Ginger Ale - Make it burn!

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jamesdawsey

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Ok guys, so I've put together a ginger ale that I like a lot. But it's missing one key element. Have you ever sipped, for example, a red rock ginger ale and coughed because of the strong bite that hits you right up front? Does anybody know how to make that happen? I've got a great tasting soda that has a lingering burn in the end, and I find that very pleasant.

Is the answer simply add more ginger?
Does the answer lie in red rocks use of ginger extract?
Is ginger like hops in that I need to simply add a small amount at flame out of my boil to avoid blowing off any volatile flavors from the root?

So here's my recipe and process. Any and all insight is definitely appreciated.

For 5 gallons ginger ale

Ingredients:
2 lbs. finely grated fresh ginger root
3.75 lbs. sugar
4.69 gallons water
1.25 cups lemon juice.
1 satchel of US-05

Directions:
Place the ginger, sugar, and water into your boiling kettle and set over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to steep for 1 hour.

Separate solution from ginger (I use a large steeping bag.), and add water to get up to 5 gallons. Chill quickly with immersion wort chiller until at least room temperature.

Dump into the fermenter and add yeast and lemon juice. Let ferment like a beer and keg that baby. Ends up being about 3%-4%ABV and very refreshing.



Any and all insight is definitely appreciated. Thanks!

*Edit: I made this again and bumped it up to 2.5 lbs of ginger, and the burn at the end increased slightly, but nothing new up front.
 
From the book "fix the pumps", the famous bite is a fake... capsicum from pepper must be used (and is for caribbean style) because real ginger bite cannot survive an acidic environment for more than a short time. He says you can try to minimize the acid in your ginger ale for a bit longer bottle life.

This fits in with peoples experiences of having homeade bottled taste only come back if you shake the settled debris... the problems isn't that the taste settled out, but once it leaves the protected encapsulation of the debris, it briefly flavors the liquid until is is wiped out by the carbonic or citric or whatever acid. There is a commercial brand with debris that tells you to shake before opening.

This problem was well known in the 1800's, and a secret process by canada dry and one other I forget (too much in a hurry at the mo to look up all this stuff) amazed the world by getting some semblance of lasting ginger flavor. But here canned ginger ale is tasteless water... I can tell by the shape of the can that it was canned 2000 miles away and shipped in an overheated boat... so even it isn't bulletproof.

I used to regret how it is almost impossible to get Vernors hot ginger ale here, and the huge price when you can... but now I gather it is a fake loaded with peppers. You can taste the difference. This is not a problem for freshly made ginger drink, or probably that kind of ginger jelly plant stuff.

P.s... a later glance at the book says acid ph should be between 4and 5, and to minimize sucrose, perhaps by inverting sugar... to extend gingerol more than a few hours.
 
Thanks Daft! I guess the ingredient "natural flavors" could include just about anything... I'll play with it.
 
More ginger. Lots. Not just grated - use a good blender to pulverize it with a bit of water. No need to peel it first, just clean well. Use every bit of it. Only heat long enough to dissolve the sugar, and don't over sweeten. When (if) you strain, use a mesh bag...and SQUEEZE!

Even so, the really good bite won't last longer than a week or two. Really good, fresh ginger ale just needs to be...fresh!
 
More ginger. Lots. Not just grated - use a good blender to pulverize it with a bit of water. No need to peel it first, just clean well. Use every bit of it. Only heat long enough to dissolve the sugar, and don't over sweeten. When (if) you strain, use a mesh bag...and SQUEEZE!

Even so, the really good bite won't last longer than a week or two. Really good, fresh ginger ale just needs to be...fresh!

So I have tried running the ginger root through a mini-food processor and then added this to the kegged using a hop sack. Also added some lemon peel, crushed coriander and grains of paradise.

Should I have boiled the ginger root? I have boiled it in the past and did not get as much flavor as I had hoped.
 
In my experience, adding 1/2 tsp of cayenne to 5 gallons of ginger beer (well, specifically to the 2.5 boiling gallon decoction) kicks up the heat nicely. 1 tsp for 5 gallons is definitely in the "hot" territory. And of course the cayenne settles with the other solids, so those bottles with more must/yeast at the bottom turn out hotter.

I'd also recommend at least 3 lbs of ginger for 5 gallons. It makes a bold brew, but the ginger essence stands up nice with the heat from the cayenne.
 
Ooh, now to try gingerman's suggestions! :rockin:


Oh, @likefully. Yes and yes. Though I wouldn't recommend pitching on an old yeast cake because of the possibilities of getting old trub and/or hop particles into your ginger beer as well as off flavors from over pitching/stressing your yeast between the brews. But worst scenario you're out 15-20 bucks and a couple hours. Heck. Give it a shot!

Also, sodas are generally more carbonated than most beers so it couldn't hurt to add a "heaping" 3/4 cups of sugar. Nonetheless, too little carbonation doesn't explode on you.;)
 
So this Ginger ale - just needs to be fermented for a week or so, and then bottled and/or kegged? Sounds like a great, quick summer drink that I've never heard of........
 
I have some left over centennial hops (50 grams) which i doubt i will get to use in a beer before i move houses later in the year. Would it be worth adding these to the mix?
 
Likefully said:
I have some left over centennial hops (50 grams) which i doubt i will get to use in a beer before i move houses later in the year. Would it be worth adding these to the mix?

I actually just tried a ginger brew with (Crystal) hops. Timed them at 1/2 oz for 15 min, then 1/2 oz for 5 min (for a 3 gallon batch). Did not like. It just tasted like a bad IPA. I ended up flushing both experimental hopped batches (one used champagne yeast and the other cote de blanc yeast). YMMV though.

In my humble opinion, keep the ginger brews low ABV and without hops, and you'll get optimal flavor.
 
I actually just tried a ginger brew with (Crystal) hops. Timed them at 1/2 oz for 15 min, then 1/2 oz for 5 min (for a 3 gallon batch). Did not like. It just tasted like a bad IPA. I ended up flushing both experimental hopped batches (one used champagne yeast and the other cote de blanc yeast). YMMV though.

In my humble opinion, keep the ginger brews low ABV and without hops, and you'll get optimal flavor.

Thank you. I had a feeling hops would be a bad idea.

Even SWMBO is excited about this ginger beer brew! I am going to follow a reverse brewing process - boil first, then dump into the mash tun for an hour (my mash tun is lined with a grain sack), drain onto the yeast cake...tell SWMBO to practice some patience while this thing brews :ban:
 
@likefully = ew, no hops in ginger ale. Try what you like, but IMHO gingerman's got the idea.

@nhwrecker = yes, ferment just as you would beer. Just different ingredients. Great for those hot summer days.
 
So, I'm giving a version of the OP recipe a go. I threw 4 peeled lemons in the food processor with the ginger in lieu of the juice, and soaked a few chunks of peels and some spices (couple cinnamon sticks, a couple cloves, a cardamom pod or two, a few allspice balls and a dose of vanilla extract).

The tea/wort/must/whatever is cooling now and I'm curious about the health of the yeast in this mixture. This has to be a highly acidic environment with very low nutrients for yeast I would think... Think a tbs or two of yeast nutrient would help the guys out a bit?

James, have you had any issues getting this thing to start?

Anybody tried backsweetening it?
 
I don't backsweeten anything. I know, I know. Anyways this is not a sweet drink at all. One method to add some sweetness that I have done is steep half a pound of rye malt (or whatever your favorite specialty malt is). This way you add some unfermentable sugars and don't need to go through the backsweetening thing.


Also, I've never had any issues at all with fermentation, and I've never used yeast nutrient. I would try it without first. Using nutrient when it's unnecessary can give you the same off-flavors as over-pitching (bready, yeast bite, unwanted esters, etc.). However, I've never added so many spices either. Please let us know how it tastes when it's done. If it's delicious, share the recipe!:D
 
Cayenne works very well and when kept to a minimal amount you don't perceive the pepper at all. Your mind places the spiciness as part of the ginger.
 
Please let us know how it tastes when it's done. If it's delicious, share the recipe!:D

That kinda was my recipe... I don't really measure stuff as a rule. except specific gravity, that is.

I think I will try to backsweeten, since this is for SWMBO and she likes the sweet commercial ginger ale. I'll probably try Splenda or something on this round and see how that tastes. I've done the back-sweeten with fermentable sugars and pasteurize after carbonation process before with cider, and it is pretty simple, just time consuming.

Do do a full 2-3 week ferment? or do you just wait till Gravity readings slack off? I will be bottling.
 
I made a batch last night and it is bubbling nicely in the fermenter at the moment. I used 1.4kg ginger, which I put through a blender and then froze. I took the ginger straight from the freezer and put it in the pot. This is the first time I have made this recipe, so can't compare to not freezing it but the flavor was STRONG!

Just one question. When it comes to bottling, do you churn it up to get the all the flavorful bits into each bottle?
 
I don't bottle, but I put my ginger in a large hop bag and remove it after steeping so that there are no ginger bits to clog up my keg line. If you're bottling I don't see why stirring it up would be a bad idea. I'm not aware of anything in this recipe that would be damaged by oxygen exposure. There aren't any hop oils to react adversely with the air contact.

Sure, get some "flavorful bits into each bottle!"
 
@stpug That makes three.

Sounds like cayenne's got to be the next addition to the ginger ale experiment. If that covers the bite up-front, then I'm still missing a good middle taste before the lingering warmth from the ginger settles in. I'll get back to you when I've figured it out.
 
jamesdawsey said:
@stpug That makes three.

Sounds like cayenne's got to be the next addition to the ginger ale experiment. If that covers the bite up-front, then I'm still missing a good middle taste before the lingering warmth from the ginger settles in. I'll get back to you when I've figured it out.

My experience with the flavor profile is a bit different. Adding cayenne hasn't increased the up front bite for me (despite cayenne traditionally being associated with front of tongue/early heat), but rather its most evident as the late or residual heat. Not sure why that is - perhaps the sugar masks the heat until you swallow, and then once the sugar is swallowed, the residual burn is felt? Either way, I've noticed the cayenne's heat way more in the aftertaste than where I had expected it to be, up front. Adding a ton more ginger only seems to affect the ginger-ness (not heat), in my experience.

From my best batches, here's the sensory/flavor profile that I'm always aiming for, in order.

1. Smell - clean, aromatic/floral ginger notes as you bring the glass to mouth
2. Taste - very bubbly, sweet first taste. Carbonation is obviously key here.
3. Taste - mid-sip, full ginger flavor.
4. After taste - that cayenne heat. Should be just enough of a bite to immediately compel another sip. ;)
 
I boiled my batch on Friday and there has been activity in the airlock since Saturday. There is still is activity now. There is a decent size yeast cake at the bottom.

I sampled some and it tastes good. Swmbo had some and she wants me to serve it as is, without carbing it!


Is that yeast cake like a normal yeast cake - ie try not to get any into the bottles or is that where some flavor lies? I used a grain sack when I boiled so it is definitely not flakes of ginger that have settled to the bottom (well not flakes that are too large to get through a grain sack!)
 
If you used champagne yeast, it's fine if some of it is in the bottles. Can't speak to other yeasts though.

I personally siphon into bottles with all the yeast left on the bottom of the fermenter. Then, I siphone the yeast into a big measuring cup, and add a small bit to each bottle to bottle carb it. I end up adding maybe 1/4-1/3 of the yeasty water to the bottles, and dump the rest. This is usually perfect for 24-48 hour pressurizing before refrigeration.

If bottle carbing, make sure to bottle at least one in a plastic bottle so you can be confident in the pressure of the glass bottles. Good luck!
 
From my best batches, here's the sensory/flavor profile that I'm always aiming for, in order.

1. Smell - clean, aromatic/floral ginger notes as you bring the glass to mouth
2. Taste - very bubbly, sweet first taste. Carbonation is obviously key here.
3. Taste - mid-sip, full ginger flavor.
4. After taste - that cayenne heat. Should be just enough of a bite to immediately compel another sip.

That's the ticket! Props to you gingerman. And I believe I've got my recipe tweaked just enough to accomplish this for next time (I haven't gotten a chance to brew since I started this post :(, can you believe it?!? But soon!:rockin:).

Is that yeast cake like a normal yeast cake - ie try not to get any into the bottles or is that where some flavor lies?

Yes. Also, it does make a nice hot drink before fermentation for when it gets cold. Just add a splash of bourbon into your glass straight out of the steeping pot.
 
I have bottled mine and it has come out nice! What can I expect to get from letting the bottles stand for a while - ie cold conditioning?
 
image-2414289029.jpg

And that is how it looks
 
SmokeAndBeer1 said:
Revive:

So, what recipe did you end up doing?

1.4kg ginger finely chopped in a mini food processor, which I froze to break the cells. I dropped the frozen ginger in 15l of water and boiled it up with 1.8kg of sugar, a tea spoon of cayenne and some cinnamon.

I boiled for about 30 minutes and then put it in the mash tun for an hour. Then cooled and added about a cup of freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice (I had a cup of each line and lemon juice and mixed them) and into the fermenter.

I used S05 and fermented for 4 days and then bottled it (no priming sugar). After 2 days it was very fizzy and quite burny. It went into the fridge after 2 days.

It dries out as it ages. I think it is best after about ten days.

The next batch I make I may try replacing some of the sugar with honey, which I will add when it is in the mash tun.
 
jamesdawsey said:
sounds delicious! How does the cinnamon play with the cayenne and the rest?

I put three crushed sticks in of cinnamon in - i couldn't pick it up. The cayenne adds a lot of kick!
 
I tried brewing up a hot ginger ale, and others may have discovered this already, but the heat that was upfront and punchy when I made the syrup, faded into a background warmth after carbing. Is this a common thing or did I screw something up?
 
Sandpunk said:
I tried brewing up a hot ginger ale, and others may have discovered this already, but the heat that was upfront and punchy when I made the syrup, faded into a background warmth after carbing. Is this a common thing or did I screw something up?

The timing of the heat seemed to changed as the ale aged, but didn't fade!
 
So I finally got around to trying the revised recipe that is the result of this thread. Here is the recipe:

3.75 lbs. table sugar
8 oz. cararye (steep 20 min. at 150)
2.5 lbs. ginger (steep with grain)
1.25 cups lemon juice
1/2 tsp cayenne
Safale US-05

And here are the results:

Delicious. The malt fixes the light body issue. It now feels like I'm drinking more than flavored water. The cayenne completes the lingering burn that I love (which is pretty hefty IMHO). There is one major problem that's an easy fix. Cararye was the wrong malt to use. The flavor of the rye clashes with the lemon/ginger flavors. Next time I will use a C20/C40 malt instead.

Other variations on the list to try:
-"dry hop" with fresh ginger
-steep black tea in fermenter
-make a vanilla version
-make into a black/tan with a chocolate stout (ginger chocolate bar anybody?)
-er... find a way to add bacon... just cuz. It's bacon.
 

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