Ginger Ale (kegged)

[Bk2X]

Good deal, thanks for the quick response. Going to make up tonight, will post results.

 

[Bk2X]

Got it carbed up and tested over weekend but it was WAY too much of everything. Probably need to cut the entire ingredient list in half for 5 gal of water. The original recipe is definitely not linear haha.

It was still cloudy so I will give it time to settle then reevaluate. Hopefully can just cut it with water.

 

[mendozer]

I made some using solely turbinado and it is REALLY good! I used about 2 cups ginger. I packed it in so it's more probably. It has great bite to it, but it doesn't burn. I did blind taste tests with Bundabergs (which ended up being a disappointment) and Reed's Extra Ginger Ale and mine won both.

great ginger ale!

 

[Psych]

Thanks for this, putting it all together now but only had lemon/lime juice and demerera sugar. Otherwise the same recipe. I chose to not peel the ginger on account of laziness, but I did wash it pre-grate.

Tastes nice in the pot still warm, though not as potent as I'd want. I'll leave it for now and see if carbing helps, though it still needs an hours or two so steep.

 

[Psych]

This is good, but I think my ginger is a bit on the mild side. Next time I'll do at least 3 cups of ginger, maybe even 4, and knock the sugar down some too.

It's tasty, for sure, though not carbed yet so that'll be the sure test. But it needs more kick for my liking, bit too sweet so far.

Awesome starting point though, thanks again for this!

 

[spaced]

Thanks for the recipe r2eng

I made this up exactly per the second draft (brown sugar and turbinado sugar). It was a really big hit, although maybe a little sweet for my taste buds. Plan to rebrew it with half the amount of sugar.

From the keg it poured awesome though. It poured with a head and looked like real beer.

 

[r2eng]

Yeah, I have had to back off on the sugar when the ginger is mild. It varies wildly!

The last batch I made was almost hot, as the ginger was REALLY strong.

Glad you like it!

 

[fall-line]

I'm about to make a batch of this for a party we are hosting next week. Has anyone figured out the best way to scale it up? As mentioned previously, just increasing all the ingredients linearly isn't the right method.

I'm looking to make a 5 gallon batch. Thanks!

 

[Psych]

Make 2x2.5g batches and mix em! I don't know, but I do know that one should not leave their ginger out until it grows shoots and leaves...cause it has virtually no flavor or kick left to it by then.

 

[fall-line]

Hah, good point! I'll just give a moderate scale up a shot and see how it goes.

 

[r2eng]

I'm about to make a batch of this for a party we are hosting next week. Has anyone figured out the best way to scale it up? As mentioned previously, just increasing all the ingredients linearly isn't the right method.

I'm looking to make a 5 gallon batch. Thanks!

The original recipe is for 2.5 gallons.

Linear scaling should work just fine.

 

[rpg]

I've made this 3 times, and I'm carbing up my 4th batch now. If I recall, I usually went with 2.5 cups of ginger for a 2 gallon batch, and that was about right. This time I used slightly less than 4 cups for a 4 gallon batch, and I'm worried it will be a little weak.

Regardless, this is great stuff. My Asian friends all really dig this stuff. Occasionally my American friends who only drink Canada Dry will say "I think your recipe is off and has too much ginger" but most people think it's great.

Nice recipe! Thanks for sharing!

 

[r2eng]

Glad you like it!

I am using more ginger, too. Sometimes the ginger is more powerful, sometimes very mild. When it's stronger, my wife complains that it burns her throat. Heck, that's what I am going for!

 

[mdbk]

I gave this a shot. Didn't have any spare kegs so decided to cut back on the water and make a concentrated syrup to add to soda water.

Used 2.5C chopped ginger, 2C brown sugar and 2C tubinado sugar, and 8 C water.
Boiled for 1 hour. Added lemon/lime juice and zest with 10 minutes to go. Cooled and strained the concentrate.

Result: Not too bad. can adjust the intensity and sweetness by controlling the amount of concentrate added. Don;t like using it with the soda water. Loose a good amount of the carbonation getting the syrup and soda adequately mixed.
I think it would have been better kegged than as a concentrate, but the concentrate is still pretty good...and much more versatile. It's really good on ice cream.
When I have a keg open up I will give this another shot.

 

[batchmiami]

i'm having a hard time kegging this- the ginger juice sediment sinks to the bottom and that is what seems to hold all the flavor. if i filter it i lose the flavor and if i leave it in the first few pints are overpowering and thereafter the strong ginger flavor is missing. it seems as though it needs to be agitated or something! any suggestions?

 

[r2eng]

It seems you are not extracting enough flavor from the ginger - steep longer, maybe. Maybe increase the temperature of the steep water?

That's where I would start. If the flavor is in the ginger particles, you need to get more of that flavor in the liquid.

 

[mendozer]

you could also "dry hop" with ginger slices in cheesecloth.

 

[Psych]

A tip from my third time making this, and changing the ginger up each time: don't bother just chopping/dicing the ginger, you won't get the same flavor. Shred shred shred until your fingertips bleed, it's so much more flavor that way.

 

[mendozer]

yup that's what I do. Use the food processor with grater setup to make it way easier on yourself

 

[batchmiami]

thanks for the tips guys, do any of you guys use a juicer and use the ginger juice? I tried steeping a huge amount of shredded ginger and it still doesnt seem to have the same flavor as if you combine freshly juiced ginger- I guess I could try to juice the ginger and then steep it to see if I can remove the flavor from the juice. Ahh this is driving me crazy!

 

[mendozer]

yeah juice it then soak the pulp. Also, because ginger varies tremendously in potency, get it from a good grocery store like whole foods. Or like me, go to an Asian grocery store because that's an ingredient that flies off their shelves so it comes in often = more likely fresher

 

[Psych]

Made this for the third or fourth time now. Things I've learned:

Shred the ginger even if it's a royal pain in the ass. So much juicier that way, so much more flavor. Chopping doesn't get a tenth of the flavor that shredding does, seriously.

As said by others: fresh ginger for the win, don't use old stuff it won't give you good results and will just be sugar water.

This round I've done 3 and a bit cups of shredded ginger (with their juices), it was pretty soggy so may be more if measuring 'loosely packed' style. And 3 cups of sugar. I think one could go down to 2 cups and be fine as well, if your ginger is good and strong.

3 cups of sugar it's still a bit more than some soft drinks for sugar content per volume, though less than some as well. Makes me feel better about having it if it's lower in sugar, for sure. 4 cups was too sweet for my liking.

This current batch is chilling and getting gassed right now, my last batch I bottled after kegging and found it had started to ferment (not sure how, something must have gotten in) so close to bottle bombs....fountains of foam! Be thee ware!

 

[aqua-ed]

I'm excited to try this!
Does anyone have a weight measurement for the ginger? Or a rough idea? Its hard to gauge cups of shredded from the root chunks in the grocery store.
Also, I'm going to do a 4gal batch (I have a 5gal corney and it seems a waste to just do 2gal), is 6cps a recommended amount?
Thanks!

 

[Psych]

I'm excited to try this!
Does anyone have a weight measurement for the ginger? Or a rough idea? Its hard to gauge cups of shredded from the root chunks in the grocery store.
Also, I'm going to do a 4gal batch (I have a 5gal corney and it seems a waste to just do 2gal), is 6cps a recommended amount?
Thanks!

For how cheap ginger root is, just buy like 2 LARGE roots per gallon of intended beer. Like as big as your hand and thick.

I bought maybe 3lbs of ginger the last time and it cost something like 79 cents, I used 3 cups or so and still have a whole root left over

I definitely enjoyed the 3 cups per 2g, so I'd agree that 6 cups of shredded ginger would be good for a 4g batch. Could go higher even though, depends on your own taste buds and how fresh it is.

 

[Somebody]

I just brewed and kegged a 5 gallon batch. I added 7 packed cups of ginger and also dry hopped with 3 cups in a mesh bag in the keg. Force carbing now. Will post on how it comes out.

 

[borto1990]

I bought maybe 3lbs of ginger the last time and it cost something like 79 cents, I used 3 cups or so and still have a whole root left over

79 cents? from where? it's almost 4 bucks a pound here!

 

[TrainReck]

I followed the recipe in post #1 except with 3 cups sugar. Turned out great.

Definite crowd-pleaser!

People that don't drink love it.

And people that aren't big beer drinkers have lots of options...
Mix it with vodka for a Moscow Mule.
Mix it with dark rum for a Dark and Stormy.
Mix it with tequila for a ?

This whole soda making thing is weird. So fast! I kept thinking "wait a minute, I'm done?"

Thanks r2eng for starting this one!

 

[r2eng]

Just made another batch myself!

Glad you like it.

 

[Psych]

This whole soda making thing is weird. So fast! I kept thinking "wait a minute, I'm done?"

Thanks r2eng for starting this one!

No doubt, eh? It's like spend an hour or so and chill it down, shake it up, bam you've got gallons of soda. Good thing beer making isn't this fast, would go through it like it was water...more-so.

 

[Matteo57]

Wow, might make this real soon! Sounds awesome and refreshing!
Maybe a touch of mint in it also!