LeadDog Posted October 8, 2006 Report Share Posted October 8, 2006 First a word of caution this recipe uses sugar and yeast and if you don't watch out you will make alcohol. The longer you let it get away from you the more alcohol that will be made. 1 Gallon of water (Use good water if you can) 2 Large Lemons 0.2 pounds of Ginger (makes about one cup loosely packed when grated) 2 Cups of Sugar 5 grams of wine yeast (Pasteur Red) 1 Cinnamon Stick or a few Cloves (Optional) While bringing the gallon of water to boil make Lemon Zest from the two lemons and add it to the water. Lemon zest is made by grating the yellow part of the rind of the lemon with a fine grater, leave the white part of the rind. Grate the ginger and add it to the water. Squeeze the lemons and add to the water, about 1/2 cup of juice. Add the cinnamon stick or a few cloves to the water. When the water boils add 2 cups of sugar. Make sure the sugar dissolves and remove the cooking pot from the heat. Options for you to try is to change the amounts of ginger, sugar, and lemon juice, adjust to your taste. Let the brew cool for about one hour. I took about 1/3 of a cup from the brew and made sure the liquid was only luke warm to my touch and add the yeast to this liquid. Let the yeast sit in this liquid for about an hour and then pour it into the main pot of brew. Cover the brew and let it sit 12 hour/ over night in a warm place . Strain the solids from the brew and put the liquid in plastic bottles. I like the plastic sport drink bottles with wide mouths. Leave them in a warm place until the bottle get rock hard from the pressure inside of them. My batch was done in 36 hours after inoculation with the yeast. The yeast now needs to be deactivated and the fastest way to do this is to chill them, put them into the fridge. Check the bottles after they have chilled down to see if they are still rock hard. You can take them out and warm them up if they are soft. The yeast will become active again if it warms up. Drink one if it is still rock hard. Enjoy your fine drink. The Ginger Beer will turn clear if you leave it in the fridge for a while with the sediment collecting on the bottom of the bottle. Important notes: Yeast and sugar will make alcohol if the yeast is left to ferment long enough. Yeast likes a warm environment but not a hot one try not to go over 95°F or you will start to kill the yeast off. Don't use glass bottles for your brew they can blow up. The plastic bottles will hold 60 to 80 PSI. Here is a link for you to read if you want to know more. http://www.leeners.com/rootbeer.html I don't agree with his comment about alcohol being made because yeast doesn't always make alcohol when there is sugar present. It takes the yeast a while to "Grow Up" before it will make alcohol. I'm going to take some of my Ginger Beer to work and test it for alcohol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkchop Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 maybe a stupid question, but i'm diabetic. can this be done sugar free? does yeast eat maltitol (sugar alcohol) like sugar? also, doesn't everything have to be sanitized, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeadDog Posted October 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2006 You know I have never thought about doing this sugar free. Yeast as far as I know don't utilize maltitol. You could make the brew with maltitol and artificially carbonate it. I think you might try just making Ginger Beer with maltitol and pouring it over ice just to see if you like the stuff first. I cleaned everything up really well before I made the Ginger Beer so yes it was sanitized. Here are a couple of other flavor variations that can be tried. Instead of using White Cane Sugar use other sources of sugar. Next time I think I'm going to use honey. It will add a nice flavor to the brew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeadDog Posted October 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2006 maybe a stupid question' date=' but i'm diabetic. can this be done sugar free?[/quote'] You know this is one of the things I like about this place it gives people a chance to think outside the box. PorkChop I'm going to try to do the Ginger Beer sugar free. I'm going to do this by using the CO2 from a malolactic fermentaion. We do this fermentation all of the time at the winery so I have the means to figure out if this works like I think it does. This is going to take a while to do and verify so hopefully in a month or so I will have an answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkchop Posted October 10, 2006 Report Share Posted October 10, 2006 lesson for everybody else in the room; you see how us TEXTURED kk guys stick together?? thanks alot leaddog! that would be cool if it works. i really like ginger and think that it would be a great tonic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeadDog Posted October 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 Ok did a variation on my recipe and it was really good. Instead of sugar I used honey. Yummy! 48 hours and I have a batch of Ginger Beer done. Now at work I tell the people I'm doing yeast viability tests and they are not complaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeadDog Posted October 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 Ok I'm wiping the egg off of my face. The alcohol in the Ginger Beer made with honey was 1.09%. Just goes to show you can't trust everything you read and hear. The Ginger Beer with Honey was inoculated and then placed in the fridge 24 hours later. This is really a short amount of time for fermenting. Today this batch is even better there were a couple a variations I made on the original recipe that if anyone wants to try then here is the documentation. I replaced the sugar with 2 cups of Honey I used 3 Lemons for the Lemon Zest and Juice this time. 2 Cinnamon sticks instead of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted October 14, 2006 Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 Nah, not egg, just yeast excrement...er...alcohol! -=Jasen=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted October 14, 2006 Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 Ok did a variation on my recipe and it was really good. Instead of sugar I used honey. Yummy! 48 hours and I have a batch of Ginger Beer done. Now at work I tell the people I'm doing yeast viability tests and they are not complaining. With that alcohol in it, no wonder it tasted so good, and the work folks are complaining! You're givin em a "workday buzz"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Wow, this thread is an oldie but goody. There is a great restaurant in Alexandria, VA called Restaurant Eve (one of the top 10 in the Washington Metro area, which is saying a lot) that makes its own Ginger Beer, and it is really tasty. I've been drinking Ginger Beer for many moons. I got started with a drink my dad used to favor, called a Moscow Mule. It was popularized in the 50's by Smirnoff as a marketing ploy. The drink is supposed to be served in a copper mug --- Smirnoff sold them in liquor stores, and they had a kicking mule etched into the copper. I have a vintage set that I found on EBay, plus a more modern set. The drink is really simple: vodka, fresh lime juice, ginger beer, lots of ice. The copper mug "sweats", so you have to drink them down fast before you make a big mess. They are also very sneaky, and you can get snockered PDQ. I think that's how Mom & Dad hooked up! Lately I've been drinking my own variation, substituting Bacardi Limon rum for the vodka. Smoooooooooooooth! I really like Barritt's from Bermuda, as it is pretty mild. The local Bermuda variant is called a "Dark & Stormy", made with dark rum (read Gosling'a Black Seal). Some brands are overly spicy, and will make your lips numb. Stewart's (of the root beer and cream soda fame) makes a wicked one, as does D&G (Jamaica). Reed's (also Jamaican) makes two varieties, one that is extremely mild. Bundaberg's from Australia is also very nice, but hard to find in the U.S. Now I just have to learn how to make my own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kravnh Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Hitman, I agree with you about the Barritt's, but I can't find it here (don't know if it's avail. in the US). I enjoy an occasional Dark & Stormy, but the Stewart's, which is all I can find in NH, is so spicy that it gives me heartburn. So the Gosling's Black Seal just sits on the shelf, mocking me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 I'm a fan of Vernor's ginger soda. It's much more spicy than a traditional ginger ale. More like a ginger beer. I like it. It's been available only in the mid-west, until recently. It's originally a Detroit product, I think. But my local Weggies had it a few weeks ago! Imagine that. YAY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted August 5, 2009 Report Share Posted August 5, 2009 Hitman' date=' I agree with you about the Barritt's, but I can't find it here (don't know if it's avail. in the US). I enjoy an occasional Dark & Stormy, but the Stewart's, which is all I can find in NH, is so spicy that it gives me heartburn. So the Gosling's Black Seal just sits on the shelf, mocking me... [/quote'] Stewarts, D&G, and Goya (Puerto Rico) are all nasty, wicked spicy -- will numb your lips like novocain. Barritt's is much more civilized, slightly on the sweet side. They also have a pineapple flavored ginger beer, but I've never tried it. You can order Barritt's on the internet from Beverages Direct, @ $26.99 per case (cans), plus shipping. Here's a link: http://www.beveragesdirect.com/detail-1 ... asp?aid=15 Same site offers Vernor's ginger ale, Sioux City ginger beer, and others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scouterpf Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 The add for Vernor's was (Vernor's -- va va voom!) I agree with Sanny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 I tried using a few chiles in mine, but it makes my lips smart! What am I doing wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Tried some Saranac ginger beer this weekend. It's on the mild side, slightly sweet, very foamy. Had it with some Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay brand Key Lime rum. Very nice mix. In fact, I may have to go make myself one right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majestik Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Heh That looks like hot sauce, Syzy. What was your recipe/technique? I've been considering doing rootbeer with the kids, since I inherited a home brewing kit last month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted September 19, 2009 Report Share Posted September 19, 2009 That looks like hot sauce, Syzy. What was your recipe/technique? Answer in a new thread: Fermenting Hot Sauce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomahawk66 Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 I'm confused with all this talk of alcohol... To me that's the bonus: alcoholic ginger beer... Perfect!! And as for the dark &a stormy or Moscow mule, I recently had a 'Kentucky mule" made with bourbon instead of vodka: puurrfect! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poochie Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 You might want to start a new thread on this tomahawk. This one is 6 years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
