Ginger Beer Recipe

[Uncle Joe]

Gday all,

A quick question here from a noob. I recently, last week, bottled a country brewer ginger beer. The sugars added were 700g raw sugar and 300g Maltodextrin. I was considering doing another to the following recipe.

Country brewer Ginger Beer Concentrate
1kg light dry malt
250g honey
250g Buderim Ginger Chips
juice and zest from 6 limes
Country brewer Champagne Yeast
Fill fermenter to 18L
and perhaps a couple of cloves.

How do you think that this recipe will go. The ginger beer that I have just bottled, looks quite watery, and I am hoping that 1kg of the light dry malt, might give it a bit more body. Will this be the case ?

By the way, I need this to work well as most of it will be for my 91 year old grand mother!

Thanks in advance,

Regards

Uncle Joe

[Chris]

That should be pretty tasty, and also quite dry. The honey and champagne yeast will make sure of that.

Is that what you are aiming for?

If you want it a bit sweeter, you could either add lactose, or just use an ale yeast.

[Uncle Joe]

Chris,

I would like a hint of sweetness, so to speak. If I was to add lactose, how much do you think I should add.

Regards

Sarath

[drsmurto]

I recently (as in bottled on tuesday) did a GB using a champagne yeast and its too dry. Added lactose after it had fermented but it hasnt mixed properly, should had racked etc etc but too lazy. Highly recommend lactose whilst boiling up sugars, malt etc and my HBS guru says at least 30 mins of boiling or an hour if you can.

I would suggest at least 250g of lactose. You dont want it to be too sweet.

Cheers
DrSmurto

[Uncle Joe]

I recently (as in bottled on tuesday) did a GB using a champagne yeast and its too dry. Highly recommend lactose whilst boiling up sugars, malt etc and my HBS guru says at least 30 mins of boiling or an hour if you can.

I would suggest at least 250g of lactose. You dont want it to be too sweet.

Cheers
DrSmurto

Guys,

I have come across a sugar blend from the Country Brewer. It contains 600g Light Malt / 200g Lactose / 200g Dextrose. I was thinking of using this perhaps. Do I have to boil the sugar malt mix, on the stove top, or can I just dissolve it in boiling water in the fermenter.

On a side note, do you chaps always boil your sugar and malts for your brews be they Ginger Beer or normal Beer? And if so, what differance does this make to the fermentation process.

Thanks for your replies,

Regards

Uncle Joe

[drsmurto]

Uncle Joe

I have only made one batch of GB and made it from scratch (I dont want artificial sweeteners in my food or drink) so i needed to boil up the ginger, sugar and spices. Lactose isnt anywhere near as soluble as dextrose or malt so needs an extended boiling time to make sure its all dissolved.

So, if you boil up all your ingredients together for an hour and then top up with cold water you should be OK. 200 g lactose is probably a good start.

I only boil sugars/malt cos i add extra hops and even this is unnecessary but as most will tell you, its good practice for when you/I eventually get into grains and AG.

Cheers
DrSmurto

[drsmurto]

Not trying to hijack the thread but if you were thinking about a GB recipe from scratch this is my version, a modification of one posted by Oliver who got it from a bloke who got it from.......

~750 g of ginger (thats what 3 big pieces weighed)
1 cinnamon stick
8 cloves
2 lemons
2kg raw sugar
1 sachet champagne yeast (EC-1118?)

Throw ginger in food processor and juice/peel lemon. Boil everything up for 1 hour (not yeast) in 3-4 L water. Cool in ice water then filter into fermenter, top up to 15 L with cold water, pitch yeast.

I would add 250g of lactose to the boil and would probably also add an extra lemon.

My brew minus the lactose tastes like a dry Bundy GB so its close to what i was after. Will put the next one on soon. Also, brewed this at 22-24 (inside with wet towels wrapped around it).

Cheers
DrSmurto