ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
I buy it at a co-op. Threw it in the last 15 minutes of boil. You really have to stir well or it clumps up and makes dry little cocoa dumplings.
GF Brewing with Chestnuts
- Thread starter mattinboston
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
OK, I will try this first.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
You might want to put the powder in in a glass of cold water and mix it before you put it in wort. Kind of like making gravey. You never put your thicking flour directly in hot drippings. Alas, one big clump.
ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
flour in cold water? Blasphemy! I only make my gravies from a roux! *snooty foodsnob look*
Alright, I broke down and bought a refractometer today. I just measured the wort sample from the fridge. It has settled quite a bit since brew day. The sample measured at 11 on the Brix. So that means a starting gravity of 1.044. So, maybe a little more honey next time, but not much more. It smells awesome (definetly nuts and chocolate, along with the pine and citrus from the hops)...cant wait to drink it!!!!! Matt, do you have an idea where your chestnut beers finished gravity wise?
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Guess I haven't got the private mail thing fiqured.
ChshreCat
Well-Known Member
<------ saves that number for a 1am drunk dial sometime in the future. 
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Great!! Don't drop that. I did and had to epoxy flip lid back on but it still works.
mattinboston
Active Member
Thanks Lee - I emailed you. You might want to take at least your cell num off of this post. Just a friendly tip!
mattinboston
Active Member
FYI to you guys...
I'm brewing two beers today. One with dark roasted chips to make a schwarzbier, and taking another shot at an IIPA to improve on my previous pretty good one.
I'll be experimenting with the pectinase for clarity in the black lager as well as some CaCl2 to assist the alpha-amylase with the conversion of the chestnut starches for the IIPA (in working at 150 degree mash for such a long time I worry that the alpha-amylase will quickly be deactivated, decreasing yields). Theoretically adding calcium ions to decrease pH should help....... we'll see. I'm going to measure pH with my digital reader to see.
I'm brewing two beers today. One with dark roasted chips to make a schwarzbier, and taking another shot at an IIPA to improve on my previous pretty good one.
I'll be experimenting with the pectinase for clarity in the black lager as well as some CaCl2 to assist the alpha-amylase with the conversion of the chestnut starches for the IIPA (in working at 150 degree mash for such a long time I worry that the alpha-amylase will quickly be deactivated, decreasing yields). Theoretically adding calcium ions to decrease pH should help....... we'll see. I'm going to measure pH with my digital reader to see.
mattinboston
Active Member
Just put my black lager into fermentation. Those dark chips make a nice sweet wort! It will come out with a lighter color than it should though, I can tell already.
I could keep it in the right color range, but that would probably keep the OG a little too high for the style, so I'm going with the OG to start and maybe I'll tweak the color in a subsequent batch. Taste over color every time!
The calcium carbonate (CaCl2) brought the pH down to 5.8 so I think that may have helped with the yield.
The IIPA is tomorrow's project. My first chestnut lager is off and running in fermentation.
I could keep it in the right color range, but that would probably keep the OG a little too high for the style, so I'm going with the OG to start and maybe I'll tweak the color in a subsequent batch. Taste over color every time!
The calcium carbonate (CaCl2) brought the pH down to 5.8 so I think that may have helped with the yield.
The IIPA is tomorrow's project. My first chestnut lager is off and running in fermentation.
mattinboston
Active Member
Yeah both beers I brewed this weekend were pure chestnut brews (well with corn sugar...). Both my IIPA and my Black Lager are fermenting actively now. The Black Lager does look great... we'll see how it turns out in about 4 weeks when lagering is complete. The IIPA should be ready in a couple weeks after secondary and dry hopping.
Almost out of chestnut chips (2 lbs left)... Time to re-order.
Curious to know if u boiled the chips this time before mashing? I was afraid to go above 160 area with them. After more readiing, I guess we are just trying to get them as soft and easy to break down as we can, cool down to 150 area and then add the amylase. Leaving them overnight as you and lee have suggested should give the enzymes time to do their thing. Mine cooled down to 120 last time which I guess is good as it like doing a protein rest. I think the gypsum will help in full conversion also. Did u add pectain this time? Any gravity/brix readings this time? My Ipa from last week is now showing 4 on the refractometer.
Remember, presence of alcohol screws up refractometer readings. Use a converter.
Something like this works (the bottom one)
http://brew.stderr.net/refractometer.html
Yeah, I did see those converters. I am new to the whole refractometer thing and bought one after dropping my hydrometer on the ground last week. If I use the converter, I'm showing a gravity reading of 1 already. This can't be right, can it? Original refracto reading was 11 and that was only a week ago. Help me mr refracto wizard. Lol
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Hey guys, I've been reading through this thread and it's pretty interesting. I've never done gluten-free but I have a friend who is gluten intolerant so I told her I would do some research into it and make a batch for her. I am pretty sure I am going to use chestnuts because you all make them sound much better than sorghum.
Matt is there any way you can get me a recipe for any of the beers you've had good success with? She doesn't know what style she wants me to make and I don't know what I would like to try, but it's been a while since she's had any beer so I'm sure she would appreciate anything. Thanks!
Matt is there any way you can get me a recipe for any of the beers you've had good success with? She doesn't know what style she wants me to make and I don't know what I would like to try, but it's been a while since she's had any beer so I'm sure she would appreciate anything. Thanks!
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
You can boil the chips with anyout problem. Just be sure to let the wort cool down to 150-160 or so before you add enzymes. I let them set for 24 hours with enzymes. It will take a while to cool down because of chemical action of the enzymes. They are not high heat stable. Chestsnuts won't glob up like barley etc that have glutens. When you boil with your first hops they will be destroyed.
Leeinwa
Blackhawkbrew
Well-Known Member
Lee, I have a neighbor that recently found out that he's gluten intolerant. I would like to brew him this chestnut recipe posted from Trails End. Some questions about your technique: when do you start soaking the chestnut chips? From what I understand they need to soak for up to 12 hours. Should they soak at a consistent temperature (140-150)? What hops did you use for your first chestnut brew?
Thanks for all the info - and sorry in advance for all the forthcoming questions.
Thanks for all the info - and sorry in advance for all the forthcoming questions.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
The recipe I have on www.chestnuttrails.com under the beer tab is being updated. I should have that done this by Saturday. It's been a progress thing since I started about four years ago or so. Got lots of ideas from experience and others in the last couple of months. On Saturday check the www listed above and you can go from there. As it says it's just a recipe and not a "learn how to"
Questions are not a problem
Leeinwa
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Ok fellas, are there any yeasts that don't work well with chestnuts that you have discovered? I am going to try to do a strong Belgian ale with medium roasted chestnuts, but I want to make sure Belgian Ale yeast would work for it. I think I've read that some strains don't like sorghum very much but wasn't sure if that held true for chestnuts.
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Also, is Irish Moss GF? I don't know if that's a dumb question but since I don't have a gluten intolerance I don't know.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
I've used Safe Ale [not certified GF] and use Turbo Yeast for high ABV [ 19%] in my liqueurs. All of Lallamend's yeast are GF and they will give you a letter of certification stating that. 2/3's of the fermentables will be from the corn sugars which give a new clean alcohol.
Iris Moss is derived from red seaweed and glutens come from cereal grains. I use concentrated Iris moss and people I know that that make GF chestnut beer for their celiac friends have never had a problem
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Where do you find pectinase?
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Well I'm trying to mimic a strong Belgian ale. Here is what I'm thinking of using for a 5 gallon batch:
5 lbs medium roast chestnut chips
5 lbs Brown Sugar
1 lb Belgian Candi Sugar (Amber)
1 oz Sterling hops (full boil)
I want to use a Belgian ale yeast strain so I just wanted to make sure chestnuts will ferment well with any yeast strain. I also need a yeast strain that can handle a higher alcohol content as I want this to be at least 8% ABV. I calculated it out using other random grains in place of chestnuts and I came out at about 7.6-8.5 ABV each time.
Anyone have any suggestions/similar calculations?
5 lbs medium roast chestnut chips
5 lbs Brown Sugar
1 lb Belgian Candi Sugar (Amber)
1 oz Sterling hops (full boil)
I want to use a Belgian ale yeast strain so I just wanted to make sure chestnuts will ferment well with any yeast strain. I also need a yeast strain that can handle a higher alcohol content as I want this to be at least 8% ABV. I calculated it out using other random grains in place of chestnuts and I came out at about 7.6-8.5 ABV each time.
Anyone have any suggestions/similar calculations?
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
I got it from my brother who owns a large winery but it's available in most places that sell beer and wine making supplies
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Alright, I just wasn't seeing it on my normal brew supply sites, I'll just have to dig a little deeper.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
If you get the brix to 15% you'll have an alcohol poteniality 8% Abv. Sounds like your added fermentables will give that much. Remember brown sugar is brown because in has not had the molassas removed to become white sugar. It's usually made from beets or cane. You'll probably get a taste of that [molassas] in your brew. I'd check with manufacturer to find out what the alcohol tolorence of a specific yeast is. Wort temp is so important to obtain maximum yeast action.
Sterlings have about the same alpha acid [7-9] as Cascades so they should impart a pretty good flavor. I still like the hint of citrus that the Cascades give.
leeinwa
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Just go to the wine making supplies. It's a common used ingredient.
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Thanks Lee you've been a huge help. So what would you use instead of brown sugar? I feel like corn sugar won't really add any character to my beer so I was looking for character in the brown sugar. But I don't know if molassas is what I'm looking for.
averyrm
Member
This sounds great! I have so many beers I want to try and make, this is just adding to the list.
The beer I miss most is a Dunkelweizen. I've been trying to figure out what to put in a gluten free variety of that that, I don't know if chestnuts would work or not? Being able to get rid of the sorghum taste would be grand though.
The beer I miss most is a Dunkelweizen. I've been trying to figure out what to put in a gluten free variety of that that, I don't know if chestnuts would work or not? Being able to get rid of the sorghum taste would be grand though.
I'm transferring my chestnut ipa to secondary this weekend. The color looks awesome and the sample I've tasted so far bodes well for many future chestnut brews. You may want to pm matt about The Dunkelveisen. He indicated that he had great results with a "wheat" beer using chestnuts. Lee may have to plant more chestnut trees, if the trend continues!
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Ok, so to make a starter for my GF Strong Belgian Ale I was going to add a little of my candi sugar, and a little of the corn sugar to give it a feel for the fermentables it will be encountering during its life span in my fermenter.
I'm wondering if the sugars from the chestnuts are simple sugars like the ones from the corn sugar and candi sugar? Do I need to steep a half handful of chestnuts with a pinch of amylase and throw that into my starter too? Or are the sugars all the same and it won't matter? Thanks in advance.
I'm wondering if the sugars from the chestnuts are simple sugars like the ones from the corn sugar and candi sugar? Do I need to steep a half handful of chestnuts with a pinch of amylase and throw that into my starter too? Or are the sugars all the same and it won't matter? Thanks in advance.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
I bring the wort mixture to about 160 and add amylase with chestnuts and allow to soak for a day. You'll see that it remains warm for a long preiod due to the enzymatic actions. When you taste the chestnut chips before use, you will find they a sweet taste to them. Chestnut flower taste like reg flour with sugar added. Amylase is a comman additive in modern brewing processes. It is destroyed when you boil the wort.
When you guys get some stuff brewed up it would sure be nice to hear some feed back on your end results.
Leeinwa
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
You'll be surprised at all the great flavors you can get with the chestnuts. I've even surprised myself at times. Rex Halfpenny who publishes the Michigan Beer Guide says the chestnut beer I sent him is the "most beer like GF beer he's tasted.
leeinwa
averyrm
Member
Hmm, I'll have to try and put together a recipe. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Go to chestnuttrails.com and click on beer tab. There's a basic ale recipe that you can tweak the heck out of to get want your taste buds want.
Leeinwa
