Ginger vinegar?!

[markowe]

I am making some ginger wine using half mulched grapes/juice and the rest sugar, and the usual ginger wine ingredients (lemon juice/rind, bananas etc.)

I was thinking, ginger wine might make a nice little flavoured vinegar to spice up salads - strange though, haven't found anyone mentioning making "ginger vinegar", wondered if anyone has done it (accidentally or otherwise!)

I have some vinegar starter which I have used to good effect in other projects (cider vinegar, malt vinegar etc.) but was wondering when a good time is to take, say a couple of bottles out of the primary and innoculate them - I have mostly just got it by luck before, but have also failed a couple of times because presumably the ABV was too high for the acetobacteria, so what sort of ABV should I be aiming at? I have seen people mention as high as 18%, but that doesn't sound right, or at least, I have failed at those ABVs...

 

[StoneArcher]

18 seems high. But I think it lowers if you let it sit out for a few days without it being sealed.

When I do it, I usually put it in a growler, and rubber band some cheesecloth on the top. It seems to help. No clue why though.

I'd only do a bottle, unless you know it will be good. It sounds good though! Both the wine and vinegar. I love seasoned vinegars.

 

[markowe]

18 seems high. But I think it lowers if you let it sit out for a few days without it being sealed.

When I do it, I usually put it in a growler, and rubber band some cheesecloth on the top. It seems to help. No clue why though.

I'd only do a bottle, unless you know it will be good. It sounds good though! Both the wine and vinegar. I love seasoned vinegars.

Thanks for the reply - I never got back as I was waiting to see what happened. I tried everything - sloshing the wine around, leaving it open, covering it with cloth, I even poured a little bit of live vinegar in that I had from before. I just can't get it to go sour! Funny how when you WANT your brew to go off it won't..!

I am wondering if perhaps ginger has some sort of antibiotic effect on the acetobacter Though I doubt it, else surely the yeast wouldn't be bubbling away as happily as it is.

So I guess if it doesn't work out I will just have to do it the boring way and infuse some white vinegar with ginger, but that wasn't really the purpose of the exercise..!

 

[StoneArcher]

Interesting. Thanks for following up, this sounds good.

Just shooting in the dark; Maybe take a bit and water it down to see if that works. But I would probably use a sanitary water, like bottled spring water, not distilled water.

 

[markowe]

I just want to update on this - I FINALLY got vinegar, thanks to some fruit flies that I think got in the must.

And to be honest, the results are a little... meh... There isn't really a hugely pronounced taste or smell of ginger. I think just infusing vinegar with ginger would be much more effective.

Hmm, I take that back, I have just had another taste and you CAN taste the ginger, but it's getting a little overpowered by the acidity. I am sure it's going to make for an interesting alternative for salads and things, and definitely any time I brew anything I will probably save a pint or two to make vinegar from, why not. All adds to the spice of life

 

[Arpolis]

Gratz on the ginger vinegar finally. Sounds like your Ginger wine is fruity compaired to mine so I don't know if that would make a difference. Mine is a mead with a hand full of raisins but over 2.5lb of crushed ginger root. I will mention that ginger does inhibit yeast action it seems. It took me forever to let this thing finish fermenting. It was going sooooo slow. Close to over 6 months of fermenting. So it may be the ginger reacting with the bacteria.