Brilliant Ginger Beer

[spikepipsqueak]

Some 30 years ago, when AHB was still in Hughesdale, I made ginger beer from one of their recipes.

It used fresh ginger and champagne yeast and produced a result that was not for the kiddies, but wonderful.

For years I have rested quiet in the knowledge that the recipe was safe in my filing cabinet if i ever wanted to make it again.

Alas, I was wrong.

does anyone have a copy of this recipe or something that sounds similar? It would be much appreciated.

 

[slcmorro]

There's plenty of GB recipes in the database on here. They'd all be relatively similar surely.

 

[indica86]

Email AHB?

 

[punkin]

search 'ginger beer plant'

 

[Kingy]

I've made this many times now and everyone loves it. When I keg it i crash chill when the fg is below 1010 so it retains a little sweetness but it's also nice when it's dry.
I've bottled some this time should be ready in a week. The bottled stuff is gunna pack a punch I reckon lol.
1.5kg ginger
2kg brown or dark brown sugar
1kg organic honey
4cinnamon sticks
2cloves
3small chillies
Zest of 5 limes and 5 lemons
Juice from 2 limes and 2 lemons

 

[philmud]

So you bottled it at 1.010? Presumably you'll refrigerate it until you're ready to drink it?

 

[Kingy]

So you bottled it at 1.010? Presumably you'll refrigerate it until you're ready to drink it?

After I kegged most of it I Ieft the remaing few litres to warm up for a few days and ferment out before I bottled.

 

[Kingy]

So you bottled it at 1.010? Presumably you'll refrigerate it until you're ready to drink it?

After I kegged most of it I Ieft the remaing few litres to warm up for a few days and ferment out before I bottled.
I'd like to keep this on tap all summer, the only thing stopping me is the price for sll the ingredients. I've planted some ginger for next summer

 

[lael]

Kingy, what do you fermwnt it out with?

 

[Kingy]

The last few times I've dumped it on the yeast cake of a hefeweizen. Liquid Bavarian wheat and wb06. Both where great.
It's great to get your stocks up with 2 great summer beers that ya can drink young.

 

[merls3]

Hey Kingy
What volume did this make? Also, how did you process the ginger and chillies? Assume you boil it all up and strain before the ferment?
First GB and this one looks like a beauty

 

[Kingy]

I just blend it all, then into a hopsock and boil for 1 hour. Chill and ferment. If you are bottling id rack to secondary to let more solids drop out to keep ya bottles cleaner as there's a fair bit of sediment. Or if ya keg let it settle in the keg for a few days and pour the first schooner or so out. Unless you like ya ginger super cloudy. Lol.

 

[merls3]

Will probably keg before it's finished first time for some residual sweetness.
Is this what you use for a 19l batch?

 

[Tahoose]

thinking about doing this recipe that kingy uses, just been going through the Ginger beer from scratch thread and there is plenty of good input and conversation on this topic.

On another note I picked up so jamieson's ginger beer pre mixed earlier and in the ingredients part it noted that there was rosemary extract in there too.

The only thing I'm thinking is maybe loosing the chillies as chillies don't quite agree with me any more, shame really as I do like them

 

[Kingy]

I think I get 21 litres. either way start with 25 pre boil and boil softly.
I've tried adding lactose and also buderim ginger cordial (non fermentable) to retain sweetness but didn't work to well. I've stopped fermentation at 1014 snd 1008 @ 20degrees by cold chilling. I've also let it ferment right out. Next time I'd like to chill when at 1004-6. I like mine on the drier side as it's a great session beer then.

Edit: speeling.

 

[Tahoose]

Did see somewhere on here somebody has a recipe for a vodka/buderim ginger cordial/water mix made up in a keg to 5% and carbonated.

I don't keg (Yet!!) h34r: so not an option for me, but for someone who has that kegging stuff on hand might be the quick fix for a nice summer sesh drink while you work out a recipe which suits...

Worth a shot..

 

[merls3]

I think I get 21 litres. either way start with 25 pre boil and boil softly. I've tried adding lactose and also buderim ginger cordial (non fermentable) to retain sweetness but didn't work to well. I've stopped fermentation at 1014 snd 1008 @ 20degrees by cold chilling. I've also let it ferment right out. Next time I'd like to chill when at 1004-6. I like mine on the drier side as it's a great session beer then. Edit: speeling.

It's for the Mrs so will be aiming for a bit of sweetness. I've got a couple of empty 10L kegs here so might keg half sweet and do a drier version too.

 

[Pirate Pete]

Made up a similar recipe except 1 kg of ginger and a bit less sugar. Also added around 8 cardomon pods and 4 nutmeg nuts. I did not add citrus (usually do this but did not have lemons on hand at the time), although thinking of doing that pre bottling. It has been fermenting for 8 days now between 18 and 22 degrees. Check it daily and it does not appear to miss the citrus. It has a really nice spicy taste and a nice chili after kick. Any ideas why most recipes include citrus? Is it for taste or a more 'chemical' reason?

 

[spikepipsqueak]

Many thanks for the replies and all the info.

If I find the specific recipe in the AHB archives I will repost it here for interest's sake.

Cheers

 

[spikepipsqueak]

2 KG light DME
1KG Dextrose
2 large ginger roots, finely grated
juice of 3 medium sized lemons
2 Tbs red Tabasco sauce

fill to 21 L with water and pitch 1 packet dry champagne yeast

Added 500g Lactose at time of Kegging

Carbonated to 220 Kpa

This simple recipe more or less matches my memory, but I have a few questions.

What is DME? Does it account for the ginger beer being 0% alcohol?

I propose experimenting with this, even simpler, version but wonder if anyone can spot any ignoramus mistakes?.


3 kilos glucose
2 large ginger roots, finely grated
juice of 3 medium sized lemons
4 cardamoms
1 packet dry champagne yeast

fill to 21 L with water

Priming with glucose at bottling

 

[indica86]

DME = Dry malt extract.

I don't think your has enough Ginger.

 

[Tahoose]

Ok so I have made my first ginger beer and here is how it went down

Recipe
1kg ginger powder
1kg dark brown sugar
1kg brown sugar
2 teaspoons chilli flakes
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cloves
5 lemons zest and juice

So let me start by saying I won't be using ginger powder again....

Started with 6 Ltrs of boiling water and stirred the ginger powder in, this turned the pot into a pot of ginger porridge. And left me searching for a second pot....

So found the second pot, boiled up about 5 Ltrs of water and added in my lemon juice, zest, chilli flakes, cinnamon, cloves, and then whilst consently stirring dissolved the 2kg of sugars and the 1 kg of honey.

So then I got out the electric whisk and mixing bowl and mixed my liquid concoction with the finger porridge bit by bit and into the fermenter then topped up to 23ltrs with water and gave it a god shake to mix it all together.

I was hoping that the ginger powder would dissolve but after a few days it hasn't and just kept looking like a big 23 ltr drum of milo.

So finally today I got my bottling fermenter, ran the whole lot through a sieve into the second fermenter and then back into the primary.

Think I may have lost some sugars along the way and have lost about 3ltrs of the batch but at the end of it I'm hoping it will turn out ok.

OG 1052
Pitched 11g of safale s-04

 

[Tahoose]

Forgot to mention there was 1kg of honey in there too.

Going to call this "shredding pow, triple filtered GB"

 

[blekk]

Used Kingy's recipe for a base micro batch (4lt) cutting out a few items the missus didn't want in -

160g Ginger Root
100g Honey
300g Brown Sugar
1 Lemon juiced and zested
1/2 Lime juiced and zested

Threw in all the ingredients together in the thermomix with 1lt water (washed ginger but threw it in skin and all) and blended to a rough pulp.
Added pulp to another 2lts water and kept on a rolling boil for 1hr.
Added some yeast nutrient last 10min of boil.
Chilled and strained into the fermenter.
Topped off to final volume and added a generic Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (Brigalow Band)

Brew has been bubbling away nicely at a constant 17-20deg but has decided to stall on day 5 (currently on day 7). Unfortunately I broke my hydrometer just before this brew so no gravity readings at this stage. Theres quite a bit of sediment at the bottom and its smelling amazing but Im concerned about the stall, should I give it a swirl to see if it kicks off again?

Cheers

 

[manticle]

If you have no hydrometer, how do you know it has stalled?

 

[blekk]

Dont know for sure just assuming at this stage due to the sudden drop off of activity and heavy sediment.

 

[MetalDan]

Try giving it a taste, if its sweet then it's either still fermenting or its stalled (taste again in a few days to see if there's any change in sweetness), if however its dryer than your mum then leave it a few days and bottle her up I say.

 

[phonos]

Buy an hydrometer. Now. And use it. You are at risk of bottle bombs.

 

[manticle]

Try giving it a taste, if its sweet then it's either still fermenting or its stalled (taste again in a few days to see if there's any change in sweetness), if however its dryer than your mum then leave it a few days and bottle her up I say.

Or spend 12 bucks on an instrument that will let you know for sure.