🚀 go-pugleaf

"Dan/meaderer" wrote:

> i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> before?
> i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> homebrew stores....

Have you checked out the Gluten-Free Brewing Project website?

http://www.fortunecity.com/boozers/brewerytap/555/gfbeer/gfbeer.htm

Good luck!

Brina

I have malted barley a number of times, but my attempt at buckwheat was less
than desirable.  Buckwheat's viability is very poor compared to barley.

There is a site out of St. Louis that goes into malting odd grains for
gluten free beer.  Check it out.

--
Dan Listermann

Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com

Free shipping for orders greater than $35
and East of the Mighty Miss.


"Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com...
> Hey guys,
>
> i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> before?
> i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts
> were 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the
> mash was 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i
> was wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts
> are around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?

"yew" <nsyew@premier1.net> wrote in message news:<v8bed4b7l2du56@corp.supernews.com>...
> "Dan/meaderer" wrote:
>
> > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > before?
> > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> > homebrew stores....
>
> Have you checked out the Gluten-Free Brewing Project website?
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/boozers/brewerytap/555/gfbeer/gfbeer.htm
>
> Good luck!
>
> Brina

yep, checked all that..that site assumes that i know how to malt grains properly :P

Dan- what did you mean by 'poor viability' ??

"Dan Listermann" <dan@listermann.com> wrote in message news:<v8c9s7ao0n7ca0@corp.supernews.com>...
> Barley corns are viable for years in that they can be sprouted over a long
> time span.  I am told and have observed that buckwheat looses it viability
> fairly quickly.  I would not try to sprout buckwheat that is more than two
> years old.  It would be highly desirable to get the prior year's crop.
>
> --
> Dan Listermann
>
> Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com
>
> Free shipping for orders greater than $35
> and East of the Mighty Miss.
>
>
> "Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1e620d5e.0303291414.78599018@posting.google.com...
> > "yew" <nsyew@premier1.net> wrote in message
>  news:<v8bed4b7l2du56@corp.supernews.com>...
> > > "Dan/meaderer" wrote:
> > >
> > > > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > > > before?
> > > > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> > > > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> > > > homebrew stores....
> > >
> > > Have you checked out the Gluten-Free Brewing Project website?
> > >
> > > http://www.fortunecity.com/boozers/brewerytap/555/gfbeer/gfbeer.htm
> > >
> > > Good luck!
> > >
> > > Brina
> >
> > yep, checked all that..that site assumes that i know how to malt grains
>  properly :P
> >
> > Dan- what did you mean by 'poor viability' ??

ahhhh, well im getting this buckhweat from a health-food supermarket,
and im pretty sure its nice and fresh..ie im not going to some dodgy
farmer to get it

they re-stock every week or so...

Barley corns are viable for years in that they can be sprouted over a long
time span.  I am told and have observed that buckwheat looses it viability
fairly quickly.  I would not try to sprout buckwheat that is more than two
years old.  It would be highly desirable to get the prior year's crop.

--
Dan Listermann

Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com

Free shipping for orders greater than $35
and East of the Mighty Miss.


"Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1e620d5e.0303291414.78599018@posting.google.com...
> "yew" <nsyew@premier1.net> wrote in message
news:<v8bed4b7l2du56@corp.supernews.com>...
> > "Dan/meaderer" wrote:
> >
> > > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > > before?
> > > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> > > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> > > homebrew stores....
> >
> > Have you checked out the Gluten-Free Brewing Project website?
> >
> > http://www.fortunecity.com/boozers/brewerytap/555/gfbeer/gfbeer.htm
> >
> > Good luck!
> >
> > Brina
>
> yep, checked all that..that site assumes that i know how to malt grains
properly :P
>
> Dan- what did you mean by 'poor viability' ??

"Dan Listermann" <dan@listermann.com> wrote in message news:<v8cq702hrs8v30@corp.supernews.com>...
> Try hopped mead. You will be surprised.  We sell a kit for gluten intolerant
> based on this plus corn derived maltodextrin.  It is a real fooler.
>
> --
> Dan Listermann
>
> Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com
>
> Free shipping for orders greater than $35
> and East of the Mighty Miss.
>
>
> "Pete M" <removethis.pmarch@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:CSrha.8012$FO3.1059356@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > I'm in the same boat as you (gluten intolerant) and I currently have a
>  beer
> > in secondary that I made from home malted millet.  My crush sucked as well
> > so I got poor conversion (as well as lots of uncoverted starch - remember
>  to
> > add lots powdered amylase enzyme to the mash as gluten-free malt will have
> > little enzymatic power).  My SG was about 1.042 and it fermented down to
> > about 1.004 so it doesn't taste too great (very bitter/ watery).
> > I wouldn't really recommend trying to malt millet as it's a real PITA.
> > Apparently white sorghum is the thing to use but I can't get it here.. I'm
> > going to try corn next.  You don't want the acrospire to get too long - I
> > would say about 2-4 times the size of the kernel max.  My millet malt was
> > highly uneven - some not germinated, some fully sprouted (after about 6
> > days...)  Also make sure you seive the malt after you've kilned it to get
> > rid of all the dried rootlets which will give a real nasty astringent
>  taste
> > to the brew.  Obviously I haven't really got the hang of all this it yet-
> > let me know if you have any success!
> >
> > -Pete
> >
> > "Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com...
> > > Hey guys,
> > >
> > > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > > before?
> > > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> > > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> > > homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> > > properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> > > time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts
> > > were 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the
> > > mash was 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i
> > > was wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts
> > > are around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?
> >
> >lol, i've had heaps of hopped mead, what do you take me for :P
im planning on making an extra special bitter braggot (hehe)
My buckwheat is of course raw, untreated/untoasted with hulls on.

How do you seive the rootlets out??? will they fall through an
ordinary noodle-strainer?

"Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1e620d5e.0303291755.893ec82@posting.google.com...
> ahhhh, well im getting this buckhweat from a health-food supermarket,
> and im pretty sure its nice and fresh..ie im not going to some dodgy
> farmer to get it
>
> they re-stock every week or so...

Is it white or black?  White means that it is dehulled, black, and the hulls
are still on it.  I am told that dehulled buckwheat will malt if it is
viable, but I don't think you can make crystal malt from it because it will
all melt together in a big blob  during stewing.
--
Dan Listermann

Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com

Free shipping for orders greater than $35
and East of the Mighty Miss.


> "Dan Listermann" <dan@listermann.com> wrote in message
news:<v8c9s7ao0n7ca0@corp.supernews.com>...
> > Barley corns are viable for years in that they can be sprouted over a
long
> > time span.  I am told and have observed that buckwheat looses it
viability
> > fairly quickly.  I would not try to sprout buckwheat that is more than
two
> > years old.  It would be highly desirable to get the prior year's crop.
> >
> > --
> > Dan Listermann
> >
> > Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com
> >
> > Free shipping for orders greater than $35
> > and East of the Mighty Miss.
> >
> >
> > "Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:1e620d5e.0303291414.78599018@posting.google.com...
> > > "yew" <nsyew@premier1.net> wrote in message
> >  news:<v8bed4b7l2du56@corp.supernews.com>...
> > > > "Dan/meaderer" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > > > > before?
> > > > > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey +
malt)
> > > > > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they
have in
> > > > > homebrew stores....
> > > >
> > > > Have you checked out the Gluten-Free Brewing Project website?
> > > >
> > > > http://www.fortunecity.com/boozers/brewerytap/555/gfbeer/gfbeer.htm
> > > >
> > > > Good luck!
> > > >
> > > > Brina
> > >
> > > yep, checked all that..that site assumes that i know how to malt
grains
> >  properly :P
> > >
> > > Dan- what did you mean by 'poor viability' ??
>

Try hopped mead. You will be surprised.  We sell a kit for gluten intolerant
based on this plus corn derived maltodextrin.  It is a real fooler.

--
Dan Listermann

Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com

Free shipping for orders greater than $35
and East of the Mighty Miss.


"Pete M" <removethis.pmarch@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:CSrha.8012$FO3.1059356@news20.bellglobal.com...
> I'm in the same boat as you (gluten intolerant) and I currently have a
beer
> in secondary that I made from home malted millet.  My crush sucked as well
> so I got poor conversion (as well as lots of uncoverted starch - remember
to
> add lots powdered amylase enzyme to the mash as gluten-free malt will have
> little enzymatic power).  My SG was about 1.042 and it fermented down to
> about 1.004 so it doesn't taste too great (very bitter/ watery).
> I wouldn't really recommend trying to malt millet as it's a real PITA.
> Apparently white sorghum is the thing to use but I can't get it here.. I'm
> going to try corn next.  You don't want the acrospire to get too long - I
> would say about 2-4 times the size of the kernel max.  My millet malt was
> highly uneven - some not germinated, some fully sprouted (after about 6
> days...)  Also make sure you seive the malt after you've kilned it to get
> rid of all the dried rootlets which will give a real nasty astringent
taste
> to the brew.  Obviously I haven't really got the hang of all this it yet-
> let me know if you have any success!
>
> -Pete
>
> "Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com...
> > Hey guys,
> >
> > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > before?
> > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> > homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> > properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> > time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts
> > were 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the
> > mash was 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i
> > was wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts
> > are around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?
>
>

I'm in the same boat as you (gluten intolerant) and I currently have a beer
in secondary that I made from home malted millet.  My crush sucked as well
so I got poor conversion (as well as lots of uncoverted starch - remember to
add lots powdered amylase enzyme to the mash as gluten-free malt will have
little enzymatic power).  My SG was about 1.042 and it fermented down to
about 1.004 so it doesn't taste too great (very bitter/ watery).
I wouldn't really recommend trying to malt millet as it's a real PITA.
Apparently white sorghum is the thing to use but I can't get it here.. I'm
going to try corn next.  You don't want the acrospire to get too long - I
would say about 2-4 times the size of the kernel max.  My millet malt was
highly uneven - some not germinated, some fully sprouted (after about 6
days...)  Also make sure you seive the malt after you've kilned it to get
rid of all the dried rootlets which will give a real nasty astringent taste
to the brew.  Obviously I haven't really got the hang of all this it yet-
let me know if you have any success!

-Pete

"Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com...
> Hey guys,
>
> i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> before?
> i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts
> were 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the
> mash was 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i
> was wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts
> are around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?

"Andy Davison" <andy@oiyou.force9.co.uk> wrote in message news:<pan.2003.03.30.07.07.57.680403@oiyou.force9.co.uk>...
> On Sat, 29 Mar 2003 00:43:42 +0000, Dan/meaderer wrote in message
> <1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com>:
>
> > Hey guys,
> >
> > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > before?
> > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt) as
> > i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> > homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> > properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> > time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts were
> > 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the mash was
> > 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i was
> > wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts are
> > around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?
>
> About a year or so ago there was a poster here called Craig Belser who is
> coeliac and has been malting his own sorghum. He has a web site at
> http://www.glutenfreebrewer.com/ which you may find useful.

yeah, i've been to all the websites, they all tell me different things :(
thx anyway

Rosemary Hanger <rosemary@sillyYak.com.au> wrote in message news:<3E867920.278CFD3F@sillyYak.com.au>...
> I am also making gluten free beer. Have been using buckwheat, sorghum
> and rice
> syrup.  The most difficult parts are malting and the mash.  From what I
> have read
> (mainly about sorghum) there are a number of difficulties.  These are a)
> the amylase in sorghum is not very heat stable, hence in Africa sorghum
> is dried
> and used almost green.  Also the optimum temp for amylase is about 60C,
> hence
> normal mash temps will be too high.  And lastly the gelatinisation temp
> of sorghum
> is about 70C, which means either if you use a mash temp of 60c you will
> not make
> much of the starch available for conversion, or if you use a temp of
> about 70c
> yu will kill off the amylase.  Apparently to get around this problem, a
> triple
> decoction mash is what is used.
>
> In the USA you have sorghum which has tannins in it to stop the birds
> from eating
> it. There should be red sorghum grain without the tannins (from what I
> am told)
> you will need to check with your seed supplier.  In Australia, our
> sorghums don't
> have the tannis, so at least we don't have that problem.
>
> I suspect there could be similar problems with buckwheat and millet.
> Also millet
> is a very small grain and hence not easy to work with.
>
> I have tried one triple decoction mash and it did increase the yield,
> but I was
> not happy with it.  It is possible to malt and mash with sorghum
> properly, it
> is done in Africa, the problem is just working out the details.
>
> Robert
>
> Pete M wrote:
> >
> > I'm in the same boat as you (gluten intolerant) and I currently have a beer
> > in secondary that I made from home malted millet.  My crush sucked as well
> > so I got poor conversion (as well as lots of uncoverted starch - remember to
> > add lots powdered amylase enzyme to the mash as gluten-free malt will have
> > little enzymatic power).  My SG was about 1.042 and it fermented down to
> > about 1.004 so it doesn't taste too great (very bitter/ watery).
> > I wouldn't really recommend trying to malt millet as it's a real PITA.
> > Apparently white sorghum is the thing to use but I can't get it here.. I'm
> > going to try corn next.  You don't want the acrospire to get too long - I
> > would say about 2-4 times the size of the kernel max.  My millet malt was
> > highly uneven - some not germinated, some fully sprouted (after about 6
> > days...)  Also make sure you seive the malt after you've kilned it to get
> > rid of all the dried rootlets which will give a real nasty astringent taste
> > to the brew.  Obviously I haven't really got the hang of all this it yet-
> > let me know if you have any success!
> >
> > -Pete
> >
> > "Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com...
> > > Hey guys,
> > >
> > > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > > before?
> > > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> > > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> > > homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> > > properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> > > time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts
> > > were 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the
> > > mash was 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i
> > > was wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts
> > > are around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?

triple decoction mash eh??? errm...

since i have no idea where to start with that, i'll let you have a go,
and you can tell me how you went later, eh :P

I can't get white sorghum here in Brisbane, australia..noone seems to
know what im talking about when i ask for it

On Sat, 29 Mar 2003 00:43:42 +0000, Dan/meaderer wrote in message
<1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com>:

> Hey guys,
>
> i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> before?
> i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt) as
> i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts were
> 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the mash was
> 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i was
> wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts are
> around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?

About a year or so ago there was a poster here called Craig Belser who is
coeliac and has been malting his own sorghum. He has a web site at
http://www.glutenfreebrewer.com/ which you may find useful.

--
Andy Davison
andy@oiyou.force9.co.uk

It;s no help to the original poster, but I know a guy who made a buckwheat
beer. He got what appeared to be cracked umalted buckwheat (Groats?). Yummy!

john

Dan Listermann wrote in message ...
>I have malted barley a number of times, but my attempt at buckwheat was
less
>than desirable.  Buckwheat's viability is very poor compared to barley.
>
>There is a site out of St. Louis that goes into malting odd grains for
>gluten free beer.  Check it out.
>
>--
>Dan Listermann
>
>Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com
>
>Free shipping for orders greater than $35
>and East of the Mighty Miss.
>
>
>"Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com...
>> Hey guys,
>>
>> i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
>> before?
>> i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
>> as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
>> homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
>> properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
>> time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts
>> were 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the
>> mash was 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i
>> was wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts
>> are around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?
>
>

"Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1e620d5e.0303292143.3e4d73fd@posting.google.com...
> How do you seive the rootlets out??? will they fall through an
> ordinary noodle-strainer?

I use a highly developed strategy to do this.  I have bag made from a jean
pant leg from Her old pants that I have sewn shut on one end.  It holds ten
pounds.  I fill the malt into the bag and tie the opening very shut with
redundant strings and knots.  Now this is the tricky part.  You must be sure
She is not going to be home for a while.  You put the bag into Her dryer and
let it rip for a cycle.  The rootlets will all fall off and can be sieved
with fly screen.  Clean the lint filter well.
--
Dan Listermann

Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com

Free shipping for orders greater than $35
and East of the Mighty Miss.


> "Dan Listermann" <dan@listermann.com> wrote in message
news:<v8cq702hrs8v30@corp.supernews.com>...
> > Try hopped mead. You will be surprised.  We sell a kit for gluten
intolerant
> > based on this plus corn derived maltodextrin.  It is a real fooler.
> >
> > --
> > Dan Listermann
> >
> > Check out our E-tail site at www.listermann.com
> >
> > Free shipping for orders greater than $35
> > and East of the Mighty Miss.
> >
> >
> > "Pete M" <removethis.pmarch@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> > news:CSrha.8012$FO3.1059356@news20.bellglobal.com...
> > > I'm in the same boat as you (gluten intolerant) and I currently have a
> >  beer
> > > in secondary that I made from home malted millet.  My crush sucked as
well
> > > so I got poor conversion (as well as lots of uncoverted starch -
remember
> >  to
> > > add lots powdered amylase enzyme to the mash as gluten-free malt will
have
> > > little enzymatic power).  My SG was about 1.042 and it fermented down
to
> > > about 1.004 so it doesn't taste too great (very bitter/ watery).
> > > I wouldn't really recommend trying to malt millet as it's a real PITA.
> > > Apparently white sorghum is the thing to use but I can't get it here..
I'm
> > > going to try corn next.  You don't want the acrospire to get too
long - I
> > > would say about 2-4 times the size of the kernel max.  My millet malt
was
> > > highly uneven - some not germinated, some fully sprouted (after about
6
> > > days...)  Also make sure you seive the malt after you've kilned it to
get
> > > rid of all the dried rootlets which will give a real nasty astringent
> >  taste
> > > to the brew.  Obviously I haven't really got the hang of all this it
yet-
> > > let me know if you have any success!
> > >
> > > -Pete
> > >
> > > "Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > > news:1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com...
> > > > Hey guys,
> > > >
> > > > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > > > before?
> > > > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> > > > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have
in
> > > > homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> > > > properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> > > > time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts
> > > > were 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the
> > > > mash was 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i
> > > > was wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts
> > > > are around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?
> > >
> > >lol, i've had heaps of hopped mead, what do you take me for :P
> im planning on making an extra special bitter braggot (hehe)
> My buckwheat is of course raw, untreated/untoasted with hulls on.
>

I am also making gluten free beer. Have been using buckwheat, sorghum
and rice
syrup.  The most difficult parts are malting and the mash.  From what I
have read
(mainly about sorghum) there are a number of difficulties.  These are a)
the amylase in sorghum is not very heat stable, hence in Africa sorghum
is dried
and used almost green.  Also the optimum temp for amylase is about 60C,
hence
normal mash temps will be too high.  And lastly the gelatinisation temp
of sorghum
is about 70C, which means either if you use a mash temp of 60c you will
not make
much of the starch available for conversion, or if you use a temp of
about 70c
yu will kill off the amylase.  Apparently to get around this problem, a
triple
decoction mash is what is used.

In the USA you have sorghum which has tannins in it to stop the birds
from eating
it. There should be red sorghum grain without the tannins (from what I
am told)
you will need to check with your seed supplier.  In Australia, our
sorghums don't
have the tannis, so at least we don't have that problem.

I suspect there could be similar problems with buckwheat and millet.
Also millet
is a very small grain and hence not easy to work with.

I have tried one triple decoction mash and it did increase the yield,
but I was
not happy with it.  It is possible to malt and mash with sorghum
properly, it
is done in Africa, the problem is just working out the details.

Robert

Pete M wrote:
>
> I'm in the same boat as you (gluten intolerant) and I currently have a beer
> in secondary that I made from home malted millet.  My crush sucked as well
> so I got poor conversion (as well as lots of uncoverted starch - remember to
> add lots powdered amylase enzyme to the mash as gluten-free malt will have
> little enzymatic power).  My SG was about 1.042 and it fermented down to
> about 1.004 so it doesn't taste too great (very bitter/ watery).
> I wouldn't really recommend trying to malt millet as it's a real PITA.
> Apparently white sorghum is the thing to use but I can't get it here.. I'm
> going to try corn next.  You don't want the acrospire to get too long - I
> would say about 2-4 times the size of the kernel max.  My millet malt was
> highly uneven - some not germinated, some fully sprouted (after about 6
> days...)  Also make sure you seive the malt after you've kilned it to get
> rid of all the dried rootlets which will give a real nasty astringent taste
> to the brew.  Obviously I haven't really got the hang of all this it yet-
> let me know if you have any success!
>
> -Pete
>
> "Dan/meaderer" <west_side_punker@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1e620d5e.0303290043.6428a056@posting.google.com...
> > Hey guys,
> >
> > i was just wondering if any of you have had to malt your own grain
> > before?
> > i've tried this twice in attempting to make a braggot (honey + malt)
> > as i am gluten intolerant and can't use the malted barley they have in
> > homebrew stores.... The first time i did i i didnt crush the grains
> > properly (silly me) so the sugars weren't accessible, and the second
> > time i did it, i think i let them sprout for too long (some sprouts
> > were 5-6 times as long as the grain) as the specific gravity of the
> > mash was 1.000 and it tasted astringent and grainey, not sweet. So i
> > was wondering if i should start roasting the grains when the sprouts
> > are around 2 or 3 times the length of the grain?


--
Robert                         email: info@sillyyak.com.au
Melbourne, Oz                 http://www.sillyyak.com.au

Dan/meaderer wrote:
[snip]
>
> triple decoction mash eh??? errm...
>
There is infomation on this at: http://brewery.org/brewery/library
It is not as scary as it sounds, just tedious.

> since i have no idea where to start with that, i'll let you have a go,
> and you can tell me how you went later, eh :P
>
Have done it, the brew is still fermenting.

> I can't get white sorghum here in Brisbane, australia..noone seems to
> know what im talking about when i ask for it

You don't need to get white sorghum, the sorghum grains here in Ausralia
do
not contain tannins.  The variety I use is "MR Buster". It seems fine,
the
first batch I brewed is not to bad, a bit light in flavour, and cloudy
as there
was unconverted starch, but otherwise not too bad.

The web-sites on gluten free brewing do not give details on either the
malting
procedure or the mashing details, but just say it can be done.

Before trying to brew gluten free beer I had no prior experience with
brewing
beer.  My malting method: soak grain for 24 hours at approx 20c,
germinate at
room temp till the acrospire appears ( root appears first, then the
acrospire)
(with buckwheat, no acrospire will appear, germinate about 3 days).  Air
dry
germinated grains for 1 day (just use a fan), then dry at 50c for 1
day.  This
will give you green (not kilned) malt.  I will worry about producing
darker
malts later.

With the mash, you will probably need to use some extra amylase to help
the
conversion, and as the gelatinisation temp is higher than the optimum
temp
for the amylase, yields tend to be low unless a decoction mash is used.

Robert

--
Robert                       email: info@sillyyak.com.au
Melbourne, Oz                 http://www.sillyyak.com.au