Sorghum beer using mabela?

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Try finding some brown rice syrup (also available on dehydrated solid form) instead, that should work the same way. Not entirely sure about using what you posted, I'll leave that to the experienced brewers.


If you're in South Africa, you could try finding some millet, that's what the Zulus used to use to make their beer! Use it like a mini mash, should help give your beer some good body!
 
I'm nowhere near South Africa, I'm in Ireland
Brown rice syrup should be easier to find. I've no idea where to go about finding millet
 
Hi, do you have Holland and Barrett stores in Southern Ireland? They sell millet there.

Also, I am not sure if this site will deliver to the South, but worth a try. Good for buckwheat groats to malt etc. And rice syrup. Worth a try I guess though. :)

http://www.healthysupplies.co.uk

Also, this website delivers to Europe. I think they have a better price for Ireland than Europe too, though. The kit is ok. Not perfect, but it is good to start with. No boiling and stuff...

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Gone-with-the-Wheat-Gluten-Free-Beer-Kits-.html

Hope I have helped a little?
 
Yeah, we have holland and barrett.

If I order that kit from there, it'll cost as much for delivery as the kit itself costs.
I might try a few of the local shops, see if they can get the kit in.

And yes, you have helped, thanks!
 
Yeah, noticed that just after I posted. Doh! Haha My local shop has found it a bit hard to track the kit down to be honest, but yours might have more luck. Haven't managed to find another kit our side of the Atlantic though. Let me know if you find one, please.

If the health food website doesn't deliver to you guys, I'm sure there must be one in Ireland for you. I have found buckwheat quite easy to malt and roast etc. Plus, you learn a new skill. :) Tesco also have it in.

Holland and Barrett are also good for stuff like molasses and some other GF stuff too.
 
I've emailed a couple of the Irish shops to see if they'd get it in. I'll let you know if they do.

I'll look into using the buckwheat and brown rice syrup. I've never tried anything like that before, so it should be interesting
 
Well, I did a brew of malted and roasted buckwheat, Demerara sugar and rice syrup yesterday. So I will let you know how that turns out in a week or so.

Golden syrup and treacle are also good to use. Treacle mostly for stouts and such for the colour. But I guess it would be good for potential bitters too?
 
Yeah man. Of course.

1kg of Buckwheat, malted and roasted.
250g roasted quinoa.
1kg Demerara sugar.
1kg rice syrup.
Hops of your choice.

Cracked malted grains with a rolling pin, also buzzed a few in the coffee grinder for 2/3 pulses. Boiled up the water, threw in the buckwheat for 2 hours with 300g of Demerara sugar. Threw in the quinoa after 1 hour 45 as I did them a slightly darker roast, mostly for colour. But they did smell quite good too. Removed all of the grains, and washed them with boiling water to remove any remaining sugars, then returned the water in to the pot. Boiled the hops for 40 minutes in the wort. Emptied the rice syrup into fermentation bucket, and poured in 3 litres of boiling water and stirred. After the hops have finished, poured into bucket through a sieve to catch any sugars that may be stuck to them. Topped up with cold water to 23litres. Poured in the rest of the brown sugar, added Belgian Ale yeast. It is currently going crazy. Haha I will let you know what happens.

If the images have loaded correctly, that is what colour I roasted the buckwheat. That is the boiling showing the colour of it. And that is the fermentation tub showing the 'High water mark' of how crazy it got. :)



image-259923616.jpg



image-1528457311.jpg



image-1346792922.jpg
 
I definitely want to try this now. Let me know how it works out, and thanks, you've been a big help
 
I tried, but wasn't successful so I just roasted them. I only malted the buckwheat, I have done that a few times now and find quite easy. Just soaked them in water for about 6 hours, using double the amount of water to grain, if you know what I mean? Haha Then I drained them, kept them moist and covered them with a damp tea towel, moving them around every hour or so. Took about 2 days to do. Then rinsed them, put them on a low heat on the bottom shelf of the oven, turning every so often to dry out. Once dry, I put them on the top shelf and turned up the heat. Again turning every so often to prevent burning. Roast until you have the colour you want. :)

Will let you know how it all works out.
 
Just scrapped the cake from the top of it and tried a wee drop. Obviously, it still has about another 8/9 days left to ferment, but it tasted ok. Very Wheatie as you might expect. But me being me, think I may have over hopped it. But, we shall see... Still quite nice for now. I am expecting it to be more of a blonde like Hoegaarden.
 
Yeah, here's hoping man. Just malting another kg for another beer I am hoping to do this weekend. Let me know how it goes with your quinoa. I can never get it to do anything. When I left this morning some had started to sprout a little.
 
Awesome, dude. What's the quinoa look like? My buckwheat is being a little temperamental with me. Only get a few to sprout.
 
Awesome. Have you roasted them yet, dude? Planning on doing another new batch this weekend my self, man. Going try half a jar of honey in it too. Hoping to get a bit more of a lager colour to it. Only doing 2 gallons though, just as an experiment.
 
image-941286260.jpg

Just bottled it and couldn't resist trying it. Hoppy first taste, with a very nice, dry, nutty after taste. Still a little pale and looks like a blonde, but I have used some Demerara sugar for carbing, so may make it a little darker. Maybe try darker brown sugar than Demerara instead when you bottle, unless you roast yours darker. Has quite a nice body to it, but will be much better once it is fully carbonated. I will try to roast the grain a little darker next time. But still, it tastes good. The best one I have done so far. Lets just see what the expert missus says.
 
Just had a thought. Try adding either a desert spoon or two of molasses to the boil. This will bring you a better colour. I will do this next time. :)
 
You brewed it up yet, man? I am going to do another like it this weekend, but only a 3 gallon batch. Seems I watered it down too much on the last one.
 
Not yet, and by the look of my timetable, I won't get a chance for another couple of weeks! (How long does roasted grain keep for?)
 
Not entirely sure man. I would assume a little while atleast. Same as 'normal' grain maybe? Could always throw them in the freezer like hops?
 
Dude, did another batch today. It tastes a little like "Real" bitter. Used the following:

1kg of malted, roasted buckwheat
464g of Asda's home brand honey. Assuming you guys have Asda... If not, any cheap home brand honey will do
750g Demerara sugar
2 dessert spoons of molasses
1oz Golding's hops
1oz Hallertau
1 tea spoon of Irish Moss


Crushed the buckwheat, and added to a muslin bag to 2.5 gallons of water, along with the honey and 500g of the sugar and molasses. Heated to 160, then held for 2 hours. After 2 hours, removed the grain and poured boiling water through them, then added the water to the boil. Then added Golding's hops on a rolling boil. After 30 minutes I added the hallertau for 15/20 minutes, along with some Irish moss. Then transferred the boil to a fermentation tub, filtering it through the hops. Topped up to 3 gallons with cold water. Left it to cool slightly, then added yeast and remainder of sugar. Sampled a drop of the wort, and it tasted like "real" bitter.

Apologies for the mix of Imperial and Metric weights/temps. But that's how I work. :)
 
This is what it turned out like. Very happy with it. Has had 2 days in the bottle, so still needs to clear and carb fully. Tastes just like 'real' beer.

image-353578445.jpg
 
Sounds great! Where in the world did you find roasted malted buckwheat?
Sorry for the noob question, but that 2 hour mash, did that produce enough fermentable sugars to make a good beer or did you add some sort of extract at all?
 
Hey, no worries dude. Ask away. :)


I malted and roasted the buckwheat myself. I added 1lb of clear honey, and around 1lb of Demerara sugar. 2 tablespoons of molasses for the color.
 
Thanks!

As for the Malting + Roasting did you just soak it in water for a few days, then roast it in the oven and a few hours, followed by wafting in a paper bag as most people do?
 
Soaked for about 6 hours in double the amount of water to groats. Then strained but kept the groats moist. Turning on a morning, then when I got in on a night. Better to do it on a weekend though, when you can keep an eye on them. Took about 2 days fully. Then put them on an oven tray and roasted until they were the roast I wanted. Then put them in a bag and in the cupboard until I wanted to use them. :)
 
Looks great, I'm hoping to get around to brewing this weekend. If not though, it'll be the following weekend before I get the time.
 
Cool man. Let me know how it goes. :)

I would leave it at 3 gallons, if I was you. My first attempt was so weak because I did it up to 5 gallons from 3. But this one is just like a German/British beer. I love it. Made 3 gallons and kept it at that. Good body on it. Hoppy first taste, slight nutty after taste. Perfect head retention too.
 
I think they are Imperial, man. 5litres to 1 gallon. I think that's right. Though I would double check.
 
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