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DragonTail · 03-10-2007, 05:12 PM

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: WYeast 1056
Yeast Starter: 1qt
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.006
IBU: 32
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 5.2 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days ~60F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days ~60F

Grain: 1# CaraPilsner

Extact: 3# Light LME, .5# Light DME

Extra "Sugar": 3# Clover Honey, 1# Cane Sugar

Hops: 1oz. Cascade pellets, 1oz Willamette pellets

Extras: 40oz Fresh Ginger Root (grated), 2 Lemons (juice,zest & rinds), 1tsp Irish Moss

Steep grain in 1.5gal water @ 150-155F for 30 min.
Sparge/rinse with 2qts 170F water.
Add DME and enough water to bring up to 2 gal.
Bring to boil and add Cascade pellets.
After 30 min, add LME, ~2# honey, lemon juice and rinds, and ~3/4 of the ginger.
After 15 min, add sugar and Irish Moss, remove lemon rinds.
After 5 min, add rest of honey, rest of ginger, and zest of lemons.
After 8 min, add Willamette pellets.
After 2 min, chill, add to primary, top up to 5-5.25 gal, aerate, and pitch yeast.

When fermentation is finished, bottle or keg as you like.

Notes: For more lemon flavor/aroma, save zest and add to secondary. (microwave zest for 10 seconds before you add)
For a little more malt, change sugar to LME.
For more "heat", save second addition of ginger for secondary. (microwave like lemon zest before adding to secondary)

I know this sounds like a lot of ginger, but much of the intense "heat" gets cooked out durring boil.

Cheers,

feedthebear · 03-10-2007, 06:19 PM

I'm interested in the recipe after mine failed so miserably.

But is that really 40oz of grated ginger? That's 2.5 lbs.

homebrewer_99 · 03-10-2007, 08:31 PM

No, that's gotta be 4 oz. I've used ginger in the past for meads and don't use anywhere near 8 oz.

DragonTail · 03-10-2007, 09:34 PM

Yes it really is 40 oz. (2.5#)
Like I said, it sounds like a lot, but comming from the cooking side of things, (I've been cooking waaaaay longer than I've been making beer) it's not going to turn out as "hot" as you would think from that amount. By cooking the majority of the ginger for a longer time, you get all the flavor without the spicyness.

Cheers,

feedthebear · 03-10-2007, 11:56 PM

I'm more concerned that I wouldn't be able to taste anything but the ginger.

It has given me some ideas for my second attempt though. Thanks for posting it.

ColoradoXJ13 · 03-11-2007, 12:57 AM

I am not so sure about that....I used a small amount of ginger in my christmas ale, and the flavor was really prevalent, I am not positive how much I really used, but I wrote down 1oz and everyone who tasted it identified ginger as the flavoring immediately.

DragonTail · 03-11-2007, 05:22 PM

Well, this is a GINGER beer, so ginger flavor IS what we are after.

Everyone, including contest judges, has liked it.
You can get more malt flavor, which I'm working on for the next batch, by exchanging some of the 100% fermentable "sugars" with malt extract.

david_42 · 03-11-2007, 07:54 PM

I can believe it. I've seen some ginger punches that ran 4-6 oz. per serving. I use 12 oz. in a batch, but I boil it briefly and add it to the secondary.

DragonTail · 03-11-2007, 09:08 PM

Like I said before, I'm using cooking experience here.
Just like with garlic, cooking the ginger "mellows" it out and sweetens it.
You can use less and just add it later in the boil or even just put it in the secondary, I won't know unless you send some my way.
This is just the amount that I started with the first time I made it, 3 years ago, and haven't felt the need to change it in the following batches.

**Moonshae** · 02-11-2008, 03:48 PM

I made a similar recipe, but it amounted to an alcoholic soda, rather than a beer; ie, no hops, no malt. Just sugar, ginger, lime, and water for the boil. Used 2.5 lbs of ginger (sliced, rather than grated), and the heat was pretty much gone. I would definitely add more to the secondary if you're after that nice ginger heat.