The easiest and lowest cost catfish chum is that which you make yourself. Preparation is quick and easy. Get a bag of wheat shorts, Milo, corn chops or soybeans from your feed dealer, or go down to the grain elevator and get permission to sweep up around the grain dump. Any grain will work as long as it’s small enough. In a pinch, a bag of wild birdseed from the variety store is always available.

I use a 55-gallon plastic drum with a lid and band to ferment my chum. You can use any sort of container that you may have access to, but I recommend nothing smaller than a 5-gallon pail with a tight-fitting lid.

For a 55-gallon drum, use a 50-pound bag or 10 gallons of grain covered at least 2" deep with water. As the grain absorbs the water and swells, more water must be added to keep the grain covered. Some folks advocate pouring a can of cheap beer into the water to supply yeast, but it isn’t necessary. There’s plenty of wild yeast on the grain already to start fermentation. Besides, it’s a waste of beer.

For 5-gallon pails, fill the pail less than half full of grain and add water to cover by 2".

Cover the container with a cloth and bind it so that it will not allow the entry of insects or animals. Place the container in a protected area out of doors and out of the rain. Allow the fermentation process to continue until few bubbles rise. The chum is now ready to ladle out into the fishing area.

After fermentation is complete, cover tightly to keep the spouse happy and the neighbors from harboring hostile intent against you.