No Barley, no hops

**Ezekielsays** · 11-08-2011, 06:53 PM

Hey all:

I ran into an old friend a few days ago, and it turns out my old drinking buddy is alergic to both barley and hops. Anyone have an idea of a good recipe I could make for him? He's had a few sorghum based beers (bard's was one he mentioned) that he liked. Thanks in advance.

**ThickHead** · 11-08-2011, 06:57 PM

Damn...that sucks. There's always wine!

hopsalot · 11-08-2011, 06:59 PM

Bard's has hops

**Ezekielsays** · 11-08-2011, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hopsalot

Bard's has hops

True - he tried a few barley free beers before finding out he was also allergic to hops.

I'm thinking of using something like this:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/nb-sorghum-syrup.html

Maybe adding some homemade caramel syrup (deep amber, probably):

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/20-lb-sugar-jar-yeast-nutrient-114837/

and possibly boiling down some of the first runnings to give it some body and flavor.

No idea what to do for bittering though.

spaced · 11-08-2011, 07:42 PM

Before people used hops, they used lots of different things to flavour their brews. My best advice would be to pick up Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing Book http://www.radicalbrewing.com/

He gives a really good overview of lots of old processes and beers that were made through history.

**ThickHead** · 11-08-2011, 07:49 PM

You also might want to check Gruit out as a hop substitute.

**david_42** · 11-08-2011, 07:54 PM

I've made Brew Brothers Heather Beer. The recipe uses heather for bittering and heather/chamomile for flavor and aroma. It used malt extract, but I suspect the recipe would work well with sorghum because the beer is much tastier with a little extra sweetness.

**BainbridgeBrewer** · 11-08-2011, 08:03 PM

Maybe look into a spruce type beer.

**starrfish** · 11-08-2011, 10:16 PM

mead cider or wine... good time of year to pick up preservitive free cider. I've made a nice cider from s05 yeast & s04 for a bit sweeter. my meads have been kiwi & a rose hip... gruits are barley based but I've used mugwort heather sweet gale, & juniper... Coriander goes into my other herbal ale... which allergy is worse? hop or barley?

**kontreren** · 11-09-2011, 04:20 AM

Lots of good GF ingredients like Honey Sorghum Corn Rice Chocolate

There is always mead. I'm looking for my sorghum recipe but you would have to do it minus the hops. Posted not long ago that you have to let it age to smooth out. Mine was better than Bard's in the end but it took a long time getting there. Bard's could spend more time in the tank as well. St. Pete's GF was a commercial brew I got in Atlanta, GA at a microbrewery there. Not sure where else you can get it.

http://www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk/artman/publish/article_49.shtml

Relax, Have a homebrew,
Kontreren

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ezekielsays

Hey all:

I ran into an old friend a few days ago, and it turns out my old drinking buddy is alergic to both barley and hops. Anyone have an idea of a good recipe I could make for him? He's had a few sorghum based beers (bard's was one he mentioned) that he liked. Thanks in advance.