Ginger Beer Heads?

. . . and alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages other than beer and spirits. Post discussion on recipes, methods, equipment and the like about these drinks here.

Ginger Beer Heads?

Postby Stangas » Thursday Feb 23, 2006 12:18 am

I have just put me ginger beer into the keg, and gassing

I have tried at different times, and the gas starts of giving the ginger beer a great head, but then quickly dissappears.

Will the beer head if i leave it long enough, or am i wasting my time trying to achieve a head?

LOL.. sounds like a personal problem dont it

Cheers
MMMMMM... Beer
Stangas
 
Posts: 133
Joined: Wednesday Oct 05, 2005 9:11 am
Location: Collie, Western Australia

Postby Hashie » Thursday Feb 23, 2006 7:55 am

I've made a few ginger beers, mostly non-alcoholic for the kids. None of them have held a head for any amount of time.
There is no such thing as bad beer. There is only good beer and better beer.
Hashie
 
Posts: 195
Joined: Friday Aug 12, 2005 1:49 pm

Postby Pyssedas Heavy Industrial » Thursday Feb 23, 2006 10:36 am

we have made a number of ginger beers which i would consider more or less successful - but none keep a head of any note
For smaller, more nimble home-brewing advice visit us at: http://www.pyssedas.com/forum - huzzah!
Pyssedas Heavy Industrial
 
Posts: 291
Joined: Friday Oct 29, 2004 4:19 pm
Location: Somewhere beneath Australia

Postby Dogger Dan » Friday Feb 24, 2006 3:30 am

In order to keep the head I have needed to add 250g of CaraPils during the Mash

Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
Dogger Dan
 
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Postby Stangas » Saturday Feb 25, 2006 6:02 pm

cheers guys..

mine is getting a great head.. but dissapates quite quickly.

i might even give that CaraPils a go.. what is it??
MMMMMM... Beer
Stangas
 
Posts: 133
Joined: Wednesday Oct 05, 2005 9:11 am
Location: Collie, Western Australia

Postby Dogger Dan » Sunday Feb 26, 2006 12:27 am

It is a grain which needs to be mashed with some pale malt. It produces a lot of malto dextrins and can add to a sweetness (from the maltodextrins) It can not be used by itself, it does not have the enzymes required to convert the starches.

Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
Dogger Dan
 
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Postby Shaun » Sunday Feb 26, 2006 2:58 pm

Would using dried/powdered maltodextrin have the same effect?
Shaun
 
Posts: 655
Joined: Friday Dec 03, 2004 8:48 pm
Location: Melbourne

Postby chris. » Sunday Feb 26, 2006 6:19 pm

Carapils/Carapilsner/Dextrin malt is a lightly kilned crystal malt. & like all "Cara" types of malts it does not need to mashed.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-4-1.html

http://www.grumpys.com.au/phpshop/?page ... &keyword=&
Last edited by chris. on Sunday Oct 07, 2007 10:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
chris.
 
Posts: 912
Joined: Wednesday Feb 08, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Brewing

Postby Dogger Dan » Sunday Feb 26, 2006 10:27 pm

I think Chris. that you will find that there is a big difference between Cara Pils and Crystal Malt. The two are not the same at all. And Cara Pils does need to be mashed.

Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
Dogger Dan
 
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Postby chris. » Monday Feb 27, 2006 6:27 am

Yeah whatever you say Dogger.

Does the Cara not stand for Caramel/Crystal? Suggesting that there has been a certain level of kilning? There may not be the same level as caramelisation as regular crystal. But it does contain sugars.

But maybe before you go handing out incorrect information you should atleast consult the manufacturer? send them an email & let us know how you go Dogger.

http://www.weyermann.de/eng/produkte.as ... &sprache=2

Carapils does not need to be mashed. Steeping will be fine.
& it is essentially the same as dextrin malt.
Last edited by chris. on Sunday Oct 07, 2007 10:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
chris.
 
Posts: 912
Joined: Wednesday Feb 08, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Brewing

Postby Dogger Dan » Monday Feb 27, 2006 8:27 am

Uhh,

No,

CaraPils is also called dextrine malt or Cara foam which is malted in the same fashion as any other mash required grain. Unfortunatly the grain that it comes from lacks the enzymes required to break down the starches into sugars and maltodextrins which is why it needs to mashed with Pale Malt or some other grain that has the required enzymes.

Crystal Malt on thee other hand is made from green malt, which is malted barley that hasn't been dried yet and is produced by drying the germinated barley at controled temperatures. Then the malt is mashed in the grain as the temp is brought to 212 deg F which is 100 deg C. Starches are rapidly converted to sugars and while warm, the sugars stay in a liquid state. Once cooled the sugars crystalise. Because of this process, some of the sugars and starches wont ferment so that adds to the sweetness of the beer and aids in the head retention.

But hey, don't take my word, be ignorant.

Whatever but just so you know your links are proving nothing

Dogger
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
Dogger Dan
 
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Postby bobbioli » Monday Feb 27, 2006 11:13 am

The Dogman cometh :wink:
I like beer oh yes I do. doo daa doo daa. I like beer oh yes I do. oh daa doo daa day
bobbioli
 
Posts: 129
Joined: Thursday Feb 24, 2005 9:20 am
Location: Charlottetown P.E.I. Canada

Postby Shaun » Monday Feb 27, 2006 10:23 pm

Chris. here are two references I have found on Cara-pils.

First

http://www.howtobrew.com/section2/chapter12-1.html

Second

Homebrewing Guide by Dave Miller
In a section under Specialty Malts, Crystal Malts.

"There is one crystal malt that stands apart from all others, both in its manufacture and use. This is dextrin malt, also known as cara-crystal or cara-pils malt. It is stewed at higher temperature than caramel malt, which results in the creation of a large proportion of compounds called "dextrins." Dextrins are carbohydrates that are intermediate in size between starches and fermentable sugars. They are tasteless but impart mouthfeel (body) and foam retention to the finished beer. To avoid darkening the color, dextrin malt is kilned at a low temperature. This makes it useful both in pale and darker beers."

Then under Using Specialty Malts

"Most specialty malts are best used in a mash along with pale and/or high-kilned brewers' malts. This method assures conversion of any residual starch and, in the case of naked grains, provides some husk material to give porosity to the mash. However, the dark roasted grains and caramel malts (not dextrin malt) can be extracted in hot water to enhance the flavor and color of beers brewed from malt extract."

I have never used Cara-pils however research would suggests it needs to be mashed.
Shaun
 
Posts: 655
Joined: Friday Dec 03, 2004 8:48 pm
Location: Melbourne

Postby Rubber.Piggy » Tuesday Feb 28, 2006 8:05 am

Shaun wrote:I have never used Cara-pils however research would suggests it needs to be mashed.


That's definately been my finding in the past.
"If at first you don't succeed, redefine success."
Rubber.Piggy
 
Posts: 195
Joined: Sunday Jan 01, 2006 3:04 pm
Location: Sydney

Postby chris. » Tuesday Feb 28, 2006 5:30 pm

"It is stewed at higher temperature than caramel malt, which results in the creation of a large proportion of compounds called "dextrins." Dextrins are carbohydrates that are intermediate in size between starches and fermentable sugars. They are tasteless but impart mouthfeel (body) and foam retention to the finished beer."

- Exactly. the whole point of using Cara-pils is to aid in head retention. Not produce fermentable sugars. & If we were trying to breakdown these starches/dextrins into fermentable sugars (by mashing) wouldn't that be defeating the purpose of using the cara-pils in the first place?
To add unfermentables is the whole point of using it.

Steeping may release some starches from the grain but using it in smaller amounts (100-200g max) isn't going to cause much of an issue.
Last edited by chris. on Sunday Oct 07, 2007 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
chris.
 
Posts: 912
Joined: Wednesday Feb 08, 2006 3:28 pm
Location: Brewing

Postby Dogger Dan » Wednesday Mar 01, 2006 3:51 am

I would like to take this oppertunity to thank people for the kind E-mails I have recieved over this post. I would like to have answered in person but the Hotmail accounts no longer seem to be functioning.

I have learned all sorts of new names and uses for various parts of my anatomy. In fact, if I could do some of those things I would never have to leave the house.

To the individual who suggested I take "my Budweiser slop and Sepo Yank Ass" and talk a walk, please, get yourself a map.

Guess that about does it folks.

Been a real piece of heaven
"Listening to someone who brews their own beer is like listening to a religous fanatic talk about the day he saw the light" Ross Murray, Montreal Gazette
Dogger Dan
 
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thursday Aug 26, 2004 10:43 am
Location: Lucan, Ontario, Canada

Postby InCider » Saturday Apr 08, 2006 6:48 pm

Dogger,

I was just reading this post to learn me some brewing.

Your comment on your inbox being hit with 'flame' type emails is poor form.

My name is Sean - and the inbred and ignorant often call me Seamus to get a rise out of me. Like the ribbing a Canuck about Bud eh? Losers.

Anyway, I'd like to thank your for your posts that I have read while learning this craft. Very gratefully appreciated.

Best,

InCider.
InCider
 
Posts: 55
Joined: Sunday Feb 26, 2006 5:47 pm
Location: Landsborough, Sunshine Coast


Return to Cider, ginger beer, lemonade, wine, mead . . .

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests