Chestnuts: my GF-brewing God-send...

Hi guys - I'm newly registered, though I've been trolling this forum off and on for a couple years now and appreciate all the help!

Anyway, I found out I was highly gluten-intolerant about 6 months ago and therefore have accelerated my homebrewing pace in order to drink good interesting beer again! I think it's the challenge, though maybe the recent purchase of kegging equipment has had an impact too!......

I searched on the forum a little and I can't seem to find anything on using chestnut chips with amylase enzyme as a base for a GF brew. I'm surprised at that... I did some research a few months back and have brewed 4 batches with chestnuts toasted to different levels with great results.

I've tried american pale ales, IIPA's, and recently a killer american cream ale with chestnuts as my only constant. I've mixed in some sorghum syrup, buckwheat, and corn sugar, etc... but all have been good so far and pretty close to style. I'm thinking about lagering in my next chestnut brew.

Anyone else using chestnuts out there in your GF brews? Results? Secrets?

Being from Texas I thought Chestnuts were just something in Nat King Cole songs.

I would be interested to hear more about how you'd brew with them. Ultimately if it makes sugar, has FAN, and avoids gluten, then I'm all for trying to make a beer out of it.

aggieotis said:

I would be interested to hear more about how you'd brew with them. Ultimately if it makes sugar, has FAN, and avoids gluten, then I'm all for trying to make a beer out of it.

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+1 on that

I thought I read some lady's blog a few months back about brewing a gluten free beer with chestnuts. I seem to remember though that they are quite expensive...

Yeah, although I don't scan all the GF threads, I haven't seen any mention of them.

So methinks rather that you looking for insight from us, you may be the one to bring enlightenment on this interesting topic.

So why don't you do a thread teching us what YOU know about it. Share with us your technigues and recipes, and if you can include picts of your processing of them.

I read about them as a gf ingredient before, but because my girlfriend is also allergic to nuts, I wasn't sure if I could use them.

BBBF said:

my girlfriend is also allergic to nuts.

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You must have to drink all the time.

Sorry for the delayed reply - my new son came a little early so we've been in the hospital since i posted this.

aggieotis - I'm a native Texan and TAMU c/o '98 so I know what you mean about chestnuts down there... I thought of them as something mythical along the lines of Sasquatch myself until I moved to New England!

Anyway, they're good to eat roasted per the Christmastime song, but I have to say they are equally good in beer as a barley sub.

Revvy - I hesitate to volunteer as too much of an expert. I've read enough posts from you guys here to know the limits of my knowledge on the subject of beer brewing! In any case, I'll give you all as much as I know and maybe we can get better at this (using chestnuts) as a group...

I'll start another thread... Thanks for the encouragement.

mattinboston said:

I'll start another thread... Thanks for the encouragement.

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Just do it in your original post, it's usually how it's done around these parts.

As for me, I would love to hear how this affects the taste, but being allergic to chestnuts myself, I hesitate to make something I cannot taste, even if it's for my GF...

NUT ALLERGIES? Chestnuts are not a true nut, they are really a fruit. Some nutritional mags list chestnuts as very HYPO-allergenic Fresh chestnuts are perishable and need to be kept refrigerated to extent shelf life. Dried chestnuts will keep for months and are rock hard until reconstituted. Dried nuts and dried products have about the same nutritional content as barley. The sugars are not quite as available that's why amylase adds to final brix when mashing. Usually 4-5%. Supplimental sugars give higher alcohol end results. Corn sugar produces a nice smooth alcohol without residual flavors to cover up the taste of the chestnuts.

Leeinwa said:

NUT ALLERGIES? Chestnuts are not a true nut, they are really a fruit. Some nutritional mags list chestnuts as very HYPO-allergenic Fresh chestnuts are perishable and need to be kept refrigerated to extent shelf life. Dried chestnuts will keep for months and are rock hard until reconstituted. Dried nuts and dried products have about the same nutritional content as barley. The sugars are not quite as available that's why amylase adds to final brix when mashing. Usually 4-5%. Supplimental sugars give higher alcohol end results. Corn sugar produces a nice smooth alcohol without residual flavors to cover up the taste of the chestnuts.

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Good, I take chances anyway, but I also never crave a chestnut.

As discussed before, dextrose doesn't cover anything. The taste is incredibly neutral to a cidery taste that you don't want. Replacing some of the fermentables is a regular practice for us, since we don't really want to taste any of them! I thought Matt was saying this WAS good though, and not to replace!

Leeinwa commented in my profile, but I thought I would bring it back here for all our benefit...

Leeinwa said:

Never craved a chestnut!!! In the US probably 80% of the people have never even eaten one. Regardless , when dried chippped and roasted they make a brew that is excellent. Rex Halfpenny who publishes the Michigan Beer Guide said that some of the chestnut beer I made "" the most beer like GF beer I have ever tasted". Corn sugar and all. Deschutes in your town has made it

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I am all for making good GF beer. It will surely be the most expensive brew I have made per gallon, but if it is good enough, then its probably worth it.

As for Deschutes, they don't use chestnuts in any beer I have had, including the GF ale. That is just Sorghum and Brown Rice Extract.

The corn sugar comment was just to ask that if the chestnuts make the beer taste like Barley, then why cover that taste up/reduce the flavor? I would only do this in normal beers to dry it out or increase ABV in the big boys.

Deschutes did make a batch with chestnuts. Sold it in Portland branch pub.

Chestnut Beer has it's own flavor as all specialty beers do. Many of my friends compare it to Dechutes Black Butte or Obsidian. If you only want a 2 % ABV beer you don't have to add any supplemental fermentables. The corn suger doesn't mask the chestnut flavor just raises the ABV.

lcasanova said:

+1 on that

I thought I read some lady's blog a few months back about brewing a gluten free beer with chestnuts. I seem to remember though that they are quite expensive...

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Have you figured out the cost of good dark roasted barley compared to the cost of chestnuts for a 5-6 gal. batch?

Leeinwa said:

The corn suger doesn't mask the chestnut flavor just raises the ABV.

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Gotcha, its for cost savings. Have you ever tried with just more chestnuts?

The flavor as described by you is roasted barley-esque? Your friends seem to think its a mix of black patent and chocolate? Could be interesting, been looking to try a dark beer out on my SWMBO, i would hope for more of the chocolate/coffe than roasted barley though...

dkershner said:

Gotcha, its for cost savings. Have you ever tried with just more chestnuts?

The flavor as described by you is roasted barley-esque? Your friends seem to think its a mix of black patent and chocolate? Could be interesting, been looking to try a dark beer out on my SWMBO, i would hope for more of the chocolate/coffe than roasted barley though...

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It will be interesting to see Lee's response to this. I've thought about using ~10 lbs of chips mashed for a 5gal batch just to see what a pure chestnut brew tastes like without the sugar but haven't quite gotten the nerve yet (for the $$).

Once I do a couple more brews I might take a stab at it depending on Lee's experience.

I have some of Lee's dark roasted chips on hand and am thinking they will make a pretty good black lager. That's my next endeavor this weekend.

My recently kegged "american cream ale" made with chestnuts tastes almost exactly like a wheat beer without any wheat or gluten-containing ingredients. Funny. It is surprisingly good.

mattinboston said:

My recently kegged "american cream ale" made with chestnuts tastes almost exactly like a wheat beer without any wheat or gluten-containing ingredients. Funny. It is surprisingly good.

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What yeast did you use? I made a batch with WB06 that tasted much like wheat beer, but was missing that german wheat flavor. Tasted like white wheat/german yeast mix with some sorghumy bitterness at the end.

My point is that there is lots of different tastes in wheat beers, could you narrow down which taste you are referring to, or which wheat beer?

dkershner said:

What yeast did you use? I made a batch with WB06 that tasted much like wheat beer, but was missing that german wheat flavor. Tasted like white wheat/german yeast mix with some sorghumy bitterness at the end.

My point is that there is lots of different tastes in wheat beers, could you narrow down which taste you are referring to, or which wheat beer?

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I guess I should clarify. I was using the light roasted chips for the first time and attempting to make an "american cream ale" with some german saas and hallertau hops (had on hand so subs) and US05 and it came out as a drinkable wheat-like brew. Not what I expected. It is certainly not perfected in a particular wheat style since that's not what I was going for, but the next time I use the light chips I will try for something like a Belgian Leffe.

I used some sorghum and next time I won't. I got some aftertaste too. And of course since it was a different style in the end than I intended I will change the hops and schedule.

Sorry I don't have more specifics to offer at this point.

dkershner said:

Gotcha, its for cost savings. Have you ever tried with just more chestnuts?

The flavor as described by you is roasted barley-esque? Your friends seem to think its a mix of black patent and chocolate? Could be interesting, been looking to try a dark beer out on my SWMBO, i would hope for more of the chocolate/coffe than roasted barley though...

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Many people comment on the chocolatly-nutty flavor. Seems like every body wants to add sorghum. I've never added sorghum to any batch. That taste always comes through. Have added less chestnuts and it still makes a great beer but not as full bodied. I have taken chestnut meal and roasted it to look like coffee and use it as a coffee substitute.Cascades and cenntinials do great at hoppin.