Bfw Ginger Beer Kit-Anybody Tried?

[rodman]

Hi All,
Just tried a non-alcohlic version Bfw GB kit that I bottled 2 weeks ago. Instructions say to leave for 3 weeks but, of course, had to try a 'tester'.

Not at all impressed. Very little carb. and nothing like what I think a GB should taste like!

I hope it gets better next week, but I have my doubts. Has anybody else tried this kit? What do you think?

Steve.

[Oliver]

wtf is bfw?

Oliver

[Pale_Ale]

Hi All,
Just tried a non-alcohlic version Bfw GB kit that I bottled 2 weeks ago. Instructions say to leave for 3 weeks but, of course, had to try a 'tester'.

Not at all impressed. Very little carb. and nothing like what I think a GB should taste like!

I hope it gets better next week, but I have my doubts. Has anybody else tried this kit? What do you think?

Steve.

How did you carb it? Leave it for another week it will probably carb up. What is bfw?

[Chris]

I'm with Oliver

[rodman]

Bfw is a GB kit from my local HBS, Northern Brew in Woonona, Wollongong. It's a mix of dry ingredients that can be made up both alcoholic and non-alch. Comes from up in Qld I believe. The label says Home Brew Oasis (Kedron) and Home Brew Barn (Burpengary)

It was bottled at the end of December and now has a lot of carbonation but still has a very sulphery smell. It's drinkable from the bottle, but from a glass the smell is overpowering and most refuse to drink it.

I'm hoping the smell may dissipate over time, but this was supposed to be a summer brew and here it is the end of Feb!

All things considered I would not do it again.

[rwh]

Yeah I think I know the smell you're referring to; it might be the yeast. It presents to me as a sort of harsh Champagne-yeast smell. I'm not sure, but I think it'll be less after 12 months in the bottle or something; I read somewhere that cider requires more time in the bottle than beer (1-2 years optimal). My cider is in long-term aging mode ATM (it's a Black Rock though).

The reason I think it's the yeast is that I've got a similar smell from my raspberry lemonade and my apple cider. The raspberry lemonade was brewed with EC-1118, which is a sparkling wine yeast. I initially thought that the yeasty smell was from all the other (ale) yeasts that I tried, and which refused to ferment before I went down to the HBS and asked their advice. Apparently there's something about the acidity of a lemonade which stops ale yeasts in their tracks.

I should revisit my raspberry lemonade... I think it's been in the bottle for over six months now...

[rodman]

rwh, thanks for the reply. 12 months in the bottle may clean it up, but as I said, it's a non-alch. version made as a quick summer drink for the kids and non-alch. drinkers (or just as a thirst quencher). That's way too long in my opinion.
Speaking with Alan at Northern Brew today he said he gets a lot of requests for this product, so I can only assume it brews up better when it's alcoholic.
However, if I want to have alchoholic drinks then it's beer only for me since no-one else in my house drinks alch. beverages. (Good: no need to share /Bad: I hate to drink alone .)
Thanks to all for taking the time to respond to my request.

Rodman.

[drsmurto]

No offence intended but if you want to make softdrinks or non-alcoholic drinks of any kind, wouldnt it be easier to get a soda stream and keep the tea totallers as far away as possible from your HB setup?

Or mix soda water/sparkling mineral water with essences?

Not having a go Rodman, just thought that making non-alcoholic drinks goes against everything the yeast is designed to do

Just had a thought, it happens occasionally - if you boiled up a heap of fresh ginger and added it to lemonade you would have a nice, refreshing non alco ginger beer!

[Pale_Ale]

Yeast is only used for carbonation in no alc beers / gbs so it there doesn't seem alot of point to it over using a soda-stream...

[Chris]

It would be cheaper to use yeast surely.

And rodman, mix it in with some rum when you pour it. DIY dark and stormies.

[rodman]

Dr Smurto, no offence taken. The whole idea is just to make up a cheap, refreshing soft drink. Going for a Soda Stream is kind of redundant when I could just buy bottles of GB from the supermarket.
I like to brew, be it alcoholic or non. As I said I'm the only alch. drinker in my home, so I just like to share my hobby with my family. My first brew of Brigalow GB turned out very well, probably better than an alch version because there's still a lot of sugar in the mix, hiding the artificial sweetener. I'll probably give it a go again for the next batch.
Chris- As for Dark & Stormys'-not to my taste at all! Bought one once (12 yrs ago) and took me 45 mins to drink-uggh!

[Chris]

Try using rye boubon instead. It makes it a LOT more drinkable.