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NRB

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I just put down a Ginger Beer using a marriage of GMK and Doc's recipes (Thanks guys!!)

It was:

Beer Makers Ginger Beer kit
1kg Dextrose
200g Maltodextrin
300g Powdered Light Malt
200g Powdered Dark Malt
400g CSR Dark Brown Sugar
1.5tsp Cinnamon
0.5tsp Nutmeg
0.25tsp Ground cloves
0.5 lemon sliced

- Boiled all ingredients except for the kit in 3L of water for 20 mins.
- Strained into fermenter with 10L of aerated water
- Topped up to 20L with cold water

Temp 32C, so haven't pitched yet... I should've chilled the wort before adding to the fermenter.

My question is this; Doc had an OG of 1052 but mine is only 1043. How did I end up with such a low OG? 9 points is an hell of an error...

This is a delicious tasting wort too - I tried it from the hydrometer tube and it's ******* fantastic!

Cheers,
Nick
 
NRB,

My recipe had 2.4kg of extra fermentables and yours has 2.1kg of extras.
That doesn't account for the difference, so either your solution wasn't fully mixed (although it should have been after a boil), or your hydrometer or current temperature are throwing things out a bit.

Beers,
Doc

PS: A pregnant wife means this years supply of ginger beer hasn't depleted enough for me to do the traditionaly Xmas Ginger Beer brew.
 
How do you figure that Doc? The recipe I have of yours is as above except for the spices. What extras did you have that I missed?

The hydrometer reading was taken with wort at 20C and was vigourously mixed in the fermenter just before taking a sample from the tap.

I'm putting all recipes into Promash so I've got a record of them all but have a couple of questions regarding sugars. For dextrose does one select "corn sugar", "cane sugar" or do I need to create an entry? Maltodextrin is equivalent to corn syrup but again isn't listed and I'm uncertain if "corn sugar" is the closest approximation.

Did yours taste more like a beer or a traditional non-alcoholic ginger beer a la Bundaberg Ginger Beer?

Sorry for the newbie questions.
 
NRB said:
How do you figure that Doc? The recipe I have of yours is as above except for the spices. What extras did you have that I missed?

<snip>

Did yours taste more like a beer or a traditional non-alcoholic ginger beer a la Bundaberg Ginger Beer?
NRB,

I checked my notes for the last one I made (when replying) and it looks like I added a little extra last time.
You are correct in that you have added the same as the recipe in the topic I posted.
I'm at a loss as to why your OG is so far out. Maybe the kit isn't as big, or the sugars are a bit different.

As for the taste it is like a traditional ginger beer without alchoholic overtones even though it has kick. Nice and smooth, with great sweetness.

Beers,
Doc
 
Thanks for the replies Doc. I ended up pitching at 24C and there's no activity now - no krausen at all, just some left over foam from aeration. I think I had a dud yeast sachet...

I can't get to a HBS until Thursday either! What yeast should I look at getting? General champagne? WL Sweet Mead/Cider?

Anyone in Melbourne have some available in their farm to help a brother out? :D
 
NRB said:
Thanks for the replies Doc. I ended up pitching at 24C and there's no activity now - no krausen at all, just some left over foam from aeration. I think I had a dud yeast sachet...

I can't get to a HBS until Thursday either! What yeast should I look at getting? General champagne? WL Sweet Mead/Cider?

Anyone in Melbourne have some available in their farm to help a brother out? :D
NRB,

My experience with ginger beer (although I haven't tried a kit) is that they don't ferment very fast.

I have a pack of safale in the fridge in Vermont. Also some supermarkets have the wander yeast in the homebrew section - I have used that in ginger beer before.

I have tried both ale and champagne yeasts and I definitely prefer the ale yeast. I want to try a wheat yeast one of these days.

cheers
 
sosman said:
My experience with ginger beer (although I haven't tried a kit) is that they don't ferment very fast.

I have a pack of safale in the fridge in Vermont. Also some supermarkets have the wander yeast in the homebrew section - I have used that in ginger beer before.
Hi Paul,

I seem to be relying on you for a lot of information. Thanks for your input again.

I was planning on heading over for your brewing session for a little while (I've got a chockers day today) and it would be good to kill 2 birds with one stone.

Thanks also to johnno for offering some packet yeasts; I love the support available from all AHBers. It's more than a simple hobby, it's a way of life, our own little community.
 
Thanks to sosman I've added Safale S04 to the fermenter (1am last night, 20C). Still no activity. I'm starting to have grave concerns for the brew... I can't understand it. I know I thoroughly rinsed all traces of sanitiser off the equipment.
 
Maybe it just needs some time...did you pitch dry yeast or rehydrated/started yeast?
Nice warm day today, check it tomorrow morning.
 
I simply opened the packet and tipped into the fermenter. I couldn't be arsed rehydrating at 1am :wacko:

Maybe I should open the door to the non-working fridge I ferment in.. it's basically a constant 20C in there.
 
20c should be ideal for Safale either way, and although you are worried about the OG it is still high enough to indicate there are plenty of goodies for the yeast.
I would leave it and let it come good in it's own time.
A couple of days & a few consecutive flat hydrometer readings will tell you if it is really stuck for some reason.
Check my posts on the Grey Cat wheat beer last week...that came good and is being racked today.
 
I tasted this for the first time the other day - bottled for 3 months.

One word - Fantastic. Early on it tasted very alcoholic, but after 3/12 it's mellowed amazingly. Not a single person has been unimpressed with this one.

Thanks again Doc and GMK. The only thing I did differently to the recipe above is the prime. I added 250mL Buderim Refresher cordial and 130g caster sugar as I wanted it highly carbonated.
 
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