Low gravity bitter ideas????

Anyone tried something like this? I just did:

3# sorghum extract
1/2# amber belgian sugar
1/4# dark roasted sorghum grains
4 ox maltodextrin
lots of hops, 30units
a tsp of DAP and yeast nutrient
SG 1.037 for 4 gallons

Low alcohol and calories......maybe flavor and body too!!!! We will see in a few weeks, i was going to rack this one into a secondary. Any other ideas????

Double_D said:

Are you allergic to gluten?

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...says the guy posting in the "gulten free brewing" subforum

feel better? I bet you never over look anything.. you really showed me..

pintail78 said:

Anyone tried something like this? I just did:

3# sorghum extract
1/2# amber belgian sugar
1/4# dark roasted sorghum grains
4 ox maltodextrin
lots of hops, 30units
a tsp of DAP and yeast nutrient
SG 1.037 for 4 gallons

Low alcohol and calories......maybe flavor and body too!!!! We will see in a few weeks, i was going to rack this one into a secondary. Any other ideas????

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Well, on topic...

I'm actually planning on making a pale mild, though I don't think I'm aiming for quite that much hops.

I'm planning 3 lbs sorghum extract, 1 lb of sugar. I'm debating using some of that 'raw cane' type sugar, to give it a bit more color/flavor.

Then I've been thinking about roasting some of my own grain to use as a specialty grain (I've got buckwheat and quinoa...)

Did you roast the sorghum yourself? The recipe I was basing mine on called for some caramalt and some pale chocolate, I was figuring I'd use maltodextrin to replace the caramalt and then was trying to figure out how to roast something to approximate the pale chocolate.

What variety of hops are you thinking of using? I'm going to be using Kent Goldings...

Double_D said:

feel better? I bet you never over look anything.. you really showed me..

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good lord, settle down for christ sake

Hey all, Im a celiac....diagnosed about 3 years ago, all grain brewer before. The recipe would be a snap with barley malt. The low gravity stuff is harder with the sorghum, lightening it with honey, brown rice seems like it makes it worse.

dorklord, i roasted the grains myself, they are from twin valley mills and work good for a nutty flavor. Im using goldings and fuggles for hops.

pintail78 said:

Hey all, Im a celiac....diagnosed about 3 years ago, all grain brewer before. The recipe would be a snap with barley malt. The low gravity stuff is harder with the sorghum, lightening it with honey, brown rice seems like it makes it worse.

dorklord, i roasted the grains myself, they are from twin valley mills and work good for a nutty flavor. Im using goldings and fuggles for hops.

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I've never (yet) brewed anything this low in gravity, but I can see that trying to 'lighten it' too much with highly fermentables may not work out so well, since you don't have a lot of 'malt' flavor to begin with.

Did you malt the sorghum before you roasted it?

I'm actually planning on getting some sprouted quinoa from the store tonight to roast.

My wife asked me not to set the house on fire.

I would've gone with dark sugar, but other than that, the recipe looks pretty good. I worry a little about the FG being too low, but tough to tell with wildcard ingredients. The taste will surely be an interesting one.

BTW, I dunno about milds being a "snap" with barley. I find the low-gravities to be some of the more difficult of the brews. Although, I guess as far as low gravities are concerned, milds are among the easiest.

All this to say it certainly is easier regardless than GF brewing!

Did you crack your grains, or leave em whole? I think cracked might work well here for more body that doesnt come from sorghum.

DKershner said:

I would've gone with dark sugar, but other than that, the recipe looks pretty good. I worry a little about the FG being too low, but tough to tell with wildcard ingredients. The taste will surely be an interesting one.

BTW, I dunno about milds being a "snap" with barley. I find the low-gravities to be some of the more difficult of the brews. Although, I guess as far as low gravities are concerned, milds are among the easiest.

All this to say it certainly is easier regardless than GF brewing!

Did you crack your grains, or leave em whole? I think cracked might work well here for more body that doesnt come from sorghum.

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Do you think I could get by with just using 3 lbs sorghum and 1 lb of dark sugar (demerara or, if necessary, caramelizing some?)

dorklord said:

Do you think I could get by with just using 3 lbs sorghum and 1 lb of dark sugar (demerara or, if necessary, caramelizing some?)

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Yes. Add maltodextrine though. This is a full bodied beer.

DKershner said:

Yes. Add maltodextrine though. This is a full bodied beer.

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Oh, yeah, I was figuring on maltodextrin.

3 lbs Sorghum Extract
1 lb Demerara
4 oz Maltodextrin
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient

3/4 oz Kent Goldings (60 minutes)
1/4 oz Kent Goldings (15 minutes)

Oh, NorthernBrewer was also out of Windsor ale yeast, so I ended up getting Nottingham...

Should I hold out for finding Windsor, I just use the Nottingham? Use the nottingham and keep the fermentation on the warm side of it's range (so 70F)

I've never brewed with either of these yeasts (or made a British beer at all), so I'm not sure of just what to expect...

dorklord said:

Oh, yeah, I was figuring on maltodextrin.

3 lbs Sorghum Extract
1 lb Demerara
4 oz Maltodextrin
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient

3/4 oz Kent Goldings (60 minutes)
1/4 oz Kent Goldings (15 minutes)

Oh, NorthernBrewer was also out of Windsor ale yeast, so I ended up getting Nottingham...

Should I hold out for finding Windsor, I just use the Nottingham? Use the nottingham and keep the fermentation on the warm side of it's range (so 70F)

I've never brewed with either of these yeasts (or made a British beer at all), so I'm not sure of just what to expect...

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I would go with S-04 over either yeast.

Don't use nottingham, it's not right for this style.

DKershner said:

I would go with S-04 over either yeast.

Don't use nottingham, it's not right for this style.

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I'll see if I can get my hands on some S-04 locally...

I've heard some people say they think S-33 is a British yeast and not a belgian...would that be totally stupid to do (I've got that on hand).

If not, S-04 or I'll just have to suck it up and order a pack of Windsor (it really sucks to order a pack of yeast, or even several, I much prefer to either order a bunch of stuff at once, or pick it up at a store...)

dorklord said:

I'll see if I can get my hands on some S-04 locally...

I've heard some people say they think S-33 is a British yeast and not a belgian...would that be totally stupid to do (I've got that on hand).

If not, S-04 or I'll just have to suck it up and order a pack of Windsor (it really sucks to order a pack of yeast, or even several, I much prefer to either order a bunch of stuff at once, or pick it up at a store...)

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S33 isn't really British or Belgian, it's just really versatile yeast. It would be drier than you'd like, and the esters at higher temps would be more belgian or german flavored than anything.

Go S-04, second choice Windsor, third would be WLP002.

You are making a beer where the malt and yeast flavors make the beer. Don't skimp on the part that IS gluten free!

DKershner said:

S33 isn't really British or Belgian, it's just really versatile yeast. It would be drier than you'd like, and the esters at higher temps would be more belgian or german flavored than anything.

Go S-04, second choice Windsor, third would be WLP002.

You are making a beer where the malt and yeast flavors make the beer. Don't skimp on the part that IS gluten free!

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I'll keep my eye out for the S-04 or the windsor.

Do you think the flavor profile is about the same between those two? I've heard that S-04 flocculates really nicely, so if the flavor profile is about the same, I'd probably prefer that.

dorklord said:

I'll keep my eye out for the S-04 or the windsor.

Do you think the flavor profile is about the same between those two? I've heard that S-04 flocculates really nicely, so if the flavor profile is about the same, I'd probably prefer that.

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I've only used Windsor once, tough to say for sure, but they are definitely similar taste wise. I have had no trouble with either clouding things up.

hey, I roasted my own grains about 350-375 for about 20, anything hotter they start to pop, they give it a nice nutty flavor. I used the safeale yeast, i'm 3 days in sg was 1.037 and I'm at 1.020 at about 64 degrees. Tasted pretty good but still pretty sweet....no bite yet.....

I keg and drink them fast so i'll keg it this weekend and give her a taste, i was going to secondary it but i dont think so, it usually mellows a bit after 3+/- days.

what i meant by this being a snap wirh barley, it that if you did it barley all grain it would be much easier to get something really good, with the sorghum its harder.

BTW I like the nottingham yeast in most ales with a higher sg (dont know about lower), anything over about 1.055. It's fast, and generally pretty clean tasting, with good clarity etc....

Well, I broke down and ordered the S-04. I figured I needed to buy some other stuff, you know, what with the flat rate shipping and all, so I got more of...well, everything. Actually, I'll probably ending up doing 2 low gravity beers with what I got (I was actually thinking it would be cool to do this same basic ingredients, but with different hops and a belgian yeast, so a low-gravity Belgian Pale Ale...)

I remember earlier, discussing with my wife, if I should do 3 batches of beer this spring. Now I've committed to a few more...

Just kegged her yesterday, pretty nice today still green but seems like a keeper. pretty hoppy no sorghum bite...yet. SG 1.037 FG 1.007

I brewed my 'pale mild' Friday night...

I can't wait to see how it turns out...