Adding Ginger to a Lager

[bigalwhat]

Hi all, I was wondering if you can help me

I have a mangrove jacks blond larger and I want to do a hop tea with 25g of citra and 25g of cascade for 10mins. I was also thinking of putting some raw ginger in the barrel while fermenting to give it a bit of a ginger flavour. Do you think this will work and how much do you reckon should use?

Thanks

 

[damoninja]

larger

A larger? Larger than what?

The amount of ginger kind of depends on how big a batch you're doing? Ginger seems pretty intense, but once it's fermented it does mellow out a lot.
I would start with something like a half teaspoon grated ginger per litre and taste it after primary has finished, if you decide you need more you can add more!

 

[TimT]

Ginger is a good taste and I think it would go well with citra. Apparently the raw ginger root often has a lot of wild yeast that likes living on it, so maybe bear that in mind. It could add an extra spritz to your lager, so you might consider cutting back on the carbonation levels.

 

[damoninja]

Apparently the raw ginger root often has a lot of wild yeast that likes living on it

It does, in fact to make a 'proper' ginger ale you're supposed to mash up the ginger and put it in a small sugar starter for a few days then strain out the solids in a cheese cloth to create a wad of ginger 'plant' as they call it.

I dunno why yeast gets called dumb weird names like plant for ginger and mother for apple cider vinegar.

 

[bigalwhat]

wow i obversely dont know how to spell lager, well not this morning anyway

Thanks for your help. i think ill try 2 brews at the same time, 1 with ginger and 1 without to see how it goes and i think ill try 1/2 tsp per litre.

ill let you know in about 6 weeks how it goes

 

[damoninja]

wow i obversely dont know how to spell lager, well not this morning anyway

Thanks for your help. i think ill try 2 brews at the same time, 1 with ginger and 1 without to see how it goes and i think ill try 1/2 tsp per litre.

ill let you know in about 6 weeks how it goes

Alternatively you could brew a full batch of lager, full batch of ginger ale and do a 50/50 or some blend to get the ratio you like. Works well with wheat beers.

 

[Burt de Ernie]

A larger? Larger than what?

Not larger than me that's for sure!

 

[manticle]

Depends on your tastes. Every commercial beer with ginger I've tried has been awful.

@damoninja - isn't the vinegar mother baxteria rather than yeast?

 

[damoninja]

Depends on your tastes. Every commercial beer with ginger I've tried has been awful.

@damoninja - isn't the vinegar mother baxteria rather than yeast?

I've only had ginger beers from mirco breweries...

And I think you're right, the mother is for the aceto that converts alcohol in to acetic acid in the presence of oxygen. Reminds me, I should see how mine's going.

 

[manticle]

Ginger beer is different from beer with ginger in it. Micros are still a commercial venture. Not quite getting what you mean

 

[damoninja]

Ginger beer is different from beer with ginger in it. Micros are still a commercial venture. Not quite getting what you mean

I meant beer with ginger as well as ginger ale, and I thought when you said commercial you meant like a macro type brewery.

A winery down this way does a ginger wheat beer that's pretty nice. Only available at their cellar door on the vineyard.

 

[slcmorro]

obversely

Obviously*

Good luck with the brew mate, I reckon a good ginger beer is worth it's weight in gold.

 

[manticle]

Comercial means commercial product, commercially available as in I can buy it.
Macro, micro, craft, swill mean little to me - there is good, bad, major and independently owned and both can make either.

 

[manticle]

I see a lovely irony in what I just wrote but regardless, the main distinction is between a good product and a crap one.

 

[TimT]

I think the starter for a ginger ale or ginger beer has both bacteria and yeast present - yeast makes the alcohol and carbonation; the bacteria scarfs up the alcohol and comes out with, I suppose, acid. The recipes for home made ginger beer seem pretty much targeted at getting a yeast starter, since not only do you add sugar every day and ginger but you also throw in raisins or sultanas - plenty of nutrient-rich ingredients in there.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

Crush ya ginger in a garlic press and boil for as long as you can?
Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory.
Do you get sore in the joints?
Maybe help with a good ol fashioned case of the gout?