Kit for 1gal GF brews?

[Corcis]

Someone I know is gluten-intolerant/has Celiac's. We talked about brewing a gluten-free beer when I started brewing, but I didn't have the knowledge that I do now. I'm thinking of setting up a kit for him, as I can't use my current equipment because it is used on gluten-based brews. I'm looking to start him off with 1 gallon batches with the option of moving up to 5 gallon batches later on. I'd like to do partial mash (like I am used to) or all-grain (brew-in-a-bag method) for the small batches, with the intent of boiling down the wort to the 1 gallon mark, if necessary. I worked my way backwards in developing the list, so there's a good chance I forgot some things. What do you think of the equipment list below?

Bottling equipment - Caps, bottles (straight from the shop), capper, priming sugar, bottling wand, tubing, 6.5gal bottling bucket, racking cane.

Fermentation - 1gal glass jug fermenter, stopper, airlock, fermometer.

Brew-day - funnel, steeping bag, 2 gallon drink cooler, hydrometer, thermometer, test tube.

Consumables - Sorghum syrup, yeast, hops, Irish moss, malted/roasted grains (buckwheat/sorghum/quinoa/amaranth...), Iodophor, rice hulls.

Prior to brew-day - jelly roll pan for malting/roasting grains, food processor for cracking grains.

 

[Angelic Alchemist]

Legally, "Gluten Free" means less than 20 PPM.

 

[Vino]

The list looks good if I might make a few recommendations:


1. Use a 2 gallon plastic fermenter for the primary fermentation instead of a one gallon jug to reduce the chance of the krausen plugging the airlock (it can also be used for 1 gallon test batches of mead as well as a bottling bucket).

2. Purchase 8 flip-top bottles (e-z capper) and you won’t need to buy caps or a capper.

3. When I do small test batches (not as often these days) I don’t bother to use a bottling bucket, I attach a hose with a bottle filler to a large funnel and carefully pour the beer into the funnel (from the 2 gallon bucket), being careful to avoid a lot of splashing. Unless it’s a big gravity long ager you shouldn’t have any real issues with oxidation (8 bottles probably wouldn't last that long anyway).

These are just suggestions to save a few buckets until ready to make the plunge. YMMV

 

[akueck]

If you want to do partial mash or all-grain, I also suggest picking up the following:
Enzymes since home-malting is not very consistent (one or all of a basic Amylase, Convertase (trade name) and a Protease (I have been using green papaya skins))
Salts (for better enzyme activity), I use CaSO4, CaCl2, MgSO4, and CaCO3
Acid, lactic and/or phosphoric (in my experience the GF grains are not as good at setting mash pH)

It makes it more complicated but turns out better beer, IMO. I also like cutting the sorghum syrup with rice syrup, it eliminates some of the unique sorghum flavor that some folks don't like.

I second the bucket, it's easier to handle and clean, and a lot easier to pour into. You could also do the bucket-with-spigot and eliminate the racking equipment for now (though in general I am not a fan of fermenters with a spigot, they have their uses).

As far as equipment goes, wouldn't a clean surface also be a GF surface? I would think you'd be able to pull double duty with most of your stuff and still be GF.

 

[Corcis]

Alchemist: Yes, GF is technically a descriptor of the product being created. However, it's also a useful tag for getting people to respond with particular equipment recommendations.

Vino: Hadn't even thought of using a 2gal bucket. I'm pretty sure I would still need a sanitizing bucket, but it doesn't need a spigot necessarily. Also, good point on the flip-tops, will definitely keep that in mind, as well as the bottling technique. I'm assuming it will be drank relatively fast, as he's been stuck without beer for a year. Redbridge is acceptable, but everything else is kind of expensive.

akueck: Thanks for the tips, those will definitely be on my list. Would pH strips be acceptable for measuring the pH of the mash? What kind of ratios or percentages would you use for sorghum and rice syrups? Any links in particular you would have me take a good look at before attempting this? I'm still researching - just thinking of malting and kilning some grains (quinoa and buckwheat are on my radar right now, primarily).

As far as using my equipment, I'd like to get him his own setup. We're both college students and our paths will likely diverge within the next year or two. Minimal setup is what I'd be after, letting him expand on his own after that and trying to provide him with links to the most useful information on how to go through with the process on his own.

 

[akueck]

I've been using about 50/50 sorghum/rice, plus or minus about 10.

There are lots of threads here on GF beer. If you are an AHA member it comes up a lot on TechTalk too. The Australian Homebrewing websites often have GF recipes.

Whatever you do, don't try to malt millet. It sucks. Quinoa is a good one, it is just a lot more expensive than other choices. If you look at my GF recipes you'll see I use just a bit of quinoa and then mostly sorghum/rice for the sugars. Also don't forget you can use stuff like honey, maple syrup, molasses, etc. I have half a mind to try a GF cream ale with corn, rice, and sorghum. The corn is supposed to be there!

 

[Angelic Alchemist]

Blue corn could be a fun twist on that idea.

 

[BBBF]

Blue corn could be a fun twist on that idea.

It won't be purple. The color is in the husk, not the grain.

 

[Angelic Alchemist]

Shows how much I know about beer.

 

[BBBF]

Shows how much I know about beer.

meh, I had the same thought about a year ago.

 

[Corcis]

Shows how much I know about beer.

We all learn. I have a lot of learning to do...

 

[dogglebe]

FWIW, Maltose Express (in Monroe Connecticut) has four or five GF beer kits in their catalog. I've never had them but I hear positive things about them. These recipes were developed by the same people who wrote 'Clone Brews' and 'Beer Captured.'


Phil