ginger beer revisited

. . . 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 revisited

Postby dragonphoenix73 » Saturday Aug 25, 2007 5:48 pm

Well wife and many other non-beer drinking types have loved the GB that I made several months back.

Its come quite good after all those months too.

Anyway, I'm now being bugged about doing another batch to have ready for the summer months, and am thinking about various recipes.

The last one was very fizzy and quite dry, and with that sharp gingery bite in the back of the throat. Alcohol volume about 2.5%

I don't want to mess with the recipe too much, as everyone is liking this as is. However, I have the hankering to flex my brewing experimenting muscles...

I can't use any of the main kits because of my wife's gluten-free needs (so can't use malts either). I also am aware of how Bundaberg is the Holy Grail of GB-brewing. Some friends of mine came back from QLD recently, and they went to the Ginger Factory in Buderim, who provide Bundaberg with the Ginger for their beer. Apparently, they soak the ginger in large vats of sugar cane syrup, and this is then used for the GB (and also for crystallised or glazed ginger lollies you can get). This could be the key to Bundaberg's unique sweetness - even the Lactose I put in the GB last time didn't really produce a sweet drink.

Last time I think the yeast I got with the kit (Traditional Olde GB) was old and crap, so I ended up adding a Muntons Ale yeast I had lying around, as well as the remains of a G&G yeast nutrient I had from the Mead I made.

I'd like to make from scratch, as I don't really feel like spending $12 or so just for a small bottle of concentrated ginger juice, since I'd rather use different yeasts, nutrients, and sweeteners....

So I wonder how much Ginger I may need to do so? Does anyone know? I plan to soak this amount in something sweet, then boil it all up with dex, maltodex.

Also, there has been some conflicting ideas about yeast nutrient - do you just sprinkle into fermenter with the yeast, or do you have to boil up with other ingredients, such as hops?

Cheers!
Life is like a box of chocolates.... sometimes you get a hard one!
dragonphoenix73
 
Posts: 138
Joined: Wednesday Jan 24, 2007 9:45 pm
Location: Melbourne

Postby drsmurto » Monday Sep 03, 2007 11:37 am

My ginger beer placed 2nd in the speciality beer section at the Gawler Show on the weekend. They commented it was thin and needed more ginger. I used 1kg of fresh ginger for a 23L batch plus lemons, cloves and cinnamon.

I entered an old batch. My latest version packs a much bigger ginger punch. I used old ginger that had been sitting in the fridge crisper for >1 month. Did a 5L batch and crammed in 375g of ginger! Very bitey now, but still thin. One improvement at a time. Next version i will use some malt extract and maybe even some steeped crystal malt. Still keeping the lemons, coves and cinnamon tho. Adding a few kaffir lime leaves to the last batch as well.

You cant make it sweet without using lots of lactose, artificial sweeteners. Mine is very dry, fermented with a champagne yeast.


Cheers
DrSmurto
User avatar
drsmurto
 
Posts: 3300
Joined: Friday Nov 17, 2006 11:53 am
Location: Adelaide Hills

Postby rwh » Monday Sep 03, 2007 11:47 am

The JW light crystal is very sweet, I'm becoming weary of using it in beers these days, but it might be just the ticket for a ginger beer!
w00t!
User avatar
rwh
 
Posts: 2810
Joined: Friday Jun 16, 2006 1:47 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Postby drsmurto » Monday Sep 03, 2007 12:10 pm

JW light crystal it is then...... Just need to age some more ginger!
User avatar
drsmurto
 
Posts: 3300
Joined: Friday Nov 17, 2006 11:53 am
Location: Adelaide Hills

Postby dragonphoenix73 » Thursday Sep 06, 2007 12:01 pm

what do you think is the advantage of the aged ginger?

Is it just that its softer?

I was planning to bash, bruise, chop and grate the ginger anyhow.
Life is like a box of chocolates.... sometimes you get a hard one!
dragonphoenix73
 
Posts: 138
Joined: Wednesday Jan 24, 2007 9:45 pm
Location: Melbourne

Postby Chris » Thursday Sep 06, 2007 12:32 pm

Aged ginger???
Chris
 
Posts: 3716
Joined: Tuesday Oct 04, 2005 1:35 pm
Location: Northern Canberra

Postby drsmurto » Thursday Sep 06, 2007 3:53 pm

Ginger gets bitier as it gets older. Try it. Buy some and leave it in the fridge crisper in a plastic bag for a month and then use it. Much stronger ginger bite/flavour. I use ginger quite a lot in cooking so tend to have a big supply of it. Noticed some that had been in the fridge for >1 month, maybe even 2. Much stronger ginger flavour/aroma in the ginger beer now.

Hence - Aged Ginger :D
User avatar
drsmurto
 
Posts: 3300
Joined: Friday Nov 17, 2006 11:53 am
Location: Adelaide Hills

Postby dragonphoenix73 » Thursday Sep 06, 2007 6:18 pm

I was out shopping this arvo, and bought some organic ginger.

Only $15/kg - not that much more expensive to 'conventional'.

So I've bought a little over 1kg, and now explaining to my wife how WE are going to make HER ginger beer....

She pooh-poohed the idea of leaving the ginger. She's keen to start brewing... have I perhaps potentially created a monster???

Is it wise to have husbands and wives sharing the same hobby. She's so bossy, I can see her now, telling me to wash bottles as she decides on what brew to make up next.... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Not bloody likely..... :wink: :twisted:
Life is like a box of chocolates.... sometimes you get a hard one!
dragonphoenix73
 
Posts: 138
Joined: Wednesday Jan 24, 2007 9:45 pm
Location: Melbourne

Postby scanman » Friday Sep 07, 2007 8:41 am

hahahaha i think you have created a monster there, and lost one of the true pleasures you can have on your own without input form the other half spoiling it.
I would take her out of the equasion real quick, or keep her involved with 'HER' brews only. ONce she starts making beer with you, your stuffed! :)
Who ever said nothing was impossible, never tried to slam a revolving door....
scanman
 
Posts: 231
Joined: Thursday Jul 12, 2007 4:04 pm
Location: Mt Annan NSW

Postby Kevnlis » Friday Sep 07, 2007 8:57 am

drsmurto wrote:Ginger gets bitier as it gets older. Try it. Buy some and leave it in the fridge crisper in a plastic bag for a month and then use it. Much stronger ginger bite/flavour. I use ginger quite a lot in cooking so tend to have a big supply of it. Noticed some that had been in the fridge for >1 month, maybe even 2. Much stronger ginger flavour/aroma in the ginger beer now.

Hence - Aged Ginger :D


Absolutely true, I also put mine in the crisper for at least a month to put some age on it, easier to peel too!
Prost and happy brewing!

Image
O'Brien Gluten Free Beer
User avatar
Kevnlis
 
Posts: 3380
Joined: Tuesday Jul 10, 2007 5:15 pm
Location: B-Rat

Postby dragonphoenix73 » Friday Sep 07, 2007 9:55 am

Well in reality she won't get involved in beer because she can't drink it - she's a coeliac!!!

Although she does bug me to hurry up and learn AG so I can start doing gluten-free beers.....

...but hey, all in good time.... :lol: :wink:
Life is like a box of chocolates.... sometimes you get a hard one!
dragonphoenix73
 
Posts: 138
Joined: Wednesday Jan 24, 2007 9:45 pm
Location: Melbourne

Postby Chris » Friday Sep 07, 2007 10:08 am

Have to try the aged ginger thing. Sounds good.
Chris
 
Posts: 3716
Joined: Tuesday Oct 04, 2005 1:35 pm
Location: Northern Canberra

Postby Pale_Ale » Monday Oct 01, 2007 1:42 pm

dragonphoenix73 wrote:Well in reality she won't get involved in beer because she can't drink it - she's a coeliac!!!

Although she does bug me to hurry up and learn AG so I can start doing gluten-free beers.....

...but hey, all in good time.... :lol: :wink:


Just a thought, could you perhaps try an extract beer that is gluten free? Rice malt presumably has no gluten and you can get it cheaply at health food stores. I bought 0.9kg for a bit over $5 which I am going to use for my asian style lager (Tsing Tao etc.).
Coopers.
Pale_Ale
 
Posts: 1233
Joined: Wednesday Oct 25, 2006 10:46 pm
Location: Adelaide, SA

Postby Kevnlis » Monday Oct 01, 2007 2:09 pm

Is this similar to Tiger? I bought a slab of Tiger from Woolies Liquor on special once and it was quite drinkable!

What sort of shop did you get the rice malt from? I know our bulk goods store hasn't got it but I haven't tried the health food shop next door to it, everything in those places is always so bloody over priced!
Prost and happy brewing!

Image
O'Brien Gluten Free Beer
User avatar
Kevnlis
 
Posts: 3380
Joined: Tuesday Jul 10, 2007 5:15 pm
Location: B-Rat

Postby Pale_Ale » Monday Oct 01, 2007 6:08 pm

Kevnlis wrote:Is this similar to Tiger? I bought a slab of Tiger from Woolies Liquor on special once and it was quite drinkable!

What sort of shop did you get the rice malt from? I know our bulk goods store hasn't got it but I haven't tried the health food shop next door to it, everything in those places is always so bloody over priced!


Many of the asian lagers have some amount of rice in addition to barley, I'm not sure about Tiger, but others include Asahi, Ju Jiang (sp?) and Kirin. Tsing Tao in particular has a very distinctive taste to it whereasI find others like Asahi only have a hint.

I got the rice malt from a health stall in the Central Market, however I've seen it in proper health food stores (albeit at about twice the price, but it's still fairly cheap).
Coopers.
Pale_Ale
 
Posts: 1233
Joined: Wednesday Oct 25, 2006 10:46 pm
Location: Adelaide, SA

Postby Kevnlis » Monday Oct 01, 2007 6:15 pm

Cheers for that. Any chance we will see the recipe posted once you have finished?
Prost and happy brewing!

Image
O'Brien Gluten Free Beer
User avatar
Kevnlis
 
Posts: 3380
Joined: Tuesday Jul 10, 2007 5:15 pm
Location: B-Rat

Postby Pale_Ale » Monday Oct 01, 2007 10:58 pm

Yep I'll post it when it's done :wink:
Coopers.
Pale_Ale
 
Posts: 1233
Joined: Wednesday Oct 25, 2006 10:46 pm
Location: Adelaide, SA

Postby Chris » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 7:48 am

Tiger beer is still my favourite Asian beer. I can't find a recipe for THAT anywhere!
Chris
 
Posts: 3716
Joined: Tuesday Oct 04, 2005 1:35 pm
Location: Northern Canberra

Postby Kevnlis » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 7:53 am

Pale_Ale wrote:Yep I'll post it when it's done ;)


That'd be great, I have been wanting to try a rice beer, and would rather not make a Bud-dumber. Malted rice sounds much nicer than "rice mush" anyway :lol:

Chris wrote:Tiger beer is still my favourite Asian beer. I can't find a recipe for THAT anywhere!


If you do, please let us know! :D
Prost and happy brewing!

Image
O'Brien Gluten Free Beer
User avatar
Kevnlis
 
Posts: 3380
Joined: Tuesday Jul 10, 2007 5:15 pm
Location: B-Rat


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

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests