Newbie First Brew - Ginger Beer

[Minesapint]

Hi thanks for taking a look.

I'm new to brewing but have made a few batches of ginger beer using root ginger, lemon, water, sugar and yeast fermented in 2L plastic bottles then experimented with rasberries, lemon balm, plums....

Have today tried using malt to make a beer like ginger beer. Now i'm no brewer, and i don't fancy kits. Nothing against them per say, but i don't eat processed food so why use a processed ready kit is my thinking. I'm sure they taste great, and are easy as pie, but i just want to do it my self.... That said, if it all goes belly up, i'll be reaching for a starter with my tail between my legs.

Anyway, i digress...

Recipe:
Root Ginger 160g
Molasses 200g
Light Brown Sugar 300g
Honey 100g (approx)
Light Malt 500g
Yeast (bakers) 4-5g
Water 5L

Before it's mentioned, i know i used baker's yeast nut yeast is yeast at the end of the day, but i'm open to oppinions on best types to use.

Nearly killed the yeast to start as the water was a touch on the hot side, but to my surprise, 2 hours later the brew was bubbling away nicely.

I have this fermenting in a glass demijohn just now and will movde to nexty step in a couple of days (i think).

I have no idea what the OG is as i still need to get a testing tube and figure out how to use the hydrometer and what it all means.

Will update in a few days but any comments, queries or criticisms are equally welcomed and encouraged.

:

 

[Dunfie]

Hope it goes well.

Its worth experimenting with the yeast. There is a reason that brewers don't use bread yeast and it isn't because we are fussy. I made a turbo cider using Allinsons bread yeast a few years ago, my only ever TC, and lets just say it smelt "bready". Brewers yeast is perfect for fermenting the sugars from the mash (or in your case in the DME) to provide us with the flavours we expect from a beer. Bakers yeast does the same for bread.

So next time you are at the LHBS get yourself some ale yeast and try that and see what difference it makes.

 

[Minesapint]

Thanks for the comments Dunfi.

I take note of your point about the yeast and will see what it tastes like in a few weeks. Have to say it didn't make any difference to my previous gingerbeer recipes though. Think i'll get some ale yeast as suggested and make the same again to see what the difference is as i need to go back to get some more supplies anyway.

Cheers

 

[nuggitmv]

get some safe ale 04 it a good all rounder :

 

[nuggitmv]

make some notes on it as by time the next ones done it will be like :wha: what was it like

 

[simonkidder]

Well in new to brewing and I've started my first ever batch of ginger cider. Recepe is


Ginger cider

1 ltr ginger cordial
500ml ginger and apple cordial
3kg sugar
7 ltr apple juice
1 1/2 spoons tanning
Splash glycerine
2tspn nutrition 
1 tspn citric acid
Champagne yeast

SG 1.080

I wanted to make it around 8% but I miss calculated the sugar content and added a little to much so it's going to be more like 10.5%. But s*it happens. I'll know for next time. I admire the fact your using fresh ginger. I went for the lazy route of cordial cos it didn't have any preservatives. Mine hasn't even started to bubble yet. Hopefully will be by tomorrow.

Keep me posted

Happy brewing

 

[Minesapint]

Thanks Nugget, that has now been added to my list for price and review comparisons. Reads well though as a good all round and fast fermenter which is handy but a lot pricier than my Alisons tin for 98p :? but i'll try a sachet for experiment's sake.

Simon sounds like a fruity number. Is the ingredients a product of your imagination or is it a recipe you know worked? I like the idea of trying to think what goes together to make a nice brew. Bit like balancing ingredient to produce a nice meal. A theory i used to start mixing cocktails which turns out is a good theory to follow, nuch to my wife's satisfaction.

I've opted for the natural route purely for the reason we cook all our food from scratch so wanted to do the same for brewing, however, using ready made juices or kits will no doubt give you a more consistent end product. Really interested to see how you get on and any problems you have and overcome. Good to learn from eachothers mistakes on forums like this i think.

Hope it starts bubbling soon. Mine started within a few hours, but thought i had killed the yeast to strart as i didn't take temp before addind and glass demijohn was hot to touch. Seems to have done the trick though. Bloody forgot to take the SG before adding yeast though so have no idea what the ABV will be in the end. If it's 5% i'll be happy for a first time but won't know until i tan a few bottle.

Good luck though and feel free to update your course in here

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[simonkidder]

It's just a made up recipe to be honest. I worked on the fact that the ginger cordial said it makes up ten pints when diluted so I added the three bottles to make it 30 pints worth then topped up with apple juice so hopefully it will have a nice ginger taste with out going over the top. I'll keep everyone up dated

 

[Minesapint]

Ok it's been a week now and thinkn about next steps.... i've confused myself with mountains of forum reading and don't know what i'm doing.

I want to clear the beer as best i can prior to bottling, so:
1) Do i leave it in 1st FV for FG to become stable? (currently 1 bubble every 36 seconds now)
2) Do i syphon to 2nd FV to 'clean up' by itself, or, add gelatine as fining? and if i do, do i batch prime now and/or when bottling?
3) Do i just pick either of the above and go with it as they will both work as well as each other?

Off to pick up my bottles and take the wean to softplay :party: so will check the OG when i get back

cheers