High Sedimentation in first gluten free

Just bottled our first attempt at a gluten free beer and I'm surprised to see the HIGH amount of sediment in the bottles after only 1 day. Any thoughts? We've done several batches of "gluten" beers (extract & all grain) and all have had very little to no sediment in the bottles. This is our first time at "gluten-free" Here's my recipe & procedure -- no making fun of the recipe please! Just looking for any insight on what to do different next time....

3.5 gallons of water in boil pot
3 lb white sorghum syrup when water starts to boil
1 oz Willamette hops at 60 min
1/2 oz Cascade hops at 15 min
1/2 oz Cascade hops at 0 min (flame out)
4 oz Maltodextrin at 15 min.

Total boil time = 60 min
Ended with 2.5 gallons in Primary bucket (o.g = 1.050)

Sprinkled dry yeast US-05 in primary when wort temperature was below 80 degrees

4 days later added a 2.5 gallon honey water mix (o.g = 1.050) to primary (3 lbs 2 oz clover honey to 2.5 gallons water)

4 days later transferred to secondary carboy (s.g = 1.028); not a lot of krausen, little on sides of bucket; ~ 1/2" of sediment on bottom

Set 12 days in carboy and then bottled. Used 5 oz of corn sugar. Final s.g = 1.013

1 day later and all the bottles have a good 1/4" of sediment in bottom.

Thoughts???

It's not a bad-looking recipe at all...but methinks a bit of irish moss in the boil, plus adding the honey at flame-out might help reduce the sediment. I always add irish moss and so far haven't encountered any abnormal amounts of sedimentation. A cold crash prior to bottling might also help, though my methods aren't that sophisticated.

Why don't you start your fermentation with a full 5 gallons? I'm just curious because I have never heard of adding 2.5 gallons 4 days after pitching yeast. Is that how you normally get a full 5 gallon batch with your beers?

tonyc318 said:

Why don't you start your fermentation with a full 5 gallons? I'm just curious because I have never heard of adding 2.5 gallons 4 days after pitching yeast. Is that how you normally get a full 5 gallon batch with your beers?

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No. This was something I had read regarding adding honey to keep more honey flavor. Adding it 3-4 days in the primary, as a specific gravity close to the wort

I've always added honey at flameout, and it *always* comes through very strongly in my brews. To the point that I'm considering either halving the quantity, or adding it earlier, because several of my brews have come out tasting halfway between beer and mead (and that's with only 1.5 lbs of honey per a 3 gallon batch).

Don't underestimate the power of the honey!

im going to have to agree with the irish moss comment. that would most certainly help matters. us-05 should settle out clean, compared to a heffe yeast, for example.

it seems like you added a fair bit of honey, and that in its self takes a while to settle out. im still waiting on a mead to settle, going on 3 months. thinking about just bottling it so i can brew again. anyway, heres what im thinking, you brewed up the 3lb of sorghum and your fungal friends prolly powered through it in that 4 days, however they didnt settle out, im assuming when you added the honey things got stirred up (even if ever so slightly). that rebooted the fermentation and sent them into a frenzy! hung more cells in solution now its patience time. it will slowly settle; until you shake the bottle that it is.