Well I used nothing but 20 pounds of chestnuts and 5 pounds of honey for a ten gallon IPA recipe almost a month ago. I took a different route then some others and tried to get most of my fermentables from the chestnuts, rather than adding other sugars. I did everyting you did with the chips, minus the pectinase. I did bring it back up to 150 for an hour before I sparged, but I don't really know if it was necessary after further reading. I tasted it before dry hopping it a week ago and it tastes great. I hope to keg it in a week or so. I am interested to hear how yours turns out.
GF Brewing with Chestnuts
- Thread starter mattinboston
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SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Well I heated it back up to 145F for the last hour. I tried to filter it through a thin cloth into my brew kettle, and I think that might have grabbed some of my sugars because it was too fine.
If I do it again I think I'm just going to get a large mesh bag and do it BIAB style. I really need to find a cheap 10gal pot to use as my brew kettle. I have a 2.5gal and a 5.0gal right now and they just aren't cutting it. I want to do my whole batch in one vessel.
I tasted the wort and it wasn't awful. The hops were pretty strong so it made it hard to gather other flavors but I'm sure they will mellow with a couple weeks in the fermenter. I went with an extra .5 oz of sterling for the last 15 min of the boil. I was only going to do 1 oz for 60 min.
If I do it again I think I'm just going to get a large mesh bag and do it BIAB style. I really need to find a cheap 10gal pot to use as my brew kettle. I have a 2.5gal and a 5.0gal right now and they just aren't cutting it. I want to do my whole batch in one vessel.
I tasted the wort and it wasn't awful. The hops were pretty strong so it made it hard to gather other flavors but I'm sure they will mellow with a couple weeks in the fermenter. I went with an extra .5 oz of sterling for the last 15 min of the boil. I was only going to do 1 oz for 60 min.
Blackhawkbrew
Well-Known Member
I just got my chestnut chips today (I just ordered them on Friday!). I'm excited about this brew. I had a question about the soaking, though. I was planning on soaking the chips in a nylon bag I have. Do I soak them in the brew kettle for the 12+ hours? There was some comments about not being able to keep the temp at 150, is this much of a problem, or just make sure you bring the temp back up before sparging? Also, I have some extra hops from previous brews, are there any hop varieties that WON'T work with the chestnuts?
Thanks
Thanks
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
I did mine in two five pound mesh bags in a 2.5 gallon kettle. Bad idea IMO. The chestnuts swell up pretty good so they didn't get very good contact with the water/enzymes if they were in the middle of the bag. I would suggest using a very large bag if you have one in a very large pot. That way you can have plenty of room to stir them around every once in a while.
If you want to keep the temp up on it during the 12 hours then do it while you are awake because I did mine over night wrapped in towels and they still lost too much heat. So during the day would be best so you can keep an eye on the temp and heat it up every once in a while.
As for hops I used Sterling but that was experimental and I don't know how it will turn out.
If you want to keep the temp up on it during the 12 hours then do it while you are awake because I did mine over night wrapped in towels and they still lost too much heat. So during the day would be best so you can keep an eye on the temp and heat it up every once in a while.
As for hops I used Sterling but that was experimental and I don't know how it will turn out.
I soaked mine overnight in the mash tun (converted keg), wrapped in that metal looking thin insulation you can get at Home Depot. They never went below 120, which worked out fine for me. As for hops, Lee reccomends the citrusy type hops. I used Summit, Cascade and Liberty. It tastes and smells great.
Blackhawkbrew
Well-Known Member
Hey Lee,
I'm going to be brewing up your chestnut recipe you referenced. After looking at the write up I was wondering is there a reason you take the brewpot off the burner for the last hop addition? Do you leave it off or do you bring it back to a boil? Plus, I have some left over hops (fuggle, styrian goldings, chinook, willamette, and liberty) and most are about half ounce each. I don't know anything about hop combinations so any suggestions?
Looking forward to brewing this up Saturday.
Thanks
I'm going to be brewing up your chestnut recipe you referenced. After looking at the write up I was wondering is there a reason you take the brewpot off the burner for the last hop addition? Do you leave it off or do you bring it back to a boil? Plus, I have some left over hops (fuggle, styrian goldings, chinook, willamette, and liberty) and most are about half ounce each. I don't know anything about hop combinations so any suggestions?
Looking forward to brewing this up Saturday.
Thanks
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Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Letting the hops "steep" the second time with out boiling is to release the oils, aromas and flavors without volitilizing them. Just like brewing a cup of tea.
Type of hops are up to the brewers taste. I would use the lower alpha-acid hops to start with. I've used fuggles and willamette, but I have found that cascades and centenials give a good balance and a pleasant citrusy flavor that most people like. Might take several batchs find your palate compatability.
Blackhawkbrew
Well-Known Member
I have my chestnut chips steeping as we speak! I put them in my large grain bag and filled my MLT cooler with 165 degree water to warm it up and added the chips at 161. I thought the MLT would hold the temps a bit better than the brew pot. As soon as I put the chips in a nice dark amber color rose up. Look delicious already.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Blackhawkbrew
Well-Known Member
I finished this brew up a few hours ago. It went extremely well. I ended up with a little over 5 gallons of wort. The sample was very sweet, I guess from the 5 lbs. of corn sugar. The starting gravity was 1.060 going into the fermenter. I used 1 ounce of cascade and 1 ounce centenial. Does this beer come out kind of sweet? I pitched the yeast dry at about 60 degrees.
We shall see.
We shall see.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Shouldn't be to sweet. I always use 5 # CS and end up with a 7. -8 % alcohol content. It isn't a sissy beer. A good yeast will use up most of the sugar.
leeinwa
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
What fermentables did you have in there?
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Usually get a 3 1/2 to 4 1/2% brix from chestnut chips. 5 pounds corn sugar brings 6 gals to about 12-13 % brix. Post fermentation brix at about 4 %. I've always used Lallamend's Windsor Ale yeast following packet instructions. Usually done bubbling in 4-5 days.
Blackhawkbrew
Well-Known Member
Lee,
Is there a lag time for fermentation to start on this brew? I usually get some airlock activity on my regular beers within 24 hours, but it's bee over 24 for this one and no activity. I have it sitting at around 68 degrees. This only thing I did differently is that I did not rehydrate the yeast. Would this cause the lag time, or am I just getting paranoid?
Is there a lag time for fermentation to start on this brew? I usually get some airlock activity on my regular beers within 24 hours, but it's bee over 24 for this one and no activity. I have it sitting at around 68 degrees. This only thing I did differently is that I did not rehydrate the yeast. Would this cause the lag time, or am I just getting paranoid?
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't worry about it, give it at least 24 more and then take a hydrometer reading. If it's still the same gravity then repitch.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Sexpanther had a correct answer. Give it another day. I never dry pitch yeast. I like to see that's it's a good working yeast before I add to wort. I usually add a packet to 2 cups warm water with a teasp. of corn sugar and don't stir for about an 1/2 hour. After I stir I'll wait about another hour and by then it will be working with a little foam. I've seen some yeasts that were not any good even though they had not expired. Lallamend rep says as any dry yeast gets with in 30 days of expiration date you'll start seeing half life deterioration. Some times you'll shock the yeast if not following directions on container. Let me know.
Blackhawkbrew
Well-Known Member
Thanks SexPanther13 and Lee. I'll keep an eye on it for the next day or so and let you know.
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
So I tasted my chestnut beer when I took the hydrometer reading today. The FG was was 1.000 so I knew before I tasted it that it was going to be dry, but WOW was it dry! lol. So I think I'm going to mix in 8oz of Maltodextrin powder when I go to prime it, and hope it conditions up in the bottle. Any other ideas on what I should do to save my 6%ABV Super Dry Gluten Free beer?
Also it was pretty cloudy still, would it be too late and the wrong temp to pitch some pectinase? I can't clear it up with gelatin because I'm a vegetarian.
Also it was pretty cloudy still, would it be too late and the wrong temp to pitch some pectinase? I can't clear it up with gelatin because I'm a vegetarian.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Concentrated Irish moss powder works well.
Malto will add body and a certain amount of sweetness with out blowing bottles.. Must have had a really good high alcohol tolerant yeast.
Do you bottle carbonate? I add 1 level teasp. corn sugar to each bottle rather than batch mix.
I've had beers that were really cloudy but after a couple of weeks they settle out really good. Since there are no glutens that bind the foam, I often add a a head retainer.
leeinwa
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Yeah I bottle carbonate, but I usually rack onto my priming sugar in my bottling bucket. It is kind of early to be bottling so next weekend it should be less cloudy. I might cold crash it for 48 hours before bottling to clear it up some more.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Sugar works either way. Just my old habit of doing it that way.
I usually add malto for the body.
Let me know how the cold crash works.
leeinwa
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Blackhawkbrew
Well-Known Member
When I got home this afternoon there was still no activity in the airlock. I opened the fermenter to check for any krausen and ther was some! When I closed the lid the airlock bubbled over from the air releasing and then started to bubble. So I think I'm on my way.
I noticed the use of maltodextrin at bottling time, does this lend much to the final product? Also, I've never heard of head retainer. What is it.
I noticed the use of maltodextrin at bottling time, does this lend much to the final product? Also, I've never heard of head retainer. What is it.
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Maltodextrin adds body to a beer, I really don't know about flavors. Lactose does the same thing but I thing it actually adds sweetness.
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Good on yeast activity.
Malto-d is a non fermentable sugar that adds "body" to beer.
Heading powder is generally gum arabic, which is a common food additive. It adds viscosity to a product and in beer that viscosity helps the head stay longer. Glutens act much the same way, but since we brew GF we need a little help.
Of Note:
My wife uses a spot remover in her dish washer. These are surfactants that break down surface tension and doesn't allow the water to "bead" on the glasses and leave spots when they dry. They leave a residue on the glass and glasses washed with this will cause the head to loose it's head by breaking down the surface tension of the bubbles. With a strong movement to lower the phosphate levels in dishwasher detergents they might start adding these surfactants to the soap itself. Run your beer glasses through a soapless hot water cycle only to remove this residue.
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
So Lee, when do you add the head retainer? Do you do that when bottling?
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
SexPanther13
Well-Known Member
Ok, I'll give that a try when I add the Maltodextrin.
mattinboston
Active Member
You guys have again been busy! Sorry been traveling.
SexPanther - definitely cold crash. It has worked wonderfully for me. I don't even have to use my 1-micron filter when I crash to 30-ish F for 48 hours.
Also just have to mention that the pectinase enzyme worked incredibly well. I have a double IPA right now that is crystal clear.
On the sweetness, I find my chestnut beers do have more sweetness than my barley-based beers of old. I actually think that a less citrus like hop works better with the chestnuts. I tried columbus actually with a nice result and I think chinook might work well. Cascade in my opinion is a bit too sweet with the chestnuts. This comes from my latest brew - my IIPA with cascades is done and is really good, but maybe a touch too sweet. It fermented for a month with no SP movement the last week and has over 8%, but still has a sweet taste... It fermented to just over 1... lower than I expected and lower than the category.
My first chestnut lager will be done in a week. I can't wait to see how that tastes! In the meantime I'm enjoying a cold chestnut cascade IIPA!
SexPanther - definitely cold crash. It has worked wonderfully for me. I don't even have to use my 1-micron filter when I crash to 30-ish F for 48 hours.
Also just have to mention that the pectinase enzyme worked incredibly well. I have a double IPA right now that is crystal clear.
On the sweetness, I find my chestnut beers do have more sweetness than my barley-based beers of old. I actually think that a less citrus like hop works better with the chestnuts. I tried columbus actually with a nice result and I think chinook might work well. Cascade in my opinion is a bit too sweet with the chestnuts. This comes from my latest brew - my IIPA with cascades is done and is really good, but maybe a touch too sweet. It fermented for a month with no SP movement the last week and has over 8%, but still has a sweet taste... It fermented to just over 1... lower than I expected and lower than the category.
My first chestnut lager will be done in a week. I can't wait to see how that tastes! In the meantime I'm enjoying a cold chestnut cascade IIPA!
Leeinwa
Well-Known Member
Wondered if you were still around. Hadn't heard anything from you in awhile. Glad you're making progress. I started with Cascades and Cenntenials because I get them FREE from my nephew. Since I'm not a beer expert on taste, you guys will have to figure out what you like in taste.
Here awhile back some one said chestnuts were a little spendy. I don't think I've met anyone yet who home brews to save money. The main reason they brew is to get something they like and to get the ohs, aws and atta boys from their fellow brewers and freinds.
leeinwa
