Ginger "Beer" (with wine yeast)

[ftlstrings]

I have been making ginger beers in small (1 gal) batches for a while now, using different amounts of fresh and powdered ginger, sugars, yeasts, and brewing schedules. I have just sampled the most recent iteration and it's damn tasty so I thought I'd share.

approx 4" thinly sliced ginger root
1lb brown sugar
1 tsp Cascade hop pellets
1 tsp ground ginger
Cote des Blancs yeast (gave a much better finish than the beer yeasts I have tried)

put ginger in a quart of water over low heat for 15-20 minutes (you are essentially making a ginger tea)
add sugar, stir to dissolve and bring to a boil
add hops and powdered ginger
boil 5 minutes
remove from heat, dilute to 1 gallon, pitch yeast when temp is appropriate.

I made this on 1/27. OG = 1.044, Today (2/17) FG = 1.004

This one has a great ginger taste, though without the direct heat of fresh ginger. Just enough sweetness left and slightly effervescent.

I will have to keg, chill, and tell you more, but this one is great so far! Maybe some ginger added to the keg (like a dry hopping) could raise the heat...

~M~

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

That souds great!

 

[ftlstrings]

make a gallon. It's fast and super easy!

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I'm going to make a few! I got the stuff today... Does it come out clear?

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Any foaming/krausen?

What do the rest of you think about this?

 

[ftlstrings]

with the cote des blanc yeast there was very little krausen at any point. It always has cleared in the past, and this looks to be no different. I am crash cooling it tonight to see if that will increase the clarity more before bottling tomorrow. After a little time in the bottle I get pours that look like store bought apple juice.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Thanks for all the tips and info!

I made 4.5 gallons last night, it is going strong this morning. I varied the recipe a little (ok a lot )but it is essentially the same thing. I used white sugar with molasses, lemon zest and juice, some chopped raisins and Lalvin D47 yeast. I used about 1.5 pounds ginger with several different drops of dried ginger during the boil, some early some late, etc. I also added 1/3 oz Argentine Cascade hops at the first of the 30 minute boil. Now I know what people mean when they say cheesey hops. Hopefully they don't screw this up too much, they had little hop selection at my lhbs, nothing on my list, I wanted the regular cascade you used. This morning it smells like some strong stuff, different from other things I have made. I'll let you know about its progress, sorry to deviate from the recipe...

 

[ftlstrings]

no need to apologize. If we all always brewed the exact same thing...shudder...that'd be awful. Besides, now we all have something new to learn about.

~M~

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

It it still going strong, I'l keep you updated when appropriate...

 

[emr454]

How much yeast for a 1 gallon batch?

Eric

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I'd use a whole pack but a teaspoon is probably OK.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

OK, I checked my Ginger Beer and the hydrometer says it is done, .995! I racked to a glass carboy and gave it a taste. It is what I guess you call "rocket fuel" right now, but the aftertaste is great and I think it will be awesome after some aging.

 

[bluehouse]

I make Ginger beer also with a similar recipe except no hops, use lemon for bittering. Now you have Ginger beer, get some good dark rum & mix up some Dark & Stormies. Yum.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Does ginger beer age to get better? I tried some more last night and it was pretty funky. It just had a general bad odor to it, not sulfery but stinky. I think it will get better but maybe all that white sugar was just bad. Keep in mind this is the recipe I posted earlier in this thread not the original posters.

I made another ginger beer a couple of days ago much closer to the original recipe posted in this thread, I'll let ya'll know how it goes...

EDIT: AFTER A WEEK IN THE PRIMARY IT IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER!

 

[yeastluvr]

Im going to try this. I want to make sure the recipe is right. When you say a 4" thinly sliced ginger root I assume you talking about the whole root and not just one slice. And I also assume your diluting it with water?

 

[ftlstrings]

Im going to try this. I want to make sure the recipe is right. When you say a 4" thinly sliced ginger root I assume you talking about the whole root and not just one slice. And I also assume your diluting it with water?

Yup, that is four inches of root sliced thinly (or food processed, i suppose). I dilute it out to one gallon final volume.

~M~

 

[ftlstrings]

Does ginger beer age to get better? I tried some more last night and it was pretty funky. It just had a general bad odor to it, not sulfery but stinky. I think it will get better but maybe all that white sugar was just bad. Keep in mind this is the recipe I posted earlier in this thread not the original posters.

I made another ginger beer a couple of days ago much closer to the original recipe posted in this thread, I'll let ya'll know how it goes...

I'm not sure about the stinky smell, as i haven't ever had that... Mine is usually pretty much good to go right away, however it does seem to get better after a few weeks in the bottle. I let it sit in the bottles for about one week, then the fridge until cold (hard to keep a 1 gal batch around for more than a week)


~M~

 

[bluehouse]

I have made it with dried ginger powder from the asian market and with fresh ginger root. If your ginger root is young (not has firm as mature ginger root) it will not be as good and can have an off smell. I actually prefer the one made from the dried ginger powder, it has a more concentrated bite in the taste.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I'm not sure about the stinky smell, as i haven't ever had that... Mine is usually pretty much good to go right away, however it does seem to get better after a few weeks in the bottle. I let it sit in the bottles for about one week, then the fridge until cold (hard to keep a 1 gal batch around for more than a week)


~M~

I'll see how this second batch goes. I guess i just got too crazy on the first one.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I tried my first batch today and it is much better! I guess I was just tasting yeast.

 

[ftlstrings]

Lets see if this works....

Should be a pic of ginger beer #3 after about a month in the bottle...

~M~

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Thanks for all the tips and info!

I made 4.5 gallons last night, it is going strong this morning. I varied the recipe a little (ok a lot )but it is essentially the same thing. I used white sugar with molasses, lemon zest and juice, some chopped raisins and Lalvin D47 yeast. I used about 1.5 pounds ginger with several different drops of dried ginger during the boil, some early some late, etc. I also added 1/3 oz Argentine Cascade hops at the first of the 30 minute boil. Now I know what people mean when they say cheesey hops. Hopefully they don't screw this up too much, they had little hop selection at my lhbs, nothing on my list, I wanted the regular cascade you used. This morning it smells like some strong stuff, different from other things I have made. I'll let you know about its progress, sorry to deviate from the recipe...

I broke out a bottle last night, to be honest I was scared it was so bad last taste but this time it was great! I can't believe the improvement.

This tastes like a nice dark and stormy! The ginger has a strong bite and there is a nice rum smell too. The rum smell is so nice! I wish I had oaked this, it would be great that way.

 

[Tsmalley]

Hey Everyone,

I just started brewing 3 gallons worth of the original recipe posted.

Keep you posted.

OG: 1.050

How long for primary? Did you do a secondary?

TSW

 

[mattd2]

Man I am keen to try this. I would like to brew about 3.5-4 gallons but only have small pots (about 2 quarts). Do you guys think it would be fine to do the boil in 2 pots and make it a both bit stronger (say 8" ginger + 2 lbs sugar + as much water a possible per pot) and then dilute to 4 gallons?

 

[RobWalker]

Bumping this topic after a search.

What do Hop Pellets add? I'm guessing they have the same bitter effect as in beer?

 

[WIMARIPA]

I made mine pretty similar to the original recipe except I mostly used turbinado sugar and added some molasses. Now it has a strange... ?minerally.... Taste to it which I attribute to the molasses. Do you think this will improve with age, or do you think I should judge whether it goes down the throat or down the drain based on it's current flavor profile.... I'm usually pretty good with patience, perhaps I should give it a good 6 mo's before judging it.

 

[RobWalker]

Everything improves with age! Try degassing/bottle conditioning and see what works...

 

[DIYSeattle]

How did it turn out? I have been trying to make some sort of ginger drink with alcohol. I have let the sugars ferment out and it is drinkable but not enjoyable entirely, although it isnt terribly bad.

 

[dinnerstick]

i always include 1 spoon of molasses in my ginger beer, it ties the drink together
my strategy for excellent young GB is to use a ginger beer plant instead of yeast; slow fermenting, multiple microorganisms for a complex taste profile. strain off the plant when it is still pretty sweet, i have a very limited sweet tooth but this stuff needs residual sugar
or you can ferment with ale yeast, cold crash when it's sweet to your liking, bottle carb in plastic, keep in the fridge. drink young!

 

[DIYSeattle]

I have been testing the readiness and refridgerating when it cant take much more but it makes me nervous and I am not a gambling man. Id like to make something that I can let suit for a while and if I forget it then I wouldnt be cleaning up a terrible mess. Most recipes that I have found are for either ginger ale, or the ginger plant and refridgerating. I did find a ginger wine recipe but it has an above 10 percent alcohol potential maybe 18 I cant remember. It takes 6 months to a year to finish.

Im going to try some 1 gallon batches and see what I can figure out.