Ginger Beer Recipe - Scratch Brew No Kit

[chappo1970]

It works best with younger ginger (although so does any other method). Simply use the rounded edge if the spoon as you would a paring knife. Hard to explain, easy to demonstrate but it's basically the same technique. The spoon edge will shave away the skin no worries, you won't cut yourself at all and you cut away less flesh and can get into nooks and crannies.

try it at home when no-one's watching in case you think I'm pulling your leg. I did spend many years working in kitchens though so my advice is sound.

I trust you M. I'll give it a go next time.

 

[EZE-09Z]

im also doing this recipe Chappo............... taste great so far !

cant wait to finish fermenting and keg it !


cheers for a great brew :chug:



Ernie

 

[moovet]

It didn't take me too long to find the recipe in my notes, so here goes...

GG's GB Recipe 11/1/2009

• 1 x Morgans Ginger Beer Kit
• 1 x 500g Fresh ginger
• 1 x 250g DARK Brown Sugar
• 1 x 1kg dextrose
• 1 x 750ml Buderum Ginger Refresher Cordial
• 1 x fresh chilli (sliced thinly with the seeds in)
• ~600ml Sweet Vermouth
• ~600ml Sweet Sherry
• ~30ml Lochan Ora

Grated the ginger and soaked in a bowl with equal parts of Sweet Sherry, Sweet Vermouth & Lochan Ora for 24 hours. Combined the GB kit, brown sugar, dex and refresher cordial in 3L boiling water in the fermenter and stirred, then added the grated ginger soak (alcohol & all), added the sliced chilli and topped up to 23L. SG 1.048. Let the fermenter stand overnight while the yeast starter worked its treat, and pitched the following morning. FG 22/1/2008 0.996 Alc/Vol : 7.0%

Hi all,

First time ginger brewer. Followed this recipe almost exactly but I substituted the sugar for a kilo of my honey and ended up with an SG of 1.030 in only 18 litres at 22degrees so i stopped adding water. That seems a long way below the SG above using dry sugars and I still have 5L less volume than the original. I am worried about adding more honey as my intention is to rack it after a few days and quick chill it before bottling as I want low alcohol and no bottle bombs.

Is it normal to have such a difference when using honey over sugar? Can I safely make it up to 20 or 23L without making it too watery? I wont pitch the yeast (in a starter now) until the morning. Hopefully I have heard from somone by then.

Cheers

Moovet

 

[bum]

To make a low alc GB you must have a low SG to start with so you're halfway there already. As you are bottling you need to ferment this out completely - you don't have the luxury of stopping fermentation early like keggers can. You can add more water to your desired volume but it will make it more watery. Have you had a taste of the wort? The reduced volume may make the ginger bite stronger than you intended. Have a taste to see - remembering that the ginger will dissipate somewhat during fermentation and over time once bottled.

Also 1030 isn't quite as low as it sounds. GBs ferment out lower than beer and depending on your yeast/aeration/fermenting temps/nutrients/etc you may find it'll go down to around the 1000 mark so this recipe might come out over the standard drink vol% anyway.

 

[moovet]

I use S05 because it is a clean yeast and doesn't throw a heap of diectyl in the first stages of ferment IMO as I tend to rack to a second fermenter after 2(+/- subject to ish) days, fine and crash chill for 7 or more days then bottle condition for 3 weeks or so. I add no sugar to the bottles they don't need it plus I had very bad experience in my earlier days with GB bottle bombs on steriods! Usually comes in around 1-2% ABV. Retains alot of the honey characteristics I like in my GB.

Thank you bum. I hadn't tasted the wort but have pitched the yeast. Will try it whenI get home today. If you keep using the tap for taking samples for SG or tasting, how do you sterilise the tap afterwards? Or do you use a wine thief?

Was trying to eumulate Chappos 1-2% bottle GB above where he didn't ferment it out but didn't prime the bottles. Reason I am wanting low alcohol is for the wife as she is preggers. You don't think thats possible? I do have a fridge the secondary fermented will fit in nicely and I can chill that right down.

Cheers,

M

 

[bum]

Ah, sorry, missed that bit. You'd have to ask him about that. Sounds like a recipe for bottle bombs to me but he has practical experience with the process and I'm sure that his advice will be correct.

As for the tap I always keep a spray bottle of no-rinse sanitiser handy to my fermenter and just give a squirt up the tap after taking samples.

 

[chappo1970]

Ah, sorry, missed that bit. You'd have to ask him about that. Sounds like a recipe for bottle bombs to me but he has practical experience with the process and I'm sure that his advice will be correct.

As for the tap I always keep a spray bottle of no-rinse sanitiser handy to my fermenter and just give a squirt up the tap after taking samples.

Yep I do the same Bum with all my brews that I sample.

Weeeeell kinda yes? Kinda no? Basically the idea is to let the yeasties eat the easy stuff and leave the longer chain sugars for back sweetness by crash chilling, fining and I now filter (the lastest batch anyways) after 2 to 3 days. Important thing is to try to drop as much yeast as possible, also I bottle exclusively in PET for my GB these days as I figured it was better to be safe that sorry. Yeasts are funny little creature they sometimes decide to do something completely different to the last time in my experience.

You can kill the yeast if you wish to but I hate having any sort of preserving agents in my stuff. Moovet the trick IMO is to crash chill for at least 7 days and low around 4C or so.

 

[moovet]

Moovet the trick IMO is to crash chill for at least 7 days and low around 4C or so.

Thank you Chappo.

I got back home to check the taste and measure the SG. It is still 1.032 and tastes really nice with a bit of burn I can still feel but just a bit sweet (would be a good Bundy). Anyway there is not much foaming activity on the surface yet and it has been about 20 hours at 18-20 degrees since pitching a starter I made up. I only used one sachet of US-05. Should I be worried there is no action since pitching? Do you think i should make up another starter tonight and pitch that as well?

To tell you the truth it is very drinkable now but a bit less sweetness would be good. SHame it is going to lose some of its bite.

Cheers,


M

 

[bum]

Might not lose as much as I suggested because I was assuming you'd be fermenting this out. It will still fade over time however. Get into it as soon as it is ready.

 

[chappo1970]

Thank you Chappo.

I got back home to check the taste and measure the SG. It is still 1.032 and tastes really nice with a bit of burn I can still feel but just a bit sweet (would be a good Bundy). Anyway there is not much foaming activity on the surface yet and it has been about 20 hours at 18-20 degrees since pitching a starter I made up. I only used one sachet of US-05. Should I be worried there is no action since pitching? Do you think i should make up another starter tonight and pitch that as well?

To tell you the truth it is very drinkable now but a bit less sweetness would be good. SHame it is going to lose some of its bite.

Cheers,


M

Mate I wouldn't pitch anymore. Leave another say 12 hours over night and check it again in the morning. Maybe another hydro test and see where she's at?

 

[moovet]

Might not lose as much as I suggested because I was assuming you'd be fermenting this out. It will still fade over time however. Get into it as soon as it is ready.

I thought I read somewhere in a forum that the preservative in the Biderum Giner Refresher could prevent fermentation but in the recipe I am following it makes no mention of that and adds it at the start. I also only added the nutrient that came with the kit (didn't use their yeast though).


Cheers,


M

 

[bum]

B, Do you reckon I need to be worried yet about the yeast not working?

Chappo is a better and more experienced brewer than myself. No need to seek a second opinion on this one (especially not from me). Besides, he is right - too early to start panicking yet.

I thought I read somewhere in a forum that the preservative in the Biderum bottle could prevent fermentation but in the recipe I am following it makes no mention of that and adds it at the start.

My own recipe is either based on GravityGuru's or we've both based our recipes on the same one (should try to get to the bottom of that one of these days) so I've used the Ginger Refresher a number of times now and it has never presented any barrier to fermentation. Bottling a batch tonight that went down to 1001, in fact. I wouldn't stress. Might be worth an experiment to see if there is any difference in adding it later though.

 

[moovet]

Thanks B, saw Chappo had posted after I sent that one so edited that comment out. We will see how she is in the morning.


Cheers,

 

[moovet]

OK we have kicked off. The yeast has completely covered the surface now with visible bubbles and the air lock is bubbling about once every minute. SG now 1.026 so we are on our way.

Cheers,


Moovet

 

[chappo1970]

OK we have kicked off. The yeast has completely covered the surface now with visible bubbles and the air lock is bubbling about once every minute. SG now 1.026 so we are on our way.

Cheers,


Moovet

Patience "Grasshopper"

 

[moovet]

I tend to rack to a second fermenter after 2(+/- subject to ish) days, fine and crash chill for 7 or more days then bottle condition for 3 weeks or so. I add no sugar to the bottles they don't need it plus I had very bad experience in my earlier days with GB bottle bombs on steriods! Usually comes in around 1-2% ABV. Retains alot of the honey characteristics I like in my GB.

Hi Chappo,

When you crash chill, what temp do you take it down to. The SG yesterday was 1.015 which equates to about 2.4% so I racked it into a carboy and put it in my brewfridge which is at about 4 degrees. Is that too low? I also didn't have any finings yesterday so will it matter if I throw finings in when it is that cold?

Cheers,


M

 

[chappo1970]

Hi Chappo,

When you crash chill, what temp do you take it down to. The SG yesterday was 1.015 which equates to about 2.4% so I racked it into a carboy and put it in my brewfridge which is at about 4 degrees. Is that too low? I also didn't have any finings yesterday so will it matter if I throw finings in when it is that cold?

Cheers,


M

Perfecto! :icon_cheers:

 

[paulwolf350]

I always crash my beers to 1c on the fridgemate, which is a max of 2c in my fridge. 1c ( setting) + 1c (swing). I have never had a problem. So 4c will be ok.

This is the first time I have made Chappos GB, but it will get the same treatment, 1c for 7 days then bottle.

I did the finish early then botlle with no priming sugar last GB, beers were great to start with then dried out to be party killers at about 7.5% and pretty thin. I like the idea of killing the yeast then force carbing. This one will be a full brew out, but I would like to experiment with low alc GB next time

Any thoughts Chap? or brewers?

Paul

 

[brettprevans]

thought i might bang this out one night this week. jumped online to colesonline to see the price of ginger....$20 a kg rip off.

will have to see what the price of ginger is at the Queen Vic Market is. hopefully a little more reasonable.

 

[chappo1970]

thought i might bang this out one night this week. jumped online to colesonline to see the price of ginger....$20 a kg rip off.

will have to see what the price of ginger is at the Queen Vic Market is. hopefully a little more reasonable.

Ouch!!!! $20/kg :angry: That's highway robbery!

I usually get mine from the local farmers market at Beenleigh showgrounds but I guess that won't help you CM2.

Chap Chap