Ginger Beer!

07th August 2012

With my birthday fast approaching we decided that a BBQ down the end of the lane would be a suitable celebration. September good weather and BBQ has one thing missing... a homebrew! So with that in mind I'm brewing a Ginger beer, but not a standard Ginger beer!

Recipe

Makes 1 gallon:

• 85g Fresh ginger
• 1 tsp (7g) rice (to increase the foam on the beer)
• 1 whole clove
• 250g Malt Extract
• 250g sugar
• 1 Gallon of Spring Water
• 1/2 sachet of ale yeast

"

Method

Slice the ginger and boil with rice and clove for an hour. The Rice is supposed to increase the foam on the beer (apparently). It did however make my wife want a curry with the ginger and rice smells boiling away.

Once done, I cooled the liquid down to pitching temperature by placing the lidded saucepan in a sink with cold water in it.

Whilst that was cooling I mixed the malt and sugar with water to start dissolving it. Adding what had dissolved into the fermentation vessel.

Once the ginger liquid had cooled I poured it through a sieve to remove the ginger and rice and used it to dissolve the last of the malt and sugar. Again adding the mixture to the fermentation vessel.

Then I topped the fermentation vessel with spring water to just below the shoulder. Enough space left for a good foam to form. Shook for 30 seconds to ensure there was enough oxygen in the mix.

Original Gravity: 1.044.

The sample tasted great, malty and sweet with a pleasent hint of ginger. Not overpowering but noticable. The ginger zinginess was present. Very nice indeed.

Added the yeast as per instructions, sprinkle on top and leave for 15 mins before stirring it.

Bunged and air locked before placing in the brewing cupboard.

I expect fermentation to take a week and then I can prime (with 40g sugar - thanks Ian!) and bottle to allow the bottles a couple more weeks to mature.

08th August 2012

Noted that by the afternoon the fermentation had started nicely. Not as vigorous as the turbo cider. More a claim and orderly fizzing. The airlock is popping about once every two seconds.

Because it was so orderly, I topped up to the neck this evening so that assuming it doesn't have any bitter tastes to it, it should be ready to bottle once fermentation is finished.

16th August 2012

Bottled the ginger beer last night. This time round I primed the beer with 40g of sugar to provided a bit of fizz. The bottling went well. I was pleased I as only bottling 1 gallon of beer, the scale of anything larger would easily take a whole day to do where as I was done in a couple of hours.

Final Gravity: 1.002

Taste wasn't quite what I was hoping for. I was on the watery side with little noticeable ginger flavour. Alcoholic strength was about right. Overall once it mellows down, it will be a nice refreshing drink.

05th September 2012

Overall I am pleased with this brew. I would up the ginger and replace the sugar with malt. The carbonation is just right and chilled, it is a refreshing drink. Now to get it labelled.