Fresh Or Ground Ginger

[Brew chick]

I'm going to have a go at brewing a 25ltr ginger ale this weekend and hope you all can help me out with a recipe?
Ok this is what i'm thinking:-I want a light refreshing drink of low abv (about 2%)and i'd like it fairly dry.
i'm gona use 2row pale malt for the main ingredient,but how much?
What about other grains?roast barley,choc malt,crystal malt?(so it's not too bland)
what sort of hops go well with ginger and how much and lastly,iv'e got ground and fresh ginger,so can use either but which is better and how much?
i'm using english ale yeast to give a little fruitiness to the flavour.
Greatfull for all comments.
claire.

 

[uglygoat]

i came across a recipe for ginger ale in the brewmaster's bible...

going off the top of my head it was

six pounds pale malt
two pounds wheat malt

hallertau kettle hops

and the fresh grated ginger root, maybe and ounce

 

[homebrewer_99]

Always choose fresh ingredients over the dried stuff.

 

[david_42]

Fresh ginger, about 80 gm
Goldings and Fuggles come to mind. Maybe 15-20 gm.

I'd say 2 kg of pale and 100 gm. of the lightest crystal you can find. That will give it a little residual sweetness.

I basically make an English Mild and add most of the ginger in the boil

 

[Brew chick]

Thanks! sounds like a plan, this is it then:-2 kg pale malt(maris otter)
100g crushed crystal
60g chocolate malt
28g hallertauer mittelfruh hops(3%AA)
80g of fresh ginger for last 15 min of boil
I'm gona mash at 63c for 90 mins cos i want it to ferment to a low gravity and be fairly dry.boil for 90 mins with hops for full boil.
Im gona ferment with gervin english ale yeast(dry)made into a half pint starter and keep the temp at 20c.
I'm hoping to get a hint of fruitiness as well as a dry finnish and plan to serve it chilled,say 8c.
any comments welcome,will it work?

 

[Brewpastor]

Fresh ginger, about 80 gm
Goldings and Fuggles come to mind. Maybe 15-20 gm.

I'd say 2 kg of pale and 100 gm. of the lightest crystal you can find. That will give it a little residual sweetness.

I basically make an English Mild and add most of the ginger in the boil

Sounds very tasty to me. I agree, go fresh, the difference is night and day.

 

[Brew chick]

Thanks! sounds like a plan, this is it then:-2 kg pale malt(maris otter)
100g crushed crystal
60g chocolate malt
28g hallertauer mittelfruh hops(3%AA)
80g of fresh ginger for last 15 min of boil
I'm gona mash at 63c for 90 mins cos i want it to ferment to a low gravity and be fairly dry.boil for 90 mins with hops for full boil.
Im gona ferment with gervin english ale yeast(dry)made into a half pint starter and keep the temp at 20c.
I'm hoping to get a hint of fruitiness as well as a dry finnish and plan to serve it chilled,say 8c.
any comments welcome,will it work?

Ok it's made!as above.
og is 1020 at 27ltr,i think it should ferment down to 1004 and give me 2.1%abv
as expected.
the only change is in the yeast,i used a blend of gervin english ale and chimay yeast recoverd from a bottle i was drinking at the same time i was making up the starter!