I would like to brew some GF beers for my family members and friends who are gluten free. I am an extract brewer and was wondering if things like quinoa, millet, etc... can be steeped, or must they be mashed? If they cannot be, what is a good extract only recipe. Thanks.
steeping grains
- Thread starter asidrane
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Well...if you want to get any fermentable sugars from them, you're going to need to malt and mash (and I think do a cereal mash or something). If you just want to get flavoring out them, it is possible to roast some unmalted gf grains and steep them.
For simplicity starting out, I would recommend doing an extract-only recipe. The easiest way to do this is to pick out an extract recipe you already like, and replace the LME/DME with Sorghum Extract syrup and rice extract syrup/solids.
What sort of beer do you think your family/friends would like to try?
He is more asking because certain grains cannot be steeped in conventional brewing, grains like Rye. The flavor will not come out as expected.
I wish I could answer your question fully asidrane, but we dont really know what malted and mashed quinoa, millet, etc taste like, so we have no way to compare.
That being said, I know that steeped grains will add some sort of flavor, so I think you should try it and see if it is something you like the flavor of. Remember that you can do so outside a brew (just put the grains in 160F water) and get the separate taste of just that grain. Like it? Add it!
I wish I could answer your question fully asidrane, but we dont really know what malted and mashed quinoa, millet, etc taste like, so we have no way to compare.
That being said, I know that steeped grains will add some sort of flavor, so I think you should try it and see if it is something you like the flavor of. Remember that you can do so outside a brew (just put the grains in 160F water) and get the separate taste of just that grain. Like it? Add it!
Somewhat off topic, but the only unmalted, uncooked grain I can recall hearing about being used in extract+specialty brewing is unmalted wheat.
I've only given thought to using roasted grains (malted or unmalted) as specialty grains in my extract brews.
I think the "Can anyone tell me a good GF recipe" seems to be the most frequent question. Think we should get a sticky with details?
Did you happen to say what kind of beer you/your friends are looking for? Dark and malty? Light lager? IPA?
You can do any sort of gluten free extract combination:
Molasses, Honey, Sorghum, brown rice seems to be the most common 4 available.
Check DKershner's website there.
As for steeping, the only think I've gotten from oats so far is toast notes, not grain notes.
Did you happen to say what kind of beer you/your friends are looking for? Dark and malty? Light lager? IPA?
You can do any sort of gluten free extract combination:
Molasses, Honey, Sorghum, brown rice seems to be the most common 4 available.
Check DKershner's website there.
As for steeping, the only think I've gotten from oats so far is toast notes, not grain notes.
Sorry I wasn't more specific. I was thinking along the lines of specialty grains in extract brewing. As far as styles go, my sister said the best GF beer she has tried is Quest from Green brewer. Anyone have a recipe for that?
True enough, but what does the malting really do if you aren't releasing any of the sugar? When I am thinking of steeping, I think of it more like cooking or making soup, in which case I care very little whether it's malted.
Now cooked...that could make a difference.
I was leaning more towards steeping 'cooked' (roasted, toasted, etc) grains.
Just from the perspective that unmalted grain won't taste like grain that has been malted and kilned (which I see as some level of cooking) or especially as roasted grain.
I think the whole thing of steeping gf grains, and MAKING the grains to steep, is something that could generate a whole thread-worth of discussion...(I've been trying to read up on specialty grains in non-gf so that I can figure out how to replicate them...)
Thanks, I'll use this as a good foundation to work off of. What changes would I see in the beer if I swapped in brown rice extract for sorghum, either partially or completely?
Lighter in flavor, maybe a little drier. I would recommend it, this is my first GF recipe you are looking at, I didnt even know BRS existed!
Let me know if I can help, I have tasted nearly all of them.
I'll probably start a thread on it later...of course, today's a holiday, so after work I may
and forget... 
What do you think I should try, half and half? I had St. Pete's Sorghum beer the other day and found the taste a little too off putting
I dont use sorghum anymore. I wouldnt bother in a tripel.
andrewdell19
Well-Known Member
Rally? You dont use any sorghum in any of your brews anymore? Are you mainly using BRS? I found that using the BRS the taste was still citrus but different from the sorghum... Need to find a GF malt that doesnt taste like citrus (that is why I am soaking buckwheat, quinoa, and millet as we speak).
DirtbagHB
Well-Known Member
i havent brewed for a little bit due to time constraints. last night i toasted up some raw, unmalted quinoa. i have used home malted quinoa in a few beers and i found the taste to be really good, the malting process takes a bit of time so next weekend after my grains has had some time to waft, ill try a 24hr mash with added amalyase enzymes. i havent gotten the greatest conversion with 1-3 hour mashes with malted quinoa, but had pretty good luck with chestnuts using the 24hour mash. well see what happens. at some point im also planning on trying some toasted buckweat that i can get locally in the bulk section at the market. ill try that with 24 hour mash as well.
im with DK about the sorghum, i have a few 7# jars of it laying around and i really dont like to use it. im not to fond of the flavor, in its place i use BRS or tapioca extract from breiss. The tapioca is a really neutral flavor and works well in brews where im steeping grains or adding flavors: extract flavors, herbs, or fruits.
im with DK about the sorghum, i have a few 7# jars of it laying around and i really dont like to use it. im not to fond of the flavor, in its place i use BRS or tapioca extract from breiss. The tapioca is a really neutral flavor and works well in brews where im steeping grains or adding flavors: extract flavors, herbs, or fruits.
DirtbagHB
Well-Known Member
so you like sorghum, i find it to be a lot like sucking on a penny
Honestly, I don't know if it just the styles of beer I'm making, or something else different that I'm doing, but I don't taste the twangy, metallic taste that, for example, Redbridge has.
I don't get it all the time either and like you- I've used sorghum in almost all of the beers I've made. My favorite thus far is my american brown and I don't taste the sorghum at all
I wonder if its a taste that is covered up by other flavors, or if it results from interaction with another ingredient...
Well, only way to get an idea is a lot of experimentation...
In the american brown it's probably the blackstrap molasses
Now that tax season is over, I'll probably work my way through the stock pile I have before brewing again...might take a while since it's about 8-9 cases of GF home brew
Now that tax season is over, I'll probably work my way through the stock pile I have before brewing again...might take a while since it's about 8-9 cases of GF home brew
In the american brown it's probably the blackstrap molasses
Now that tax season is over, I'll probably work my way through the stock pile I have before brewing again...might take a while since it's about 8-9 cases of GF home brew
I'm waiting for you to get to that malted sorghum. I've got a dedicated, GF mill if you need it.
DirtbagHB
Well-Known Member
i need to pump out and fill the kegs up pronto, my times going to be sucked up shortly by summer school
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