Newest Threads

jawats · 07-06-2012, 06:41 PM

All,

Given that it is summer (and HOT), I was considering making a "small beer" using molasses, honey, ginger, and lemon.

For five gallons, 60 minute boil, I was thinking:

40 oz ginger juice
80 oz fresh lemon juice
4 lbs honey
2 lbs light molasses
2 lb dark molasses (for nonfermentables - would you think brown sugar instead?)

Warrior - 1 oz @ 60 m
Cascade - .25 oz at 30
Cascade - .25 oz at 15
Cascade - .50 at 10

What do y'all think about this? And what would you use as a yeast for a GF beer?

ChasidicCalvinist · 07-06-2012, 09:04 PM

That is a lot of molasses...I used about 8oz of molasses in my dunkel and the flavor comes through. it isn't overpowering but I know it is there. 4lbs of molasses...maybe use 2lbs and 2lbs dark brown sugar.

**igliashon** · 07-07-2012, 04:15 AM

One: this is gonna take FOREVER to ferment.

Two: this is gonna taste like alcoholic gingerbread; New Planet uses molasses in their pale ale and it really comes through as a cookie-like flavor, and they use just a small bit. With 4 lbs of molasses, the flavor is gonna be HUGE.

Three: 1 oz of Warrior is a lot, and I don't expect it to play well with the molasses.

My suggestion would be to replace at least half the molasses with raw sugar (not brown sugar!), and use a gentler and/or cleaner bittering hop...Columbus would be my go-to, but Magnum or Nugget would also probably work well. It wouldn't hurt to replace at least half the honey with rice syrup, either.

thanantos · 07-07-2012, 07:47 AM

I had the same thought with the Warrior. I just brewed a beer with 1 oz of Warrior at 60 and I got a TON of bitter. It was balanced well with that particular recipe (See the Citra IPA thread), but it would be easy to overpower this recipe with that much Warrior.

jawats · 07-07-2012, 04:07 PM

A kindler, gentler, small beer....got it....

Still no recommendation on yeast - thoughts on that?

Okay, how's this:

30 oz ginger juice
40 oz fresh lemon juice
3 lbs rice syrup
2 lbs honey
1 lb raw sugar
.5 lb dark molasses

Columbus - .50 oz @ 60 m
Cascade - .25 oz at 30
Cascade - .25 oz at 15
Cascade - .50 at 10

**igliashon** · 07-07-2012, 04:54 PM

I'd use Fermentis S-33 or S-04. Don't let the belgian descriptor of S-33 fool you; it's the old EDME strain, it's all British.

**igliashon** · 07-07-2012, 05:04 PM

Also, I didn't mean you should replace, like, ALL the light molasses. I know the early American settlers brewed molasses beers quite commonly. It's gonna be a rather striking flavor, but it seemed like that's what you were looking for.

Maybe like this:

30 oz ginger juice
40 oz fresh lemon juice
1.5 lbs rice syrup
1.5 lbs honey
1 lb raw sugar
1.5 lb light molasses
1 lb dark molasses

If you're going more for historical accuracy, you could also leave the rice syrup out entirely and do it like this:

30 oz ginger juice
40 oz fresh lemon juice
1 lbs honey
2 lb raw sugar
2 lb light molasses
1.5 lb dark molasses

And for this latter, I'd also suggest using English hops, like 1 oz of Challenger for bittering and then replace the Cascade hops with Goldings. Or if you're really adventurous, leave out the hops and use dandelion (whole plant, or leaf and root) and burdock root. If it were still spring I'd suggest nettles, but it's too late for that. Maybe some lemon balm or lemon verbena as a late addition.

jawats · 07-07-2012, 09:43 PM

Igliashon,

I think I will try the latter - I was going for closer to colonial small beer! And thank you for the yeast rec...!

--Jonathan

jawats · 07-07-2012, 09:49 PM

One more question, all - anyone converted powdered ginger into concentrate / juice before?

**igliashon** · 07-07-2012, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jawats

One more question, all - anyone converted powdered ginger into concentrate / juice before?

Don't do it! It's bad business, man. Totally different (and inferior) flavor. Get some fresh roots, puree in a blender, and strain, or look for bottled ginger juice from the Ginger People if you can find it.