First GF Brew

Should be trying this on Thursday. Recipe modified by BeerSmith from one supplied by BrewCanuck. Trying for 1.9 g into the fermenter.


2.75 Tap Water
11.1 oz GF - - Buckwheat, Toasted Medium 14.0 %
10.9 oz GF - - Millet, Flaked, Toasted Medium 13.9 %
2 lbs 12.6 oz GF - Extract - Rice Syrup, Brown Bio 56.4 %
0.35 oz Fuggles [4.98 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 17.1 IBUs
6.2 oz Molasses, Black Strap [Boil for 20 min] 7.8 %
0.52 oz Fuggles [6.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min 15.3 IBUs
3.51 g Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins)
2.47 oz Malto-Dextrine (Boil 10.0 mins)
6.2 oz Maple Syrup, [Boil for 10 min] 10 7.8 %
1 pkg Safale American (US-05)

I have not done an extract brew in like 2 years. Hope I don't screw this up. LOL

 

Think I have a plan. Does this make sense?


Date/Start: Date Bottled: Bottled Vol g # Bottles
Est Original Gravity: 1.063 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.0 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.0 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.8 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: %
Bitterness: 26.1 IBUs Est Color: 39.4 SRM

1a-Heat 2.75 gallons of water to 160*
1b-Steep the millet and buckwheat in bag for 30 minutes.
c-Sqeeze all the water from the grains. Water remaining is gal.
2a-Bring water to boil and add the brown rice syrup mixing as added.
2b-Add 0.5 oz Fuggles hops to boil
3-Add 6.2 oz Black Strap Molasses to boil
4-Add Irish Moss with 15 minutes left to boil
5-Add 2.5 oz Malto-Dextrine to boil with 10 min left
6-Add 6.2 oz Maple Syrup to boil with 10 minutes left
7-Add 0.6 oz Fuggles hops at end of boil
8-Measure HOT volume ( g) Brix ( ) SG ( )
8-Remove from heat and cool quickly to 70* -
9-Pour into fermenter and measure volumne ( g) Brix ( ) OG ( )
10-Add 1/2 pack SafAle English Yeast S-04

 

Seems to make sense. Only a few comments:

You did not not note a step regarding adding water to your preboil (e.g. after the steep), assume you'll top the remaining to reach about 2.9 Gallon (assuming a 1 gallon boil off)
There is no reason to add the blackstrap molasses early (probably better late in boil since some say this helps with any metallic flavors), I'd add it along with your maple syrup.
There is no reason to add the malto late in the boil, you can add that along with the BRS (but doesn't matter).
I did not run the numbers to verify the volumes and gravities.

Good luck

 

Thanks for the comments. I would add top off if needed, but usually only boil off about 1/2 to 3/4 g.
I guess I could add the molasses later just following recipe from Brew Canuck.
As far as the gravities I'm just running w/his numbers. In BeerSmith this is way off scale for a Northern English Brown Ale. But shoots it's my first time and I just want to make beer for my friend.

 

Well things went pretty good. Only boiled off .25 gallons including all the liquid sugars I added.
Fermenter now holds 1.9 gallons w/my OG sitting at 1.061. Funny when it was hot I got a 17 brix reading which gave me an SG of 1.072 and I'm using a refractometer for my readings.
Color is very brown, looks like a mocca coffee. Taste is sweet,and the hops are there.
Plan to ferment for 3 weeks and then cold crash for another week.
Cost should be about $5.50/six pack, not bad if it's good beer.
The picture of the glass is what I drained out of my filter w/the hops in the filter. That hopefully is why its so cloudy looking and has a strong but nice hop bitterness.

 

Glad to see things went well. Gravity readings are typically standardized for 60 deg, that's why it was higher when hotter. Beer smith has a conversion tool. Color looks nice.

 

Took your advise and added all the late sugars at 10 minutes.
I kept all the bottles in a kettle w/hot water to help them pour thinly out of the bottles.

 

Not sure if my calcs are correct but for 2 gallons final, I would expect 71 gravity points from The 3.8 lb sugars and malto and 8 to 10 additional points from the steeped grain. Should get pretty good %abv. Interested to know how it comes out!

 

After 20 days in the fermenter at about 60* I check the FG and it was high. About 26 so I put the sample back and will wait til Saturday to try again. Taste was....well not bad but not sure what I'd call it. It was very cloudy. Maybe I should cold crash it?

 

Checked it again and the SG is down to 20. Guess I'll let it run a few more days. I kept it close to 60* using US-05. It's now sitting in the house at about 75*

 

Yup, still at 20 so I guess it's done. Lots of crap floating so I'm gonna chill it down to like 34* in my fermenting freezer for a week and then bottle.

 

Ok one week later after cold crash I have 17 bottles. Man there was a lot of trub almost .3g out of 1.9g in fermenter. But w/17 bottles I'm happy. Taste is not bad hops come thru and there seems to be a little sweetness in there. It looks to be really clear. Will try one in 3 weeks before passing on to friends. Looks like ABV will be about 5.7% Now if friends like it....hmmm...do I make more or just give them the recipe as one has brewed but not in the past year.

 

Your recipe and this post say -05, but that blue top in your picture would be a -04 wouldn't it?

 

You got me. Yea it was 04. It's an English Ale. Haha. Gotta change the recipe. :rockin: Thanks for the correction.

 

I'm following this closely as I just decided an hour ago to switch to gluten free brewing. Please keep us updated regarding the taste.

 

I've been interested in gluten free brewing for some time, but never had the courage to do it myself, will follow you please visit this site https://www.swisscubancigars.com/

 

I'm sure no expert. There are others here w/much more knowledge.

 

Georg, you in MD?



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Should have reported back earlier, but...anyway after 3 weeks fermenting and one week cold crashing I bottled this on Feb 12th.
After 3 weeks I tried one and was not impressed. Gave a 6 pack to my GF friends and they thought it was ok...
The other day after 2 months in bottles at 70* I tried one and it was a lot better.
I don't have the mouth to get different tastes beyond spicy, salty, sweet, sour, good and bad...LOL
I took one to gathering of brewers and shared...the comments were something like it's good but doesn't taste like beer. LOL
I'll do another w/some modifications to get rid of the molasses and maple syrup.