Gluten Free IPA

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RaffsPub

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Im planning on trying this recipe, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/harpoon-ipa-clone-28881/, only modifying it to be gluten free. Im hoping that the flavor of the IPA will help disguise some of the common flavors that come through in gluten free beers (sourness). Here is the original recipe,

Harpoon IPA clone

Yield: 5 gallons; Original gravity: 1.061-1.063; Final gravity: 1.014-1.016; IBU: 49; SRM: 13; 6% ABV

Crush and steep in 1 gallon (3.8L) 150º F (65.5ºC) water for 20 minutes:
8 oz 60L US crystal malt
4 oz. toasted 2-row pale malt
1 oz. roasted barley

Strain the grain water into your brew pot. Sparge the grains with 1/2 gallon water at 150ºF. Add water to the brew pot for 1.5 gallons total volume. Bring the water to a boil, remove the pot from the stove, and add:
4 lbs. Alexander's pale malt syrup
4 libs. M&F Light DME
2 oz. Clusters @ 6.5% AA (13 HBU) (bittering hops)

Add water until total voluime in the brew pot is 2.5 gallons. Boil for 45 minutes, then add:
1/2 oz. Fuggles (flavor hops)
1/2 oz. Cascade (flavor hops)
1 tsp. Irish moss

Boil for 14 minutes, then add:
1/2 oz. Fuggles (aroma hops)
1/2 oz. Cascade (aroma hops)

Boil for 1 minute, remove pot from the stove, and cool the wort. Strain the cooled wort into primary fermenter and add cold water to obtain 5 gallons. When the wort temperature is under 80ºF, pitch your yeast:
1st choice: Wyeast 1098 British ale yeast
(ferment at 68-72ºF)
2nd choice: Wyeast 1084 Irish ale yeast
(ferment at 68-72ºF)

Ferment in the primary 4-5 days or until fermentation slows, then siphon into the 2ndary fermenter, and add 1 oz. Cascade hops (I used whole leaf). Bottle when fermentation is complete with:
1 1/4 cup M&F Extra-light DME​


The Changes I am planning on making are to:

1.) Replace the steeping of the crystal malts, etc with 1# medium roasted Buckwheat for 30 minutes at 150ºF
2.) Replace the malt extracts with 6# of Briess White Sorghum Syrup, 1 cup black strap molasses, 8oz of maltodextrin(to help with the body and head retention issues that are common in gluten free beers) and the bittering hops mentioned.
3.) Then continuing the recipe as written.

I am also planning on using Safale US-05 yeast.

Does anyone foresee any issues with these modifications or have any suggestions that would improve it?
 
I have celiacs so I am allergic to gluten.

I am under the impression that I need to use a dried yeast because most of the time it is gluten free, which is why I am not using the Wyeast W1098. Is there another Dried Yeast that you would recommend instead of the Safale US-05?
 
Sounds like a good recipe. You might consider increasing the IBU by 10 to counter the sweetness people report using sorghum. Also, you might want to take an ounce of the buckwheat and really toast it as a substitute for the roasted barley. If you have a toaster oven, use the toast cycle until the buckwheat looks black.

Safale US-05 will do the job nicely.
 
danstar windsor ale is GF

I have used this yeast in a previous batch. It was an attempt at a gluten free dark beer. It is getting bottled today, so I havent had a chance to try it yet.

Is Windsor a yeast that would also work well with an IPA?
 
Where's the gluten in the liquid yeast? Add as a nutrient???

I dont know a lot about yeast, but ive read that liquid yeasts are mostly propogated on gluten based mediums. Dried yeasts are propogated on gluten free mediums, like molasses (or beets, maybe?). I am really just going on other Gluten free recipes ive seen. Plus yeasts like Danaster Windsor and Safale us-05 actually state they are gluten free where as liquid yeasts do not.
 
Sounds like a good recipe. You might consider increasing the IBU by 10 to counter the sweetness people report using sorghum. Also, you might want to take an ounce of the buckwheat and really toast it as a substitute for the roasted barley. If you have a toaster oven, use the toast cycle until the buckwheat looks black.

Safale US-05 will do the job nicely.

Would I increase the IBU by adding additional hops or by replacing one of the hops already in the recipe?
 
Either increase the bittering add about 1/2 oz., if your hops are right at 6.5%. I prefer to use high-AA hops for bittering, Columbus mainly. I've never seen the point of using a heap of low AA hops to bitter an IPA.
 
I just wanted to follow up with this and note how it came out.

It is very hoppy and a little sweet. Almost tastes like a mix of a wheat and an IPA. It is definitely the best GF beer i have made (only made two) and possibly the best GF beer I have had period (I usually drink Bards when i buy).

The one issue was that there was almost no head and the carbonation was very light. Do you think that adding more maltodextrin would correct this without effecting the taste? Also would adding more priming sugar solve the carbonation issue? Is there a negative to adding too much priming sugar(within reason)?
 
Excellent news. I don't have a problem with gluten, but commercial GF beers are rather limited.

MD helps with head-retention, but won't create head, that takes protein. On priming sugar, the amount of sugar used is small enough you won't notice a flavor change. Even doubling it, won't hurt.

You might want to re-post the recipe exactly as you made it. Or edit the original.
 
You might want to re-post the recipe exactly as you made it. Or edit the original.

Good news indeed. Yea please do. I'm anxious about my GF brew. Bottling it tomorrow. I hope it's pretty good when it's done, or at least not complete crap.
 
I'd love to see the final recipe for what you ended up brewing. We used a kit for the first GF beer we brewed and it blew. I like bards. I'd love to try yours out!

I just wanted to follow up with this and note how it came out.

It is very hoppy and a little sweet. Almost tastes like a mix of a wheat and an IPA. It is definitely the best GF beer i have made (only made two) and possibly the best GF beer I have had period (I usually drink Bards when i buy).

The one issue was that there was almost no head and the carbonation was very light. Do you think that adding more maltodextrin would correct this without effecting the taste? Also would adding more priming sugar solve the carbonation issue? Is there a negative to adding too much priming sugar(within reason)?
 
The one issue was that there was almost no head and the carbonation was very light. Do you think that adding more maltodextrin would correct this without effecting the taste? Also would adding more priming sugar solve the carbonation issue? Is there a negative to adding too much priming sugar(within reason)?


With priming sugar, you will notice almost NO change in flavor. The yeast in your beer will "eat" nearly all of the sugar (I forget the fermentablility of dextrose, sorry), so nothing will be left over to taint flavor. You COULD use table sugar, as it is 99 percent fermentable and may create more CO2. Many people claim a "cidery" taste with table sugar, but I've used it a couple times and never had any issue. The problem you may run into, however, is bottle bombs. I don't know how much priming sugar will be too much, but I'm sure someone around here does.
MaltoDextrin will add body, but probably not head. As someone mentioned before me, it takes protein to create head and head retention.
 
With priming sugar, you will notice almost NO change in flavor. The yeast in your beer will "eat" nearly all of the sugar (I forget the fermentablility of dextrose, sorry), so nothing will be left over to taint flavor. You COULD use table sugar, as it is 99 percent fermentable and may create more CO2. Many people claim a "cidery" taste with table sugar, but I've used it a couple times and never had any issue. The problem you may run into, however, is bottle bombs. I don't know how much priming sugar will be too much, but I'm sure someone around here does.
MaltoDextrin will add body, but probably not head. As someone mentioned before me, it takes protein to create head and head retention.

Priming sugar, table or dextrose (corn) will make no change in flavor. The amount depends on the carbonation level, but for standard (2.4) you need 3/4 cup or so of dextrose for bottles, 1/2c or so for kegs. Slightly less for table sugar as it is slightly more fermentable.

Bottle bombs come from not letting your beer fully ferment and have nothing to do with priming sugar.
 
Priming sugar, table or dextrose (corn) will make no change in flavor. The amount depends on the carbonation level, but for standard (2.4) you need 3/4 cup or so of dextrose for bottles, 1/2c or so for kegs. Slightly less for table sugar as it is slightly more fermentable.

Bottle bombs come from not letting your beer fully ferment and have nothing to do with priming sugar.

Ahh...gotcha. I've never had a bottle bomb, so I've never looked into it much. But I still assume that too much priming sugar could create bottle bombs...dormant yeast from fermentation converts the priming sugar into CO2, so wouldn't more sugar mean more CO2? And wouldn't too much CO2 lead bottles to explode?

Not arguing, just looking for enlightenment...
 
bottling too early & using too much priming sugar can each cause bottle bombs.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-1.html

Symptom: The bottles are overcarbonated.

Cause 1: Too much sugar You used too much priming sugar
Cure: Vent and re-cap all of the bottles.

Cause 2: Bottled too soon You bottled before fermentation was complete.
Cure: Vent and re-cap all of the bottles.
 
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