Smat's "Grown up" Brewed Ginger Beer

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Smat's "Grown up" Brewed Ginger Beer

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jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 09 4:46 pm Post subject: Smat's "Grown up" Brewed Ginger Beer

It's a recipe I took from a home brew site a couple of years ago and have played around with quantities and times to my taste, sweet & fiery. I have had one failure when the whole batch just
tasted of brewed sweet liquid, but I think that was a bad batch of ginger root, so it is worth tasting a bit before you start.

I have made some alterations to this recipe (shown in red) to the original, for a bit more of a 'grown
up' flavour.

Smatt's 'grown up' Brewed Ginger Beer

Ingredients (1Gal)
1 Lemon
500g Sugar
1 gal water
1 tsp dried yeast
300g fresh root ginger
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp cayenne pepper or any chili powder (optional, but I like my ginger beer fiery).

Method
1 gal water in large pot and on the heat
While the water is heating;
Zest and juice the lemon
Coarse grate the ginger after scraping off the grey outer layer, it seems to reduce the 'earthy' flavour
and give a cleaner flavour.
When the water is boiling, chuck everything in (not the yeast!) and simmer for 15 mins and turn the heat off and leave to cool overnight. This infuses all the tastes.
Next day, start the yeast in half a glass of tepid water with a pinch of sugar.
Warm (25-30 C ish) the mixture and stir in the yeast.

Once the ferment has started, strain the liquid into a demijohn and allow the ferment to progress to about 30 bubbles/min. This has taken me between 24 and 48 hrs depending on temperature as well as some other things that I don't understand!

This is the bit that makes it a bit more 'grown up' . If you leave it to ferment a bit longer, it gets a higher alcohol content, but looses some sweetness (the heat doesn't seem to change). Tastes beery, as my OH says.

Bottled after 24-48hrs and left at room temp for 24hrs to build pressure give a really good fizz (then put in the fridge to slow things down)

You just have to be a bit careful when opening as some bottles will behave themselves and some will soak your world!

I can't take any responsibility for exploding bottles etc.. etc.., but can say that it has been fun
messing around with the original recipe, tasting the differences and despite having soaked the
ceiling and walls on many occasion, there is always a batch on the go in our house.

M.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 09 5:45 pm Post subject:
We use the standard ginger beer plant method. Not so "grown up" in alcohol content but still a great drink.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 09 1:55 pm Post subject:
I will have to give this a try when I get a demijohn.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 09 2:51 pm Post subject:

RichardW wrote:

We use the standard ginger beer plant method. Not so "grown up" in alcohol content but still a great drink.

Is it alcohol free? I could drink gallons of ginger beer from shops if allowed. Don't want the alcohol.

Did I really type that?

mark

Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 09 4:14 pm Post subject: Re: Smat's "Grown up" Brewed Ginger Beer

Jamanda wrote:

I make somethign similar - but instead of bottling i put it in home brew beer barrel (usually 2 gal) - it usually ferment to being quite dry and a bit alcoholic but not to much - tis great for slurping on summer days working in the garden

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Mon Sep 28, 09 4:37 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

Is it alcohol free? I

Did I really type that?

No. Its still brewed.

The amount would be very low but not none.

9641roger

Joined: 18 Oct 2009
Posts: 1

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 09 6:40 pm Post subject:
I have tried making my first adult ginger beer;it is now bottled and I am crossing my fingers!!! As a retired publican and a complete chilli head-it sounds great!!! I have put a sliver of fresh Dorset Naga chilli in one of the bottles-in addition to the chilli powder in the brew!!!

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 09 9:50 pm Post subject:
Sounds like it will clear your sinuses if nothing else. Welcome to the forum - let us know how it goes

gunners71uk

Joined: 13 Oct 2009
Posts: 102
Location: notts

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 09 6:00 am Post subject:
sounds like one for me to try too cheers

JimShortz

Joined: 24 May 2014
Posts: 1

Posted: Sat May 24, 14 12:57 am Post subject: Very similar, but simpler

That looks a lot like my preferred recipe, but my recipe doesn't require the peeling or grating of the ginger; rather a quick bashing and chopping. You can see a video of it being made at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m9cF2freSf4

I agree wholeheartedly with the fairly large quantity of ginger and the brewing overnight to infuse flavours. For my taste, and that of my friends who've shared my brews, it is, however, a mistake to strain into the fermenting vessel. You get a much fuller bodied taste if you leave everything in during the ferment.

Enjoy!

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Sat May 24, 14 9:13 am Post subject:
I've got a batch on the go. Due to life getting in the way it spent a week in the demijon. Wondering how it will turn out.

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