Straining Ginger Beer

[Kezzbot]

Hey, Im going to do my first batch of Ginger Beer. And I have been looking up different recipes and have noticed that everyone is straining the ginger out of the wort before fermenting. I will be using the Fermzilla for fermenting. Wont all the solids drop to the bottom, so straining is not necessary? Or does it all float on the top, or stay in stasis even after a week in the fermenter?

 

[duncbrewer]

I have just chucked it all in my fermentasaurus both times. It didn't fill the collection vessel very well. But it certainly sank alright. I just pressure transferred off the top of it and then washed it all out. Didn't seem to affect the taste adversley.

 

[Ferment8]

I use a biab bag and put the ginger in that and ferment it in there. Works well

 

[Kezzbot]

But my point is, maybe you don't need the biab bag if it all drops to the bottom by the time it finishes fermenting. And, might get some more flavour out of the ginger while it's fermenting.

 

[duncbrewer]

Probably to get the most flavour put it in a bag in the keg. But make sure it's sterilised by boiling it a bit first. I think breaking the ginger up to make it's juices available is probably the most important. I chopped mine up, then froze it then put it in the nutri bullet and a short boil with the sugars and then chilled and into the fermenter.
But I'm very hopeful and pleased with the taste from the squeezed ginger which seems to have all the good bits without the work. It's imported ginger frozen then commercially pressed and pasteurised. I did taste some of the pulp in the bottom of the fermenter and it still had a gingery taste ( and a lot of yeast ) so I'm not sure about extraction efficiency with my original method. That said I think it's more than if I chucked it in the bin rather than into the fermenter.

 

[Kezzbot]

So no bad side effects frome the ginger being in contact with the yeast?

 

[duncbrewer]

@Kezzbot
Not noticed any side effects in the first 50 litres ( 2 and a half batches ).

 

[Hangover68]

Did my first GB yesterday and i strained the mix and put it into a hop sock and dropped it back in the fermenter.

 

[Kezzbot]

So I finished my first GB without straining and had some problems.
I am using the Firmzilla and there was so much solids that it took up allot of the fermenter. So siphon tube ended up in the solids and blocked up the ball lock disconnect.

Next time ill strain at least some .

 

[duncbrewer]

or try a hop sack or ready crushed ginger juice.

 

[clarkejw]

I gave my ginger and lemons a boil, then strained them into Fermzilla. The GB is delicious.

 

[Ian Smith]

I think that most fruits and other bits that need blending/ grating should go in a hop spider or a bag. I guess there is a slight inhibition of flavour - might not be too - but they goop up the system when it comes time to decant. Same goes for your fermenter (bag it).

 

[mynameisrodney]

What recipes are people using for ginger beer? Last time I did one would have been 15 years ago with a kit from woollies. I should probably have another crack.

 

[Kezzbot]

My recipe was:

around 2kg of ginger (home grown)
2 chillies
3 cloves
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 lemons with rind
3kg raw sugar
500g DME

Blend ginger
In large pot bring ginger to boil with 5l of water
add spices and sugar
boil for 30mins

Cool mixture by sitting pot in sink with a bit of cool water in it.
When cool add to fermenter
Add water, yeast and yeast nutrient

makes 19 liters.

Its still conditioning. ill let you know how it is.

 

[mynameisrodney]

Jesus I need to start growing my own ginger! Just looked up the price and that's like 100 bucks worth haha.

Cheers for the recipe dude. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Kezzbot]

Growing your own ginger is super easy and is the gift that keeps giving.

@mynameisrodney I like your avatar, beer is looking super tasty.

OK the results are in and in my opinion the resulting ginger beer is god awful...

For my tastes, too much chilli, maybe cloves and too dry. It tastes more like a ginger wine or ginger seltzer. Not to my tastes.

Not to poo poo on what anyone else likes, everyone likes different things.

I mixed it 50/50 with a IPA i have in another keg and the difference in night and day. I actually prefer it more then the IPA by its self.

Next time the recipe will look more like :

2kg ginger thinly sliced not blended (sliced easier to strain)
1 tbs cinnimon
3 kg DME

 

[Eddy Monsoon]

3 cloves in 19 litres won't make much difference

Tablespoons of Cinnaman will though, gotta be real careful with that stuff

I made a Xmas beer once that I couldn't give away due to the Cinnamon

and these are fantastic for keeping gunk out of your tubes, I use them in my fruit wines

https://hoppydaysbrewingsupplies.com.au/product/medium-grain-bag-pot-liner-biab/

 

[duncbrewer]

I'm using cold crushed ginger extract, contains the juice of 10 gingers. Much less hassle and pasteurised already, much cheaper as well.
Ginger about 10 dollars a kilo here at the moment but was at 20 dollars a while ago.
Had a great ginger beer that was made with smoked ginger but haven't tried to do that myself yet.

I tend to use, Honey and malt extract , ginger, water ( treated to remove the chlorine ), yeast nutrient, lemon and lemon zest, and the stewed liquid from 2 teabags . I steep some gladiator malt to add some non fermentables and help head retention.
Then chuck in some kveik yeast flakes and it's fermented out before you know it.
I then back sweeten with Monk fruit extract before kegging.

 

[rayhaynes62]

Growing your own ginger is super easy and is the gift that keeps giving.

@mynameisrodney I like your avatar, beer is looking super tasty.

OK the results are in and in my opinion the resulting ginger beer is god awful...

For my tastes, too much chilli, maybe cloves and too dry. It tastes more like a ginger wine or ginger seltzer. Not to my tastes.

Not to poo poo on what anyone else likes, everyone likes different things.

I mixed it 50/50 with a IPA i have in another keg and the difference in night and day. I actually prefer it more then the IPA by its self.

Next time the recipe will look more like :

2kg ginger thinly sliced not blended (sliced easier to strain)
1 tbs cinnimon
3 kg DME

I have brewed several Ginger beers and my misses loves them.
I came in late in the conversation but did you add limes and lemons?
I have found blending the ginger and putting in a bag after boil easy.
Lots of sugar and yeast additive.