Let's talk Ginger Beer!

SWMBO and I went to PF Chang's tonight, and I had a very interesting ginger beer with dinner. I can't find much info on it, and I'm tempted to believe it's a house blend of fresh ginger and hefeweizen. It was quite cloudy with little head and a very pungent ginger nose. The flavor was dominated by spicy fresh ginger with a cereal flavor that had to be wheat. I really enjoyed it, but I couldn't help but think that I could improve upon it.

I know there are a few threads that touch on ginger beer, but most of them focus on extract recipes, and none really appeal to me. I think the beer should be very light in color and crystal clear with a lingering white head. The grain bill should be exceedingly simple, leaving the dominant flavors as ginger with a bit of citrus. The beer should be crisp, dry, and refreshing. Here's my take (15 gallons):

25 lbs Pilsner malt (light UK variety)
3 lbs Vienna
4 oz Tettnang hops at 60 mins
1 oz fresh lemon zest at 5 minutes
6 oz fresh grated ginger at flameout
US-05 American ale yeast
Single infusion mash at 152 degrees F
Add ginger to taste in secondary (if required)

OG: 1.053
FG: 1.015
SRM: 3
IBU: 21
ABV: 5.0%

Recipe edited to reflect the discussion below.

Comments/suggestions? Anything that worked well for those of you that have tried a ginger brew? I'm excited to brew this one late this summer, so there's plenty of time for discussion and refinement.

I personally think a noble hop like Saaz would work much better here. While I love Simcoe, it has a very distinct flavor that I think may muddle the ginger-route you're looking for. The Saaz would add that spiciness that would complement the ginger, and you wouldn't need to add coriander or grains of paradise. The single late hop addition has me intrigued, though.

I received a ginger beer from Chad in the last beer swap that I thought rocked. He used a Kolsch yeast on it, and I think that may be another thing you may want to think about. Super clean and crisp, with that ever so mild fruity character. Either that, or lager that ***** for the crisp and clean effect to let the ginger shine.

Either way, send me some...

Your question got me curious about my own Gingered Ale that I brewed May 07 and kegged June 07.

My last notes, in Oct 07 (yes, it's been sitting that long...), stated the ginger was still a bit harsh.

I sampled it again tonight (11 Mar 08) and it tastes really good. All the harshness is gone and it is really smooth.

If you want to take a look at my recipe email me @ [email protected] and I'll send you a copy.
The empty glass still smells of beer and ginger...mmmm:rockin:

Thanks, Yuri! I've been trying to figure out what to brew next- A honey ginger beer! It'll be a great lawnmower brew for summer!

That sounds nice and tasty. I have a simple honey ginger lager going right now that should be good come summer. I like the citrus zest idea. However I think that orange might go with the ginger a little better. Or perhaps half and half so you get the lemon tartness and the orange sweetness. Regardless let us know how it comes out.

The best ginger beer I've ever had was very simple with very little in the way of hops or other flavors. It was just a nice, simple beer with good ginger flavor and aroma. The guy that brewed it said he added ginger late in the boil, as well as in the secondary, but he wouldn't say anything else. I need to get him drunk.


TL

Some great suggestions so far!

I'm still debating orange vs lemon zest. When I think about flavors that complement ginger, lemon is among the first that come to mind. Orange is almost commonplace in beer these days, so lemon might be just different enough to be interesting. However, orange is probably more common because of its ability to meld with other flavors commonly found in beer. Hmm...

Saaz hops are a great suggestion...if only I could get some! I have about 1 oz of a really low AA harvest from a few years ago. That's not nearly enough even for a 5 gallon batch. I chose Simcoe because of their pungent flavor and high AA - perfect for a single late addition (and because I have a few ounces on hand). I do agree, though, that Simcoe might overpower some subtle flavors. How about some Amarillo?

I knew someone would mention honey. I'm going to elect to keep honey out of this brew, just to keep the flavor a little cleaner. If I had to add one more ingredient, 1 lb of honey malt is a top choice. I doubt I'd add any real honey - I don't want to dry the beer out at all.

You mentioned you thought that the original beer's base was a hefe. What about maybe doing the base beer as an American Wheat? Half pils, half wheat, a clean bittering hop, a modest flavor addition (either spicy or citrus) and then your zest and ginger at flameout (or maybe with a minute to go).

Do you want this to be sweet, or do you want it to be lighter/spritzy?

I guess I'm thinking in the context of Belgian ales, not necessarily working off of a Belgian base, but the dryness and high level of carbonation. Crisp, refreshing, like a good ginger ale, not overly sweet like the crap store brand

Dang, this sounds good!

the_bird said:

You mentioned you thought that the original beer's base was a hefe. What about maybe doing the base beer as an American Wheat? Half pils, half wheat, a clean bittering hop, a modest flavor addition (either spicy or citrus) and then your zest and ginger at flameout (or maybe with a minute to go).

Do you want this to be sweet, or do you want it to be lighter/spritzy?

I guess I'm thinking in the context of Belgian ales, not necessarily working off of a Belgian base, but the dryness and high level of carbonation. Crisp, refreshing, like a good ginger ale, not overly sweet like the crap store brand

Click to expand...

Ya know, now that I think about it, maybe a crisp dryness would be good. The ginger will probably give the illusion of sweetness without the full body. You'll have to do some more convincing to get me to add the wheat.

I have had the same one at PF changs....

In my mind, and on my tongue.. it's GROSS.. but thats just me..

I like ginger and everything, but wow, that was too much at once.

Yuri_Rage said:

Ya know, now that I think about it, maybe a crisp dryness would be good. The ginger will probably give the illusion of sweetness without the full body. You'll have to do some more convincing to get me to add the wheat.

Click to expand...

Well, I'm not a huge fan of wheat beers either, but you don't get much blanker a canvas than an American wheat.

I'm thinking, do it real simple at first. Maybe only a 5-gallon batch in case it sucks balls. I'd probably avoid all late hop additions in Batch 1.

I love ginger and have made the Honey-Ginger Lager featured in Charlie Papazian's book. GREAT stuff.

Funny that this thread should come up - I was thinking last night about a ginger brew that I've dreamed up and that I want to make. It would involve the use of ginger in the boil, of course, but also in the secondary.

My questions to you all are:

Can raw, chopped ginger be added to the secondary "as is", or should it be in a hop bag?

Should I santize it first? If so, how?

What about the idea of simmering ginger and just adding the resulting "tea" to the secondary? At bottling?

Your thoughts, please - inquiring minds want to know!

I have a ginger beer sitting in a keg right now. If you don't like the ginger heat, add more and do it earlier in the boil. If you add late or to the secondary, you're gonna get heat. That said, I chopped it up and added it to 2 cups of boiling water, brought it back to a boil, then added to the secondary, and racked the beer on top of it. I like the heat, though.

bird - I like wheat beers quite a bit, but I think the wheat/cereal flavor may detract from the ginger. Also, I'd like this one to be really clear...just because. Wheat isn't a bad idea, but I think pilsner malt with a little crystal leaves things pretty wide open, also. You can probably tell that I'm not really sure about the hopping. A single bittering addition might be all that's needed, but a nice, spicy/citrusy flavor addition sure is tempting.

I don't see why you couldn't just add ginger straight to the secondary without a bag to strain it. It will probably all sink after a while. I'm probably going to put mine through a garlic press - I've had very good success with that technique when using fresh ginger in cooking. If I add it to the secondary, I don't think I'll boil it first.

I've been thinking off and on about making a really spicy ginger beer, like a Blenheim ginger ale. Something that makes your stomach tingle as you drink it. American wheat sounds like a great base, and I'll probably add ginger to the boil, secondary, and run a bit through the juicer for an extra kick at bottling.

Last year I tried a chocolate ginger RIS, but added just a couple ounces of grated ginger early in the boil. Between the cocoa powder and heavy malts the ginger didn't come out too strongly but I still want to try something like that again.

Yuri_Rage said:

bird - I like wheat beers quite a bit, but I think the wheat/cereal flavor may detract from the ginger. Also, I'd like this one to be really clear...just because. Wheat isn't a bad idea, but I think pilsner malt with a little crystal leaves things pretty wide open, also. You can probably tell that I'm not really sure about the hopping. A single bittering addition might be all that's needed, but a nice, spicy/citrusy flavor addition sure is tempting.

I don't see why you couldn't just add ginger straight to the secondary without a bag to strain it. It will probably all sink after a while. I'm probably going to put mine through a garlic press - I've had very good success with that technique when using fresh ginger in cooking. If I add it to the secondary, I don't think I'll boil it first.

Click to expand...

I think either way, it'll be plenty neutral.

I think I would probably go more spicy than citrusy with the hops; I don't even know why, it just seems "right".

You know, I don't know why, but I was just reading Bobby's thread on a Vienna lager and something tells me that the kinda warm, bready-ness of a little Vienna malt might be really nice in the background. Nothing overwhelming, just something to smooth out the background.

I was thinking about some Munich or Vienna. I don't want the color associated with the Munich, but Vienna...that might be a winner...

From the "For What It's Worth" Department: Coopers and Morgans from Australia both make a Ginger Beer kit, much like the canned beer kits they both make. Try as I might, I couldn't find the Coopers kit available anywhere. I contacted Mark Henry at Makebeer.net, an importer of Coopers products, and was told that the Ginger Beer kit contains a sugar that is not approved by the USDA, and therefor cannot be imported into the US.

Go figure.

That is interesting...

I'm in Sydney and just started home brewing on Monday night.

I bought a Coopers kit from K-mart last Sunday, it came with a can of Lager. While I was at the store my eye caught on a can of Coopers Ginger Beer. As I like ginger drinks it was added to the booty.

I wonder which ingredient it is...

The label says;
Ginger flavour [yes, with a 'u']
Food acid (330)
Sodium cyclamate (952)
Vegetable gum (415)
Sodium saccharin (954)
Malt
Water
Citric acid

I'm guessing it's either the saccharin or cyclamate as there is a 'warning';
``Artificially sweetened with saccharin and cyclamate''

bradbase said:

That is interesting...

I'm in Sydney and just started home brewing on Monday night.

I bought a Coopers kit from K-mart last Sunday, it came with a can of Lager. While I was at the store my eye caught on a can of Coopers Ginger Beer. As I like ginger drinks it was added to the booty.

I wonder which ingredient it is...

The label says;
Ginger flavour [yes, with a 'u']
Food acid (330)
Sodium cyclamate (952)
Vegetable gum (415)
Sodium saccharin (954)
Malt
Water
Citric acid

I'm guessing it's either the saccharin or cyclamate as there is a 'warning';
``Artificially sweetened with saccharin and cyclamate''

Click to expand...

Hard to say. Maybe just another example of my government protecting me from me.

I have seen this post over the last several days, and have yet to click on it because my first impression was "yecht...ginger in beer?". However, I was thinking of the dry, spicy, rather retched stuff that is in my spice cabinet. Last night I decided to make some sesame chicken, that I usually add that nasty stuff to, but decided to pick up some fresh ginger root at the store and mince it at home. Man, fresh root is completely different from the dried stuff. Sure, the same basic flavor is the same, but with the fresh there is almost a citrus-y, or lemony type of flavor and aroma. I think it would go perfect in a light beer!! I am already planning on doing an alt before my temps in my basement get to high, so it wont be my next beer, but somewhere soon down the line I am going to try this. However, I am going to alter mine:

I figure, I am going to start with the American wheat. Prolly 60-70% two row, 30-40%wheat. Hallertauer hops-FWH and 30 minutes. Probably going to cut back on the ginger some (I don't particularly like hotness in my beer) maybe 3oz, and add it at 10 minutes.

I wont be drinking this beer for at least a couple of months, but when I do get there, I will report back.

swmbo has made a couple of ginger heffe's that have turned out great. The first time she made one it needed to mellow for a couple of months before I was ok with it. She used alot of fresh ginger in it. I don't tend to like the heffe's. But she has made some really good ones imho. Ginger seems to fit real good in a heffe.

I really do recommend laying off the hop flavor and aroma here. Hops tend to clash with much of anything else, and the good ginger beers I have enjoyed have virtually no hop character. Add enough bittering hops to balance the beer, then let the ginger do the talking.

Vienna also sounds like an excellent idea for this, even better than crystal malt.


TL

I tripped over this Ginger Ale concentrate that might omit the prohibited sweetener. I have not yet seen what it's made of.

http://www.grumpys.com.au/phpshop/?page=shop/browse&category_id=00c11cde55c4e450e3fd95ec75f6afeb&

Concentrate probably won't make a very good beer. Fresh ginger is going to be the key to this recipe, and I think the consensus is to make a refreshing, dry beer with little in the way of hop flavor.

Dry, but with some "warmth" from the Vienna. I'm thinking almost like ginger snaps; not really sweet, but warm.

Yuri_Rage said:

I think the consensus is to make a refreshing, dry beer with little in the way of hop flavor.

Click to expand...

Funny, I was flipping through Radical Brewing this morning and saw a recipe for a ginger IPA. Kind of caught me by surprise. Seems counterproductive to me. Either the Ginger drowns out the hops, or the hops drown out the ginger, or it would taste really funny IMO.

I have actually decided to wait a bit before I make this beer. I will still update when I do, but it is probably going to be at least three weeks before I tackle this one.

Recipe edited to reflect the discussion so far. Further comments?

Looks pretty good to me. I'm actually kind of intrigued by this; I'm a little light in the spring-beer department, and I've got all of the ingredients I would need for this save the ginger root in stock. If I brew it, I'll probably go a bit heavier on the Vienna (maybe 15% - 20% of the grist), but I'm not sure if that would be better or worse.

I went about 10% on the Vienna to keep things light and focused on the ginger. A little more probably wouldn't hurt.

What you guys would think about using the T-58 yeast? I think I'm going to try it.

More info about the yeast: http://www.fermentis.com/FO/EN/pdf/SafbrewT-58.pdf

I'm not a big fan of using a Belgian style yeast for this brew. I think it needs to be crisp and clean. Esters and spicy yeastiness don't appeal to me for this recipe. However, if you try it, please let us know how it comes out.

Yuri and others,

I've got the malts the recipe asks (Pilsen and Vienna). The hops I've got here are the Galena, Cascade and Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, and the yeast available are S-04, S-33 and T-58.

What can I replace on the recipe, or what can you indicate?

Hey all,

we tried this partial extract recipe (with help form the folks at Brew and Grow in Chicago):


0.75 lb Belgian Aromatic Malt
1.0 lb Honey
0.5 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine
4.0 lb Extra Light DME powder
1.25 oz Hallertauer (90 min)
0.5 oz Hallertauer (30 min)
3.0 oz Ginger (peeled) Spice
1 package American Ale XL Yeast

We also made a ginger extract using about 5 oz of ginger and 1/2 of a 750 ml bottle of Polish Rectified Spirits (75% EtOH) and slowly heated down to remove most of the EtOH and added this at bottling.

We were aiming for something very spicy-like D&G Jamiacan Ginger beer.

While it is very crisp and refreshing with a decent ginger kick, its not as strong as we wanted. It basically tastes like a light ale with a bit of ginger. I am going to try this again with with more extract and additional ginger in the secondary. OI want it to burn yet have some sweetness.

Of note-we were supposed to dry hop with Saaz but my brewing buddy forgot I'm relatively new to homebrew (about 8 batches) so I can't tell if this would have made a huge difference. Would it have complimented the spice of the ginger? Should I add it next time?

I'll be following this post with interest. Great forums!

D

joaobecker said:

Yuri and others,

I've got the malts the recipe asks (Pilsen and Vienna). The hops I've got here are the Galena, Cascade and Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, and the yeast available are S-04, S-33 and T-58.

What can I replace on the recipe, or what can you indicate?

Click to expand...

Hallertau is a fairly direct replacement for Tettnang. The S-04 is the cleanest of the strains you mention, so use that one if you want to stay fairly true to the recipe.

Let us know how it turns out!

Something I forgot to mention - when cooking with ginger, I like to peel it, then slice it into chunks that will fit into a garlic press. I hold the press over the bowl/pan and press the ginger right into the food. It works really well to extract maximum flavor from the ginger. I plan on doing the same for this beer recipe.

I put ginger in my Holiday spiced ale. Mellowed out quite nicely.

Holiday Spice
Specialty Beer


Type: Extract
Date: 11/10/2007
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: Slimer
Boil Size: 3.25 gal Asst Brewer: ERock
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (4 Gallon)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: -
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.50 lb Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 85.25 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 13.11 %
0.13 lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 1.64 %
2.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 26.8 IBU
1.00 oz Sterling [7.50 %] (15 min) Hops 10.4 IBU
0.10 oz Cinnamon Stick (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
0.75 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 oz Ginger Root (Boil 12.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.048 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.042 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.60 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 3.90 %
Bitterness: 37.1 IBU Calories: 185 cal/pint
Est Color: 15.7 SRM Color: Color

Steep grains as desired (30-60 minutes)

Another question: do I use natural lemon zest or dried lemon zest?