Getting rid of the champagne feel

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Satisfaction

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So we've been brewing GF for a couple months now and I was wondering what you all do to get rid of the large CO2 bubbles.

Have not tried maltodextrine yet.. it is included in the next brew day recipe. Does this lessen some of that bite?
 
I am still figuring out what styles my wife likes the best so I have been skipping around styles from ales to lagers. I am up to 15 batches, but they all have that CO2 bite. I found that using the Briess Sorghum and it makes pretty decent beers.

Here is a couple different brews that has been put together so far. Almost all the inspiration has come from this board.


#2 Hoppy to be gluten free
Style: American India Pale Ale OG: 1.054
Type: Extract FG: 1.015
Rating: 2.0 ABV: 5.11 %
Calories: 177 IBU's: 21.33
Efficiency: 70 % Boil Size: 5.81 Gal
Color: 4.2 SRM Batch Size: 5.00 Gal
Boil Time: 60 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Bottle/Keg 14 days @ 74.0°F
Primary 14 days @ 68.0°F
Secondary 7 days @ 72.0°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
7.50 lbs 100.00 % Briess White Sorghum LME 60 mins 1.037

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
0.50 ozs 1.93 Cascade 5 mins 5.50
1.00 ozs 0.00 Cascade 0 mins 5.50
1.00 ozs Cascade 7 days 5.50
1.00 ozs 19.40 Cascade 60 mins 5.50

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
0.8 pkg California Ale V White Labs 0051

______________________________________
#10 Gluten Free Blood Orange Hefe
Style: Weizen/Weissbier OG: 1.066
Type: Extract FG: 1.020
Rating: 0.0 ABV: 6.03 %
Calories: 218 IBU's: 15.84
Efficiency: 70 % Boil Size: 5.07 Gal
Color: 4.3 SRM Batch Size: 4.50 Gal
Boil Time: 75 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Bottle/Keg 14 days @ 74.0°F
Primary 7 days @ 68.0°F
Secondary 14 days @ 72.0°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
1.00 lbs 11.63 % Briess Rice, Flaked 75 mins 1.032
1.00 lbs 11.63 % Corn Sugar (Dextrose) 45 mins 1.046
6.60 lbs 76.74 % Briess White Sorghum LME 45 mins 1.037

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
0.50 ozs 2.82 Tettnang 10 mins 4.50
0.50 ozs 4.71 Tettnang 20 mins 4.50
0.50 ozs 8.30 Hallertauer 60 mins 4.80

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
1.0 pkg Safbrew WB-06 Fermentis WB-06

Additions
Amount Name Time Stage
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient 20 mins Boil
2.50 each Orange Zest 20 mins Boil
5.00 each Blood Oranges 20 mins Boil
__________________________________________

#4 Gluten Free Lime Top
Style: Witbier OG: 1.051
Type: Extract FG: 1.013
Rating: 2.5 ABV: 4.98 %
Calories: 167 IBU's: 32.77
Efficiency: 70 % Boil Size: 5.81 Gal
Color: 4.0 SRM Batch Size: 5.00 Gal
Boil Time: 60 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Bottle/Keg 14 days @ 74.0°F
Primary 7 days @ 68.0°F
Secondary 14 days @ 72.0°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
7.00 lbs 100.00 % Briess White Sorghum LME 60 mins 1.037

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
1.00 ozs 4.26 Mt. Hood 5 mins 6.00
1.00 ozs 28.50 Pearle 60 mins 8.00

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
2.0 pkg Nottingham Danstar

Additions
Amount Name Time Stage
1.00 lb Honey 20 mins Boil
1.00 oz Lime Peal 10 mins Boil
1.00 oz Irish Moss 15 mins Boil
6.00 oz Lime Juice 30 mins Boil
_________________________________________
#8 Honey of a gluten free lager
Style: Standard American Lager OG: 1.041
Type: Extract FG: 1.010
Rating: 0.0 ABV: 4.06 %
Calories: 134 IBU's: 16.90
Efficiency: 70 % Boil Size: 5.65 Gal
Color: 3.2 SRM Batch Size: 5.00 Gal
Boil Time: 40 minutes

Fermentation Steps
Name Days / Temp
Bottle/Keg 14 days @ 74.0°F
Lager 48 days @ 35.0°F
Primary 24 days @ 57.5°F

Grains & Adjuncts
Amount Percentage Name Time Gravity
0.50 lbs 8.62 % Corn Syrup 40 mins 1.036
0.50 lbs 8.62 % Rice Extract Syrup 40 mins 1.032
1.50 lbs 25.86 % Honey 40 mins 1.035
3.30 lbs 56.90 % Briess White Sorghum LME 40 mins 1.037

Hops
Amount IBU's Name Time AA %
0.50 ozs 11.09 Hallertauer 40 mins 6.50
0.75 ozs 0.00 Saaz 0 mins 4.00
0.75 ozs 5.81 Cascade 10 mins 5.50

Yeasts
Amount Name Laboratory / ID
2.0 pkg Bavarian Lager Wyeast Labs 2206
 
I notice that you didn't mention what you're priming with, or how you are calculating your priming sugar additions. If you're over-priming, that could be a problem. Also, these look like very "light" beers, as far as body would go. Adding some adjunct grains, like GF instant oats, toasted buckwheat, malted quinoa, etc., or some maltodextrin, will thicken the body, lessening the champagne-like character. Thin beers generally end up kind of soda-like if over-carbonated. So I'd say maybe thicken the beer, or reduce the priming sugar, or both.
 
I my experience, the lighter bodies beers I've made, and those with higher levels of carbonation, have seemed to have that 'big bubbles' mouthfeel.

Cold aging seems to help, as does the maltodextrin.
 
Thanks guys, I will be cutting the priming sugar content by 15% and stick with the plan of adding maltodextrin on the next batch and see how it turns out.

To date I have been using similar amounts of sugars that would be used in the all grain styles that have more body and can withstand the higher carbonation levels.

This is one of those things you need to think of when you change over to GF brewing.

:mug:
 
Don't forget that you're not brewing with any malt at all. The sorghum syrup doesn't give the flavor or mouthfeel of malt in my experience.
 
What about gluten free oats? Oats tend to add a little mouth feel. I dont brew gluten free, but have baked it, so take my advice for what its worth . . . free.
 
Oats definitely do help. I used them a bunch before I learned about maltodextrin, and I've never had a brew come out "thin" or "champagne-like". Use the "instant" kind, and toast them a bit first. I use 1 lb per 3-gallon batch.
 
I'd so go with both oats and maltodextrin. Even though the oats may not give the mouthfeel you're looking for, it's got to be better than Sorghum syrup + simple sugars. Maltodextrin is great, cheap and easy to use.

Also, on the last brew you listed Wyeast, which is not gluten free. You also list White Labs which is very nearly gluten free. If you wash a glutenous yeast from a gluten free batch, it's then effectively purified, since the gluten comes from the growing medium and not the yeast itself.
 
muench1 said:
Also, on the last brew you listed Wyeast, which is not gluten free. You also list White Labs which is very nearly gluten free. If you wash a glutenous yeast from a gluten free batch, it's then effectively purified, since the gluten comes from the growing medium and not the yeast itself.

Good observation, I wash the yeast several times. The solution is through dilution.. :)
 

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