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**tflew** · 02-05-2013, 08:29 PM

This is a tweaked version of Igliashon's no nonsense stout. I plan on brewing this in the next couple days when a fermenter opens up and I would appreciate any thoughts.

6 gallon recipe

2.5 # dark roasted chestnuts
4# Belgian Candi Syrup D-180
3# Quaker Quick Oats
6# Briess White Sorghum at Flameout
8 oz Maltodextrin

.5 oz Columbus at 90 min
.6 oz Columbus @ 20 min

Safeale 04

Beer Calculus puts this at 1.067 OG and approx 1.020 FG

Last time I used chestnuts I did a 24 hour mash but this time I am considering steeping them for an hour or so since I am not as reliant ont them producing fermentables this time. Considering mashing with some sweet potatoes as well and would be curious about what you guys think about that.

After primary fermentation I plan on kegging 3 gallons of this then splitting the other three gallons into another carboy and age it on bourbon oak for a while. I was thinking about 3/4 oz oak chips and was wondering about how long they should be left on the oak.

Thanks

**igliashon** · 02-05-2013, 08:34 PM

I'd say go for it as you have it; I'm really curious about how the roasted chestnuts contribute. If you decide to do sweet potato, I'd reduce the oats accordingly. Also, don't try to mash the oats unless you have promalt (or unless you like your wort to literally have the consistency of a melty milkshake). I do think sweet potato could be a good idea.

**tflew** · 02-05-2013, 08:50 PM

I was thinking of steeping the oats before the boil. I do have 2.5 pounds of steel cut oats laying around from the lager I did that I might use but i am not really sure what the difference would be. If I use the sweet potatos would they be steeped preboil with the oats or are they mashed with the chestnuts

ChasidicCalvinist · 02-05-2013, 09:08 PM

You are going to use 4lbs of D-180? I realize this is for 6 gallons but that is a lot of candi syrup. If I were you I'd scale it down. Also consider mixing up the candi syrup--180 and 90 for some complexity of flavors.

**igliashon** · 02-05-2013, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tflew

I was thinking of steeping the oats before the boil. I do have 2.5 pounds of steel cut oats laying around from the lager I did that I might use but i am not really sure what the difference would be. If I use the sweet potatos would they be steeped preboil with the oats or are they mashed with the chestnuts

You could do the sweet potatoes either way; they mash well enough with just amylase, at least in my experience, but are also just fine steeped. Steel-cut vs. instant or rolled oats won't make much of a difference. If you haven't already bought the oats, I'd say go ahead and use what you've got. Don't forget to toast them (at least lightly--it really helps develop the flavor).

Also--I'm drinking a Harvester Dark Ale as I type this, and I notice this beer has a really strong acidic astringency that their other beers don't have. I suspect they didn't modify their brewing water to compensate for the increased acidity of the dark-roast chestnuts. You might want to get some chalk (calcium carbonate) and some pH strips to make sure your mash doesn't get any lower than 5.2, because this beer is so acidic it's making my jaw hurt. Which is a shame, because it's otherwise quite tasty. I'd hate to see yours go down the same route.

If water chemistry adjustments aren't your thing, I'd recommend NOT mashing the chestnuts, and just steeping them for 10 minutes or so. That seems to be the easiest solution in the homebrew setting, and everything I've read suggests it works just as well as a pH adjustment.

**tflew** · 02-05-2013, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChasidicCalvinist

You are going to use 4lbs of D-180? I realize this is for 6 gallons but that is a lot of candi syrup. If I were you I'd scale it down. Also consider mixing up the candi syrup--180 and 90 for some complexity of flavors.

This is my first time with candi syrup and arrived at that number basically by scaling up another recipe. How much would you scale it back and what would you replace the fermentables with?

**tflew** · 02-05-2013, 10:27 PM

And good suggestion on the acidity Igliashon. This seems like as good a time as any to start making water adjustments

ChasidicCalvinist · 02-05-2013, 11:53 PM

I've done 2lbs in several 5 gallon recipes and it was more than enough. I'd use 8oz dark brown sugar and 8oz molasses

**igliashon** · 02-06-2013, 02:45 AM

I've done 2 lbs of dark candi syrup in several 3 gallon batches and found it just perfect in flavor, the only downside being a rather thin body. 4 lbs for 6 gallons should be fine, though you could certainly get by with 2.5 to 3 lbs too, I imagine.

In point of fact, this weekend I got to pour my homebrew alongside many other (non-gluten-free) homebrewers at a local fundraiser, and of the 5 styles I brought, one was the No-Nonsense Stout #2 (1/2 rice, 1/2 sorghum, lower gravity, more oats, and with cherry syrup added in secondary) and it got rave reviews. Many people came back for seconds, thirds, even fourths...and considering people were paying $20 for 10 tastings, I think it's pretty remarkable that they'd come back for second helpings of gluten-free beer, when very few of them had gluten problems. Granted, it wasn't my *most* popular beer (that would be the Chamomile-Lime IPA, which was gone before the evening was half over and developed quite a buzz among the attendees), but it was many peoples' favorites.

**tflew** · 02-06-2013, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igliashon

developed quite a buzz among the attendees

Nice...I see what you did there

I think Ill try cutting the Candi Sugar back to 3 pounds and comp with a bit of molasses. Hopefully between the oats and sweet potatoes there will be at least some sembelance of body.