takes about 15 minutes).
  4. When the water has begun to rapidly boil, whisk dry mix with 6 L de-ionized water in a separate container. Turn the kettle mixer on to power 3, and then add the dry mix-6 L of de-ionized water mixture to the 17 L of boiling water in the kettle. (Our dry mix is pre-weighed and stored at -20°C in a Ziploc bag, for up to 6 months in advance).
  5. Turn the kettle mixer down to power 1.5 – 2 about a minute or two minutes after adding the 6 L mixture to the boiling water.
  6. WATCH CAREFULLY SO THAT THE CORNMEAL MIXTURE DOES NOT OVERBOIL.
  7. Cook ingredients at a GENTLE BOIL for 15 minutes.
  8. Gradually add an additional 5 L of de-ionized water while food cooks as an overboil preventative.
  9. After 15 minutes of cooking, turn the kettle power off, but continue letting the kettle mixer mix the cornmeal food until cooled to pouring temperature.
  10. Dissolve the mold inhibitor in ethanol (optional).
  11. Cool food to 63°C and add propionic acid and ethanol-mold inhibitor solution. Continue letting food mix until cooled to 60°C.
  12. Pour food mixture at 60°C.

Pouring Dimensions:

Glass vials: 10 mL/vial = 1000 mL (1 L)/case of 100 vials Plastic vials: 10 mL/vial = 1000 mL (1 L)/case of 100 vials Glass bottles: 1/3 cup/bottle ~ 2 L/case of 24 bottles Plastic bottles: 1/4 cup/bottle ~ 1.5 L/case of 24 bottles

Equipment information:

We currently use a steam kettle manufactured by Groen model number TDB/ 7-40. There are a few versions of this kettle that can hold 20 quarts or 40 quarts. Attached to the steam kettle is a Groen manufactured mixer model number TA/2. We also use pourers that more evenly dispense food into the narrow glass and plastic vials. Our pourers are manufactured by Applied Scientific and distributed by Fisher. These pourers are cataloged as fly vial filler for narrow diameter tray packed vials #AS 77D, and for wide diameter tray packed vials #AS 78D.