Gluten-Free Beer Recipe for Big Brew Day

I posted recently about the AHA Big Brew Day.  Here's the recipe I came up with for the More Fun Blonde.  It's pretty simple, really.  I substituted the Breiss Sorghum syrup for the pale malt extract and I subbed in the T-58 Belgian yeast (dry) for the liquid yeast, which tends to have small amounts of gluten in it.  If you're not a celiac and not allergic, the yeast substitution may not be a big deal, but this yeast is gluten-free, so if you are a celiac, I'd stick with it.

On a similar note, you should also be very careful about your corn sugar.  Verify with your homebrew supplier that the corn sugar they use is gluten-free.  Some corn sugars are produced in plants that also produce wheat and barley products, and cross contamination can be dangerous for those with severe allergies.

If you're interested in seeing the other recipes converted to a gluten-free recipe, let me know.  I'll be happy to take a crack at it for you.  I'll not guarantee it will taste exactly the same as the non-gluten-free versions, but they will be good. I think this recipe for the blonde ale will be pretty close, though.  the spiciness of the sorghum will probably be hidden somewhat by the spiciness of the yeast, adding some great depth to the character of the beer.  Give it a try and let me know if you like it.

More Fun Blonde – Extract

Belgian Pale Ale

Recipe for 5 gallons (18.9 L)

Fermentables

8 lbs (3.63 kg) Breiss Sorghum Syrup

13.0 oz (369 g) dextrose (corn sugar)

Hops

1.3 oz (37 g) Northern Brewer hops, 9% a.a. (60 min)

0.6 oz (17 g) Northern Brewer hops, 9% a.a. (20 min)

0.7 oz (20 g) Willamette hops, 5% a.a. (20 min)

0.5 oz (14 g) Willamette hops, 5% a.a. (0 min)

Yeast

SAF Ale T-58 Yeast

Brewers Specifics

·         Add malt extract syrup and 13.0 oz (369 g) dextrose to 2.5 gallons of hot water, stir until totally dissolved

·         Bring to a rolling boil for 60 minutes

·         Add hops at specified intervals from end of boil

·         Strain wort into sanitized fermentation vessel with 2-3 gallons (7.6-11.4 L) of pre-boiled & chilled water for a total volume of 5 gallons (18.9 L)

·         When temperature reaches 65° F (18° C), pitch yeast

·         Secure air lock or blow-off tube

·         Bring temperature up to 75° F (24° C) over 36 hours

·         Finish fermentation at 75° F (24° C)

·         Keg at 2.5 volumes of CO₂ or bottle condition with 4 oz (113 g) corn sugar

Boil Time: 60 minutes

Original Gravity: 1.065 (15.9° P)

Final Gravity: 1.015 (3.8° P)

SRM: 6°

IBU: 42

ABV: 6.7%