feedback before I brew this would be helpful

[ChasidicCalvinist]

3 lbs Sorghum Syrup (15 min)
3 lbs brown rice syrup
2 lb malted quinoa, roasted
1 oz Fuggles, pellet 4.8% (60 min)
.75 oz East Kent Goldings, leaf 4.2% (15 min)
1 tsp Irish Moss (10 min)
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient (10 min)
1 cup dark brown sugar (60 min)
1 lb Blackstrap Molasses (60 min)
4 oz Dark Candi Sugar (60 min)
1 pkg SafAle English Ale (S-04)
8 oz Maltodextrin (added at bottling)

This is a variant of lcasanova's Brown Ale. I'm changing a few things. I want to use less sorghum and more brown rice syrup to hopefully downplay the sorghum flavor. I also thought I would use quinoa because of what is posted here: http://aggieotis.blogspot.com/2008/10/malting-gluten-free-grains.html
and I'd like to go for darker color--also why I switched to dark brown sugar over maple syrup. I'm buying the quinoa tomorrow and I'm going to use this to malt it: http://www.instructables.com/id/Sprout-Quinoa/
so I'll brew it in about a week.

Thoughts?

 

[muench1]

Why maltodextrin at bottling? Are you trying to carbonate with it? Maltodextrin is mostly non-fermentable and doesn't dissolve particularly well in my experience; I thought it was usually suggested to add maltodextrin to the boil?

Have you malted your quinoa yet? Always interested to see GF malting results.

 

[igliashon]

I'd recommend swapping out the candi sugar (which doesn't add much flavor) with candi syrup (which DOES add nice caramel-to-roasty flavor, depending on the darkness of it); I'd reckon dropping the brown sugar and using 1 lb of D-90 candi syrup could be good). Also, I second adding maltodextrin to the boil, not at bottling. Also, there's probably no point in malting the quinoa if you're just going to roast it and aren't planning on mashing it to try to convert it (getting malted quinoa to convert without doing a decoction mash is difficult, anyway). Other than that, looks good!

 

[ChasidicCalvinist]

The maltodextrin was in the original recipe, I didn't notice that until you pointed it out. I would add that to the start of the boil and use corn sugar for carbonation at the end.

As for the quinoa...I'm not sure why I was going to malt it. I see in some recipes "malted" in others "toasted" in still others "malted and toasted" and I haven't quite figured out the difference in flavor yet. In the first batch I did, we used malted and toasted buckwheat so I thought I would go that route again. But if malting it is unnecessary that is quite alright with me...one less step and less waiting involved before brew!

So Igliashon, so swap out the brown sugar and candi sugar and use candi syrup? But still use the molasses too, correct?

 

[mloster]

I've found that just plain roasted quinoa is a bit bitter, whereas malting and then roasting quinoa produces a sweeter, nuttier flavor. Also, in malting, you'll get a slight boost to the OG. It just depends on what you're trying to get from the quinoa. If you're going for a roasted, nutty flavor, I'd just roast it. If you something a little more balanced, want to contribute to the OG, and want to remove any antinutrients in the quinoa, then malt and roast it.

 

[mloster]

Toasted= grain roasted in oven/ pan at xº for t time
Malted= grain soaked, sprouted, kilned, and rootlets removed
Malted and Toasted= grain soaked, sprouted, kilned, removed rootlets, then roasted in oven/ pan at xº for t time

Toasting can be done at varying temps and varying times to achieve certain lovibond. You can even do crystal malts if you so desire.

 

[MariposaSouth]

Looks good! "I want to use less sorghum and more brown rice syrup to hopefully downplay the sorghum flavor"... great idea, next time I do a brown I should do that too. I agree with igliashon about ditching on the brown sugar, but do keep the molasses - you get a good flavor and color contribution from that.
Malting quinoa is about as easy as falling off a log, so you oughtta go for it... imo it's a good boost to its flavor - mloster's comment (#5) is spot on, the link you posted talks about that too. Since you've got 2lbs to play with you could divide it and try some different cooking levels (malt v no-malt, length of roasting, crystallize, etc), and taste the grains and see the difference. And as long as your working on a darker ale and doing a grain-steep, try a little dark-roasted amaranth (I hope I don't sound like an amaranth salesman... that was the standout grain in my recent brew, by way of taste and aroma).
Another note about maltodex - I've added it at bottling, but that was when it wasn't planned (I was compensating for a FG that got unexpectedly low). Conventionally you put it in with 15 minutes left in your boil - that more than plenty of time to dissolve, and not too much time for it too burn or caramelize.