Ginger Beer

[Dan]

Does anyone here have a recipe or process for a succesful non alcohol ginger beer using root ginger?

I started a couple of weeks ago with a kit, threw it in the kettle and added some lemons and about 100grams of root ginger for 10 minutes, 150 grams of sugar chilled decanted pitched the dry yeast supplied and bottled.

It came out ok, quite lemony with only a hint of ginger even with the additions, very mild, but quite drinkable.

Last weeks one was no kit, 1.3kg's of root ginger, a few lemons and water, enough honey to carbonate a projected 25 litres.
I boiled half of the ginger for 30 mins and boiled the other half for 10 minutes, chilled decanted pitched wyeast 1968 yeast and bottled 25 litres.

Its taking along time to carbonate, its fiercely gingery but thin and tasteless, like water with ginger in it, not a good outcome, im wondering how to leave residual sweetness to balance the ginger.
Ive read about these ginger beer plants, kinda like a yeast starter, it seemed unnecessary to me, when ive got gear to boil and ale yeasts to condition.

Any ideas?

[denimglen]

What about lactose?

I've never used it but it may be worth a shot if kegging isn't an option.

[studio1]

Was at the Waiheke brewery a few weeks back. They have a lovely non-alc ginger beer (non fermented) and the brewer told me they added plenty of powdered ginger to the brew. The brewer (name forgotten) was super froendly and gave up his recipe - although I can't quite remember it - perhaps you could make a call or email?

[Tony]

Alan Knight is his name. Their beers are sold around the traps, mainly Auckland, though. Alan has no secrets about his beer and is good with it.

[Rob Owen]

Did a very successful Ginger beer a few weeks back 22l batch. 3 kg sugar, 1 box Greigs dried Ginger, 25 lemons juice and zest, big knob of Ginger finely sliced, safale wheat yeast. Boiled ingedients in 28 litres water for 15 min put the lemon zest and Ginger in a stocking. Chilled as per beer, straight into a keg added 1 packet yeast fermented in about 4 days into the fridge. Has good carbonation and residual sweetness.

[Greig McGill]

Greigs dried Ginger

Good to see I've got into your muscle memory! ;)

[jt]

and Ginger in a stocking

Sounds like fun to start with, but ...

big knob of Ginger finely sliced

But, the bigger they are, the harder they fall ?

Sorry Rob, couldn't resist

[Rob Owen]

Come on let's not make fun of the ghingas especially those with big knobs in stockings.

[Rob Owen]

Damn you Greig McGill!

[Brendon]

Resurrecting this thread - I'm guessing you weren't giving the ginger beer to the kids. Wouldn't it be rather high in alcohol with 3kg of sugar?

B

[Chad Keven]

i did 2.7kg in a 5 gal batch and its about 4.5%

[Reviled]

Interesting, what youve got there looks like a beer and a ginger beer recipe mixed together... And to be honest, it actually looks pretty good... Im not sure what it would taste like tho??

Normally ginger beer is just heaps of ginger - root and dry, water, sugar, and sometimes lemon juice, its only occassionally I see malt in GB recipes, and never hops cos it will be way too bitter most likely?

I reckon give it a go Dominic, unless someone else chimes in and says itll be poison ;o)

[David Wood]

I posted it as dominic by accident... Totally not using Realbeer at work....