Questions about GF Beer with Honey ...

My wife and I are *very* new to the wine making scene ... we decided we needed a hobby and since we both like wine we decided this what we wanted to do.
Well, since she is also allergic to gluten I figured to branch out just a bit and try a batch of GF beer.
She really wants a honey beer and this is where I have a questions for the brew pros ... the recipe I am going to try uses 6lbs of rice syrup, is this what I replace with the honey? And if so, what ratio for the replacement? 1 to 1?
This is for a 5 gallon batch ...

We are so new we have months before we can even sample our first batch
currently in carboys:
Mead with Honeycrisp cider added
Cherry / Concord Grape
Rhubarb
Blueberry Mead

First, welcome to the forum and congrats on starting the new hobby. I think you'd do good using the search function, but check this thread here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/any-tips-using-honey-140712/ for tips on making a honey beer (if the honey flavor is what you want). I can tell you though, that you substitue sorghum syrup 1:1 for malt extract so maybe the rice syrup is the same.

If you want your beer to taste like honey, use honey malt grains. Real honey pretty much just ferments out into alchahol and does not add much flavor. Good for boosting the ABV though.

mrk305 said:

If you want your beer to taste like honey, use honey malt grains. Real honey pretty much just ferments out into alchahol and does not add much flavor. Good for boosting the ABV though.

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Honey malt is not gluten free.

Add the honey after primary fermentation, and choose a strong tasting honey (look at mead making resources) and you'll have some honey flavor.

Also try bottle priming with honey.

What exactly does "bottle priming" mean?

Adding sugar to the beer immediately before bottling so that the fermentation taking place in the bottles carbonates the beer.

Hi,

I've brewed a GF honey lager which was really good. You can check out the recipe and instructions here. You could probably add more honey than I did if you want a more honey taste, or like remilard said prime with honey as well.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=35492&st=0

Colm

Thanks!! Looks like a recipe I can use.

Here is the recipe "Americanized" for those of us who are "metric impaired".



Celiacsurvivor's GF Honey Lager Recipe


2.8 kg (6.17lbs) Sorghum Malt

0.5Kg (1.10lbs) Honey (I used Pams clover honey)

28g (.99oz) Saaz Hops – Bittering (60min)

15g (.53oz) Saaz Hops – Flavouring (20min)

7g (.25oz) Saaz Hops – Aroma (10min)

7g (.25oz) Saaz Hops – Aroma (end of boil)

(I used Czech saaz hops from Nelson 4.4%AA)

5g (.18oz) Irish Moss

Fermentis Saflager S-23 yeast or Saflager W-34/70 (not sure which I threw the packet away)



In a large pot add approx 1kg (2.2lbs) Sorghum Liquid Extract and 8 liters (2.11gal) of hot water. Mix well until the extract is totally dissolved. Bring this liquid to the boil. ( this takes a while and should start with nearly boiled water).



After the liquid has been boiling for a few minutes, add the 28g (.99oz) Saaz Hop Pellets (bittering hops) to the pot and boil for a further 60 minutes. Adding the hops to the boil will cause some foaming. Stir the pot if required.*Start the 60 min timer from this addition of hops.



At 20 minutes from the end of boil, add 15g (.53oz) Cascade Hop Pellets (Flavour hops).

At 10 minutes from the end of boil, add 7g (.25oz) Cascade Hop Pellets (Aroma hops), and 1 teaspoon of Irish moss

After 60 minutes boiling, stop the boil and add the 7g (.25oz) Saaz Hop Pellets (Aroma Hops) to the pot. Also add the remaining extract to the pot and stir well until totally dissolved.

Add the honey and leave for 10 minutes to allow it to sterilize and melt.



Cool the hot liquid by placing the pot with the lid on in a sink of cold water for about 30 minutes.


Add the cooled wort and fridge cold water to fermenter. Top up to 22lt (5.81gal) with more water and stir vigorously. Sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the liquid and ferment at 4-11°C. (39.20F– 51.80F)

I cooled it to ~130C (55.40F) then pitched the yeast and put it outside in the shed.




I think I will try this one .....

Just a heads up, this is a lager which you will need to keep cooler than an ale. Check the yeast packet for temperature specs to give you an idea

I would recommend that you read the rest of the thread that I originally posted this recipe on. I had problems with the yeast and a lot of trub. I also recommend you use a yeast starter if you can.

Its coming into winter in the US isn't it, this should be a perfect time to brew a lager.

If you live somewhere cold, I would brew a normal GF brew, rack, set it outside for a couple of days away from sunlight to crash cool it and settle out the yeast. Rack, then add maybe .25 lbs of a honey to make a sweet honey flavoured drink.
Crash cooling provides some very interesting options in brewing.
I love my braggots and meads, but the honey will be fermented out making a lighter, and thinner tasted beer.
It all depends on what your looking for.
If your new to home brewing, check out the cider and mead sections. See if anything peaks your interest.

We are actually trying to get into meads ... I am just taking a short side trip to get some "drinkable" GF beer on hand for when my wife feels like having a beer.
I have 2 different batches of mead currently fermenting ...

I have had the opportunity to experience first hand the problems in getting the grains necessary for GF brewing .... Not only could I not find any leads (outside of a link to a company in South Africa) for malted Sorghum ... I could not find any local retailers for sorghum grain at all ...
Oh, well ... I am going to try a substitution of a grain mix for the sorghum ... I am going to use buckwheat groats, white quinoa and millet.

Androshen said:

I have had the opportunity to experience first hand the problems in getting the grains necessary for GF brewing .... Not only could I not find any leads (outside of a link to a company in South Africa) for malted Sorghum ... I could not find any local retailers for sorghum grain at all ...
Oh, well ... I am going to try a substitution of a grain mix for the sorghum ... I am going to use buckwheat groats, white quinoa and millet.

Click to expand...

Check http://twinvalleymills.com/ for grains. I've bought some from here and malted them myself