Fiery Ginger Beer

[Jamjar1982]

Well I can't really comment on the recipe as I'm not making the original from the beginning of the thread, but mine is basically the same just with different sugars, spices and yeast (so may be nothing like it?!)I assume you were going for a bottle 'conditioned' fizzy beer? I'm not going to clear it but I'm not sure At what point I have enough/ too much yeast in suspension before priming and bottling? What do you think? It has always cleared in bottle for me previously when using champagne yeast (I have cleared and re pitched with 1g all other times except this one) and I may be right in thinking that the ale yeast I'm using will clear well anyway.. Usually I use clear PET bottles but this time I have acquired a crap load of brown swing top bottles from the local pub so I won't be able to see inside. Give it a month and I'm sure it will all be ok! (Sorry essay)

 

[SwissBrew]

Well I can't really comment on the recipe as I'm not making the original from the beginning of the thread, but mine is basically the same just with different sugars, spices and yeast (so may be nothing like it?!)I assume you were going for a bottle 'conditioned' fizzy beer? I'm not going to clear it but I'm not sure At what point I have enough/ too much yeast in suspension before priming and bottling? What do you think? It has always cleared in bottle for me previously when using champagne yeast (I have cleared and re pitched with 1g all other times except this one) and I may be right in thinking that the ale yeast I'm using will clear well anyway.. Usually I use clear PET bottles but this time I have acquired a crap load of brown swing top bottles from the local pub so I won't be able to see inside. Give it a month and I'm sure it will all be ok! (Sorry essay)

I did the original recipe and mine is almost perfectly clear after 2 weeks in the bottle (2weeks in FV). It doex however still smell slightly yeast which might be because i used champagne yeast so i probably should let it mature more.
I have another batch on with ale yeast to compare so we'll see how it turns out.

I'm never sure either how much suspended yeast is too much/little. I guess it takes very little to bottle condition?

 

[Jamjar1982]

I. Shouldn't have thought it takes a lot.. The amount of sugar required is less than 100g for a 2.5 co2 rise. Guess the less there is the longer it may take, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Less sediment too. Will just see how it goes. I can't say I have ever had a problem with a yeast smell and I usually use ec111 champagne yeast. I'm sure any smell will go soon enough. It Definatly improves with a bit of age imo.

 

[SwissBrew]

Time and patience they say. Let us know how it matures :thumb:

 

[Jamjar1982]

Will do! And you!:thumb::grin:

 

[GlentoranMark]

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?

I bottled mine also, no yeasty smell/ taste but a bit dry. I didn't back sweeten but I'll maybe try a canderel in a glass when I'm drinking it. I added 1kg of sugar instead of 500g doh! I boiled 7L of water so my brew ended up over 7%. It tastes delicious though.

I've just boiled up another 20L and pitched the trub from my last brew. I've went for the original recipe again but with 2 oranges, 1 lemon, 1 lime. I also only used 2kg sugar for a more sessionable brew.

Edit for my own records, this brew ended up at 1.044

 

[Jamjar1982]

I bottled mine also, no yeasty smell/ taste but a bit dry. I didn't back sweeten but I'll maybe try a canderel in a glass when I'm drinking it. I added 1kg of sugar instead of 500g doh! I boiled 7L of water so my brew ended up over 7%. It tastes delicious though.

I've just boiled up another 20L and pitched the trub from my last brew. I've went for the original recipe again but with 2 oranges, 1 lemon, 1 lime. I also only used 2kg sugar for a more sessionable brew.

Edit for my own records, this brew ended up at 1.044

This seems to be everyone's issue...the dryness. Perhaps we should attack this issue head on and chip in our 'top tips' on keeping the dryness at bay. Mine would be:

1) use brown sugar instead of white
2) use low attenuating yeast such as WLP011 yeast
3) include some sort of malt in the brew (not that I've used much but from what I can summise it can help with body and residual sugars when used with aforementioned ale yeast)

I would go so far as to say that to get a truly sweet and fizzy brew, you need to force carbonate in a keg.

N.B My understanding of beer brewing techniques etc is limited. This is just what I have picked up through making ginger beer and gathering useful info on tackling the issue. Apologies if it's off the mark. Please comment as it will help me and anyone else trying to achieve the same.

 

[Maricel]

What does the 'Cream of Tartar' do?

 

[GlentoranMark]

What does the 'Cream of Tartar' do?

Reading through this thread says it's to give mouthful or body to the brew.

I'll soon know as I forgot to add it to my first brew but added it yesterday.

I'd be scared to batch sweeten in case I added too much sweetener. When I try my first bottle in 2 weeks I'll try 1 canderel tablet and see how it tastes.

 

[SwissBrew]

I bottled mine also, no yeasty smell/ taste but a bit dry. I didn't back sweeten but I'll maybe try a canderel in a glass when I'm drinking it. I added 1kg of sugar instead of 500g doh! I boiled 7L of water so my brew ended up over 7%. It tastes delicious though.

I've just boiled up another 20L and pitched the trub from my last brew. I've went for the original recipe again but with 2 oranges, 1 lemon, 1 lime. I also only used 2kg sugar for a more sessionable brew.

Edit for my own records, this brew ended up at 1.044

I added some sweetener when I batch primed and it's turned out fine not too dry at all.

Really can't get my head around the yeasty smell though :-(

 

[gl0ckage]

Just an update i forgot to share with you all.
Recipe for Ginger Ale BIAB / All grain
ABV: 4.6%
Colour: 6.9 EBC
SG: 1.051
Boil Time 60 mins.
36L of water at 70 degrees with the added grains it should drop you to the step temp of 67 degrees.
Mash out 76 degrees over 7 mins.

450g Crystal malt 10L
450g Vienna Malt - OPTIONAL
700g Carapils / Dextrine
3Kg Pilsner 2 row (You can use mariss otter etc as a base)
150g Milk Sugar - Lactose
1kg Grated ginger root - Boil for 60 mins
1 cinnamon Stick - Boil for 60 mins
2 Oranges - Grate the skin then finely chop - Boil 5 mins
5g Saaz Hops - Boil 60 mins - OPTIONAL

WY~1056 Ale yeast.

If you are not using vienna malts up one of the other malts by 450g. I wouldn't recommend upping the crystal malt amounts.

This creates a beer that has a slight colouring thanks to the lactose and crystal malt 10L it keeps a sweetness which many people from the original recipe had to back sweeten.

Slight nose of Oranges, and mild flowers.

After moving to BIAB this is how I make all my ginger beers. Had nothing but great results.

 

[OxfordNick]

Ive got a strange not-fermenting issue with the batch I made up at the weekend, pretty much to the first post recipe - the first lot of wine yeast I pitched @26'c did nothing & the second batch of beer yeast @20'c has done nothing too ; the only thing I can think of is that its a bit cool at night in my kitchen (18-19'c) but ive never had an issue getting the fermentation going before - its certainly got enough sugar - 2.5 kg of soft brown.

Any ideas ? Im going to pick up some fresh yeast & make a starter this evening but perhaps Ive done something dumb along the way ?

 

[IainM]

Ive got a strange not-fermenting issue with the batch I made up at the weekend, pretty much to the first post recipe - the first lot of wine yeast I pitched @26'c did nothing & the second batch of beer yeast @20'c has done nothing too ; the only thing I can think of is that its a bit cool at night in my kitchen (18-19'c) but ive never had an issue getting the fermentation going before - its certainly got enough sugar - 2.5 kg of soft brown.

Any ideas ? Im going to pick up some fresh yeast & make a starter this evening but perhaps Ive done something dumb along the way ?

That sounds very odd. Mine fermented out, even using a dud batch of wine yeast that stuck of two consecutive WOWs. Assuming that you did this to 5 gallons and used the yeast nutrient, I'm stumped.

 

[gl0ckage]

Used cinnamon? Used the exact amount?

 

[OxfordNick]

Used cinnamon? Used the exact amount?

I might possibly have put enough in so that it smelt nice ... is that a bad thing ?

 

[Jamjar1982]

Ive got a strange not-fermenting issue with the batch I made up at the weekend, pretty much to the first post recipe - the first lot of wine yeast I pitched @26'c did nothing & the second batch of beer yeast @20'c has done nothing too ; the only thing I can think of is that its a bit cool at night in my kitchen (18-19'c) but ive never had an issue getting the fermentation going before - its certainly got enough sugar - 2.5 kg of soft brown.

Any ideas ? Im going to pick up some fresh yeast & make a starter this evening but perhaps Ive done something dumb along the way ?

How was the hygiene along the way? Did you use any campden tablets? Any idea what the pH is?

 

[OxfordNick]

How was the hygiene along the way? Did you use any campden tablets? Any idea what the pH is?

Hygiene was OK I think - No campden tablets & I cant find the ph test stuff (!) but I did just check the date on the yeast nutrient.. its a wee bit past it.. oh ok, I should have used it up in 2012. Given that & the possibly excessive use of cinnamon which it turns out kills yeast Ive invested in not-years-out-of-date nutrient + some new restart yeast, made up a starter bottle & will pitch it with more nutrient tomorrow. If that doesnt do the trick I guess it goes down the sink & I learn not to add things without understanding what they do !

Thanks all :-)

 

[Jamjar1982]

Hygiene was OK I think - No campden tablets & I cant find the ph test stuff (!) but I did just check the date on the yeast nutrient.. its a wee bit past it.. oh ok, I should have used it up in 2012. Given that & the possibly excessive use of cinnamon which it turns out kills yeast Ive invested in not-years-out-of-date nutrient + some new restart yeast, made up a starter bottle & will pitch it with more nutrient tomorrow. If that doesnt do the trick I guess it goes down the sink & I learn not to add things without understanding what they do !

Thanks all :-)

Well I had no idea about the cinnamon.... Every day is a school day! I'm sure everything will sort itself now.

 

[Jamjar1982]

Well my beer is bottled and fizzy, but won't clear... Been in bottle for 3 weeks now. Perhaps I'm just being impatient but I'm sure it didn't take this long before. Ho hum. Just have to forget about it for a month or so.

 

[gl0ckage]

I might possibly have put enough in so that it smelt nice ... is that a bad thing ?

Cinnamon is a yeast killer. Too much and your kill the yeast everytime. Unfortunately if you can't get it started its down to too much cinnamon.