Hop a Ginger Beer?

[FatherJack]

I'm gonna post this here as it seems to be the most appropriate place.

I'm thinking of doing a ginger molasses beer for this xmas (actually, not thinking, I AM doing it).

I'm piecing the recipe together and I realized I'm rather stumped on one aspect:

Do I hop the beer or not? Is the heat of ginger enough to push back on the malty sweetness?

I'm in the early stages of formulation, but what I anticipate is using about 2.5 pounds or so of freshly crushed ginger for a 5 gallon batch. I really want to have a strong ginger bite to this.

I'm going to load it up with 86% Vienna malt (I want the biscuit aroma/flavor from it), 9% molasses and 5% of a crystal malt most likely 60L or 80L (to reinforce the sweet cookie theme). I'm anticipating an ABV of about 7% using S-04.

Additional ingredients will be cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon in very conservative quantities.

Any and all input is greatly appreciated! Cheers!

 

[Lodovico]

2.5 pounds of ginger? That's a S@#^ ton of ginger my friend. I've made several holiday beers over the years, and ginger is always the spice that's easy to overdue. I would suggest starting with less, and adding back. You can always add more, but you can't take away (except by blending or something).

Either way, you still need hops. In my opinion anyway. #1, it isn't beer without hops and #2 I don't think the ginger alone is going to balance the malt the way you're imagining.

 

[LexusChris]

Agreed, that is too much ginger. My last holiday beer had 3 oz for 15 min, fresh sliced ginger root, and most of the same spices you listed. The ginger flavor tends to dominate, although in my batch is was almost 'just right'. (5 gal batch). When I redo it, I might go a tad less.

If you really want that ginger 'bite'.. I could see going a few oz more.. but hard to imagine more than 6 oz.. YMMV.

I used a bittering addition of hops (~35 IBU) and a small cascade at 5 mins. I would at least use a bittering addition.

Good luck!
LexusChris

 

[FatherJack]

Thanks for the input!

I'm glad you pointed out it's too much ginger, I don't want to let this age forever to drink it.

With that being said, I would like to give it a slight more punch/warming effect. Would 8oz be too much?

Also, thanks to your input I will hop the beer, but I think I will do it in the Belgian tradition and shoot for around 20 to 25 IBUs.

 

[LexusChris]

Sounds good. Not tried more than the 3oz... but 8 will certainly be a firm ginger flavor!
LexusChris

 

[StokedBrew]

So, I make a killer G!IPA! which is a ginger heavy IPA. The bitterness is critical for balance, and the ginger I use at the end of the boil as well as in the fermenters, fresh (lightly blanched for sanitary purposes). In my experience, it is difficult to add TOO much ginger. I brew 10gal batches and last time I added 1.5lbs to the boil at 10 minutes and then another .25lbs to each fermenter during primary. It turned out fan****ingtastic, in my opinion. I'm brewing it again tomorrow, but this time a 15gal batch and I'm upping the ante to 3lbs total ginger (boil and primaries combined). Don't fret the ginger, and the ladies will LOvE it! Bonus.

 

[ddockery]

I brew a ginger blonde ale. I use the Northern Brewer Lefse Blonde as a base and add ginger to that. I used 12 ounces of chopped ginger the first time, and six ounces grated after that. They tasted almost identical, and had a pretty heavy ginger flavor. I have found the ginger flavor fades as the beer ages though.

 

[FatherJack]

It's currently sitting in the bucket now. I won't be cracking any of it open till around xmas time though...

(and yes, I changed my name, again...)

 

[mashuganabrew]

Curious how this turned out? I'm making one now and need some advice. I want it to be like a really strong ginger beer. Like crabbiies.

 

[donrc2]

I used 2.7 pounds of fresh ginger in my last batch of Ginger Beer. It is not to much if you are going for a spicy mix. It depends on the ginger you are using, if you had some of the true Asian variety it may be to much but most ginger you get in my area is not spicy enough for my taste.