GF Brewing to Style Editor Notes

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Below are notes for editors preparing GF Brewing to Style Guides

Our audience (from 2021 survey)

  • 1,500+ Facebook members (Jan 2022). ~85% homebrewers. ~12% commercial brewers
  • 75%+ on a gluten free diet due to a medical condition (primarily celiac disease)
  • 57%: prior brewing experience with barley. 1 - 3 yrs of GF brewing experience on avg.
  • ~70% of ZT's audience is in the US and Canada, 15% in Australia and New Zealand, and 11% in the UK and Europe. More details available on the wiki.
  • Be inclusive. We’re here to represent GF brewers across gender identities, race, and orientation. Don’t exoticize beer styles from other cultures.
  • It’s a small community. Remain positive. Don’t insult other brewers and beers.

Photos and videos

  • Include 1 - 4 images of GF beers that fit the style (at least one homebrewed).
  • Ask permission to use photos from other people (with photo credit).
  • Quality over quantity. Choose non-distracting backgrounds and clean glassware (avoid photos with bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass).

Intro

  • A short background on the beer style. Could include: history, where the name comes from and/or geographical origins. Is there a specific season for brewing or drinking?
  • It’s OK to incorporate a few closely related styles in one style guide post (e.g. Scottish light, heavy and export).

Related styles and alternatives

  • Brief reference to related beer styles outside of this style guide. BJCP guidelines can be a reference point, but aren’t the absolute source of truth.

“(Don’t obsess about) the Numbers”

  • Usually the BJCP 2021 vital stats for this style (if they exist). Include ranges for OG, FG, IBUs, SRM (vs Lovibond), and ABV.

Key attributes

  • A short description of appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel and any other essential qualities. Don’t spend time explaining the “how” in this section.

Commercial examples

  • List any commercially available naturally GF examples of this style (include ABV and IBUs if available). They can be permanent or special releases.
  • Check websites and talk to brewery contacts – a good way to acknowledge brewery efforts to expand the GF style universe.
  • A list of GF focused breweries is available on the wiki.

GF recipe links

  • Include all grain, partial mash and extract links if you can. Credit recipe creators.
  • Recipes should generally fit the parameters of the style but they don’t have to be perfect representations.
  • Search ZT FB posts & talk to GF homebrewers and pro brewers who may have existing recipes to contribute or may even want to create specifically for the post.
  • Check the wiki and the GFHB recipe index
  • Consider creating one or two recipes based on the recommendations in the post

Grain bill & fermentables (and adjuncts)

  • What are the keys to building a grain bill for this style with gluten free malts? There are often varying approaches from different brewers.
  • Access to GF malts varies around the world. Offer suggestions for substituting rice or millet malt for example.
  • Are there unique grain additions that are key to converting this to a gluten free beer style (wheat replacement, for example)?
  • Other ingredients/adjuncts (spices, herbs, etc) that don’t need GF substitutions?
  • Consider using percentages. If using weights, include both imperial and metric.

Extract option

  • Help encourage new brewers who aren’t ready to make the leap to all grain.
  • How could you pull off this style with sorghum and/or rice syrup and perhaps some character/roast grains or other adjuncts that don’t require mashing and enzymes?

Water

  • Water can get complex. Style guides aren’t meant to be water chemistry tutorials.
  • Provide some general targets and/or ratios rather than specifying amounts of salts to add (varies depending on source water). For example, should the chloride to sulfate ratio be balanced, or favor more malty or more hoppy?

Mashing and Enzymes

  • Like water, you don’t need to provide a master class on how to mash. You can remind people to check the wiki for more info.
  • Access to enzymes vary around the world.
  • Summarize what the mash and enzyme routine is meant to achieve – e.g. high attenuation or some unfermentable sugars?

Hops

  • Specific varieties or qualities (noble, spicy, floral, citrus, etc) that are associated with the style? When to add (e.g. early boil bitterness only, late boil aroma, whirlpool, dryhopping)

Yeast

  • Is this a yeast driven style? What qualities would brewers be looking for? High attenuation? Low flocculation? POF+? Etc
  • Ideal temperature ranges.
  • GF dry yeasts (Fermentis, Lallemand, Mangrove Jack) are pretty widely available. Can mention GF liquid yeast and bacteria (e.g. lactobacillus) options if they exist and are specifically well-suited to style.

Packaging and Serving

  • Does this style need an extended post-fermentation rest?
  • Kegging and bottling recommendations (i.e. CO2 volumes)

Zero Tolerance Facebook Threads

  • Links to previous discussion topics specific to this style (Stuart can help pull this list together)

Gluten free brewing resources

  • Are there any articles or blog posts specific to this beer style?

Conventional resources

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