Dry Hopped Ginger Wine - take that common sense!

[cujocon]

I've been making ginger wine in 5 gallon batches for 6 months now and I can't keep up with the requests for refills from friends and co-workers.
I've decided to kick things up a bit with a dry hopping using Amarillo hops.

3lbs fresh ginger - cheese grater'd
5 lemons and 5 limes juiced
1 whole pineapple juiced (used juicer - about 2.5 cups)
8 lbs white sugar
2 lbs organic raw sugar
water to the 5 gallon mark

I've used lots of different yeasts (all dry)...
this time I used Lalvin D47

I boil everything, let it cool and stuff a mesh bag with the solids and dump in Primary with a weight so it sits at the bottom.
I add water to the 5 gallon line.
I let it cool and prep and pitch the yeast, cover and airlock
I left this batch alone for 2 weeks and when I checked it it went from starting
gravity 1.065 to 1.002, so I removed the sack of solids and racked to glass carboy.(wasted effort I believe)
I added 1/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite and put in the bulkhead to cold clear.
After 1 day I added the hops to a mesh bag and stuffed into the carboy.

In a few days I'll bottle it.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[cujocon]

This recipe came out really really good.
Much more "raw" hoppy flavor than I expected from 3 days in a cold location.
I'd like to try another batch with Citra hops (to compliment the citrus flavors)
I'm also going to go back to adding the lemon and lime zest to the mix - had left it out because of head retention concerns, but there is no head to retain, so nevermind.

 

[Howhownow]

Might have to try this after skeeter pee finishes out. Did it come out very spicy from the ginger? was it fermented totally dry (what I am getting at- could I prime and carbonate)?

 

[cujocon]

It is mildly spicy and dry but tastes fantastic on ice.
You could definitely prime and carb it...I just don't because I'm lazy.

If you are worried about ginger bite, you can add less ginger, pull it out sooner, or force-stop the fermentation earlier...time and quantity are what gives the ginger that bite.

 

[Howhownow]

I was actually not worried about too much ginger bite, but was contemplating the addition of just a bit of capsicum heat from some peppers...