GF Maple Bourbon Amber

First recipe post, please bare with me. Looking for thoughts or possible improvements.

Long story short, my friends demanded a gluten free beer with high alcohol. How could I say no? Came up with this recipe after a fair amount of research.

Designed this recipe to be on the malty/sweet side balanced with a light (30-40 IBU) hop profile. Realizing most of the GUs going in would be fermented dry, I added the maltodextrin and toasted GF oatmeal to hopefully add some body. Haven't brewed it yet, waiting for the oats to "waft".

Alright, I'm done boring you with my thoughts.

Extract/Additions:

6 lbs Sorghum Extract (White) 60 min
3 lbs Dried Rice Extract 60 min
1 lb Maple Syrup 5-0 min (Infused with 1/2 vanilla bean)
1 lb Candi Syrup D-45 5-0 min
8 oz. Maltodextrin 60 min

Steeping Grain:

2 lbs Toasted Oatmeal

Hops:

1 oz Kent 60 min
.5 oz Kent 30 min
.5 oz Kent 15 min
1 oz Saaz 5 min

Secondary Additions:

2 oz Bourbon Chunks 7 - 10 days
1/2 Vanilla Bean

Not exactly sure if the bourbon will be noticeable. Kinda a prayer in the wind recipe if you know what I mean.

Please let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Hodges

I would consider adding most of your sorghum late in the boil. That is a lot of maple syrup. I have never gotten a strong maple flavor so maybe 1lb is needed. I would recommend some dark grade b. You could also try adding it during fermentation.

Got my taste buds going on this one. Should turn out pretty good. Got me thinking now. What if you pulled a gallon of unhopped wort off and put it on a much more rigorous boil to reduce it in half? They use that technique when brewing wee heavies. Gives a more malty taste. Not sure if it works with extract.... just a thought.

If you are looking for maple flavor, I would avoid maple syrup and go for maple candy sugar. Although a little maple syrup, say 6-8oz is supposed to help with the overall body of the beer.

One of my favorite meads to make is acerglyn, which is primarily fermented maple syrup. While it is delicious, it definitely doesn't taste like maple syrup at all. So I wouldn't expect 1lb of it in 5 gallons to contribute any flavor.

You could also try using some maple soaked oak chips if you don't have any maple candy.

You should check the supplier of the Maltodextrine. Dextrin and Maltodextrin can contain Gluten depending on what they were made from.

Looks interesting, what was your OG? Did you brew it yet?

It's in the secondary now. The OG was 1.081. When I racked it to the secondary, it was at 1.020. It's still fermenting slowly. Should possibly fall to 1.017 hopefully. Tasted ok, but will need time to condition. This is a GF recipe, but more GF-ish. Not intended for a celiac. Thanks for the input!

99% of maltodextrin is gluten free. In fact, I have never even seen glutenous malto.

I am new to GF and was told that I needed to check the source. It could be made from wheat.

Always a good idea with gluten free. You really have to look for non-gluten free maltodextrin. Most agree that if it comes from a homebrew supply, than its safe. It never hurts to check the source. I have been poisoned by food that should never have grain in it but, did. Safer than sorry.

In my wife's research, (she has celiac) maltodextrin is sourced from either corn or wheat but usually from corn in home brew products. It is the maltodextrin that you'd find in packaged/processed foods that are wheat based.

I double checked as I wrote this, my LHBS sells malto from LD Carlson which, after visiting their website (ldcarlson.com) they have MSDS posted for their "chemicals" and that lists their source as "Corn Products US" which leads me to feel strongly that it is not wheat based malto. Additionally, the GF Ale kit from Brewers Best utilizes this same malto.

On the oat topic, gluten free oats are available from bob's red mill. They are from a dedicated farm and processing facility. BUT double check the package when/if you buy them as they also have a line of oat products NOT from GF facility.

Hodges, make sure your friends are ok with bourbon. It's made from glutinous grains. My most sensitive celiac's friends can't touch it without a reaction. Maybe consider rum or just toasted oak chips.