Salvaging my underplanned first attempt

[Paniller]

I started a gluten free brew for my friend. I loosely followed the instructions I found, using the ingredients I had. I was in a bit of a rush so didn't do much research. It's just a packet of yeast, a 3.X jug of white sorghum, Mt.Rainier hops, cup of honey, and 3.5 cups of sugar(~.75lb).

I'm new to this, and am assuming I can't open it up and add anything at the 3 day point. I plan on splitting it into two 2.5gal jugs for a secondary, any recommended changes or additions there? I'd like to make 2 distinct brews at that phase. I'm seeing most people add molasses, rice syrup, etc, but don't know if I can add that post-pitching.

 

[gypsyhead]

I just bottled my first 2 GF batches, tried malting my own buckwheat and quinoa, but didn't get much extract out of those so I ended up blending some sorghum syrup in. Both tasted a bit strange at bottling, but no stranger than most beer does prior to carbing. I'd say at this point taste it and see if it needs anything. Sorghum definitely seems to leave a residual sweet, cotton-candy flavor, even fully fermented out, so adding something like molasses that has a bit more bite might help, but really, you're just going to have to taste and see.

Good luck bud

 

[Paniller]

So, I guess it's more of a noob question I'm getting at. I haven't brewed much, just a few mr.beer batches. Is it ok to add ingredients or unseal the carboy during fermentation?

I'm guessing it's fine to add sugars, as the yeast is still alive and waiting for them. I just have to be careful not to contaminate?

I also don't want 50 of the same beer, so am thinking of splitting to two small batches after 2 weeks. Then I can add the molasses to one and something else to the other. Two more weeks for the yeast to ferment the new sugars, then bottle. That'd work, right?

 

[sweetcell]

on the HBT home page, the title of this thread is cut down to "Salvaging my underplanned..."

while scanning the page for new threads, i always read this as "salvaging my underpants".

that is all.

 

[Paniller]

Sadly, I'm seeing it the same way, and I wrote it. I don't know much about homebrewing yet, but I'd highly recommend against salvaging underpants. Especially if there was an infection or uncontrolled yeast growth.

 

[elvestinkle]

I've had good success altering flavors with molasses at bottling in my non-GF beers. You should probably add some maltodextrin then, too--just sorghum and honey sounds like it'll be a bit thin on the body.

 

[Paniller]

So, here are my plans for tomorrow, we're at week 1, gonna split into 2 sub-batches:

Primary (1 week, 5 gal)
1 pkt Wyeast (forget the variety, have to check notes)
1 can 3.Xlb white Sorghum
1 cup honey
.75lb raw sugar
Mt. Rainier hops

Dividing tomorrow into:

Secondary A, Dark (2-3weeks, 2.gal)
add 2oz maltodextrin
add 2oz Molasses
add 1/2lb dark Candy Sugar
add 1/8oz Orange Peel

Secondary B, Light(2-3weeks, 2.gal)
add 1oz Orange Peel
add 1/4tsp Coriander
add 1/2tsp Irish Moss

How does that sound? Are my quantities off, this is my first time with all of it. Also, any nutty flavors I can add to Secondary A?

 

[DirtbagHB]

you can add to the carboy. just remember that anything you add needs to be sterile and close to the temp the carboy is already at. if your wanting to add fruit (uncooked) or something like that, wait till your beer has fermented most of the way, so it is less suceptible to contamination . too hot or too hot will shock the yeast.

you might want to add some maltodextrine ~8oz/5 gal, the table sugar might dry it out or give it a really 'hot' effect (like a few shots of VERY cheap vodka in your corona)

 

[Paniller]

So, everything seems perfect except the molasses/dark portion. The molasses performed an optical illusion while pouring and I ended up doing 8 instead of 4 oz. It ended up 1/4oz Clementine peel, 8oz molasses, 1/4 lb dark candy sugar. How can I correct this? It's way too thick and sweet. I know it will thin up, but I should counter the molasses overwhelm somehow.

I have palisade and cascade hops available, maybe I can boil on in a cup of water, cool, then add it? Also, I had clementine peel added to the 3liter secondary addition and it worked wonders, should I add more of that maybe?

(we have a ton of clementines laying around, I decided to use their peel)

 

[DirtbagHB]

Relax have a homebrew and just see how it turns out

 

[Paniller]

I'm on it. I'm bottling 24 gallons of beer this month, but probably only drank 24oz. I gotta get back on the right side of the table.

I have about 10 varieties of local small brews from different manufacturers, to see what kind of brews I like, and to get flavor ideas. Maybe your suggestion makes perfect sense

 

[DirtbagHB]

10 gluten free brews?! Most seem brewed with sorghum.
Let's see how many gf brews I can name:
new grist
red bridge
bards tale yellow label
bards tale blue label
st peters
greens 4 varieties
new planet 3 varities

these are commercial. Bottled.

 

[Paniller]

Sorry for the tease. No, not 10 gluten free beers. Regular ones. I'm not GF, my friend is. I'm just making one batch for him.

The secondaries should be foaming/fermenting, right? Two of them are, but that dark one hasn't done a thing yet. I tried skimming some yeast from the others to get it jump started, but nothing yet. Maybe the sugars are very complex and it'll take a few days to start being visible.

I was expecting the other way around. The one I added sugars to isn't fermenting, and the other two are slightly still.