My first GF brew...

Well, just after buying all the equipment and 2 beer kids, my Doc informed me that I need to go gluten free.

So, I found a source for some sorghum syrup, and I'm planning on trying to make my first GF batch of beer.

My first thought was to simply try to swap out the sorghum for the malt extract in one of the kits I have. I have 2 kits, a belgian Witbier and a Tripel. I was thinking about doing this with the Witbier, since it doesn't have any specialty grains.

So, I guess my recipe then would be:

FERMENTABLES
-- 6.3 lbs Sorghum syrup
HOPS & FLAVORINGS
-- 2 oz French Strisselspalt (60 min)
-- 1 oz Coriander Seed (10 min)
-- 1 oz Bitter Orange Peel (1 min)

Anything I should add or modify? (For example, should I use more or less sorghum than I would have used Wheat Malt? Should I add some sugar or anything else? I'm worried about what 'anything else' might be, as the nearest brew store is pretty limited, so I'm thinking anything I can't get at a grocery store or the local food coop, I'd have to have shipped).

Some people perceive sorghum as having a sweet finish, some find it spicy. Sorghum syrup tends to be less fermentable than barley or wheat extract. Brew Craft advises 70-75% fermentable. Swapping a pound of sorghum for a pound of rice syrup or dextrose, will dry the beer out a little.

You might brew this with only 5 lbs of sorghum and make a judgment call after the primary fermentation is done.

Keep use posted and let us know what you think. I have a feeling that you will modify your recipe the next few times.

I'm sure I'll end up modifying it...

I did run to nearest brew shop (to get my dry yeast), and I picked up a bag of flaked maize, and this morning at the local coop I got a bag of Millet and a bag of buckwheat groats.

Tonight I'm going to brew my Trippel, and tomorrow I'll probably try my first GF brew.

So if anyone has any great ideas for modifications, I've got buckwheat groats, millet, and flaked maize. I couldn't find any GF rice syrup. I also have, or can easily get at a store, such usual items as corn sugar, corn syrup, white/brown rice, corn flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour, etc...

I've thought about using the buckwheat, maize (or both) like specialty grains, but I have no idea how much I would use. (I thought about the millet, but it looks like I would need a finer bag for that, I think it would go right through the bags I have now...)

Whole foods Market sells GF rice syrup in the sweetener isle. They also carry roasted buckwheat at my local Whole Foods. They have 2 locations in Wisconsin

Bartman said:

Whole foods Market sells GF rice syrup in the sweetener isle. They also carry roasted buckwheat at my local Whole Foods. They have 2 locations in Wisconsin

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Unfortunately, we don't have one of those anywhere nearby (nearest one is Madison, which is a little over 140 miles, and then St Paul, which is only a few miles further...)

dorklord said:

Unfortunately, we don't have one of those anywhere nearby (nearest one is Madison, which is a little over 140 miles, and then St Paul, which is only a few miles further...)

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I guess mail order is the answer for you.