Nazhuret

Recipes 

I'm making a 5 gallon batch of apfelwein (ed's recipe) using Columbia Gorge unfiltered pasteurized cider.

I have a source of straight ginger juice and would like to add a bit of ginger flavor to this cider. If that sounds strange you must try some ginger apple cider. It's delicious. Actually, CoGo makes a ginger apple juice that I probably should have just used from the beginning...

Anyway, I'm wondering when I should add it? I would have done it in the beginning but I didn't want the whole batch gingery and I wasn't sure if it would have adversely affected the fermentation.

So now I'm wondering if it would be ok to add some just before bottling or should I maybe rack to two secondaries and add some ginger juice to one of them then.

I don't know if it would kick start fermentation again or if it would kill the yeast or if the little guys wouldn't give a damn one way or another.

I'll try to get some information on the sugar content of the juice but in the meantime I'm wondering what you all think.

Thanks in advance.

Nazhuret

Recipes 

Well, I made a 3 gallon batch and added some ginger at the beginning. Fermentation has pretty much stopped and I just took a half glass to try.

It's delicious.

The ginger is there in about the perfect amount. It's a subtle nose just over top of the subdued apple flavors. Once the "heat" mellows out this is going to be fantastic.

I think I might do best by starting a five gallon batch right away...

petes

Recipes 

Now this sounds interesting.
Looking at trying Ed's recipe shortly, soon as I round up the ingrediants; can't use Montrachet so will substitute with EC 1118 which is 'bout all I can get here. Question is for your 3 gall brew how much ginger did you add please?
Cheers.

Nazhuret

Recipes 

For the three gallon batch I used "three inches" of fresh ginger. This is in no way a precise measurement... I just broke off about that much, peeled it, rough chopped it and then steeped it in about two cups of the cider before adding it to the rest of the stuff in the carboy.
Then pitched yeast and away we go.

I've let it just sit there for quite some time. Let me go take a small whiff and taste...

BRB:

Yep, still gingery! Not overpowering at all either. I'm wondering if it will stick around after a few months? I don't have that much experience as I'm only on my fourth batch of (intentionally) fermented juice.

It is a bit hazy still. I'm not sure if it's starches from the ginger root or just naturally like that. I may add either some fining or pectic enzyme.

The main thing is it tastes great though. I'm really looking forward to a cold glass of this on a summer evening.

I'd say if it sounds like something that would interest you you should go for it. I did this 3 gallon as an experiment and I'm definitely thinking my next 5 gallon batch will be another ginger/applewine.