bringing my yeast back to life?

[dr_chamb]

So, i'm pretty new to this whole thing, and this may seem like a dumb question.. for that I apologize. I just started brewing up a small batch of ginger beer, litterally alcoholic ginger ale.

In most recipes for brewing ginger ale, you ferment for 24 - 48 hrs or until the bottles you're fermenting in are generously pressurized to ensure carbonation, before placing in the refrigerator (as im sure you all know).

So I was thinking that i could make the traditional recipie, with a few of my own added ingredients for taste, and use champagne yeast. Then instead of putting my bottles in the refrigerator when they start to carbonate, i could release the carbonation and re screw the caps on the bottles to let them continue fermentation and eat up all the sugars for a stronger alcohol content. Then repeat this everytime my bottles are at that point that they are about to explode.

My main question is, after the yeast has eaten up all the sugars it can in the ginger ale, and my carbonation stops; is there any chance that i can add a touch more sugar to my brew to activate the yeast again to bring back the carbonation to avoid a flat ginger beer?

I could be completely nutty in this theory, so I apologize in advance if this post is ridiculous.

 

[kanzimonson]

Yes, what you stated will definitely work. When you add more sugar, the yeast will eat it and produce CO2.

There's no need to screw the cap on and off to burp the bottle - just leave it lightly screwed on so the gas can continue to escape.

I'm gonna bet that your results are not what you expect. Remember, if the yeast eat all the sugar, it will not be sweet. It will probably have a very tart, wine-like alcohol flavor. And this is not to mention that feeding yeast small amounts of sugar is fine for carbonation, but if you want them to completely ferment it out, they need nutrients.

I'm not saying it won't work and I definitely encourage fun kitchen experiments - just know that this is real old school... probably akin to how people made their hooch during prohibition.

If you like fermenting stuff, get into homebrewing!

 

[dr_chamb]

Thanks Kanzi! I'll definitely leave that cap on loose, didnt think of that for some reason.. Yea I really have no idea what im getting myself into this ginger beer project, im just toying around with it.

And, yes I also brew beer as well. Still a noob at that though, i've brewed 4 Brewers best kits so far (all turned out great so far). Starting to build my mash tun and get into all grain real soon!

The main reason I'm doing this ginger beer is because i have the spare time lol..

So one last question, will the sugar that I add back to the bottle add the sweetness I'm looking for in taste as well as adding CO2?

 

[kanzimonson]

Well, it all depends on how much sugar the yeast eat, and how much they leave behind... there's probably a precise way to figure out exactly how much to add, and exactly when to put it in the fridge to slow fermentation, but since you're just experimenting who cares?

How about this instead: make your ginger ale like you normally would, let it ferment completely out, then re-add the same amount of sugar, cap the bottles, wait until you have full carbonation. Theoretically the first step is making the alcoholic drink you want, and the second step is making sweet, carbonated ginger ale like you normally do. Honestly, if it turns out badly, it sounds like you're only make a couple liters. If this were a five gallon batch I'd be a lot more scientific about it.

I remember when I started brewing and suddenly began seeing the world as a container full of things that could be fermented. I think it's pretty common that within five batches, new brewers are making some crazy thing with lots of honey, or fruit puree, or (in my case) a half gallon of maple syrup. I'm not discouraging any of this because experimentation and freedom are what this hobby is about, but I will say that more often than not these things turn out mediocre.

If you're obsessed with brewing like the rest of us, then you should brew as often as possible, use kits from the LHBS, and always keep that pipeline full.

 

[dr_chamb]

that's a pretty good idea, thanks again for all the help. Yeah this batch is really small, only 2 2-liter bottles.

Haha and yes I'm obsessed with brewing right now, hence making screwey concoctions like ginger beer..

 

[theredben]

Many people do this by "back-sweetening" with splenda, or other artificial sweeterners.

 

[dr_chamb]

what's the significance to the splenda?

 

[winnph]

Splenda or other artificial sweeteners aren't fermentable like sugars, so the yeast won't eat it.

Sent from my Droid using Home Brew Talk

 

[dr_chamb]

figured that's what you meant, which i may end up doing the only problem is i want to re activate my yeast to get back some carbonation, maybe a combo of both?