gluten free strong ale

[duncan incapable]

Gelatine is very effective and can be added in various ways at various times. I used to put a bit in every bottle when bottling. This tends to result in a lot of sediment in each bottle. I now add the gelatine to the brewing bin the evening before the day I bottle it. This results in much less sediment but clears just as well. I would imagine your barrels will have a thick layer of sediment and that the first pint or two might be very cloudy but the rest will be better....although with Sump Oil being pretty opaque it might be difficult to spot the difference.

Glad you found your first brews nice enough to repeat them.

cheers

D

[johnnygal]

Yep, there's a fair amount of sediment in the barrels but not too bad (now the bucket, that's another matter!).

I have made a few batches of each recipe now and I certainly will be sticking with them. Thanks.

[oldbloke]

Duncan,
At which point does the tamari go in?

[duncan incapable]

Hi oldbloke

I put the tamari in with the tea bags. I reckon if anything is living in it, the heat will kill it.

The millet beer sounds interesting. Are you malting the millet yourself or can you use it unmalted?

cheers

D

[oldbloke]

The first lot of bags, that just get stewed, or the last lot, when it gets simmered?

I guess the millet could be used unmalted, if I chucked in some amylase, but I'm malting it. I'm only doing small amounts now, so it's not too difficult.
I was surprised how like real beer the initial experiment was.

[duncan incapable]

The first lot of bags, that just get stewed, or the last lot, when it gets simmered?

Either, I'm not very consistent and I don't find it matters. The main reason for adding the tamari is to improve the colour. I just like to make sure it gets hot at some point to kill any bugs that might be in there.

cheers

D

[TheGuv]

As both my wife and I are coeliac, I read this thread with interest after I went searching for clues on home brewing. I discovered the hard way that the Estrella Damm Daura I recently discovered in the local supermarket isn't 'gluten free' despite what it says on the bottle. Yes, I know that's one of those fizzy beers, but actually I like most kinds depending on mood,

I've got my very first brew, using this very recipe, on the go right now. My local HBS didn't have any Youngs' yeast, so I've used Nottingham which I hope is similar, OG was 1.041 using stuff from the local Sainsbury's where possible and appeared to be done after 9 days staying at 1.008 for a few days. Added the gelatine to the brew bucket a couple of days ago and waiting for it to clear now - it has cleared a little but I wonder if the Sainsbury's own brand prune juice might happen to leave it cloudy. Any clues what the usual clearing time is for this?

Anyway, thanks for putting ideas in my head!

[duncan incapable]

I put the gelatine in 24 hours before I bottle it. It is still cloudy when I bottle. But is clear when I get round to drinking a few weeks later.
It is possible that a different prune juice might be more cloudy. Try adding another sachet of gelatine, but most important to get it bottled. It doesn't improve with post ferment oxidation.
Even if it doesn't clear completely I find it still tastes OK. If the appearance put you off try a pewter or ceramic vessel.

cheers

D

[Befuddler]

Is this for real?!

Bovril, tea, prune juice and soy sauce?! This sounds like the most revolting concoction I've ever heard of.

If you have to go to these lengths to get pissed, perhaps you should take up heroin instead.

[oldbloke]

I discovered the hard way that the Estrella Damm Daura I recently discovered in the local supermarket isn't 'gluten free' despite what it says on the bottle.

They claim 6ppm, well within the 20ppm certification limit. Maybe there's something else in it you react to, or you can't even tolerate 6ppm?
My coeliac wife's drunk it with no ill effect. I do notice it's not listed in the Coeliac UK Directory, but then being Spanish they won't have applied to be.
How do you get on with the other GF ales available in supermarkets (mainly Sainsbury's, as far as I recall)?

I can vouch for Duncan's ersatz-ale recipes. OTOH, turbocider is so easy, cheap, and quick, and damned tasty...

[TheGuv]

My, this is a friendly forum. What a nice change from the usual places I frequent where newbies tend to get ignored

get it bottled. It doesn't improve with post ferment oxidation.

Ok, that makes sense. I bottled this up last night with some gelatine solution in each bottle for good measure. Looks like there's a good selection of sediment collecting in the bottom of the bottles already...

If you have to go to these lengths to get pissed, perhaps you should take up heroin instead.

Yeah I did that already, but when my dealer gave me a loyalty discount card I decided enough was enough

How do you get on with the other GF ales available in supermarkets (mainly Sainsbury's, as far as I recall)?

To be honest I haven't tried the entire range. The few that I did were fine for me and pleasant enough, just not quite what I was looking for, whatever that may be. I'm quite partial to Shiraz, and also drink cider (although strangely, 'Stella Cidre' which I find rather tasty doesn't agree with me, which is a pity), but sometimes it just has to be beer.

[duncan incapable]

Is this for real?!

If you have to go to these lengths to get pissed, perhaps you should take up heroin instead.

How do you think I came up with this recipe in the first place

Surprisingly, in blind tastings with friends who have been CAMRA members for years, they couldn't spot my GF brew from Everards Tiger and Co-op strong ale. One of them did but he later admitted it was a wild guess. Most of the ingredients are so diluted you'd struggle to know what they were on their own. They just add a little beery something or possibly just some nutrients for the yeasties.

cheers

D

[TheGuv]

Well, here we are about 6 weeks after bottling, and I have to say I'm impressed with this! Thanks for your ancient recipe D, I think this might well become my stock brew as it certainly ticks all the right boxes and, indeed, sits very well with me after a good few of them.

I suspect I'll also be trying out your Red Diesel for Madam, and most likely the Liquorice Stout I saw somewhere

[duncan incapable]

I have to say I'm impressed with this! I think this might well become my stock brew as it certainly ticks all the right boxes and, indeed, sits very well with me after a good few of them.

Thanks for the kind comments Guv. People take a bit of convincing that a recipe which includes tea and soy sauce can be good!

One of the great boons of this recipe is that it is relatively hangover free. I had 5 litres at my 50th birthday bash and was absolutely fine the next day. 4 pints of cider and I would have been seriously crook.

I suspect I'll also be trying out your Red Diesel for Madam, and most likely the Liquorice Stout I saw somewhere

I'm not sure about the Red Diesel any longer. It was very early days in the development process when I posted that. You may be better off subtracting ingredients from the strong ale to get what Madam likes. Conversely the Liquorice Stout is magic. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

cheers

D

[Chuck]

I've just seen this recipe and it looks interesting so planning it for my next brew as so far I've been unsuccessful in my attempts to brew anything GF that tastes close to proper beer. The only thing I'm not sure about is the bovril as its not gluten free so I might try some marmite instead. Has anyone tried this recently as I'd be keen to know how it compares to something like the gone with the wheat kits (which are ok, but clearly aren't real beer).