This Monday I tried to replicate the ginger beer from the very first attempt.
Brew date: 28/08/2023
| The Ginger Beer (4.5% ABV) “The Curie Concoction” |
| NOTE!!! * Refrigerate the Ginger and Apple for 24 hours soaked in brandy before starting the boil – no need to sanitise, as it gets pasteurised! To make 23 Litre Brew have on hand: Before the Boil: * in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of brandy, soak the ginger and apple for 24 hours in the fridge For the Boil * 1 x Brigalow Home Brew Ginger Beer Kit (includes yeast and nutrients) * 1500 grams dextrose (The bag said 2KG but my scale said 1.5…. Gravity backs up my scale) * 500g lactose (Had just under two cups, all I had in the pantry) * Boil for 40 minutes After the boil, to be added in the pasteurise/steep step: * 200g of sliced/grated ginger, (soaked in brandy overnight – ended up being about 60 hours) * 1 x Granny Smith Apple, thinly slices (also in the brandy overnight – didn’t have smitten again) * 3 x Tablespoons of Vanilla Extract Managed to find the same molassess, I think this was the magic ingredient. Added about 1/4 a jar. I also used a Flocculation tablet from Mangrove jacks. I really enjoyed this being a clear beverage, rather than cloudy. Before Bottling At the dry-hop stage, will add 8tsp of Stevia. Do not overdo it! |
I bothered the start the yeast with it’s nutrients and some Dry Malt Extract (about 1 tbsp). I’m not very confident it has started as normally with the beer yeasts I see it start to froth – this didnt. That said, it’s been on the shelf a while so maybe the yeast will take a bit to wake up. If no action in a bit, I’ve got other yeast I can pitch if needed.
The fermenter has a normal airlock as I’ve given up on Plaato, and the ginger beer has the temperature sensor. It’s currently set to 20.2 degrees, to keep it between that and 21.5 degrees.
Remember not to pull these out too early, and also, under-sugar them when carbonating! We don’t want a repeat of January 2022.
The SG of the ginger beer was: 1.047 at 30 degrees, (normalised at 1.049 for 20degrees, maths!)
Expected FG of 1.013, which should be about 4.73% (somewhere between 1.011, 4.4% and 1.015, 4.99%)
Last time the ginger beer took over a month to ferment, so if I check it towards the end of September for final readings and bottling, but we’ll play it by ear.
Once I take the final gravity reading, that’s when I should add the stevia – no more than 8 just-below-level teaspoons of stevia was the sweet spot (haha) last time. Also, we had success putting in “half” sugar doses, which I think is wise to do again for safer carbonation.
| Date | Gravity Reading | Notes |
| 28/08/2023 | 1.047 @ 30 Degrees C | Flavor is good. The right rich fruits and depth of sweetness. Great vanilla notes. Not cloying or heavy. |
| 03/09/2023 | not taken | Changed temp floating point to 23.0 degrees |
| 07/09/2023 | 1.015 @ 22 Degrees C | Quick taste, it’s about right, if raw. |
| 20/09/2023 | 1.014 @ 22 Degrees C | Took readings in the last week to now, 1.014 or 1.013. |
Fingers crossed this time!
Update 03/09/2023: it began bubbling within 24 hours but was bubbling slowly. On the night of the 2nd I increased the temperature from 20.2 to 23.0 degrees celcius and today it’s bubbling along happily. The brigalow must require a higher temp.
Update 07/09/2023: It stopped bubbling so I turned it up to 24 and took a reading. Seems about done. That yeast really got to work when it got warm enough!
Update 20/09/2023: After a few more readings, and a few nights where I could not be fucked, we bottled. About 67 bottles, but I was pretty discerning once the sludge started coming in. I wanted this to be a clear batch. We bottled with half-sugar doses (I’d rather it be low-fizz than … bombs).
Things I forgot: So, I realised halfway through bottling that I forgot to remove the fruit and then add the artificial sweetener. The good news – the fruit did not rot, because the pasteurisation played it’s part. The bad news is that the bevs will likely be a little dry, so once again I have missed the mark on re-capturing the glory of that first batch. Next time I should put the sweetener on top of the fermenter so I don’t forget.
I’ve kept 3 bottles separate from the rest of the batch, labelled “1”, “2”, and “3” as the last 3 we filled – they were visibly cloudy compared to the rest, with “1” being the least and “3” being almost opaque. I’ll use those to taste test first. They’re in the tubs with the rest of them.
Batch should be ready to taste in 3-4 weeks (October 13th-20th, give or take). Full age in 2-3 months (November-December).
Update 13/10/2023: Verdict – Very Drinkable. Crystal Clear (except ginger coloured) with no haze. They are drier than I would have liked, but still a good flavour. The fizz is barely there, which is better than bottle bombs. We’ll see how they are in a few weeks/months but I think it should remain fine. Ready in time for Halloween!
Next time, if I remember to do the Stevia, we should be in business.