by scanman » Monday Jul 30, 2007 3:30 pm
HI all.
Been a bit of a lurker here for a while. I just got back into HB after some serious time off, and even then it was only the occassional stint, but been putting one brew up every few weeks of late. I did a ginger beer a while ago, just the mix and dextrose. Turned out way to dry and bland, but I was much more ignorant then as to now.
Anyway, after reading some of the excellent recipes on here for ginger beer, I thought I would have a crack at my own ( and to keep the missus happy by giving her something she will drink ).
I just wanted some opinions on this recipe I have done, like with the ingredients I have used how it may turn out. Here it is anyway.
Country Home Brewers Ginger Beer Kit ( with yeast and nutrient )
1kg of Country Home Brewers Brew Booster brew sugar mix
500gms of fresh ginger root
1 lemon (peeled and only use the inner zest)
400 grams of Yellow Box honey ( i was in a hurry and could not source clover honey easily)
500gms of Lactose ( sweetener ) will this be enough to make it sweet for the ladies?
500gms of Corm Syrup ( part fermentable sugar and head retainer )
2 cinemon sticks
10 cloves
3 table spoons of ginger powder
Peeled fresh ginger and chopped it in food processor. Added this and Brew Booster to 2 litres of water and boiled for 20 mins.
After 20 mins, added ginger poweder, honey, lemon zest, and corn syrup- boil for further 10 mins ( gave the lemon zest a few squeezes with the spoon to help release the juices)
@ 30mins boil added ginger beer kit mix, and 5 cloves only, and one cinemon stick. Boil for further 10 mins.
@40mins flame out heat and strain off the mash into a sanitised primary fermenter. Chucked in extra cinemon stick and rest of the cloves (5).
Topped up with 20 litres of water. Finished at about 24C. Pitched yeast and nutrient.
Well thats the recipe. Tasted nice from the pot, so should be a winner. SG was 1.035.
Hoping for something sweet, spicey and gingery. This has been bubbling away now for nine days and is almost ready to bottle.
Brewer friend of mine says you should shake the fermenter up during the primary fermentation when doing ginger beer, which I have been doing when the fermentation seemed to die down, and it kick started it again nicely. Never had to do this with beer at all.
Any thoughts on this?
Davo
Who ever said nothing was impossible, never tried to slam a revolving door....