Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Ginger Ale

maztec · Oct 21, 2009

What was your AG recipe for this?

I agree, up the lemons, maybe even add a squeeze of lemon when I add in the priming agent. Everyone I have given mine too swears by adding a lemon (and I agree).

Ooh, yes, how were the Limes?

GreenMan · Oct 22, 2009

maztec said:
What was your AG recipe for this?

I agree, up the lemons, maybe even add a squeeze of lemon when I add in the priming agent. Everyone I have given mine too swears by adding a lemon (and I agree).

Ooh, yes, how were the Limes?

Edit: Found the recipe...

8lbs Pale Malt
0.25lb CaraPils

1lb Clover Honey

1oz. Cascade pellets (60 min)
1oz Willamette pellets (10 min)

40oz Fresh Ginger Root (grated) (pita)
2 Lemons (juice,zest & rinds)
1 Wirlflock tablet

UnbakedToast · Oct 26, 2009

GreenMan said:
Did this as an All-Grain a couple months ago with the 40 oz of ginger. Tastes great with a slice of lemon so the only thing I would change is up the lemons next time. There will definitely be a next time. Probably change it either 4 lemons or maybe just the zest of 4-5 lemons in the boil.

I like the idea of limes too as I love limes. Might not go with ginger though. How did it turn out UnbakedToast?

The limes didn't really add to much to the beer. A friend of mine from the Virgin Islands tried the beer and loved it, she did however said to cut back on the ginger (maybe by 1/2 #) and increase the "sweetness" (maybe add a little bit more malt). But everyone else that tried this beer LOVED it. I like it.

stromam · Oct 28, 2009

I have a question about the lemons... what do you do exactly with them as far as separating the zest and pith. My guess would be to grate off the zest and save it, cut the remainder in half and squeeze out the juice and use the rest as the pith. does that sound about right, or do you grate off the zest, then peel the lemon for the pith and squeeze the peeled fruit for the juice. Also, I was planning on using 4 lemons, should i use all of the zest/pith from the 4 lemons or just half. Thanks.

Oh another recipe question... I was planning on using 4 lbs of light DME, 1 lb of honey and 1 lb of corn sugar. How does that sound? I know its a pretty big deviation from your recipe, but I happen to have all these ingredients on hand.

GreenMan · Nov 10, 2009

stromam said:
I have a question about the lemons... what do you do exactly with them as far as separating the zest and pith. My guess would be to grate off the zest and save it, cut the remainder in half and squeeze out the juice and use the rest as the pith. does that sound about right, or do you grate off the zest, then peel the lemon for the pith and squeeze the peeled fruit for the juice. Also, I was planning on using 4 lemons, should i use all of the zest/pith from the 4 lemons or just half. Thanks.

Oh another recipe question... I was planning on using 4 lbs of light DME, 1 lb of honey and 1 lb of corn sugar. How does that sound? I know its a pretty big deviation from your recipe, but I happen to have all these ingredients on hand.

You have the idea right with how to deal with the lemons. Grate/peal off the zest, then juice then the rest is the pith. I would leave out the pith as its just a bitter flavor and not a favorable one in my mind and just use the zest and the juice. Also I would use at least 4, maybe even 6 to balance out some of the ginger.

Don't know about the malt for sure but you can look up an estimate of that and see how close it comes to the OG that is posted here.

homebrewer_99 · Nov 10, 2009

I've been monitoring this thread somewhat to try to keep up with everyone's brewing notes.

Sounds like this brew will be in my future sometime...thanks for the updates. :mug:

mummasan · Nov 11, 2009

I've have added ginger to several of my beers. I have learned that BM's centennial blonde is a great recipe to add ginger to. I usually just get grocery store ginger, cut it into small chunks and keep it in the freezer. When I am ready to brew I take it out of the freezer and let it thaw. As it thaws it gets all soft and squishy and ginger juice accumulates in the bag - I toss all into the kettle.

When I use ginger, I found it is good to balance it with something else. I'll usually add a half pound of moscobado sugar, or coriander or calamansi zest (calamansi is a small sour citrus - like a lime but more intense). I think for my next batch of ginger beer I'm going to add some allspice (I have a tree with ripe berries) the Jamaicans use ginger with allspice in their cooking and I figure it might be good with beer too.

The last few times I added ginger, I did it halfway through the boil and I removed the ginger pieces after they boiled for 10 miunutes. The most I ever added was 5 ounces.

chirs · Nov 20, 2009

I've been thinking BM's centennial blonde would make an excellent Ginger Beer base as well. I'm wondering how the larger malt bill (in comparison to the almost 50/50 malt/sugar adjunct in this thread) in BM's blonde will effect the perception of ginger.

I'm looking to brew the blonde with a touch of ginger. What do you all think of this?

Recipe Overview
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.028 SG Expected OG: 1.045 SG
Expected FG: 1.007 SG Apparent Attenuation: 84.1 %
Expected ABV: 5.0 % Expected ABW: 3.9 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 21.4 IBU Expected Color (using Morey): 3.7 SRM
BU:GU ratio: 0.48 Approx Color:
Mash Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 68 degF

Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % MCU When
US 2-Row Malt 6.00 lb
US Carapils Malt 1.00 lb
US Caramel 10L Malt 0.50 lb
US Vienna Malt 0.50 lb 5.3 %
Sugar - Honey 1.50 lb 15.8 %

Hops
Variety Alpha Amount IBU Form When
US Centennial 9.5 % 0.25 oz 8.5 Loose Whole Hops 55 Min From End
US Centennial 9.5 % 0.25 oz 7.2 Loose Whole Hops 35 Min From End
US Cascade 7.8 % 0.25 oz 4.3 Loose Whole Hops 20 Min From End
US Cascade 7.8 % 0.25 oz 1.4 Loose Whole Hops 5 Min From End
Other Ingredients
Ingredient Amount When
Ginger Root 20.00 oz In Boil
Irish Moss 0.25 oz In Boil
Yeast
Wyeast 1272-American Ale II

mummasan said:
I've have added ginger to several of my beers. I have learned that BM's centennial blonde is a great recipe to add ginger to. I usually just get grocery store ginger, cut it into small chunks and keep it in the freezer. When I am ready to brew I take it out of the freezer and let it thaw. As it thaws it gets all soft and squishy and ginger juice accumulates in the bag - I toss all into the kettle.

When I use ginger, I found it is good to balance it with something else. I'll usually add a half pound of moscobado sugar, or coriander or calamansi zest (calamansi is a small sour citrus - like a lime but more intense). I think for my next batch of ginger beer I'm going to add some allspice (I have a tree with ripe berries) the Jamaicans use ginger with allspice in their cooking and I figure it might be good with beer too.

The last few times I added ginger, I did it halfway through the boil and I removed the ginger pieces after they boiled for 10 miunutes. The most I ever added was 5 ounces.

GreenMan · Feb 1, 2010

chirs said:
I've been thinking BM's centennial blonde would make an excellent Ginger Beer base as well. I'm wondering how the larger malt bill (in comparison to the almost 50/50 malt/sugar adjunct in this thread) in BM's blonde will effect the perception of ginger.

I'm looking to brew the blonde with a touch of ginger. What do you all think of this?

I did mostly grain only and not the 50/50 grain/sugar and the ginger perception turned out great. Did you ever try this recipe? How did it turn out with 20 oz. of ginger.

CrazyP · Apr 12, 2010

I just cracked a bottle of this last night. I did primary fermentation for two weeks and skipped the secondary. OG and FG were right on the mark at 1.051 and 1.005, respectively. I used 2/3 cup of table sugar to prime and carbed up the bottles at 74 degrees for 1 week.

The result: a clean straw-colored ale with a nice head and strong (but not overpowering) ginger flavor. It was surprisingly dry by itself but goes really well with a slice of lemon. I will definitely brew this again. Next time I'm going to try using more malt extract and less sugar to give it a more malty character. Also, I'd like to try a little lactose in some bottles to see how a little sweetness affects the flavor.

Wing Nut · May 5, 2010

Wow thanks for this one! I just pitched the yeast and had to add my comments. I followed the recipie to the letter except for the hops. I couldent get Cascade localy so I whent with crystal. I tried a little bit from the sample jar before letting the yeast at it and all I can say is wow! The ginger is very forward and leaves a nice bit of heat. Not too much just enough to be pleasent. I am realy looking forward to trying this beer this summer. I might add a bit more lemon zest just to complement the flavor a little. The clover honey is a good suggestion too, I got some localy and it smelled wonderful.

I will let y'all know in a few weeks, only one quick question how much CO2 should it be under? I was thinking about a pilsner level, might be a little more "soda like"

Cheers

Wing Nut

pacifisticuffs · Jul 17, 2010

Just about finished brewing it up! I've been fooling with ginger beer (soda versions) for a few months now, and this sounds fantastic. Can't wait to try it out. :rockin:

BostonRogue · Feb 16, 2011

Thanks for the post; I adjusted a few things that seemed like they may be a bit too much (per personal preferences and prior experiences).

The malt and grains I kept the same, however I only used 8oz of ginger. The taste is fantastic, and to be frank, I don't know if I could tolerate any more than it; as there isn't anything to crazy in here the ginger is front and center (as well it should be).

I didn't use lemon pith (I wouldn't recommend using the pith in anything).

After 2 weeks the flavors were right where I wanted them, after 2 months this stuff rocks. If you like ginger, this is a great baseline recipe. Fantastic paired with Chinese food.

BONUS: I keep my fermenting tank in the bathroom (warmest room, and c'mon, the bucket is locked in). My bathroom smelled like fresh ginger for a week; SWMBO loved it.

:mug:

Rogue

mgc · Feb 23, 2011

I would love to do this one sometime. I have a question. Do you guys leave the ginger skin on, or do you peel your ginger then grate/cut it?

GreenMan · Feb 23, 2011

Just grate it all. It is going into the boil so it will be sanitized.

RobWalker · Jul 21, 2011

Oh hai old topic!

I'm interested in this, but would there be a better way to add the ginger instead of using so much? It's so damn expensive in the UK. Surely you could steep it in or something? Maybe steep and boil some water on its own with the ginger in, and add it directly to the brew?

Shuznuts · Oct 18, 2011

I love this recipe. I've brewed (versions) of it twice for the summer. It's so good on a hot East Coast day. Anway, my 1st time with this was something like this:

0.5 lb Honey malt
0.5 lb carapils/dextrin
Steep grains 30 min at 150
3 lbs light LME, 3.3 lbs Pilsen LME
1 lb honey

Total of 2 lbs fresh ginger, peeled and food processed to a fine pulp.
Boiled 1 lbs ginger 60 min
0.75 oz cascade 60 min
0.5 lbs ginger 30 min
6 anise seeds 30 min
0.5 lbs giner last 15 min
0.25 oz cascade last 15 min
used Nottingham yeast. OG 1.058
Taste notes: Slight hops, slight sweetness and ginger taste. Mild ginger heat. Couldn't even taste the anise. After 2 months in the bottle, sweetness is nearly gone.

2nd time was a partial mash. Wanted more ginger flavor so:
1.5 lbs American 2 row
0.5 honey malt
o.5 carapils/dextrine
Mashed at 152 for only 15 min (should have done longer)
3.3 lbs light lme
3 lbs DME
1 lb honey
Used a total of 2.5 lbs freshly peeled and food processed ginger
boiled 4 anise seeds for 60 min
0.25 oz simcoe and half the total ginger for 60 min
0.25 oz simcoe and a quater of the total ginger for 30 min
0.5 oz simcoe and the last quarter of the total ginger for 10 min
Used Safale S-04 and threw in about 0.5 lbs of the boiled ginger into the primary. OG 1.058. Used a bit more corn surgar to carbonate, put in a whole 5 oz priming surgar package plus 2 teaspoons more.

Taste Notes: Definitely more ginger flavor, slightly more ginger heat. Anise comes through in the background. More carbonation (which adds to the ginger heat). Slightly more sweet than 1st round. Sweetness fades the longer in the bottle.

I left out the lemon/lime addition from the original, but I would agree that 2.5 lbs of ginger is spot on for this recipe. This is a great, light, and refreshing summer ale. A favorite for my friends and family. Thanks!

slinky0390 · Nov 7, 2011

Triumph Brewery in Princeton made a ginger ale back in late September/early October. Might try this and see how it stacks up.

RobWalker · Nov 8, 2011

Shuznuts, have you thought about dry roasting the anise first? I cook a lot of curry and every dried ingredient like that gets a quick blast in a dry saucepan until you can smell it before its added to 'boil' in the curry. Hey - cooking experience number two here

Shuznuts · Nov 8, 2011

RobWalker said:
Shuznuts, have you thought about dry roasting the anise first? I cook a lot of curry and every dried ingredient like that gets a quick blast in a dry saucepan until you can smell it before its added to 'boil' in the curry. Hey - cooking experience number two here

I've never done that with the anise, but it sounds amazing! I wonder if it would make the anise more potent or just change the flavor profile? I was told to be careful with anise in beer because it can really dominate the flavor if used in large amounts.

drummerguysteve · Nov 8, 2011

I cook a lot of curries, and would agree that dry roasting the anise in a pan would help the complexity of the anise flavor. I will have to try this as the OP listed it soon, and I'm sure I may try it with anise not long after that.

Sum1Stu · Dec 9, 2011

I guess the worries of me doubling up on alot of the xmas style ales are ALL GONE now, seeing this thread.

Actually added 15g fresh grated, and 5g powdered, then 10g cinnamon, 5g cloves.

Shoulda made this before

Going to be real yeasty/low carbonated beverage on xmas!

I just can never follow a recipe, always tinkering around! I gotta try this recipe out though, or a variation of it LOL.

4um · Dec 23, 2011

this sound perfect!

drummerguysteve · Dec 23, 2011

Should be brewing this (original version) this weekend. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

Drowninginbeer · Mar 15, 2012

Wife wanted a ginger beer, I obliged.

Minor changes in addition times, whole instead of pellets. Only 2 weeks old and drinking decent. I cannot thank you enough for the straightforward and adaptable recipe!!
DIB

nduetime · Mar 24, 2012

So I overlooked the lemon in the recipe and am now boiling. Since I don't have lemons, what would substituting clementines do?

GreenMan · Mar 24, 2012

nduetime said:
So I overlooked the lemon in the recipe and am now boiling. Since I don't have lemons, what would substituting clementines do?

Clementines would add a slighter sweet flavor I would guess. I would stick with the lemons though. Just get them later and add just the zest of the lemon to the fermentor after primary has slowed down and leave them in there for a week as least.

ElliotLion · Mar 30, 2012

Hey all, first time poster here with a question:

Brewed this recipe a few nights ago and fermentation is still chugging along nicely. When and how should I remove the ginger? I assume I could scoop it out with a sanitized utensil while racking to the secondary but I would like a second opinion.

Thanks!

ElliotLion · Apr 4, 2012

Sorry for the repost, I assume that is frowned upon here. Let my stupidity serve as a warning to anyone else naive enough to add 2.5 pounds of ginger to a brew loose...

Don't do it! Use muslin bags. Seriously, you won't be able to get it out if you don't. I ended up throwing out about 1.5 -2 gallons of brew because removing the ginger without massive aeration was just not possible. Hopefully the remaining 3 gallons will be all right.

nduetime · Apr 4, 2012

No kidding about the bag...I was grating while I was boiling, didn't realize the amount I was adding even though I weighed it all out beforehand. Totally different approach next time for me!

Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Ginger Ale

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