Fiery Ginger Beer

[Jamjar1982]

I think I may have been too careful on the amount of priming sugar, after reading about exploding bottles! ������
I have another batch that I set back by a few weeks so should be bottling soonish. I was thinking about priming with brown sugar to give it a bit of a different flavour. Do you have any recommendations on how much priming sugar to add and how long it usually takes to get a good fizz?

Also, for priming, do you basically add the sugar, bottle it and then leave it in the cupboard until you wish to drink it? I only ask as I've seen people mention that they prime for a week at room temp and then refrigerate until ready to drink.

Thanks for your help people!

I use this helpful calculator to judge my priming... http://www.brewheads.com/priming.php I wouldn't go above 3 volumes of CO2. Most european lagers are around 2.4 - 2.6. In the past I have used plastic bottles so if they get too close to exploding I can just crack the lid off a bit. Not an exact science but it works. You should be ok using capped bottles or flip lids if you follow the above calculator. This is what I do:

1) ferment completely
2) rack and clear
3) make yeast started (usually about 0.1g)
4) dissolve calculated priming sugar into beer
5) add yeast
6) siphon into bottles, stirring constantly

Here is some useful if not slightly mind bending info http://https://byo.com/bock/item/1132-master-the-action-carbonation I'm sure there is much more useful info on this forum at your disposal also.

The problem I have as I keep saying, is that this way it will finish dry (and you get some sediment in the bottom of the bottle). You can add more sugar to your liking at the priming stage and use one plastic screw top bottle as a tester to see if the bottle gets hard. If it's all good heat pasteurise your glass bottles in a large pan to 65c (use a bottle filled with water and insert a thermometer) this way you kill off the yeast, heat sanitise and get sweet fizzy beer. It does have its disadvantages though like bottles cracking in the heat or over carbonating if you take your eye off the ball...

Chilling the bottles will slow down or maybe make the yeast dormant if you don't go down the heat route. Obviously once you ferment out the yeast will eventually die anyway. Chilling also helps the beer absorb the co2. Too hot or too cold and the co2 just squirts out the bottle when you open it. (Think opening a warm can of coke). Hope some of that helps.

 

[Beginnerbre]

I use this helpful calculator to judge my priming... http://www.brewheads.com/priming.php I wouldn't go above 3 volumes of CO2. Most european lagers are around 2.4 - 2.6. In the past I have used plastic bottles so if they get too close to exploding I can just crack the lid off a bit. Not an exact science but it works. You should be ok using capped bottles or flip lids if you follow the above calculator. This is what I do:

1) ferment completely
2) rack and clear
3) make yeast started (usually about 0.1g)
4) dissolve calculated priming sugar into beer
5) add yeast
6) siphon into bottles, stirring constantly

Here is some useful if not slightly mind bending info http://https://byo.com/bock/item/1132-master-the-action-carbonation I'm sure there is much more useful info on this forum at your disposal also.

The problem I have as I keep saying, is that this way it will finish dry (and you get some sediment in the bottom of the bottle). You can add more sugar to your liking at the priming stage and use one plastic screw top bottle as a tester to see if the bottle gets hard. If it's all good heat pasteurise your glass bottles in a large pan to 65c (use a bottle filled with water and insert a thermometer) this way you kill off the yeast, heat sanitise and get sweet fizzy beer. It does have its disadvantages though like bottles cracking in the heat or over carbonating if you take your eye off the ball...

Chilling the bottles will slow down or maybe make the yeast dormant if you don't go down the heat route. Obviously once you ferment out the yeast will eventually die anyway. Chilling also helps the beer absorb the co2. Too hot or too cold and the co2 just squirts out the bottle when you open it. (Think opening a warm can of coke). Hope some of that helps.

Wow! Thanks for all the help! I'll be sure to use the calculator and do a few different variations when priming.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

To try and get some sweetness back, have you ever tried any 'non-fermentable' sweeteners, e.g Splenda? It seems a bit 50/50 on here whether or not people recommend it.

 

[Jamjar1982]

Your most welcome. I learnt most of what (little) I know from sites like these. They are invaluable resources. I have tried lactose powder once and didn't like it. When trying to mimmik the likes of a crabbies style ginger beer you can't beat a commercial mechanical carbonation! Next step a cornie keg http://http://www.kegkingdom.co.uk/collections/corny-keg-jits/products/standard-cornelius-keg-kit-with-party-tap-and-co2 (put in your flat, clear and sweetened brew, add co2, and put somewhere cold.... Fizzy beer!). Until then I'll just keep doing what I'm doing as it seems to work. Cheers

 

[GlentoranMark]

I'm making a gallon of this tomorrow, ttt'ing this for my own use :)

 

[GlentoranMark]

Followed the O/P recipe but doing a 1 gallon BIAB version with oranges instead of lemon and lime (after reading about the dryness of other peoples brews.)

Put on 7 litres and boiled for an hour but wish I'd have added more ginger. I only used 200g (scaled down) but I'm using the BIAB I feel a little more might be needed. It smells amazing and cooling down atm in the sink.

I'm putting this into a demijohn and why I'm doing BIAB, 7 litres was thinking about boil off and maybe a small amount of trub. I also don't want an 8% brew :-?

Edit, using a GV3 Sparkling Wine yeast as my LHBS didn't have a Champagne Yeast, a Champagne Yeast would be dryer? So hoping this isn't too dry.

I'm really happy with this, gonna put on a 20L batch when my FV frees up, maybe next weekend.

 

[GlentoranMark]

OG was 1.060, going by other peoples brews that ferment right down under 1.000 this will end up at 6.5% :-(

 

[SwissBrew]

I did a batch of this last week. I didn't have champagne yeast hut used sparkling wine yeast like you. Tried it just now and it tastes really good, not too dry. But it's not done fermenting yet so might get bit drier.

And yes, it will ferment all the way down i guess but you can always dilute a bit with some soft drink of your choice if it's too strong for you.

 

[GlentoranMark]

I did a batch of this last week. I didn't have champagne yeast hut used sparkling wine yeast like you. Tried it just now and it tastes really good, not too dry. But it's not done fermenting yet so might get bit drier.

And yes, it will ferment all the way down i guess but you can always dilute a bit with some soft drink of your choice if it's too strong for you.

Yes it seems like something you could dilute with lemonade. I've done WOW's before but this is so much better (pre fermentation).

I'm already considering doing a 20L batch but I was thinking of passing this to friends so I don't want a really strong brew.

7L was too much water, I ended up throwing some remaining liquor down the sink ?1L?. 6L or slighlty less was probably the right amount for a demijohn and there was some trub although it would have settled in the demijohn. BIAB is the way to go (but use more ginger)

I'm really happy with the way this went. Nice taste if a bit orangey (I used 2 oranges plus the skin of one I ate lol) but tangy and sweet. I'll tweak my recipe next time for a 5% brew and do it in a FV when one is free.

 

[Beginnerbre]

My 5L is all bottled now, it tastes great! I added carbonation drops to try and give it some fizz, now I'm torturing myself deciding if I've waited long enough for it to get fizzy, or not!
I added 1 drop per 500ml bottle and it's been 2 and a half weeks. I'm a bit worried about it though as the sugar doesn't seem to have dissolved - there's a sediment on the bottom that doesn't dissolve if i shake the bottle. Hope it turns out fine!

 

[SwissBrew]

I bottled mine today and it was my first bottling session ever...urgh hard work! So i had a pint out of the FV which sat for 10 days. It's nice but still has some yeasty taste/smell to it. Will this sort itself over time or is it because i didn't do things clean enough?

 

[IainM]

I bottled mine today and it was my first bottling session ever...urgh hard work! So i had a pint out of the FV which sat for 10 days. It's nice but still has some yeasty taste/smell to it. Will this sort itself over time or is it because i didn't do things clean enough?

That's normal. It should clear soon enough.

 

[SwissBrew]

That's normal. It should clear soon enough.

Thanks for your reply! I'm still a newby so always worrying...I'll report back how it tastes later :)

 

[Jamjar1982]

Perhaps not really the best place to post this but here's the recipe I've just gone with. Mix of honey/sugars was because I had various bits lying about from previous brews. I usually stick with light brown Demerara/muskovado. First time I've used Cream of Tartar and an Ale yeast also. Made pretty much the same as the original recipe from this post. Will clear and bottle condition with more ale yeast and brown sugar. Will let you know how it tastes when it's done. Cheers

3 gal h20
1kg ginger, skinned and grated
1kg light brown sugar
Mix of dark/light Demerara & honey
Zest and juice of
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp all spice
6 cloves
Gervin GV12 Ale yeast

S.g 1.050
Ph 3.8

 

[Gomas]

Going to have to give this a go, seeing all the positive feedback.

Just thinking, to counteract the dryness, could you pre - mash some caramalt or something at a relatively high temperature to get some sweet unfermentables or would this cause problems?

 

[Jamjar1982]

I don't know a lot about malt as I don't brew beer. I've just used Gervin GV12 English ale yeast to attempt to leave some sugar behind.. But I've been using pretty much just sugar (and some honey this time) which may not be the answer. I have used a light/extra light spray malt in place of some the sugar but I mucked it up. I think using that with a low attenuating yeast like WL011 may have beneficial results. Didn't use malt this time round but nearly finished fermenting and this morning s.g was 1.004 and tasted ok.. No crabbies but your not going to get a sweet beer without force carbonating. Recon it will be quite drinkable out the bottle once it's clear and fizzy in a couple of months. I would recommend using light brown Demerara also, but that's just my opinion. Good luck.

 

[Gomas]

With malts if you mash at a temperature above 70 degrees, you release unfermentables, which then can't be broken down by ale yeast (maybe they can by wine yeast though!?).

If the sugars aren't broken down they would leave a higher FG, which could be the answer to the dryness.

I think it's worth a try, just by pre mashing some malt in a saucepan on the hob to add to the ginger beer wort.

 

[Jamjar1982]

Ok, well may try it again next time. Here for your entertainment is a picture of some ginger beer....:thumb:

 

[GlentoranMark]

Ok, well may try it again next time. Here for your entertainment is a picture of some ginger beer....:thumb:

I've cold crashed mine for a couple of days, plan to bottle on Saturday or Sunday.

 

[Jamjar1982]

Nice. I don't have the luxury of extra fridge space unfortunately. However it does seem to be settling out well so far. At what point would you bottle?

 

[GlentoranMark]

Nice. I don't have the luxury of extra fridge space unfortunately. However it does seem to be settling out well so far. At what point would you bottle?

I'm also new to this recipe but it will have been in the DJ 3 weeks this Saturday, It could probably do with another week or so cold crashing but I want to use the trub to make another 20L batch this weekend. I think it would be pretty hard to make this completely clear without filtering. It will always clear further in the bottle anyway.

I just can't wait to try this!