Super Alcoholic Ginger Beer? Also, What Kit/recipe To Use To Make Bund

[lukemarsh]

I want to make a Bundaberg style Ginger Beer, but make it very alcoholic... I understand that it is the dextrose that makes the beer alcoholic, so would you just put in a tad more? I've heard it can make your bottles explode.

What's the most alcoholic you can make ginger beer? And what kit would I use to make a Bundaberg style ginger beer?

Thanks!

 

[Pete2501]

Bundy GB is pretty dry. Just don't use too many unfermentables and you'll be fine.

1.5kg Fresh Ginger
2.0kg Brown Sugar
1.0kg Iron Bark Honey
4 Cinnamon Sticks
5 Large Bush Lemons
5 Limes

That's pretty Cinnamony (that's a word now) so cut it back to maybe 1 stick. Look at replacing half the brown sugar with dex and up the qty as per your desired alcohol requirements.

Also you're going to need a yeast strain that's pretty tolerant of alcohol. I've seen posts on using champagne yeast but I've never tried it.

Wyeast 1056 http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=1602
Flocculation: Medium-Low
Attenuation: 73-77%
Temperature Range: 60-72F, 15-22C
Alcohol Tolerance: 10% ABV

How strong do you want this bad boy?

 

[lukemarsh]

I was thinking anything between 6% alc/vol and higher... nothing too high that will make it dangerous (exploding bottles etc) or taste like crap.
I was also thinking more along the lines of kits and ingredients to use to make a Bundaberg type ginger beer, rather than all raw ingredients because I have no idea how to go about that. I've only recently started brewing and am just experimenting with different things... been wanting to do a ginger beer for ages but wanted it to be fairly alcoholic.

Is the Coopers ginger beer any good or is there a kit you can get somewhere that is close to Bundaberg ginger beer?

 

[manticle]

No matter how high you make it, it will only make bottles explode if you bottle too early. If fermentation is finished (and you make sure it is) you'll be fine.

One of the queenslanders did a 'gunpowder keg' GB for the case swap. I believe it may have been based on a kit. Check the QLD case swap tasting thread for details.

Otherwise try

1 x GB kit
250g fresh, peeled, grated ginger
250g malt extract
1.2 kg brown sugar
Zest 4 lemons
US05 yeast

I reckon that will get you up above 6% and still taste ok. I have to admit it's a recipe I just made up rather than one that's tried and true but I'm confident.

 

[lczaban]

Search up Powderkeg GB in the Recipe DB - this is a kit-based GB that I have concocted that is plenty gingery and not too dry at all. The alcohol content on the published recipe is probably a tad higher than you want you want, so wind back some of the fermentables to suit what strength you want it.

In order to make sure you don't get any bottle bombs, use the dry enzime that comes with the kit and make sure it ferments out completely with your hydrometer. My batches come out at an FG of 0.996 pretty consistently, but be prepared to wait ~3 weeks for this to happen. Great drinks are not brewed overnight, so be patient. Happy brewing :icon_cheers:

 

[chappo1970]

If you have the ability to boil then this little gem is worth the effort http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=30492

If not definitely try GravityGuru's Powder Keg GB it is fanastic!

No matter how high you make it, it will only make bottles explode if you bottle too early. If fermentation is finished (and you make sure it is) you'll be fine.

One of the queenslanders did a 'gunpowder keg' GB for the case swap. I believe it may have been based on a kit. Check the QLD case swap tasting thread for details.

Otherwise try

1 x GB kit
250g fresh, peeled, grated ginger
250g malt extract
1.2 kg brown sugar
Zest 4 lemons
US05 yeast

I reckon that will get you up above 6% and still taste ok. I have to admit it's a recipe I just made up rather than one that's tried and true but I'm confident.

Agreed M. The only way you will end up with bottle bombs is when some (including Me!) have tried to cut the fermentation short to preserve some back ground sweetness.

BTW my version is about 7.5%

Chap Chap

 

[manticle]

Search up Powderkeg GB in the Recipe DB - this is a kit-based GB that I have concocted that is plenty gingery and not too dry at all.

That's the one I was talking about.

Do this - people who drank it seemd to enjoy it and that included some old experienced brewers.

@Chappo - a version of yours is on my to do list (along with several other things I'll admit including more cider, mead, wine and more sour beer but definitely there).

Have you tried my peel ginger with a spoon trick yet?

 

[chappo1970]

Have you tried my peel ginger with a spoon trick yet?

Shyte thats right! I completely forgot about that amongst other things like that capper for you. Damn forgetful brain <_< . What was the trick again? :unsure:

 

[manticle]

Use a spoon to peel ginger. The edge is the blade, hold the ginger firmly in one hand peel towards your thumb (also gripping the ginger) with the other. Hard to explain but you'll get a feel for it.

Promised capper and beer have good homes waiting when they come.

 

[bum]

Bundy GB is pretty dry.

Um...one small bottle of Bundaberg Ginger Beer contains 45% of the recommended daily intake of sugar. Where does this dryness of which you speak come from? Shit is sweet as. I like it but dry it ain't.

MarshBrew, GravityGuru's recipe ( http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...&recipe=972 - this recipe mentions another brand of goop but it works well with the coopers tin too) sounds pretty much like what you're after - although not as sweet as Bundaberg (but that is pretty hard to achieve with a bottled GB). Omit some of the ingredients if you don't feel comfortable with any of the steps and it'll still turn out a pretty great GB but make sure you include the DARK brown sugar. Not brown sugar. DARK brown sugar. I've done a few variations on my similar recipe and found that this addition is really the secret. For my version I don't bother with dex, I swap it out for 1kg (sometimes 2) of raw sugar.

 

[Pete2501]

Um...one small bottle of Bundaberg Ginger Beer contains 45% of the recommended daily intake of sugar. Where does this dryness of which you speak come from? Shit is sweet as. I like it but dry it ain't.

Perceived dryness? :lol:

 

[brettprevans]

yeah i dont see how anyone can justify drinking GB when its 45% sugar intake. its ridiculous. i assume if you make it alc all the sugar gets eaten away and made into lovely alc. how much does it change the taste? Im kinda of interested in making a batch but there is no way i could drink normal ginger beer as its got way to much sugar ans sweetness

i suppose if you wanted to dry it out you could use champaigne yeast or say a dry mead yeast?

 

[Pete2501]

yeah i dont see how anyone can justify drinking GB when its 45% sugar intake. its ridiculous. i assume if you make it alc all the sugar gets eaten away and made into lovely alc. how much does it change the taste? Im kinda of interested in making a batch but there is no way i could drink normal ginger beer as its got way to much sugar ans sweetness

i suppose if you wanted to dry it out you could use champaigne yeast or say a dry mead yeast?

I think it tastes like crap. I dropped my last GB down to 1.010 and it was way too dry. Use Dark sugar so it leaves some residual sweetness or you'll be sorry. Without the sweetness the ginger is too harsh and the alcohol only makes this worse.

My Last good one finished at 1.020. I've since added 700ml of Bund/GB cordial. It's resting for another week before i go nuts with it.

 

[Pete2501]

Actually. I take that back. I'm drinking this GB after a few days of mellowing out and it's really pretty good. It's got a good ginger bite and isn't too sweet but it's got some sweetness there. I think I'll have a second glass :icon_cheers:

 

[ledgenko]

Pete ... are you going to share the wild honey and chilli gingerbeer recipe ?? I am super curious about it .. sounds great!!!

ledgenko

 

[ledgenko]

Pete ... are you going to share the wild honey and chilli gingerbeer recipe ?? I am super curious about it .. sounds great!!!

ledgenko

PM me if it is a secret family recipe ....lol

 

[Pete2501]

Home Grown South Perth Honey x 1kg
Light Malt 1kg
Dextrose 0.5kg
Maltodextrin 0.5kg
Fresh Ginger (frozen for 1week) x 1kg
Lemons x 2
Limes x 2
Chilli x 1

After fermentation I added 1 x Bunderberg GB Cordial to the keg.

It finished pretty low at 1.010 so the ginger bite and alcohol was pretty impressive. Which is why I added the cordial. If you're looking for a non sweet GB this is the way to go. It's great for days like today which are muggy and hot. I could easily down another 5 of these before dinner.

 

[jivesucka]

picked up a tin of coopers ginger beer homebrew. the instructions said to add 1 kilo of sugar for an alc vol of 3.5%. i added 2 kilos. currently on day 5 and what little activity in the airlock that has taken place has more or less slowing down. i checked the hydrometer and it has only moved a few notches, which is good because its going to have a sweet taste. should be bottling in a few days provided the readings are still the same.

 

[bum]

And then blowing up in the bottles a hot day or two later.

Get the gravity down in the fermenter, dude.

 

[brettprevans]

yeah get the gravity down. its ok for us who keg, we aint going to blow a keg if its ferments further, but bottles will bust. you'll have to back sweeten either as a mixer post bottling, or kill the yeast and then back sweeten. its really the sam eissue the guys on the foum have with alc lemonade and the like. its easier to backsweeten in a keg as the fermentable sugars wont cause so much pressure that the keg wll explode. if you try and backsweten in a bottle, it will most likely kick of fermentation again and youll get bopttle bombs