merk_the_hermit

Recipes 

I've been experimenting with making multiple micro batches (2000ml ~ 4 bottle) of Ginger beer using GBP.
Anyway, I've got down to a drinkable recipe that's actually refreshing and drinkable, but I'm still getting sulfur with each batch. I switched from tap water to spring water and it's not helping. Here's my procedure :

1. add 2000ml water, boil on stove, add 300g sugar and a few inches of shredded ginger. Once at a boil, cover -- keep at rolling boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool off.
2. Once cooled, I filter out with a coffee filter (metal coffee filter with a paper coffee filter in it). Pour into a 2000ml flask. Add 1 TBS dried GBP and airlock.
3. Wait 30 minutes to 1 hour. Filter out the GBP and bottle.

I use no rinse cleaner all the way through the process, but can't really shake the sulfur from any batch. Is it from the GBP?

dinnerstick

Recipes 

i never get sulfur smells or tastes with gbp
it seems a bit odd to me to only give the gbp 1 hour to do its thing, most people give it a day or two, this obviously has nothing to do with the sulfur but i thought i'd mention it
also boiling the ginger takes away all of the nice bite of it!

merk_the_hermit

Recipes 

Thanks for the reply, I originally was fermenting for 2-3 days, but switched over to 30 min - 1 hour to try and preserve the sweetness from the sugar and to keep the alcohol lower. Basically I've been leaving the yeast in just long enough to start carbonating, then after bottling it finishes carbonating in the bottle.

With the boiling of the ginger, my first 3-4 batches I didn't boil the ginger and just left it in the flash -- it was pretty good, but I switched over the boiling after reading around and surprisingly got a lot more burn out of it. I think part of the trick is making sure not to steam out all the oils.

At this point though, it might be time to assume my GBP culture might be contaminated I guess.

TheWeisOne

Recipes 

In my personal experience, boiling/not boiling ginger isn't about how strong the bite is, but when it comes. Raw ginger gives you a big bold ginger bite right off the bat that tapers off quickly, whereas boiled ginger gives the drink a more full-bodied ginger finish. I like to combine the two.