Interesting Sorghum Beer

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Byrdbrewer

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Cheers all, I just brewed a small batch of sorghum beer (first batch ever) and had a few questions for some of you more experienced brewers out there. My recipe is as follows, for a 2.5 gal test batch.

3.3 lb Sorghum syrup
.5 lb Rice syrup solids
1 oz cascade hops 5 min into boil
1 oz cascade hops 15 min into boil
1 oz cascade hops 2 min before the end of the 60 min boil.

OG = 1.064
FG = 1.012

A nice 8% delightful brew

I fermented for 13 days, and now I'm bottle conditioning ( so fare 2 days in). I carbed some with tabs and some with maple syrup.

I tried one last night just to see what it tasted like, and it was surprisingly pleasant tasting for being so young - The only thing is (and this may not be a bad thing) it tasted more like wine than beer. It had a very distict dry wine taste. This is the first time I have ever used rice syrup solids, and my question is - is that why it tastes like wine, did I make a sorghum saki on accident? Thanks in advance for your responses

on a side note - it was surprisingly clear and crisp.
 
The ABV works out around 6.7%. I don't think the rice solids were enough of the total fermentables to be a problem. Give it a couple more weeks and report back.

I think you've solved one of the main problems with GF beers: not enough hops. I used 2.75 oz in a similar sized batch, but the bittering hop was Columbus.
 
The ABV works out around 6.7%. I don't think the rice solids were enough of the total fermentables to be a problem. Give it a couple more weeks and report back.

I think you've solved one of the main problems with GF beers: not enough hops. I used 2.75 oz in a similar sized batch, but the bittering hop was Columbus.
are you plugging the ingredients into a calculator or going by the gravity reading. I could have read the hydrometer wrong, I jus tstarted using it, but I could swear that 1.064 on the gravity side of the hydrometer was equivelant to 8% on the abv side of the hydrometer. But like I said I could be wrong I'll have to recheck -
 
The ABV works out around 6.7%. I don't think the rice solids were enough of the total fermentables to be a problem. Give it a couple more weeks and report back.

I think you've solved one of the main problems with GF beers: not enough hops. I used 2.75 oz in a similar sized batch, but the bittering hop was Columbus.
yes it does have a noticible hppy flavor, and the over all flavor is pleasant, even though it is more like wine - I cant wait to taste it after it conditions. Thanks for teh advice
 
are you plugging the ingredients into a calculator or going by the gravity reading. I could have read the hydrometer wrong, I jus tstarted using it, but I could swear that 1.064 on the gravity side of the hydrometer was equivelant to 8% on the abv side of the hydrometer. But like I said I could be wrong I'll have to recheck -

1.064 probably is about 8%, but you have to subtract how much sugar there is in there at the end, the FG. In this case, about 1.3%.
 
1.064 probably is about 8%, but you have to subtract how much sugar there is in there at the end, the FG. In this case, about 1.3%.
that makes perfect sense, I completely forgot about accounting for the left ofer sugar in the beer. I just started using a hydrometer, that one slipped right past me. Thanks
 
Sorghum beer is one of the traditional African styles of beer making.

So I just spotted this product (KING KORN) in one of our local stores donw here in here in Africa. Its malted sorghum that is mainly sold for african beer for traditional events.

I bought 2 bags today and im trying it out now.

So here is the recipe. I haven't tried it (some people say that its pretty rough(I'm going to deviate a bit from the traditional path... and go with a bit more of a European approach on some points))

Add 10 liters of boiling water to 2kg of Maize Meal (a rough Corn Flour not syrup)
Add 1 kg Amablel-Mabele (MALTED Sorghumn)

Mix well let cool over night. (Apparently it goes sour...)

Next day cook for 1 hour.
add 5 liters of cold water leave to cool (temp not specified)

Add 1 kg Amablel-Mabele (MALTED Sorghumn) to cooled mixture and leave overnight.

Strain the mixture the next day and leave to ferment.

OK now this is where it gets interesting.

There was no yeast additions in African beers so most traditional brewers just let it ferment naturally...

However we have traditional brewers yeast available in our grocery stores so im just going to bu one of those.

Traditionally it is served after 2 to 3 days in a calabash (a plant that has fruit that are dried out asnd used as containers in africa)

Im going for a full 3 week fermentation and bottle conditioning.

See soon
 
Hey, I realize this thread is a bit dated, but I hope you're still around. I'm also a homebrewer living in Africa and I could use some advice. I'm wondering where you found that malted sorghum and what part of Africa you are in living in? I'm in Nigeria.

All teh best

Sorghum beer is one of the traditional African styles of beer making.

So I just spotted this product (KING KORN) in one of our local stores donw here in here in Africa. Its malted sorghum that is mainly sold for african beer for traditional events.

I bought 2 bags today and im trying it out now.

So here is the recipe. I haven't tried it (some people say that its pretty rough(I'm going to deviate a bit from the traditional path... and go with a bit more of a European approach on some points))

Add 10 liters of boiling water to 2kg of Maize Meal (a rough Corn Flour not syrup)
Add 1 kg Amablel-Mabele (MALTED Sorghumn)

Mix well let cool over night. (Apparently it goes sour...)

Next day cook for 1 hour.
add 5 liters of cold water leave to cool (temp not specified)

Add 1 kg Amablel-Mabele (MALTED Sorghumn) to cooled mixture and leave overnight.

Strain the mixture the next day and leave to ferment.

OK now this is where it gets interesting.

There was no yeast additions in African beers so most traditional brewers just let it ferment naturally...

However we have traditional brewers yeast available in our grocery stores so im just going to bu one of those.

Traditionally it is served after 2 to 3 days in a calabash (a plant that has fruit that are dried out asnd used as containers in africa)

Im going for a full 3 week fermentation and bottle conditioning.

See soon
 
Hey

Im in South Africa

I know that there are some Shoprite stores in Nigeria you might be able to find the King Korn there it is sold in 1 - 25 kg bags in many Shoprites here in South Africa.

Best of luck (ps it tastes weird)
 
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