Help me get started? First GF brew.

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scottmd06

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Alright Ive got 6lbs Sorghum Syrup and 2lbs Brown Rice syrup going into this one. Do I start a boil with 2.5 gallons of water and mix these syrups in and boil 60 mins? Im not sure if Im supposed to have malto dextrin or not..
 
Alright Ive got 6lbs Sorghum Syrup and 2lbs Brown Rice syrup going into this one. Do I start a boil with 2.5 gallons of water and mix these syrups in and boil 60 mins? Im not sure if Im supposed to have malto dextrin or not..

You can do that and add the maltodextrin in the last 10-15 minutes. Do you have a recipe you are working off of?

Depending on the type of beer, I sometimes wait till the last 15 minutes to add my syrups...depending.
 
Alright Ive got 6lbs Sorghum Syrup and 2lbs Brown Rice syrup going into this one. Do I start a boil with 2.5 gallons of water and mix these syrups in and boil 60 mins? Im not sure if Im supposed to have malto dextrin or not..

This will work great for your first brew. Maltodextrin is not necessary, so don't worry about if you don't have it.

After you add it, let the boil come back and then add your first round of hops.

Most important of all: Have fun and keep a GF beer on hand to drink during the process.
 
I'm attempting a Fat Tire GF Clone for a friend. Going to copy the hop schedule over but use the 6lbs Sorghum, 2lbs Brown Rice Syrup, and 8oz of Molasses as my base... So do I just bring the water to a boil, add in all the syrups and let it boil an hour?
 
I'm attempting a Fat Tire GF Clone for a friend. Going to copy the hop schedule over but use the 6lbs Sorghum, 2lbs Brown Rice Syrup, and 8oz of Molasses as my base... So do I just bring the water to a boil, add in all the syrups and let it boil an hour?

While it is boiling for that hour, you add hops at specified times, but otherwise, yes.

What kind of molasses?
 
I'm not sure, but I had read that the molasses would impart a little more body to the beer, since the sorghum and brown rice syrup tends to leave the beer a little lacking in the flavor... maybe not? Would I be fine with just starting the boil, dissolving in the syrups and then starting the hop additions? With the 1oz of the Fuggle and 1oz of the Willamette, what should my hop schedule be to get the same IBUs as the real Fat Tire? Every recipe I've seen has different hops used even.. The recipe I wanted to do didn't give times, just had the alphas indicated.
 
Unfortunately I'm not fully educated in the brew science and in depth knowledge of hops. I typically just use one type of hops in my other brews and follow a basic schedule of 1/2 oz. for 45mins, then another 1/2 oz. for 15mins.. I'm still a newbie (only 5 batches under my belt). But I'd really like to get close with this Fat Tire GF clone for my buddy and his wife.
 
Yes, you would be fine.

I've only used blackstrap molasses in my brown ale and I think I like what it did. I'll know better once I rebrew it with more.

Try this one from the other thread
A faint burnt, coffee-esque flavor. I would replace with .25oz of coffee.

Maybe something like:
6lb Brown Rice Syrup (60min)
1lb Amber Candi Syrup (60min)
.25oz Coffee (Primary)
4tsp Yeast Nutrient (When pitching yeast)

Copy the hop schedule from your clone.

Ferment with Fermentis S33.

Good luck!
 
Grounds to the fermenter.

I have tasted fat tire though, and I would now suggest only using .1oz, especially with no molasses or candi syrup.

You need something to make it a litter darker to be a true clone, but there are other things that should be looked at first when cloning fat tire GF. But hey, you gotta brew what you gotta brew.
 
I can do the molasses... that was part of my original plan. I just dont know how much. And if I do the coffee, Im scaleless so Id need an estimate in cups or something on how much ground coffee to pour in. Also, would the grounds just become part of the yeast cake or will I have to sift it out somehow?
 
I can do the molasses... that was part of my original plan. I just dont know how much. And if I do the coffee, Im scaleless so Id need an estimate in cups or something on how much ground coffee to pour in. Also, would the grounds just become part of the yeast cake or will I have to sift it out somehow?

It will settle like everything else.

Estimate of how much coffee is in .1oz? Pinch some between your first 3 fingers twice and drop both in.

Molasses? Never used them, but I wouldn't suggest more than 4oz blackstrap, maybe up to 8oz light. That is just based on what I have heard though, maybe Logan can help you get more exact with how fat tire tastes. I still recommend amber candi syrup though. Here is a webpage that details the taste it leaves.
http://www.darkcandi.com/am.html = Less intense of http://www.darkcandi.com/d.html
 
We'll its been a LONGGGG time since I've had a Fat Tire and I can't say I've always been a fan. I always thought it was a bit malty. I have used 8 oz of blackstrap molasses in my brown ale and was very pleased, if you want to be conservative- use 4 until you can experiment more with it.

But I agree with the post above, if you can use the amber candi syrup- do it. Unless you have to brew this immediately, gather some more ingredients and do a little more research.
 
We'll its been a LONGGGG time since I've had a Fat Tire and I can't say I've always been a fan. I always thought it was a bit malty. I have used 8 oz of blackstrap molasses in my brown ale and was very pleased, if you want to be conservative- use 4 until you can experiment more with it.

But I agree with the post above, if you can use the amber candi syrup- do it. Unless you have to brew this immediately, gather some more ingredients and do a little more research.

Me too on the time issue. From what I remember, it was well balanced hop to malt, but with a funky little yeast flavor. I don't really care for it myself, even though I do normally like Belgian yeast flavors.

The yeast is why I recommended S33 over S05. Ferment high too if you can.

What do blackstrap molasses taste like anyway?
 
Alright boys heres what Im thinking... 5lbs Sorghum Syrup, 1lb Brown Rice Syrup, and 6oz Molasses into boil. Hop with .5oz Willamette for 60 mins, .25oz Fuggle for 20 mins, add Yeast nutrient, then .25oz Fuggle for last 5 mins... Total boil just over 90 mins. Sound reasonable?
 
Alright boys heres what Im thinking... 5lbs Sorghum Syrup, 1lb Brown Rice Syrup, and 6oz Molasses into boil. Hop with .5oz Willamette for 60 mins, .25oz Fuggle for 20 mins, add Yeast nutrient, then .25oz Fuggle for last 5 mins... Total boil just over 90 mins. Sound reasonable?

With that you won't come close in color or bitterness. Try:

5 lbs Sorghum Syrup (90 min)
1 lb Amber Candi Sugar (90 min)
4 oz Molasses (90 min)
1 lb BRS (15 min)
2 oz Williamette (90 min)
.5 oz Fuggle (45 min)
.25 oz Fuggle (15 min)

You can add yeast nutrient and irish moss if you want and I'm not sure what yeast you are using.

This should get you 1050 OG and 35.9 IBU's and a nice amber color. I don't know how much sense the hop schedule makes I was playing around with it to up the IBU's.
 
Adding hops at 45min is basically the same as 60 with less utilization. I have seen fat tire clones with IBUs all over the map, but from tasting I would target around 20. Also, I think they use willamette as their finishing hop, not fuggles. And Willamette is so cheap right now anyway.

Maybe something like:
1oz Willamette (90)
.5oz Willamette (25)
.5oz Willamette (10)

Otherwise, I totally agree with Logan above.

You shouldn't need yeast nutrient with that much sorghum, too much FAN can cause a metallic taste. Also, I will reiterate my recommendation of S-33 yeast, even though you didn't mention a yeast. S-33 is the cheapest!
 
Oh- the one I listed above was for a partial boil. If you are doing a full boil bump each hop addition down .25 oz and you should still be around 20 IBU's

Good point. +1, except I would leave the second two additions alone. They are not for IBUs. Just mess with the first addition.
 
Like I said a friend picked up certain ingredients and wants me to brew this. I cant afford to be adding other things to it, I have no money. The yeast he got from the shop was the Fermentis US5. I told him to get Wyeast 1056 but he had no way to keep it cool on the ride over. Were in Phoenix. I just have to make due with what I have and so what if it isnt Fat Tire. More or less he just wants this to be a full bodied GF beer his wife will enjoy.
 
Like I said a friend picked up certain ingredients and wants me to brew this. I cant afford to be adding other things to it, I have no money. The yeast he got from the shop was the Fermentis US5. I told him to get Wyeast 1056 but he had no way to keep it cool on the ride over. Were in Phoenix. I just have to make due with what I have and so what if it isnt Fat Tire. More or less he just wants this to be a full bodied GF beer his wife will enjoy.

He made the right choice, Wyeast is not gluten free.

Either way, you are going to make beer.
 
So does the BRS need to go in late in the boil? I noticed on the schedule someone posted that I should add the BRS with my last hop addition.
 
Alrighty then. Well Im going to fire up the burner in a few and get this baby started. Gonna clean the gear really well first! Gluten bad! lol
 
Shes in the primary! I ended up doing 1oz Willamette for 60 mins, .25oz Fuggle for 20 mins, then .25oz Fuggle 5 more mins. I had 6.5lbs of Sorghum so I used all of it and about 2lbs of BRS and the 4oz of Molasses. My OG is reading at 1.065, I hope I didnt kill the brew by upping the alc content. What do you guys think?
 
It looks a bit darker but theres some hops that need to settle out still. You dont think my US05 yeasties will choke out with that gravity, do you?
 
It looks a bit darker but theres some hops that need to settle out still. You dont think my US05 yeasties will choke out with that gravity, do you?

Its about the perfect gravity for that much yeast, they will be very happy. Now, relax and drink a beer, and be patient.
 
I can't drink because of the steroid I'm on for my brain cancer and the swelling, but thanks for the suggestion lol I'm just a dedicated brewer, regardless whether I can drink of not. So where abouts will the gravity drop to? I'm not sure what to expect from this brew... Am I looking at a 7-8% gluten free beer that might be like Fat Tire.
 
I can't drink because of the steroid I'm on for my brain cancer and the swelling, but thanks for the suggestion lol I'm just a dedicated brewer, regardless whether I can drink of not. So where abouts will the gravity drop to? I'm not sure what to expect from this brew... Am I looking at a 7-8% gluten free beer that might be like Fat Tire.

The only thing that will be like Fat Tire about this beer will be the name and somewhat the hop schedule. I would relax about it being close to Fat Tire, and just tell whomever you are giving it to that it tastes like Fat Tire. Their mind will do the rest to make it taste like it.

I'd say this beer will be about 6.5% ABV.
 
Alrighty. So on Saturday Ill rack it to secondary and save my yeast cake for a future brew. Think a week should be enough in primary?
 
Alrighty. So on Saturday Ill rack it to secondary and save my yeast cake for a future brew. Think a week should be enough in primary?

I'd go at least 3 weeks for that brew. A month would be preferred.

I didn't see you were using a secondary...any reason for the secondary?
 
Well I just normally rack my brews into a secondary. Was recommended to do so in the kits I started with. So when the fermentation slows after about a week I usually rack to secondary and let it go for another two weeks before bottling. Would it hurt to do this with the GF brew?
 
I don't always do a secondary and I especially don't do one with my <1 gallon batches. I guess it is really up to you on this one, I am sure there is an argument for both sides and I don't know the pros or cons, but hey- sometimes I'm just lazy and I don't do it!
 
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