What are you brewing?

[nzbrewer]

Since this is the most popular thread on the RealBeer.co.nz forum I thought I would start it here just to see what happens

[jt]

Yea, but I want to have a couple myself - i don't want the kids creating havoc while I snooze off ...

[Stu H]

Haha!

[MrC]

I brewed a ginger beer with my kids and it went down quite well. It was a little on the sweet side for me but the kids didn't mind. Maybe a little less sugar next time or a little more acid to balance it.

Here's the recipe I used for a 3L batch:

250g Sugar
1 Tbsp dried ginger powder
0.5 Tbsp Cream of tartar
Juice of one lemon
S33

Bottled on Sunday arvo, bottled were hard on Tuesday morning so moved them into the fridge. Had to give them the occasional purge as we drank them over the following two weeks.

[Matthew]

What quantities of yeast have you guys been using? Might have to give these a go :)

[MrC]

I used 0.5tsp of dried yeast and rehydrated it before pitching.

[Chris Banks]

My favourite GB recipe for 20 odd years Has a good ginger taste and not to sweet very low/no alc
40g root ginger
1.75L water
150g sugar
juice of half a lemon
1 heaped tspn cream of tartar
1/2 tsp yeast
3 teaspoons eggwhite

Bruise Ginger boil 20 min in water,strain add and dissolve sugar/lemon juice
cool to pitching temp add cream of tartar yeast and egg white
Ferment 48 hrs and bottle chill bottles straight away once they are carbed!!!

[jt]

Egg white - is that a clearing agent ? And cream of tartar is common to both your recipes, what's that do or ad ?

Looks like the cup of sugar is on the high side for the volume I've got - and it said 'add more if you like it sweet' !

The bottle is almost firm enough to say 'ready', I'll give it one more day the pop in the fridge

cheers chaps, thanks for the feedback

[MrC]

My understanding is that the cream of tartar provides tartaric acid and that the acid combats the sweetness similar to how bitterness does only with different tastes. I believe wine makers try get the right balance of acidity and sweetness (among other things) in the same way that brewers balance bitteress and sweetness (among others things). Ginger beer is probably more like wine in that respect.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[jt]

Hey, the bottle was rock hard this morning, popped it in the beer fridge and it was nice & cold by opening time - 6.30pm

The 1/2" of sediment helped create the gusher I'm sure, most of it ended up in the first glass.
The rest wasn't bad, but after I looked at the glasses 10 minutes later there was a nice fine layer of ginger gunk in the glass, maybe strain better next time ?

And possibly less sugar ?

All three girls (the rabbit didn't get any) thought it tasted great.

looks like a work in progress and any tips on fermentation and conditioning appreciated !

[Matthew]

Alrighty, that was the easiest brew day yet:

1.25L (test batch)
125gm sugar
Tbsp of ground ginger
Juice of half a lemon
1Tsp Cream of tartar
T-58 yeast (had some open)

Next batch I'll use fresh ginger.

[Chris Banks]

My understanding of the eggwhites is they acted as a heading agent but could be wrong?
I do know if you put them in before its cooled properly they cook! mmm egg floatys

[jt]

All the recipes above seem to be way less, say half the sugar, and half the lemon and ginger than I had

I reckon this had a really good flavour, but I'm wondering about
a) the amount of ingredients I'm using especially the sugar and
b) being a gusher on opening.

Any tips for conditioning and not getting a gusher