Ginger Beer Recipe

[richardo]

I'm planning on doing a non-alc ginger beer using a coopers GB kit + fresh ginger and a chilli or 2. may throw in some lime also.

Question is, should I boil up the fresh ginger and chilli and let it steep overnight, or should I just simmer it for 20 minutes or so tomorrow before adding to fermenter?

And another thing...if I want to ferment out some of it out, can I just bottle half of it (or thereabouts) then leave the rest in the fermenter to brew?

 

[bum]

Can't remember the non-alc instructions but it they don't contradict completely then I don't see why not.

As for the ginger boil, I reckon if you let it boil for an hour or so you'll be good. No need to steep.

 

[damo_m]

One of the tricks to brewing a GB is adding fresh ginger, especially when using a GB kit to help get some gingery-ness into the brew and to help offset the artificial sweeteners of the kit. Another good addition is to add a thinly sliced, fresh chilli to the brew. The chilli won't be overly dominant in it's own right, but the heat it contributes will help give the GB and ongoing "bite" at the finish that accentuates the ginger flavour.

FWIW, here is my GB recipe. I intend to make up MkII shortly. I still have some bottles of this from when I did this 7-8 months ago, and while the flavour has dissapated somewhat it still has more than enough kick to make people sit up and take notice! :icon_cheers:

My 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)

Grated the ginger and soaked in a bowl with equal parts of Sweet Sherry and Sweet Vermouth (approx. 600ml of each plus 30ml of 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 (ginger + all the liquid too), 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 There, I am going to try and do this one today did you use the yeast from GB Kit?​

 

[damo_m]

Hi There, I am going to try and do this one today did you use the yeast from GB Kit?​

 

[Wolfy]

Hi There, I am going to try and do this one today did you use the yeast from GB Kit?

If you look in other similar threads - or do a search - you'll notice that a number of people have obtained good results using the kit-yeast.
GB usually has other ingredients and flavours which will mask anything that they yeast will do, so yeast choice is not really critical.

However, since the quality of the kit-yeast and especially its storage since date of manufacture is IMHO somewhat questionable, I prefer to use a yeast (such as US-05) that has come from a reliable vendor and has been stored 'correctly' in the fridge etc.

 

[lczaban]

If you look in other similar threads - or do a search - you'll notice that a number of people have obtained good results using the kit-yeast.
GB usually has other ingredients and flavours which will mask anything that they yeast will do, so yeast choice is not really critical.

However, since the quality of the kit-yeast and especially its storage since date of manufacture is IMHO somewhat questionable, I prefer to use a yeast (such as US-05) that has come from a reliable vendor and has been stored 'correctly' in the fridge etc.

Hi Damo,


I did use the kit yeast in my first couple of batches, but I have also used US-05 with success in my latest GB batch. I don't think the yeast selection (either the kit yeast or US-05) makes too much difference in the outcome. Getting a fresh kit will mean that your chances of getting a viable sachet of kit yeast is enhanced though. I do know that an alcoholic micro-brewery GB uses US-05. Go with what you are comfortable with!

Probably the key thing is to make sure you use the yeast nutrient. GBs are not known to be yeast-friendly, so having some nutrient/enzyme to help kick things along is pretty key to making sure you get full attenuation and avoid any dreaded bottle-bombs.

Good luck!

 

[Dazza88]

Tonight i put this one down, thought i would revive the thread. Hopefully some of it will be around for summer.

Thai Ginger Beer

1 Coopers GB can
500 g brown sugar
1kg Coopers Brew Enchancer 2

250g Fresh Ginger
100g Lemongrass (from vege patch - yay)
1 chilli with seeds
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp mixed spice
5 g of coriander seed freshly crushed
5 g of Nelson Sauvin flowers (pointless?)
750g of golden pash tetra pak juice (sitting around from cider exp that didn't happen, drank a glass to make sure tasted good, it did)

Sugar, Lemongrass, Ginger and chilli boiled for 25 minutes. Spices, juices and hops in at 10 minutes. Filled to 20L, two packets of coopers kit yeast (GB kit best before 05/11, had another fresh one spare).

OG 1.048
FG - wait and see

 

[Tanga]

Ooh - passionfruit juice? I made a cider with passionfruit juice that ended up tasting like fruity lexia. Not a good look. I'll be interested to see how lemongrass ends tasting in a GB.

 

[Dazza88]

One litre of passionfruit in twenty litres of gb probably added mostly just sugar. The lemongrass was a guess. The hydrometer sample tastes good, nice chili bite.

 

[agnewbie]

I had problems getting the smell out of the fermenter but in the end a lot of washing got it out. to be honest the taps should be fine its the lines that may get contaminated however if you flush it and use some decent keg and line cleaner you really shouldnt have too much of a problem. Your lines should also be of a quality not to catch any material anyway as excess turbulence would result in some frothy beers

Overall I don't think there is too much of an issue.

Adding very late to the post but I've always got a ginger beer coming out of one of the three taps on my kegerator (the ladies love it ) and I've never had a frothing problem or any problems getting the lines clean for a different brew.