abrdnck

Recipes 

I am soon going to try my hand at a GF beer for the first time, and have been doing some research on the subject. One of the concerns with GF beers is lack of head retention. I have also read in a few sources that you can use tofu in the mash to improve head retention.

I am curious if anyone here has tried this with success, and if there are any suggestions - such as how much to use? when to add it? silken or firm? best way to add it? etc.

Also, does it help with head retention? Does it leave any residual soy flavours? Does it help increase the body of the beer?

So far, my research has given very little information about this. It really seems like a good and simple solution to a challenge of GF brewing.

For what it's worth, I am aiming to make a coffee stout about 6% ABV with a generous hop load. Major fermentable is sorghum, and will roast up some quinoa to darken the beer. Hope that a full-flavoured beer would mask any soy flavours that might come out from the tofu.

spaced

Recipes 

Never heard of tofu being used but you learn something new every day. I know the guys in the states have access to Gluten Free oats, but nothing like that exists over here.

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My gluten free home brewing blog.
http://gfhomebrewing.blogspot.com/

Drinking: Raspberry Trappist Ale and a Belgian Tripel
Bottle conditioning: Orange Peel Pale Ale
Fermenting: Easy Street clone and an all Chinook IPA
Planning: IIPA and a Pale Ale

All gluten free.

KevinM

Recipes 

Seems interesting. Apparently there are quite a few in recent years that have used alternate proteins such as soy and peas to create non-malt, or low-malt beers.

While I can't say anything in regards to the flavor or texture, I imagine that using tofu, a more refined soy protein as opposed to the soybean itself or soymilk, would prevent "soy" flavor problems. However, the fermentation of soy tends to become a bit odd from what I recall.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/168

DirtbagHB

Recipes 

I've been getting good head retention lately. Add some oats to the mash. That's helped a lot. Steeping cracked grains has helped too. A quarter to a half cup of gf flour has helped. Best results for me have been using 10-12 oz maltodextrin. I know this is higher than the suggested 8oz but it works

dorklord

Recipes 

Using maltodextrin has worked for me. I think the batch I made with GF oats in it is going to have head retention like mad...

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That's bread yeast. Look at it sitting there, all depressed. Listless. Beer yeast doesn't look like that. It has hopes. Dreams. Something to look forward to...