Brew UK Forum | General Brewing Discussions
Alcoholic Ginger Beer
Hi folks
planning a very quick ginger beer brew:
23 ltrs water
1k ginger root, grated
2.5 k sugar
4 lemons, sliced
3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 packet champagne yeast
Anyone done anything similar? I havent made this for about 20 years but feel like a trip/fall/stagger down memory lane.
Greg, do you have cream of tartar in stock - or can you suggest an alternative?
Cheers (I'ts friday and my bramling cross batch should be ready for drinking tonight!)
Beer will get you through the times of no money better than money will get you through the times of no beer
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Responses
Posted 2 years ago by Moderator
Sounds good tony. How do you know how much ginger to put in? Have you thought of ticking any hops in there as well?
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 2 years ago by Member
I did it through trial and error and as I happen to love ginger it was no trial really :o)
I made one gal batches to test it out - this is quite a hot one!
Hops... hmmmm that's an idea, I may have to try that out with another test batch!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 2 years ago by Admin
My son would love this. I may have to knock one up. Whats the plan for making up/fermenting? Whats the ABV?
And yes we do stock cream of tartar.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 2 years ago by Member
:o)
Just ordered some and the gear for my next brew - trying your extra pale maris otter! :o)
OK ... very easy to make this:
Boil as much water as you can get in your stock pot (I don’t do mine in my boiler as it has large amount of sugar in it and I’ve found that it sometimes leaves a little ginger taste behind – could be just my imagination though). I usually boil up about 14 ltrs and then I can get in the other bits. Thankfully with this, it’s not too much of a problem if you can’t boil up too much. Also if you do need more sugar, you can boil it up separately!
I peel my lemons (avoiding pith), then throw in the peel and squeeze in the juice. I know people who throw in the whole lemon but the pith can add a nasty bitterness that clings to the inside of your mouth.
Grate the ginger (skin too) and throw in along with the cream of tarter.
Add sugar and reduce temp to simmer for about 30 mins.
Pour into fv and extra sugar if you couldn’t get it in the stock pot (heated separately). Fill up to 23 ltrs with bottled water. Once cooled to fermentation temp throw in the yeast (I usually take out a small glassful and add the yeast to that, then pour into the fv.
Cover and ferment just the same as your ale!
I bottle in pop or sparkling mineral water bottles… beware though, this can be a very highly carbonated drink.
Usually comes out about 6%
:o)
Edit. I told my mother that I was going to be making up a batch of this... she remembers me getting the entire family drunk one summer as I forgot to tell them how strong it was.
I saw someone in another forum said they use it as a mixer with gin in the summer ... good luck to him! My thanks to him for reminding me of this great recipe!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 2 years ago by Admin
6% mixer, blimey. Do you ferment to completion then prime the bottles?
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 2 years ago by Member
Yes ... but don't use much sugar - do the same as you would for your ale but I use the equiv of 1 level teaspoon for each two ltr bottle (so around 12 spoons in total) - and store in a box with a towel over and under it .. just to be on the safe side!
I'm wonring whether to use bottles, I have enough around the place - but if they do blow the broken glass will be more than an issue!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 2 years ago by Moderator
Talking of mixers, my old mans fav mixer is a rum and shrub which I believe is rum (duh!) and a cornish drink that was used to mask the taste of sea water when it was smuggled in days of old. Still at around 5-7% its quite a blinder!
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 2 years ago by Member
I come from devon originally and I remember seeing it behind the bar and people buying it... never tried it myself though!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 2 years ago by Member
Ok .... batch now just cooling before pitching the yeast - wonderful smell in the house. I used 1.5k of ginger ... you're only young once :o)
All else as above.
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 2 years ago by Member
Been searching high and low for my original recipe for this... I forgot, I used to add 300g of sultanas to this! Tip them in the fv and pour the liquid onto when the boil has finished. Too late for this brew.. will do it in the next!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks for the recipe, I am thinking about having a go, how long can the ginger beer be stored in bottles? Does the secondary fermentation stop a some stage.
I have heard that elder flower has a short shelf life?
Thanks
Lawrence
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Hi Lawrence,
Tony is best to answer the Ginger Beer questions.
Elderflower (I assume you mean champagne) is mean't be be drunk young but I've kept it right through the summer and in fact have some in the garage from last year so I'll crack a bottle at the weekend and let you know.
Regards
Greg
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Like you needed an excuse Greg! :o)
Hi Lawrence
I've never managed to keep the ginger beer long enough for it to go off, so have no idea if it has a shelf life. I've had it longest for about 3 or 4 months I think and its fine up to then. I would imagine that it keeps quite a long time as the alcohol content is pretty high. I'll be giving it a bash as a mixer for Gin as soon as the sun comes out for long enough!
Greg's copied the recipe to the recipe section, so if you are going to give it a go - get it from there as it has traveled through some minor alterations.
Good luck with it, let me know if you need anything else.
EDIT: Sorry Lawrence, the fermentation in the secondary will stop once that sugar has been used up - about 7 to 10 days in the secondary should do it.
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Tony,
I found, on the web a recipe for what I thought was a non-acloholic ginger beer. The only major difference I can see between that recipe and yours is that for the one I made it says to ferment for 12-36 hours and then chill, whereas yours says to ferment for 5-7 days. Is this the difference between having alcohol and not having alcohol in the drink?
The recipe was non-specific about yeast. It just said to use fast acting dried yeast. I assumed that could be bread yeast, but I had some wine yeast left over so I threw that in. Should I have used bread yeast, or will it eventually create alcohol too? I was of the impression that the sugar was for the flavour and to help with carbonation, not to create alcohol. (Christ I'm starting to sound like a Free Presybterean preacher here - 'It's the divil's urine')
My concern is, we went out for a picnic last Sunday, and took a bottle of the ginger beer with us. I was driving and my wife is pregnant. Hmmmm...
Cheers,
-Barry
Conditioning (Bottles): Sam Adams Boston Lager Clone
Drinking (Bottles): Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone
Drinking (King Keg): McMullen's Country Best Bitter
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Tony
thanks for that, I shall make a brew!
I think I have a pith helmet and some plus 4 somewhere!
G,T * ginger beer sounds very colonial!
regards
Lawrence
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hey Bazza
Interesting that, I would think that if an alcohol-free drink was wanted, the last thing that should be done is introduce yeast to all that sugar. If you take a good fast-acting yeast, a beer could be fermented (largely) in 3 days - about twice the time suggested in your recipe. Not sure of the calculations but that would suggest a half-fermented drink with half the amount of alcohol.
I wouldn't worry about the alcohol given to your wife, it would be minimal I would think and small amounts of alcohol have been drunk by pregnant women since alcohol was discovered - same for your driving really, can't imagine there was much danger in half a bottle. Carbonation is a by-product of alcohol production, I don't suppose you took a gravity reading before and after?
Do you have a link to that recipe?
Lawrence ... it would be G&G :o)
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I Thought they had to drink before they got pregnant!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Tony,
Was being a bit over dramatic with the pregnancy and driving thing. We only had a glass each anyway. Someone beside me in work was reading the Daily Mail when I posted earlier; I blame my apopalyptic worst case scrnario view on that.
I used combination of 2 recipes. Not much difference in them, but both the same principle:-
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/drinks/old-fashioned-ginger-beer-recipe_p_1.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Recipe-For-Ginger-Beer---A-Wonderful-Non-Alcoholic-Beverage&id=1020408
Lawrence: Haha! I began my homebrewing career by naming brews after my offspring. Now I'm at the stage were I'm naming children after my brews
-Barry
Conditioning (Bottles): Sam Adams Boston Lager Clone
Drinking (Bottles): Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone
Drinking (King Keg): McMullen's Country Best Bitter
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Interesting - well maybe there is something in it, that the time the yeast is working is minimal and produces no alcohol...?
Don't believe it myself though.
Daily Mail ... arrrgghh, the amount of arguments I have with my father over that! You may enjoy this :o)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Haha! Excellent, Tony. Never heard of that bloke before. Funny but true.
It might sound even funnier after I've had a few 'non-alcoholic' ginger beers
Conditioning (Bottles): Sam Adams Boston Lager Clone
Drinking (Bottles): Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Clone
Drinking (King Keg): McMullen's Country Best Bitter
Posted 1 year ago by Member
hi all I just made and bottled the ginger beer recipe,can anyone tell me how long before i can drink it.
i took a small taste while bottling it and it tasted mighty gingery, i hope it mellows down a bit. mind you i did put 1.5 kilo of ginger in, do you think that was too much?
you can probably tell i.m new to this brewing lark and up to now i love it. my first brew was a woodfords kit brew and if they all taste as good as this i think i may become an alcholic. thanks all !
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Chad
I'd leave it about 2 weeks and it should be fine. You may find its exceptionally dry, if it is, add a little sugar to it after you've poured it. I think next time I will add some splenda or similar along with the priming sugar.
I don't think you'll become an alcoholic from this, I can only manage one of these at a time - big taste!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi to you all! I've recently got back to the joys of home brewing and have successfully mastered the kits - looking longingly towards buying the equipment to do an All Grain brew this summer. Anyway enough of my waffle, I have just had a crack at this recipe for the ginger beer - made 20 pints which is currently sat in my 2nd fermenter. Just a little question if someone would be so kind to give me some advice. I boiled/simmered up all the ingredients, emptied the pan into the fermenter, topped up to 20 pints and after cooling, dropped my yeast starter in. The fermentation has been really flying for 4 days and then i strained/pressed off the contents into a 2nd fermenter and it carried on fermenting for another day and a half (5 and a half days fermenting in total) and it has now slowed right down. Question - does this mean fermentation is almost complete? reason im asking this as the recipe shows the first 4 days before straining off then mentions 5/7 days before fermentation is complete - is this 5-7 days since starting the brew or 5-7 days after the initial 4 days of fermenting? Maybe a daft question, but some recipes assume you know the in's and out's without being really clear to a beginner (eg me!)
If any of you guys have any hints tips on equipment / brewing AG for first time, I'd love to hear them - Stories always welcome!
Best wishes to you all,
Howard
Conditioning - Theakston Old Peculier
Conditioning - Christmas 2010 (Strong Xmas ale)
Maturing - Peach wine kit
Drinking - Summer Lightning, Summer Wit
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Hi Howard and welcome to the forum. As far as I'm aware its 5 - 7 days after you've put into secondary fermenter, ie 9 - 11 days total but I'm sure Tony will confirm.
There is a really good guide to AG here http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/guide-to-ag-equipment.
Its really not as complicated as it may appear and its well worth the effort. I would just recommend getting stuck in and learn by your mistakes along the way.
There is plenty of help available here too.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Mr H
Yup - Greg has it. It's another 5 to 7 days in the secondary fermenter. After that time fermentation should be complete and you can go ahead and bottle. Do make sure though that fermentation has completely stopped (a few days with no bubbles at all should do it), as Ginger Beer is notoriously lively and you want to avoid bottle bombs. I always store my bottles in the shed, my wife would kill me if one exploded inside. Having said that, I've never had one explode. I would suggest putting about 60g of splenda in with the priming sugar should keep a little sweetness in it.
Good luck with it, I hope its a winner!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Many thanks for the welcome and your help with the ginger - Below 1010 when i took a final reading - pity i couldnt get a SG for it as there was so much ginger floating around my hydrometer kept getting stuck! looks great - and all bottled up (20 bottles) cant wait for a taster. The AG guide is great, was umming and arring about mashing in a electrim/bruheat boiler - but good tips about grain temp being lower away from the element area - loos like i will be buying a cool box once i find out what size i need (any takers) and will convert this to a mash tun, will probably make a wort chiller with some microbore also. Just a boiler to get then and hopefully i'll be sorted (anything else im missing?)
Cheers
Howard
Conditioning - Theakston Old Peculier
Conditioning - Christmas 2010 (Strong Xmas ale)
Maturing - Peach wine kit
Drinking - Summer Lightning, Summer Wit
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Mr H,
i just used my own made mash tun which i got from argos a nice 40 litre for less than £35.
it kept the temp well too.
heres a link http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002201&langId=-1&searchTerms=40+LITRE+COOL+BOX
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
It depends what brew length you want to do. Most people either do 5 gallon or 10 gallon. Personally I prefer 5 gallon as I like to experiment and if its doesn't work out so well I've only got 5 gallons to drink. Also means I can brew more often.
As far as equipment goes, not I think you've got it covered there. You may want to setup a temp controlled brew fridge if you want to brew lagers or ferment outside but again I don't but its next on my agenda of upgrades.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Check this out - http://www.brewuk.co.uk/forum/topic/buiding-a-brewfridge
Its my brewfridge which lets you set the temp of fermentation and conditioning. Schweet, cheap and easy to hook up (great for lagers and lagering)
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I made this about a month or so ago. Wanted it very firey so used 1.7kg of ginger!
After it was bottled for 2 weeks I opened one and it was horrible. All the sugar had been used by the yeast and it was very dry.
I made up a load of sugar syrup and re-bottled it adding a good amount of this sugar syrup. Now it tastes amazing!!!
Is there an easier way to do this? Maybe adding the extra sugar at the start and somehow stopping the fermentation when the desired sweetness is reached?
Any ideas?
Jim
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
That's a tricky one as you can't stop the yeast from fermenting otherwise you won't get any fizz in the beer. You need to either add something that is sweet but unfermentable like Canderel or add some sugar solution when you serve it to sweeten it up.
Has your sugar syrup not fermented then?
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi there! My name is Neil and I'm absolutely brand new to brewing and all sorts.
Was looking for a bit of advice. I'm keen to make the Ginger Beer for a friend's leaving BBQ.
In the recipe it notes: Strain and squeeze the juice from the liquid and transfer to a clean fermenter until complete (usually about 5 / 7 days). What is the best way to strain and squeeze something? I really dont have a clue? Do I need 2 fermenting bins? Do you syphon from one bin to another? How do you 'squeeze' or 'strain' the juice?
Secondly, I am told that a priming solution can be made and then just added before bottled? Is this true? If so, how much priming solution should I use? Also, I notice many people have said it is dry and made need some splenda or candarel. When should you add this do you think?
Sorry if I've bombarded you with questions. Your help will be very much appreciated!
Thanks
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Member
hi nbuchan9,
to strain and squeeze use one of these http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/otherequipment/jugsfunnelsstrainersfilters/nylon-straining-bag-fine.html
you will need another tub to strain into.
priming solution is to dissolve the sugar with hot water before adding this speeds up the solution.
lastly the splenda or canderal can be added at the end before bottling and if you add in small amounts and sample the flavor you can always add more after.
sweeteners don't ferment so can even be added early.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
:o)
Hi Neil
pretty much spot on what plopleuk says. I have some muslin bags (also sold here) which I use sometimes. Add the splenda at the same time - and in the same way - that you add your priming sugar. Heat it up (bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes), pour it in gently, stir - very gently - and bottle.
Hope you have a good BBQ!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks very much for your help guys. Thank god for forums. Here comes my next installment haha:
1.Does the volume of solution make a difference? Should it be a pint, 200ml, a litre? I'm not very sure.
2.As for my fermenting bins would you recommend two regular fermenting bins or would one with a tap ease the boittling process?
3.What is the purpose of an 'airlock' that I seem to hear about on some fermenting bins?
4.Also, a friend of mine says that normal sugar works just as well as brewing sugar? Is this the case?
5.I am intending on buying beer bottles - would swing tops be useful? Moreover can the swing tops be cleaned with the bottle rinser http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/bottling/bottling-aids/bottle-rinser.html ?
Again, many many thanks for even reading this! I hope I'm not boring you all too much!
All the best
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Member
:o)
1. Yes it does make a difference but keep it to 500ml (ish, I never measure it) and the effect will be negligible.
2. Absolutely. My FV has no tap at all as I always rack into secondary - but the secondary does have a tap and a 'little bottler'. Look it up on this site, it really is an amazing piece of kit and very cheap. This makes bottling so much easier!
3. The airlock (or as some refer to it: 'bubble-trap') is fitted to the lid of the FV and it allows CO2 out but no air in. It stops nasties getting at all that loveliness :o) A lot of people don't bother with the bubble-trap for initial (primary) fermentation as the brew produces a protective blanket of CO2 which sits on top. I never take any chances and always use one - on both primary and secondary stages.
4. That's a pretty good question and not one that can be answered too well briefly. In short, it's ok to use it although I never do. When you get a few moments, look up all the different types of sugar and their fermentability. A lot of commercial beers have quite a bit of 'table sugar' or brown sugar in them as it's cheaper than mashing grain. I sometimes use palm sugar but rarely as I believe that wherever possible, sugars should come from your mashing. A lot of people (especially those across the pond) use corn sugar (AKA dextrose or glucose) especially for priming/conditioning. A good tip is to use golden syrup as it is 'inverted sugar' - another one to look up!
5. Swing-tops are great to use, but the silicon seal will wear out after half a dozen uses although they're easy to replace. Not sure about the bottle rinser as I've never used one. One thought though... buy full bottles and drink them .. then use those. More fun than buying empty ones and not a whole lot more expensive. You could even ask at your local for empty cider bottles. Keep in mind though - some bottles are a pig to reuse (depending on your capper), Wychwood bottles being one. Also green and clear bottles will not filter UV and this can cause a reaction in hop oils and 'skunk' your beer. Not nice, although not a problem if you can keep your filled bottles out of direct light. Try to stick to brown glass ... although I use my clear ones for the ginger beer.
Hope that helps .. and no trouble at all! Good luck.
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Ref bottles, agree with Tony, just use the ones you have already purchased. Steep the empty bottles in hot tap water for a couple of minutes (I put a load in a washing up bowl) and the labels peel off really easily. I just use a green washing up sponge (with the brillo pad top) to remove any remaining glue.
In the past I have asked my local pub for empty wine bottles and the landlord was more then happy to oblige. I gave him a bottle of wine I had made and he suppied mw with approx 130 bottles - all the same size/shape.
Anything to keep the cost down as much as possible.
Good luck Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Member
check this out brewing without cover http://www.brewingtv.com/
mad men!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Plopleuk you are a genius! Thanks so much for that.
Every time you answer my questions so well it seems to make me think of more things ha!
1. Ref bottles - will normal beer bottles do or are they too weak? Do you need proper 500ml tough cider bottles? When I think of my locals the only thing that comes to mind are Magners bottles - think they would do the trick.
2. How do you clean them? The best kit on this site takes cleaning and drying to around £30 and I'm just a student - don't exactly have money coming out my ears. Hence, wondered what you guys do?
3. I'm still confused as how to strain and squeeze from my first FV to the next clean FV with drum tap and little bottler? Do you syphon it or literally just tip it out through the nylon mesh? Again, I am clueless?
Many thanks guys again
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hey again.
Normal beer bottles are fine - well the 500ml ones. Some of the 330ml are a little thin. Magners bottles are great - I think they're 550ml ....? (Ish?)
Just wash bottles as soon as they're emptied - or if you're picking up old ones - fill with a strong solution of VWP, allow to soak and rinse. Then, rinse again. Then again and again and again. This stuff is good but it takes some rinsing - use a bottle brush too.. If you're using ones that you've washed yourself right after emptying, then a good wash with warm water and a squirt or two of videne will do the trick.
Tipping out through a nylon mesh will be fine providing it is properly sanitized. Although .. you say from the primary to the secondary? If that's what you're talking about, then you should rack it. Don't sieve as you'll stir up all the dead yeast and sediment.
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I think I've found my knock-out drink of the summer. As I mentioned somewhere way back when.. this stuff makes a good mixer for gin.
I've made myself up a pint with a couple pieces of lemon in it. I'm half way down the glass and I've just realised that it is becoming increasingly difficult to type! Tastes fantastic, but needs to be watched,I said knock-out for a reason.
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Mmmmmmmmmmmm, must.....try.....!
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
What do you mean by racking it? Is this just from primary to secondary? If I am doing this should I therefore forget sieving and squeezing it and just leave the lemons, ginger etc at the bottom of the first FV? My original and possibly wrong understanding was that the juices from the lemons and sultanas etc should be SQUEEZED to ascertain the flavour. However, will the flavour permeate enough and therfore I can just 'rack' it?
Sorry for being so clueless. I hope you can help Tony!
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Ah .. sorry, been a while now since I made that Neil... my mistake, I wasn't paying attention! Yes of course you can sieve through a fine-mesh sieve from primary into secondary. I just squeezed the goodness out of everything with the back of a stainless steel spoon when it was in the sieve. Leave then for a week (ish) in the secondary and bottle straight from that - if you have a secondary with a tap. If not, rack into one that has. Don't forget to add priming sugar just before bottling(add splenda if you wish). I think I added somewhere around 70g of sugar for priming - but may even go lower than that next time as the bottles are quite lively.
Don't worry about being clueless - we all are/were when tackling something new!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Right, I'm jumping on this bandwagon too. Bit confused about whether you strain out the ginger between the boil and FV though, or if you just chuck the lot in and worry about straining between primary and secondary?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Stu .. you can strain it betwen primary and secondary .. at least that's what I did!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hey Tony, quick question if I may? Brewed up a batch of this last sat, started at 1042 OG. On weds I transferred to a secondary and got rid of all the junk. When I've passed it over the last couple of days I have lifted the lid to see of still fermenting and sure enough you can hear it fizzing away like a glass of champers. So I just took another reading and it's dropped right down to 1000. Which makes it about 6% I reckon. But when I drew off the sample it's STILL fizzing like a goodun. Is that normal? Can I expect it to drop much further? I had a little sample and although it didn't taste fizzy (which I thought was odd) it did taste bloody lovely. Can't wait to get it bottled and carbonated. Nice one for a cracking recipe.
Stu.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Stu
yes, that's fine. Can't remember how long mine stayed in the secondary, but it was at least two weeks. The yeast really loves this stuff. Be VERY careful with the carbonation, I've had two bottles burst and opened one yesterday and lost about a quarter of it. Oh .. and this definitely needs chilling in the 'fridge, tastes so much better! :o)
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
And still it drops... Down to 994 last night. I've never had one get so low, its fantastic! Might have a look to bottle on Sat if my other brew day doesnt leave me too traumatised.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi all, what sugar do you need for this? will caster do?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Yep, any is good. I used brown sugar.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
cheers, I will try that.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks for this, has been very pop with friends, well worth the time and cost effective!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
So time for a stupid Monday question...
I bought some Splenda to use as well as sugar in the priming. I'd rather not create bottle bombs so is it true that the Splenda is non fermentable? Planning to use 50g brewing sugar and 75g Splenda.
I had thought Splenda was non fermentable buy have also read that it's main ingredient maltodextrin is about 12% fermentable.
Thoughts?
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Stu
it's a complicated one this .. from my understanding, maltodextrin is added to sucralose really to bulk it out. The maltodextrin is fermentable but - and here's the big but, and I I'm hoping this is true - it isn't fermentable by beer and wine yeast. Well, fingers crossed and all that!
If you're still wary - following my adventures in bottle bomb land, I'd suggest leaving it out and back sweetening with sugar by putting a teaspoon in the bottom of a glass when you pour it.
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Bugger.
Stable door after the horse and all that...
Hey ho, I'll cover with a big blanket and place on some plastic sheet and hope for the best
Cheers anyway Tony. It tastes amazing. Will be lovely over ice I reckon.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
HI,
Havn't even finished my first attempt at brewing ale yet and the missus wants me to make ginger beer :-/. Will this be ok in a barrel or is the pressure too great?
Cheers
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
The pressure relieve vale which is built into all standard and (im assuming) other kegs should release any excess pressure. I tend to look at the barrelll and if its "balooning" at the bottom then I just tweak the valve a bit. Which barrel do you have?
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Carbonates?
Ladies and Gents, new to forums so apologise until I get the hang of it. Just about to brew a coopers ginger beer, got to "add I carbonate to every xxxmls" Carbonates??? or am I being a bit dense. Any help will be appreciated.
Dave
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I got this barrel with a kit
http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/index.php/5-gal-basic-white-barrel-with-co2-injector-system-and-10-bulbs.html
not sure where the relief valve is unless its the bit on top where the CO2 goes in.
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Hi Dave, and welcome to the forum. Do you mean carbonation drops?
Hi Semyaza (and welcome too!) I would say that barrel would be okay for Ginger beer but remember that you will only get limited carbonation and Ginger beer is probably best served chilled and fizzy so perhaps better bottled.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Greg.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Apologies greg having trouble with log ins and passwords, i have no idea how many names i am regestered as now, anyway back to business.Try again.
You are correct in thinking i mean drops, will this be the same as barreling and then a charge of C02.
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
No Dave, Carbonation drops are a product made by coopers. Basically you add one to each bottle (in place of sugar) and they act as priming agent once they dissolve in the beer. Sugar will do the same thing although the drops are easier to use.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Warning.... do not go around asking strangers if they like
The things your learn at party's! I didn't know Tim and I won't ask again!
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
i?
Whaaaaaaaaaaaa
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi, also new to forum and fairly new to brewing (4 months or so)
great recipe thanks for this just wish I'd have seen it before I ordered 2 coopers ginger beer kits
earlier in the week
I also thought I could lend a hand in the non alcoholic ginger beer confusion on page 1 post 14 -19.
made it several times myself it does have a very small amount of alcohol in it but it's non alcoholic
because you don't ferment it in a fv first you just put the sugary ginger solution in a bottle with a
bit of yeast and screw the top on tightly and as soon as the pressure builds up the yeast can't ferment
any more. so you get a v low alcohol and very sugary ginger beer. basicly it's for kids to mess
around with
Conditioning - Woodfords Great eastern ale, Parsnip wine, Rhubarb wine.
Brewing - nothing at the minute
Planing - Coopers ginger beer, 5L turbo peach thanks to bmsleight, maybe beetroot wine if there enough spare on the alotment,
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Nice one Ethanol.
Oh yeah chemical scientific symbols are my forteee!
Or google is!
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Ginger beer... queer
Posted 9 months ago by Member
I'm thinking of making the ginger beer recipe and was wondering if you could use some lactose to sweeten it? Would this work? As I believe that it's non-fermentable?
Posted 9 months ago by Moderator
Yeah, I believe lactose is non fermentable. Good to go!
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 9 months ago by Member
I may have inadvertently made ginger beer! Was making a batch of turbo cider last Saturday and as i was disolving the sugar i thought what would happen if i added some herbal tea bags (the wifes honest :oops:). Anyway added 10 Chai Express ginger tea bags to the warm apple juice/sugar mix and left to infuse for around 45 minutes, made the turbo cider as usual and put in the cupboard to let fermentation take place. The smell is very similar to ginger beer. Bottling next week, will keep you posted how it turns out.
Fermenting -
Conditioning - St Peters Ruby Red Ale, Extract Stout/Porter
Drinking - Coopers Heritage Lager, Triple Hop Pale Ale
Posted 8 months ago by Member
Taste test tonight on the concoction I made last month. Unfortunately it did not turn out as ginger beer but as a dry turbo cider with a slight ginger after taste, very pleasant and a recipe i will probably do again in the future. On the sweetening issue, i have tried 1, 2 and 3 saccharine tablets in the bottling phase of TC but have had no joy at producing a sweet drink. Im happy as i prefer cider dry but the Mrs aint, any suggestions. (I was going to use Lactose, does anyone know where to get it????)
Fermenting -
Conditioning - St Peters Ruby Red Ale, Extract Stout/Porter
Drinking - Coopers Heritage Lager, Triple Hop Pale Ale
Posted 8 months ago by Member
OK, The batch of ginger beer has been bottled for 3 weeks now! I ended up fermenting for about 8 days after it was strained then added 500g of lactose dissolved in some hot water! I started adding the lactose slowly and tasting as I went along but needed the whole 1/2kg as it didn't seem to add much sweetness! However the end result I think, is great!! Primed with 70g of normal sugar as the lactose is non fermentable and was ready to drink and as clear as I think it will get after 2 weeks! Still quite a dry drink compared to Crabbies and the like but I prefer that, just means I can drink more!! Happy days!!
Posted 8 months ago by Member
Hammy, you can buy lactose from this site: http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/catalogsearch/result/?q=lactose
Reply
You must log in to post.