gb recipie and sweetening

[wereprawn]

hi fellow brewers,
I have some questions about making GB. I would like to make a basic GB as my first attempt and then modify from that baseline for future brews.
my questions are 1. to make a 23 ltr batch at 5-6% abv how much sugar and ginger should I use. 2. how much lactose to use.
I really just want to make one that tastes like a alcoholic version of Bundaberg GB.
i have looked through the topic on this site and looked through the net but haven't really found anything on how to obtain the desired sweetness.i am going to bottle in 740 ml.really just want this info for future reference as am buying a second fermenter specifically for GB and ciders as I understand they tie up the fermenter for quite a while.
any advice from those that have experience/knowledge on the subject will be much appreciated.

cheers.

 

[bum]

I really just want to make one that tastes like a alcoholic version of Bundaberg GB.

I was trying really hard to do this for the first few years I brewed (started brewing for GBs rather beers, actually).

I am basically of the opinion that what you want to achieve isn't really possible. (Should be noted that I've never used a scoby or mother - those methods may make all the difference, dunno).

You'll get much closer with kits than you will with a scratch GB. The artificial sweetener flavour that some complain about with the kits is undoubtedly real and nigh impossible to cover up. Some people seem more sensitive to it than others though. Its very prominent for me but is less offensive than the insipid firewater that scratch GBs produce.

Anyway, nothing terrible practical there but I hope it helps (somehow). Lets us know how you get on.

[EDIT: embarrassing typo]

 

[capsicum]

I get pretty good results with a kit, which I guess has the non fermentable sweetener already in there. I put in about 1.25kg of brown sugar. I also add a couple of roots of fresh ginger and a few chillis for extra zing. I blast the ginger and chilli in a food processor/bamix thing and boil them in minimal water for half an hour before adding to get some flavours out and kill the bugs.

I would be interested in seeing your recipe if you're making it from scratch.

Good idea with the second fermenter, you can never get the ginger flavour out of plastic. Glass carboys don't have that problem.

 

[bum]

you can never get the ginger flavour out of plastic.

Oh tosh.

 

[wereprawn]

thanks for the info.which kit do you use capsicum?
I don't have a recipe.was hoping someone else had one to share.
I don't like diet softdrinks at all so probably am sensitive to the artificial sweeteners bum.

 

[Fossey]

I made this which tastes pretty good - its just not real clear. A fair bit of crud from the ingredients moving around during ferment but does the job! Not a great carbonation either...

Ginger Beer

12/10/2012 - 1150 hrs
Krausen Collar

1 x med chilli chopped
~350g fresh ginger sliced unpeeled
2 lemons sliced with rind
1 tsp whole cloves
2 cinnamon quills
1kg Beer Builder (dex, Corn syrup, LDM)
750g brown sugar
1.25kg dextrose
Coopers Ginger Beer kit (with water per instructions)
Safale S-04
Yeast nutrient

Steep chilli, lemon, ginger, cloves, cinnamon. From cold to boil on low heat, mash, strain into fermenter. Repeat with left over mashings and strain. Blend mashings and strain into fermenter. Add Coopers kit and sugars, adjusting to desired OG with dextrose. Add yeast nutrient.

OG - 1050

Add yeast.

20/10/2012 - 1930
SG - 1004

24/10/2012 - 0800
SG - 1000

25/10/2012 - 1135
SG - 1000

26/10/2012
Bottled into Coopers plastic king browns, 2 carb drops per bottle.