First GF Brew Questions

Hi folks,

I've been brewing for about two years now, and I recently found out my girlfriend now has a gluten intolerance. We've always enjoyed brewing and drinking beer, so this has sort of thrown a wrench in our plans. I've been lurking here and looking for some info, and have thrown together a GF Pale Ale recipe.

Could you experienced GF folks check out this for me and see if you have any suggestions or changes before I brew? I've read some about including Brown Rice Syrup or cane sugar, but I'm curious as to how these will affect taste. I'm also worried about the sorghum-related off flavors everyone talks about as well.

Thanks for the help!

Volume: 5.00 gal
Estimated Original Gravity: 1.057
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.014
Estimated Alcohol% (ABV): 5.60
Estimated Bitternes (IBU): 50.73
Style: American Pale Ale

Ingredients
Grain/Extract

LME - White Sorghum Syrup (75.00% ) 6.60 lbs Boil for 60.00 min
Maltodextrin (87.00% ) 0.50 lbs Boil for 60.00 min
Corn Sugar (92.00% ) 1.00 lbs Boil for 15.00 min
Hops

Falconer's Flight (11.40% ) 1.00 oz Boil for 60.00 min
Citra (11.00% ) 0.50 oz Boil for 30.00 min
Citra (11.00% ) 0.50 oz Add at knockout
Amarillo (9.50% ) 1.00 oz Dry Hop for 5.00 days
Yeast

S-05 Safale - American Ale (80.00% ) 1.00 pk

Swap out the corn sugar for some amber candi syrup or buckwheat honey, and bump the maltodextrin up to about 12 oz (at least). When brewing with sorghum extract, adding pure dextrose is the absolute LAST thing you want to do--sorghum LME has very little body and typically ferments out quite dry, so lightening it further with dextrose will get you something that tastes like club soda. Your recipe as it stands is like the base of a light lager (albeit higher in gravity), hopped like an aggressive APA; without something to beef up the body and flavor, the hops will overwhelm.

Also, do you usually hop your pale ales like this (big charge in the beginning, smaller additions at the end)? Just making sure, as I've never tried it that way; I usually follow Randy Mosher's advice and try to get at least half my IBUs from late additions.

Thanks for the great reply! I really don't know much about the characteristics of all the different sugars and honeys and the like.

I'll definitely increase the maltodextrin. Would a full pound be too much? Also, I'll swap the corn sugar to amber candi syrup.

As far as the hops go, I read somewhere (sorry, can't remember exactly) that hops can help cover the sorghum aftertaste if boiled up front. Would I be fine just hopping the way I typically do for normal beers? That is, later additions.

Thanks again for all the help. Here's what I'm looking like now:


Volume: 5.00
Estimated Original Gravity: 1.060
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.018
Estimated Alcohol% (ABV): 5.50
Estimated Bitternes (IBU): 44.02
CO2 Level (vols): 2.50
Style: American Pale Ale
Ingredients

Grain/Extract

Candi Sugar (Amber) (78.00% ) 1.00 lbs Boil for 60.00 min
LME - White Sorghum Syrup (75.00% ) 6.60 lbs Boil for 60.00 min
Maltodextrin (87.00% ) 1.00 lbs Boil for 60.00 min
Hops

Falconer's Flight (11.40% ) 1.00 oz Boil for 60.00 min
Citra (11.00% ) 0.50 oz Boil for 10.00 min
Citra (11.00% ) 0.25 oz Boil for 5.00 min
Citra (11.00% ) 0.25 oz Add at knockout
Amarillo (9.50% ) 1.00 oz Dry Hop for 5.00 days
Yeast

S-05 Safale - American Ale (80.00% ) 1.00 pkg

You'll be just fine hopping the way you normally do. Bitterness can mask just about anything, sure, but do you really want so much bitterness that you can't taste the sorghum? I think it's better to do lots of flavor/aroma additions, especially with citrusy hops--they really play well with sorghum. I'd probably halve the Falconer's Flight, and do 1 oz of citra at 10 and another at 5, and then dry-hop as you would. Other than that, everything looks good--1 lb of maltodextrin shouldn't be a problem. Oh, but make sure to use Candi Syrup, not Candi Sugar. They ferment very differently, and leave much different tastes.

Good luck!

Just to add a point, some have noted that the sorghum "Twang" is reduced when the Sorghum Syrup is a later addition to the boil.