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

[MrC]

With these kind of ginger beers the yeast is only there for carbonation. The trick is to get the beers cold as soon as the carbonation level get into the right ball park. I do do this based on a "squeeze test". It's very unscientific but I reckon I've become quite good at measuring carbonation levels by simply squeezing PETs. Wait until a "good squeeze" indicates that the bottle is "firm", similar to your average pale ale after two weeks bottle conditioning and then, put it in the fridge. They do tend to keep on carbonating slowly in the fridge so don't be afraid to give it odd light purge to maintain that "firm" status.

[jt]

I probably left it a day too long then, thanks Mr Cherry.

Looks like a rebrew real soon

[Matthew]

Bottle was a lot firmer than I was expecting this morning. I maintain that T-58 is a monster...

[MrC]

I'll brewing one in the few days too.

Another thing about these beers is that because there is no real fermentation occurring, the flavours don't really change in the bottle. This means that you can play around with ingredients until it tastes just right before bottling. I wasn't sure what the cream of tartar was going to do to the flavor so I added it in small amounts tasting as I went. It was an interesting little exercise.

[Matthew]

Pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted, I think I was expecting something a bit 'artificial'. I could taste the cream of tartar a bit too much so maybe knock that back a bit and while it wasn't a gusher there was enough fizz to kick up all the yeast and bits on the bottom so I think fresh ginger next time. Don't mind a bit of yeast in the glass but crunchy ginger ain't a goer.

[jt]

That's why I strained through the muslin second batch Matthew
Mr Cherry maybe onto something with the pinch of gelatine too ..

[jt]

OK, GB MkII is firm and frigid - otherwise described as carbonated and in the beer fridge !

Lots less sediment, looks like mostly just yeast.
taste testing tomorrow afternoon

[MrC]

Mines in the fridge chilling ready for a sample tonight. The gelatine doesn't seem to have acheived anything yet. Plenty of easily swirling matter at the bottom. I'm thinking about letting it settle out and then decanting into another bottle for short term storage and serving.

[JR]

First attempt at a traditional scottish ale yesterday.

3.75kg Marris Otter
0.85 Roasted Barley

First 4L of runoff boiled for 40mins before the rest was added for 2 hour boil

21g EKG at 60mins

Scottish Ale yeast at 18deg.

This is all just part of the plan to grow yeast for a wee heavy later on which will be more or less the same ingredients but much more of them.

[JR]

opps that should be 0.085kg of Roasted Barley.

[Mike Neilson]

Compost the Hallertau and Perle and give me the EKG

[Martin Bridges]

You got whole hops past MAF?? How??