Ginger Beer

[Bijengum]

this has turned out nice, although a bit lemonny.

INGREDIENTS:
Brigalow Ginger Beer Kit
Coopers Brew Enhancer (CBE)
Grated Fresh Ginger 300gm
Lemon Zest & Juice 2 ( halve this if you're not big on lemon )
Ground Nutmeg 1 tbsp
Brown Sugar 2 tbsp
Golden Syrup 2 tbsp
Ginger Pwdr 3 tbsp
Honey 2 tbsp
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 2'' stick
Champagne Yeast 10gm (2 sachets)

METHOD:
Add CBE & Fresh Ginger to 2lt of water and bring to boil.
Boil for 20min.
While this is boiling, hydrate Nutmeg, Ginger Pwdr, Brown sugar in a cup of hot water.
@ 20min add the hydrated ingredients along with Honey, Gldn Syrup and Lemon Zest.
Boil for further 10min.
@ 30min add Kit, Cloves, Cinnamon and Lemon Juice.
Boil for further 10min.
@ 40min flame out and strain into sanitised primary, top up to 23lt, pitch Champagne Yeast.
(23lt might be too much volume for some).

it went for 17 days, bulk primed with 130gm Caster Sugar and 250ml Buderim Ginger Syrup.

also @ bottling i added one " sugar cube size " of crystalised ginger.
(pick 'n' mix section at Coles)

it doesn't taste as dry as i thought it would, very gingery, but like i said a little too much lemon but not enough to bugger it.

will be nice with some ice to kickstart xmas morn.

yardy

Looks like a great recipie. What temperature did you ferment at.

[rodman]

Hi All,
Just a caution to those using lactose: some of your drinkers may be lactose intolerant, especially at parties and social sessions.

This could cause problems for those who were not expecting to ingest lactose in a GB. Symptoms like (which can range from mild to severe) nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Symptoms begin about 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating or drinking foods containing lactose.

This could also be why we see so many artifically sweetened GB's these days: manufacturers want to sell a safe product (the 'safety' of art. sweeteners notwithstanding!) to as many people as possible. Next time you're in the supermarket, check out how many GB's on the shelves these days are 'sugar-free', 'low-cal', etc!

Regards,
Steve.

[velophile]

I have a friend who is lactose intolerant & my Brother-in-law has Coeliac disease. So I have to watch which batch of GB has malt or lactose in it.
I'm still aiming to make some from scratch, ie no kit. I'm sure the Coopers kits have malt in them.
I was planning to use Splenda for sweetening instead of lactose.

[drsmurto]

I am 99% sure that all GB kits contain nothing but ginger flavouring and artificial sweetners. Not what i would call value for money. If you are OK with artificial sweetners then fine but if you want to make a GB without artificial crap then you need to add lactose to sweeten it or as i did with my last batch (sans lactose) a dash of lemonade.

As far as catering for lactose intolerance and those with any other intolerance i know what my mates can or cant drink and cater for them accordingly (by buying them 'special beers'). I am very mindful of cooking for vegos/vegan mates (CPA and CSA are vegan friendly) as well as making sure meat is halal when cooking for muslim mates. But when it comes to HB, well, I brew for me. If someone else cant drink if for some reason then they miss out. My missus is lactose intolerant so my cooking suffers already, my brewing will not dag nab it!

Cheers and beers
DrSmurto

[anthony]

Geoff's Ginger Beer

Wash 1Kg fresh ginger and shred in food processor
Boil in 3 litres water-
1Kg raw sugar, 500g brown sugar, 200g ldme
When sugars are thoroughly dissolved add-
Fresh ginger
Zest of 2 lemons
12 small cloves
10c stick of cinnamon
8 heaped teaspoons ground ginger
6 teaspoons tartaric acid (?)
Into fermenter with 17 liters cold water.
Pitched 7g Coopers ale yeast
Fermented for 12 days
Filtered through mesh & stocking to racking container
Bulk prime with 200g raw sugar boiled in 500mL
OG 1034 FG 1002 54 stubbies
Could be looking at 5.3% here. Lookout!

Looking to do one almost identical but not so sure I want to use sugars. I was thinking of the above recipe made to 11.5L replacing all the sugars with one can of unhopped coopers wheat malt. Thinking this might give me a real tasty ginger beer like the cloudy ones I have have enjoyed at the Queens wharf brewery in Newcastle.

Anyone used all malt in place of sugar and no kit?

[geoffclifton]

My GB as quoted above is a bit weak on the taste buds and would probably be better made up to around 15-18 litres tops. I think the malt is a great idea. !.5Kg can in 12 litres smells about right. I wonder if champagne yeast may do a better job.

Cheers, Geoff.

[anthony]

Thanks geoff, I will use your recipe with a 1.5kg can of wheat malt and made to 11.5L. Let you know how it goes.

Was thinking of using yeast I might steal from a kit in the cupboard. I thought maybe with so much ginger etc there would be enough bite and flavour not to need a specialty yeast?

[yardglass]

this has turned out nice, although a bit lemonny.

INGREDIENTS:
Brigalow Ginger Beer Kit
Coopers Brew Enhancer (CBE)
Grated Fresh Ginger 300gm
Lemon Zest & Juice 2 ( halve this if you're not big on lemon )
Ground Nutmeg 1 tbsp
Brown Sugar 2 tbsp
Golden Syrup 2 tbsp
Ginger Pwdr 3 tbsp
Honey 2 tbsp
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 2'' stick
Champagne Yeast 10gm (2 sachets)

METHOD:
Add CBE & Fresh Ginger to 2lt of water and bring to boil.
Boil for 20min.
While this is boiling, hydrate Nutmeg, Ginger Pwdr, Brown sugar in a cup of hot water.
@ 20min add the hydrated ingredients along with Honey, Gldn Syrup and Lemon Zest.
Boil for further 10min.
@ 30min add Kit, Cloves, Cinnamon and Lemon Juice.
Boil for further 10min.
@ 40min flame out and strain into sanitised primary, top up to 23lt, pitch Champagne Yeast.
(23lt might be too much volume for some).

it went for 17 days, bulk primed with 130gm Caster Sugar and 250ml Buderim Ginger Syrup.

also @ bottling i added one " sugar cube size " of crystalised ginger.
(pick 'n' mix section at Coles)

it doesn't taste as dry as i thought it would, very gingery, but like i said a little too much lemon but not enough to bugger it.

will be nice with some ice to kickstart xmas morn.

yardy

Looks like a great recipie. What temperature did you ferment at.

Can't remember off hand, just kegging another GB today for 'er indoors', really very nice out of the hydro sample last night, can't wait to try it off tap.
see GB RECIPE HERE, (it's in Brewing Suggestions i think), just over a couple of hours to make including the 30 minute boil, will post a taste test later.

yard

[Longrasser]

Had a tin of Brigalows GB and a tin of Tooheys Draught no one wanted so have chucked the whole lot in the spare fermentor with 1kg dex and 1 kg raw sugar and all the yeast and feeder topped to 22 lts

Finallly stopped brewing after a month in the tubs
Bottling tonite will have a taste.

[anthony]

Had a tin of Brigalows GB and a tin of Tooheys Draught no one wanted so have chucked the whole lot in the spare fermentor with 1kg dex and 1 kg raw sugar and all the yeast and feeder topped to 22 lts

Finallly stopped brewing after a month in the tubs
Bottling tonite will have a taste.

That's a powerful recipe!

Will be waiting a while for my GB. Wanted to put in on tonight for some late summer drinking but the supermarkets are charging $13kg for fresh ginger... and for some reason it is fresh ginger or no GB for me.

[drsmurto]

Will be waiting a while for my GB. Wanted to put in on tonight for some late summer drinking but the supermarkets are charging $13kg for fresh ginger... and for some reason it is fresh ginger or no GB for me.

Mate, try asian grocery stores. The veg always a lot cheaper. I picked up ginger for $5 a kilo from there last time!

[Longrasser]

Christ on a bike !


Real dark amber colour nice nose and tastes like a sherry/port sorta combo !

Will put this one away for the middle of the year I think

Im pretty sure you wouldnt want to operate machinery after a couple !

[Longrasser]

On a ginger note if yer living in the sunshine states grow the bloody stuff it runs wild

Buy a couple of bits from Woolies look for little whitey nodules sprouting (most woolies stuff is goin ta seed)

[BenH]

Having made yardies recipe (but with 1 lemon not 2) a couple of times now, I can firmly recommend using different types of honey in your GB. I used Leatherwood honey in the last one and it really gives the flavour of the honey beautifully. Pick yr favourite honey type, or maybe just pick a different one up at the supermarket next time yer there and you can get a good variation with just that one ingredient change.

Bottoms up.

[jase]

hey yardy i told you earlier in this thread that you were"a freakin genius" i just got word that my variation (only slightly) of your recipe won me first prize in the far sth coast & districts show. I won the grand prize of five dollars!!!. Thank you, thank you very much.

[gregb]

Congratulations Jase.

Cheers,
Greg

[yardglass]

hey yardy i told you earlier in this thread that you were"a freakin genius" i just got word that my variation (only slightly) of your recipe won me first prize in the far sth coast & districts show. I won the grand prize of five dollars!!!. Thank you, thank you very much.

genius !

glad you liked it, well done on the comp, you owe me $2.50

[BrizBeerman]

I have made many different styles of ginger beer. One of the best I have done using 1kg honey in the brew. This gives a sweet honey flavour to the brew without being too overpowering.

[DavidP]

A great recipe Yardglass!!
I did your recipe with the brigalow kit with extra fresh ginger.....but didn't prime with ginger cordial and didn't put ginger pieces in the bottle when bottling and I found it to be a little lacking in ginger(for my taste).
so I'm going to do the same recipe with a morgans kit and I think that will be spot on for me!
I'm considering adding a bit of malt to my next attempt.
I work in a bakery so we have large amounts of malt available.
I believe the malt is from barley? does anyone have any idea on how well that ferments and weather that kind of malt would be any good in a ginger beer?

[rwh]

I believe the malt is from barley? does anyone have any idea on how well that ferments

it's only the basis of like 90% of the world's beer. So I'd say, yes it does ferment well.

Yep that kind of malt would also be pretty good in a ginger beer; would make it a bit more beer like and would lend body too.