Trying a GF Recipe this weekend - Comments welcome

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Recluse

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Thanks for all the helpful advice on these pages!!

This weekend I am trying a pretty generic recipe. Comments welcome.

Starting with a 2.5 gal batch, since I have no idea if the person I am making it for will find it REMOTELY drinkable.

Total batch/boil: 2.5 Gal

2.5 lb Fermentap Sorghum Extract (40 ppg)
1 lb Lundberg Brown Rice Syrup (est. 35 ppg)
0.25 lb Clover Honey (35 ppg)

0.5 lb medium granulation Buckwheat (Wolff's Kasha) roasted to a darker color to be steeped

0.5 oz Cascade Pellets (5.4% AA) 60 min
0.25 oz Tetnager Pellets (3.2% AA) 15 min
0.25 oz Hallertau Pellets (4.3% AA) 5 min

2 oz MaltoDextrin 10 min
1/4 Whirlfloc Tab 10 min

1 pkg of either Danstar Windsor or Coopers Ale Yeast (havent decided yet)

Est OG: 1.058
Est FG (75%) 1.014
Est. ABV: 5.6%

Est IBU (Tinseth method): 21.5

I also have some Dry Rice Extract which I was thinking of using instead of the honey, but from what I have read, the honey might be better at helping moderate the sorghum flavor.
 
Looks like a winner. As you've probably read, sorghum has a high residual sweetness. The rice syrup and honey will dry the beer out a bit. Cane sugar can do the same thing and it's much less expensive.
 
Thanks!

That reminds me... I've never used the Danstar Windsor before (plenty of Nottingham, though). Generally it is described a 'leaving a higher gravity' which may be a bad thing in this case, as there will already be some residual sweetness. Nevertheless, I've seen other GF recipes with Windsor which led me to consider it.
 
Whoa.. So this is what the SORGHUM bite is like (or was it from my steeped buckwheat??) I tasted some of the "wort" and it was REALLY BITTER. The hop schedule was pretty light by design, but I see what people mean about loading up on hops to mask the sorghum bitterness. Hopefully after the yeast do their business it and the stuff ages a bit it will mellow.

Decided to go with the Cooper's Yeast since the wort was already pretty cloudy and Coopers flocculates better than Windsor (from what I have read). Found an extra pack of Nottingham, and was tempted, but I've always had good luck with Coopers. I also added 1/4 TSP of DAP to help out with the nutrient situation.
 
Was the buckwheat malted? And, if so, did you remove the rootlets? That could have been the source of the bitter taste. If not, sorghum definitely has a tang. I wouldn't call it bitter, more of a citrusy flavor, but not in a good way.
 
No the buckwheat was not malted. It was just a box of store bought roasted buckwheat groats (Kasha) that I oven roasted to try and darken it a little. I've cooked and eaten this many times and never had such a bitter taste, but maybe steeping extracts out some bitter components that get masked by the taste of the grains.
 
So I got really busy and finally racked it to secondary today (Primary for about 3 weeks).

Hit the desired OG pretty close, 1.015 5.6% ABV

Still pretty cloudy, but I was astonished at how good it was!!! Yes a little residual sweetness, and some sorghum tang (tasted a little like molasses) but the extereme bitterness was gone, the hop flavor was subtle but present. Tempted to dry hop..but I am going to leave well enough alone. I am pretty psyched. Hope my Gluten intolerant friend will like it.
 
Don't sweat the cloudiness. Mine is always cloudy going into the bottle and remarkably clear by the time I go to serve it.

No the buckwheat was not malted. It was just a box of store bought roasted buckwheat groats (Kasha) that I oven roasted to try and darken it a little. I've cooked and eaten this many times and never had such a bitter taste, but maybe steeping extracts out some bitter components that get masked by the taste of the grains.


Did you put them in a bag for three weeks before using? I've seen lcasanova saying you need to do this with roasted grains.
 
Don't sweat the cloudiness. Mine is always cloudy going into the bottle and remarkably clear by the time I go to serve it.




Did you put them in a bag for three weeks before using? I've seen lcasanova saying you need to do this with roasted grains.


3 WEEKS???? No, just overnight.
 
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