Rice Recipe-- opinions please

Hi all,

I am attempting to brew a rice beer, which would showcase the following features:
- Full-body (ideally without adding Maltodextrin)
- prominent hopps profile, perhaps less than an IPA
- brown or amber color
- strong taste, not too starchy, not too sweet, not too weird!
- notes of roasted grain, without actually using any gluten-containing grain. In essence, a beer that would not be like sake!

I was thinking of using unmalted sushi rice, lots of roasted brown rice, brown rice syrup, clarifying agents

My questions:
- Is there a recipe out there?
- What kind of hopps would you use?
- Which powdered gluten-free yeast would you use?
- Would I need Nigari or alcaline salts (I'm affraid of an acidic end-result)?
- Should I roast some Whole rice (in an attempt to improve head retention?)

Looking forward to your opinions,
Cheers

What are you going to be using the sushi rice for? And what are your expected amounts of all three rice items? In general quantities if you don't have a recipe.

If you look at the rice syrup recipes out here, you can get some ideas. I think that many said they were pretty light in color and body, but I can't recall offhand.

I'm going for 50-70% BRS, maybe 20-30% toasted rice (for color and flavor) and 10% sushi rice in order to obtain a purer 'rice taste'. Is the unmodified sushi rice too much, in the sense that it will add much haze without providing much? I could also try to mash it with added enzymes; I don't know if BRS has any residual enzymes that could also help in this process.

Gengis said:

I'm going for 50-70% BRS, maybe 20-30% toasted rice (for color and flavor) and 10% sushi rice in order to obtain a purer 'rice taste'. Is the unmodified sushi rice too much, in the sense that it will add much haze without providing much? I could also try to mash it with added enzymes; I don't know if BRS has any residual enzymes that could also help in this process.

Click to expand...

It is interesting you bring up Sake...since Sake does not use enzymes in its production...you have got me thinking good sir...

In any case, what kind of sushi rice are we talking? Just short grain or something like Koji rice?

BRS (or any extract for that matter) are devoid of enzymes since they have been boiled down to syrup.

DKershner:
To my knowledge, Sake is made with enzymes (alpha-amylase and glucoamylase) derived from a type of Aspergillus. But you're right; they don't use rice malts at all. But I don't want Sake !

I was thinking of using short grain sushi rice and red (or brown) rice for roasting. I will do different batches are compare wort tastes (as I did with different types of quinoa)

Given your extensive experience and knowledge in this field, could you give me your input on the questions in my first post? Thanks!

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f164/malting-kilning-rice-249318/
Some of us were discussing enzymes that sake uses and using it to convert other grains. Specifically, using the sake process (or most of it) for sorghum and other grains.

I'd probably start off with a BRS beer with the roasted rice to try to give it flavor. I do like the idea there, but I think it'll contribute quiet a bit of starch.

KevinM said:

I'd probably start off with a BRS beer with the roasted rice to try to give it flavor. I do like the idea there, but I think it'll contribute quiet a bit of starch.

Click to expand...

+1 to this.

Gengis said:

My questions:
- Is there a recipe out there?
- What kind of hopps would you use?
- Which powdered gluten-free yeast would you use?
- Would I need Nigari or alcaline salts (I'm affraid of an acidic end-result)?
- Should I roast some Whole rice (in an attempt to improve head retention?)

Click to expand...

- I have a recipe for a 100% Rice beer, but its a blonde, not a Pale Ale/IPA. Its...uh...http://brew.dkershner.com/2010/blonde-takeover/
- You will need to clarify exactly what you are looking for hops wise. Specifically, bitterness level, hop flavor level, and hop aroma level. Then, do you want grassy, earthy hops or citrusy, vibrant hops? I can help you after you answer those questions.
- Since you will have additional starch, use a great attenuator, S-05. Stay away from maltodextrin.
- Salt to beer has been done, Coors light does it I think. In any case, I wouldn't recommend it. If you end up with something you think tastes acidic, try a malolactic fermentation. It will at least soften the blow some. I dont think this will be the case, however.
- I am unsure roasting rice will help head retention in any way. But hey, it might. Head retention is a funny business.

I might add on the yeast question that depending how much starch you add in, as in a low amount, you could also use S-04 for a sweeter, fuller body.

DKershner said:

- I have a recipe for a 100% Rice beer, but its a blonde, not a Pale Ale/IPA. Its...uh...http://brew.dkershner.com/2010/blonde-takeover/
- You will need to clarify exactly what you are looking for hops wise. Specifically, bitterness level, hop flavor level, and hop aroma level. Then, do you want grassy, earthy hops or citrusy, vibrant hops? I can help you after you answer those questions.
- Since you will have additional starch, use a great attenuator, S-05. Stay away from maltodextrin.
- Salt to beer has been done, Coors light does it I think. In any case, I wouldn't recommend it. If you end up with something you think tastes acidic, try a malolactic fermentation. It will at least soften the blow some. I dont think this will be the case, however.
- I am unsure roasting rice will help head retention in any way. But hey, it might. Head retention is a funny business.

Click to expand...

Great info, thanks!
I was aiming for assertive bitterness, with notes of citrus/floral, not too exotic. Perhaps Cascade or Chinook or Fuggles?
Why not maltodextrin? Rice beers are usually quite thin and watery, no?

Gengis said:

Great info, thanks!
I was aiming for assertive bitterness, with notes of citrus/floral, not too exotic. Perhaps Cascade or Chinook or Fuggles?
Why not maltodextrin? Rice beers are usually quite thin and watery, no?

Click to expand...

Aim for 30-40 on the IBU and stick with the C hops for 20min and down.

Rice beers are thin when they fully ferment. Yours wont.

Well, my rice beer is almost fully bottle-carbed. The aromas of pineapple and passion fruit are really prominent. The color is nice (about SRM 8) and it's not too starchy; it's rather clear. I don't think my roasted rice has added much aside from color. I'm a bit worried about the strong yeasty aromas (I used some S05).

Can't wait to taste it!

Gengis - any update on how your beer turned out? I've got a couple of friends who have developed gluten intolerance so they asked me to try making a GF beer so I'm starting to look for good recipes. Any tips you have would be great! Thanks!

Slowfro said:

Gengis - any update on how your beer turned out? I've got a couple of friends who have developed gluten intolerance so they asked me to try making a GF beer so I'm starting to look for good recipes. Any tips you have would be great! Thanks!

Click to expand...

My 100% rice beer (BRS + toasted rice) wasn't bad at all, but it's not beer! Very fruity, a bit too sweet, and a faint 'cidery' taste. It tastes more like a fruity sake or white wine than what I wished for. I wouldn't drink it alone, but it pairs very well with sushi or spicy thai food.

If I had to change the recipe, I would make sure I have less 'unfermentable sugars' and I would use a lot more bittering hops to balance the sweet taste.

I will not brew this again. In fact, I will never use BRS or Sorghum again in a classical beer. I've discovered that malted quinoa and amaranth are far superior. These grains can mimic the best barley malts out there. You just have to now how to work with them.

Cheers!