Ginger Beer

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Permalink Reply by Brent Yaxley on October 8, 2013 at 10:36pm

This would be my first post as well but as I have attempted something similar it's possible to add an idea.

As someone who has only ever done extract kits I experiment a little to get different flavours, so I used a Coopers real ale kit and the 1kg of sugar, I peeled 500gms of raw ginger and boiled this in about 2 litres of water with 500gms of the sugar for about 20 minutes until I had a sweet very gingery water which I added the kit to and poured the whole lot into the fermenter including the grated ginger. The results were interesting but not fully what I had intended, of course I have learnt a little since then, (although not enough to progress to all grain,(yet)), the ginger was a little strong but what I did wrong as I see it.

1) I only left it in the fermenter until the FG was per what the kit recommended, and bottled it straight away.

2) I used table sugar, I did not understand how much better DME, DME brew pack (the one with hops in), or non hopped extract can make a beer taste.

3) The difference bottle conditioning can make, I found the last bottle of this recently in the garage, its been there hiding for about 8 months, and felt brave enough to open and taste it, the rest was within a few weeks of bottling and was kind of nasty, I regretted drinking them all so young.

What I will do differently this time, 500gms grated ginger boiled in 2 litres of water with either a DME or malt extract, not sure which or what kind yet, but that would be your choice to figure it out.

I am also thinking about kind of follow an all grain trick with regard to hops, if I use a malt extract I will boil the malt in a quantity of water for about 20 minutes, when it get to the boil I will add some hops, I am thinking Cascade, and Goldings still trying to wrap my head around the amounts and times, but as I want flavour not bittering the wont need too long on the heat.

I will brew this for 5-7 days and take a hydrometer reading, I am guessing here it should be nearly fininshed, then transfer it to a secondary fermenter leaving the trub which should contain the ginger and hops, I will leave this to mellow for about a further 7-10 days before bottling.

That is my plan, now I just need time to implement it and of course any suggestions are welcome, hope this helps you progress with your plan.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Smith on October 9, 2013 at 7:37am

One of the "issues" I have found is that the ginger beer dries out too much.  Givern recent experiences with the Mangrove Jack's Newcastle Dark Ale Yeast M03,  I am going to try this yeast next time I do a GB.   It seems to like to stop around 1.025 in stouts, but these may have more unfermentables....  

I have also read that commercial breweries use unfermentable sugars or they stop fermentation with flash pasteurisation at desired FG  to keep some residual sweatness in.

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Permalink Reply by Hamish Hill on October 9, 2013 at 7:54am

Thanks for the reply's. I was considering some unfermentable sugar but the only one I have and have used before is Lactose. Not sure this 'taste' would be suitable. Are there any others that would be more suitable for this use??

Another option maybe would be to mash some grain at a higher temp?

Any thoughts

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Permalink Reply by Duncan Emo on October 10, 2013 at 6:44am

Hey -  I've used Ginger Beer Kits before - Coopers Ginger Beer with Brown Sugar - pretty good results (tasted like a cross between a Bunderberg and a HardieBoys flavour - quite sweet tho. Tried the Copper Tun Kit as well - but no real ginger taste and low carbonation.

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Permalink Reply by Trent Dallimore on October 14, 2013 at 3:14pm

I made a ginger 'ale' as a request from my partner. I didn't want to invest too much in something that might not work.Surprisingly it turned out great. We even entered it into a SOBA H/B contest and got a placing with some very favorable comments.

It was a basic kit recipe.

I used a Black Rock Golden Ale kit

500g DME.

I then made a hop and ginger tea using approx 3l of water in separate bags.

100g of grated fresh ginger

50ish g of Motueka pellets.

Boiled up for 15 minutes and then tipped into the fermenter followed by the kit and DME. I also mixed 250g of runny honey with some boiled water and added that.

Turned out about bang on for the gingerness.

It's a nice summer drink that we are now both looking forward to supping over the coming summer.

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Permalink Reply by Hamish Hill on October 14, 2013 at 9:00pm

Hi, this is what I have come up with so far: ideas?

20 liter batch
2 kg pilsner malt
0.60kg light crystal
1 kg honey
170g ginger root at 30mins
80g ginger at 10 mins
Lemon juice
Lemon zest
Bitter with mot to 22 ibu's
Mash 67
Ferment saf 05

Might have to back sweeten later, not sure.
What you think?

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Josheph on October 31, 2013 at 8:15pm

3 cups raw sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
1L boiling water and
5L cold water
Juice of 2 lemons, strained
1. In a large bowl or bucket, put the sugar and cream of tartar, then add the boiling water. Stir to dissolve the sugar before adding the cold water. Get your bug and pour all the liquid (not the sludge in the bottom) into a bucket and add the lemon juice.
2. Stir well and then pour into your clean bottles – it makes six 750ml bottles.
3. Store in a cool, dark place for two weeks before drinking. Make sure you open the bottle in the kitchen sink as it might overflow. Open the cap bit by
bit to allow the air to escape.

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Josheph on November 11, 2013 at 9:24pm

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 POUND GINGER

1 CUP SUGAR

1 1/2 TABLE SPOON FRESH LEMON JUICE

2 QUARTS WATER

DIRECTIONS:

Grate enough ginger using Microplane to measure 3 1/2 tablespoons, then put in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to collect juice, pressing on solids and then discarding.

Place funnel in neck of bottle and pour in 3 tablespoons ginger juice (reserve any remaining for another use). Add sugar, lemon juice, yeast, and a pinch of salt.

Fill bottle with water, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of space at top. Remove funnel and screw cap on tightly. Gently shake bottle to dissolve sugar.

Let stand at room temperature until plastic feels hard and no longer indents when squeezed, 24 to 36 hours.

Chill ginger beer until very cold.

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Permalink Reply by Hamish Hill on November 11, 2013 at 10:13pm

Cheers, I have made the above recipe I posted, just waiting to keg.
Look forward to trying it. Cheers for rrply

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Permalink Reply by Duncan Emo on February 13, 2014 at 6:42am

Hey Hamish - how did this go? I'm keen to try your recipe out - was it too sweet with the honey?

Cheers,

Duncan

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Permalink Reply by Hamish Hill on February 13, 2014 at 11:11am

Hi Duncan, beer turned out ok but too sweet for me. I added extra ginger to try take the edge off but still too sweet. Next time I will prob use half as much sweetener and reduce the honey as if has imparted quite a strong flavor. All in all the beer is promising but much too sweet for me.
Would be interested to hear what yours comes out like.
Cheers

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Permalink Reply by Duncan Emo on March 1, 2014 at 10:22am

I found this thread - http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/ginger-ale-3rd-place-2009-hbt-bjcp-... using it as a guide.

Brewed last weekend with a few Titahi Bay Brewers. I modified it to use extract as outside brewing wasn't an option. Reduced honey to 500gms and used Kohatu Hops as well.

So far so good - had a cheeky taste and tastes like a ginger beer - will definitely need some "dry hopping with ginger" to get that ginger "heat".

Cheers,

Duncan

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