Ginger "beer" help wanted

[Zambi]

So, I've brewed a ginger concoction a number of times.
Very simple, just ginger, water, lemons, sugar and yeast.
And yeast nutrients
ABV of 4-5%

Obviously, because it's just plain sugar for the yeast to eat, it turns out quite dry.
I would like it a bit sweeter, but I'm not aiming to brew a beer with ginger taste (thats for another time)
I can add sorbitol, but I was thinking of keeping mostly to my existing recipe, but adding a limited amount of base malt, mashed at a fairly high temperature, like 69 oC (156 F), maybe even 70 oC (158 F) to create some unfermentable sugars.
Still adding sugar
Does that sound like an option?
I wanna brew tomorrow

 

[Sunfire96]

I wonder if you could add campden tablets when you hit your preferred final gravity? The potassium/sodium metabisulfite should kill yeast activity.

 

[Zambi]

I don't have those...
Not needed with my water

 

[Donoroto]

So, I've brewed a ginger concoction a number of times.
Very simple, just ginger, water, lemons, sugar and yeast.
And yeast nutrients
ABV of 4-5%

Obviously, because it's just plain sugar for the yeast to eat, it turns out quite dry.
I would like it a bit sweeter, but I'm not aiming to brew a beer with ginger taste (thats for another time)
I can add sorbitol, but I was thinking of keeping mostly to my existing recipe, but adding a limited amount of base malt, mashed at a fairly high temperature, like 69 oC (156 F), maybe even 70 oC (158 F) to create some unfermentable sugars.
Still adding sugar
Does that sound like an option?
I wanna brew tomorrow

Unfermentable sugars from a few hundred grams of grain, perhaps just added to the boil, will add some sweetness.

 

[Zambi]

Thanks
You mean like seeping?
Never done that before.
I was going to use 400 gr pale ale malt and mash (for an 8 litre batch) Was al set to mill them, then found mill and shelving infested with termites
Cleaned the mill, cleaned the shelves, sprayed with doom.
Plan is to brew tomorrow, at least then all residual spray effect will have gone

 

[Donoroto]

Thanks
You mean like seeping?
Never done that before.
I was going to use 400 gr pale ale malt and mash (for an 8 litre batch) Was al set to mill them, then found mill and shelving infested with termites
Cleaned the mill, cleaned the shelves, sprayed with doom.
Plan is to brew tomorrow, at least then all residual spray effect will have gone

Mashing at 75 or 100 gives the same result: unfermentable sugars, since the enzymes are damaged. So save a step and try dumping the grain into the boil instead.

Doom? Good name for an insecticide.

 

[Sunfire96]

I don't have those...
Not needed with my water

Campden isn't just for treating water. It's used by wine makers for the purpose I stated above

 

[Zambi]

Campden isn't just for treating water. It's used by wine makers for the purpose I stated above

K
Still don't have them though

I did use sulfite in my wine making days if I had to. But preferred not to.

@Donoroto
I biab.
My current recipe just brings a limited amount of water to the boil to disinfect ginger and whatever additions.
Maybe 15 minutes.
Would that be long enough to steep grains? How 'bout DMS?

 

[Donoroto]

K
Still don't have them though

I did use sulfite in my wine making days if I had to. But preferred not to.

@Donoroto
I biab.
My current recipe just brings a limited amount of water to the boil to disinfect ginger and whatever additions.
Maybe 15 minutes.
Would that be long enough to steep grains? How 'bout DMS?

Hm. Maybe I misunderstsnd.

You add grain to a bag, then put it in hot water. Maybe 65 C? Let it sit for a time, then remove the bag (with grain). Ok so far?

Then what do you do? Boil the remaining liquid (maybe with hops in) for 15 minutes? Or something else??

 

[Zambi]

Now I am confused as well

I have never seeped grains. So my question was how long you should seep them at what temp and if the resulting solution needs to be boiled to avoid dms.
Basically "how does seeping grains work"

My current recipe uses no grains. Just ginger, water, sugar and yeast. I bring a bit of water with sugar to the boil and add ginger. Then add room temp water and pitch yeast. It all doesnt take much time.

My idea was to mash some malt at about 69°C for an hour. Boil the wort for something like I do for beer, maybe a little shorter. Add sugar and ginger to the boil.
Cool & pitch yeast.
With the high mash temp, I should have some unfermentable sugars.

 

[GDubs]

I just attempted a fermented ginger ale using a ginger bug starter and US-05 as a "control" .... long story short, my lactobacillus culture didnt produce the fizz I was hoping for.
That being said, the 64oz fermented with US-05 turned out nicely carbonated but very dry as you described. I have yet to find a non fermentable sugar that I like so to make up for this, I just back sweetened, in the glass, with a little simple syrup.
Im going to continue to work on my ginger ale recipe. The ginger bug versions (4 day ferment, 8 day ferment, 12 ferment) all had plenty of sweetness plus a little extra earthiness that I liked, but lacked the carbonation. I will see if I get better results when the warmer weather gets here. Otherwise, I will stick with the back sweetened US-05 version.

 

[Donoroto]

Now I am confused as well

I have never seeped grains. So my question was how long you should seep them at what temp and if the resulting solution needs to be boiled to avoid dms.
Basically "how does seeping grains work"

My current recipe uses no grains. Just ginger, water, sugar and yeast. I bring a bit of water with sugar to the boil and add ginger. Then add room temp water and pitch yeast. It all doesnt take much time.

My idea was to mash some malt at about 69°C for an hour. Boil the wort for something like I do for beer, maybe a little shorter. Add sugar and ginger to the boil.
Cool & pitch yeast.
With the high mash temp, I should have some unfermentable sugars.

What I was getting at was, 69C or 100C will have the same result. So add grain, sugar and ginger, boil it, cool & pitch yeast. Easy peasy.

 

[GFHomebrew]

if you want to add grains I found this a tasty ginger beer

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/828285/ginger-ninger

 

[Zambi]

What I was getting at was, 69C or 100C will have the same result. So add grain, sugar and ginger, boil it, cool & pitch yeast. Easy peasy.

So you boil with the grains in the boil?
Does it still need an hour boil?
I thought some conversion was still taking place up to 72 oC, hence the hot mash idea

 

[Zambi]

if you want to add grains I found this a tasty ginger beer

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/828285/ginger-ninger

Something like that is also still on the cards

 

[Donoroto]

So you boil with the grains in the boil?
Does it still need an hour boil?
I thought some conversion was still taking place up to 72 oC, hence the hot mash idea

The thought is that the sugars will convert, but not as fermentable sugars.

But I may be mistaken here. I frequently am.

 

[Zambi]

I ended up going experimental, and in the process may gave tumbled on a nice alcohol free recipe as well as the "wort" tasted amazing, just way too sweet

I started with heating 6 litre water, when it hit 60 oC, I added 400 gr extra pale ale in a biab bag, hanging off the bottom of the pot.
Put heat low and it was close to boiling in 30 minutes, which is when I pulled the grains out and added 5 gr strisselspalt hop + 4 small sliced limes
After 15 minutes, 45 gr ginger + 500 gr sugar
After another 15 minutes (flame out): 45 ginger + 5 gr same hop
(Total boil 30 minutes).
Quick cool. Added 2 litre cold water and everything into fermenter with kveik Voss.
Should end up at ABV of about 5.5%

I took a sample just at flame out (refractometer) to decide on dilution.
This sample tasted great!
So next experiment will be identical, but with half the sugar (or less).
No yeast, just cooling, then into keg and onto CO2 for an alcohol free version

 

[The Brew Mentor]

I ended up going experimental, and in the process may gave tumbled on a nice alcohol free recipe as well as the "wort" tasted amazing, just way too sweet

I started with heating 6 litre water, when it hit 60 oC, I added 400 gr extra pale ale in a biab bag, hanging off the bottom of the pot.
Put heat low and it was close to boiling in 30 minutes, which is when I pulled the grains out and added 5 gr strisselspalt hop + 4 small sliced limes
After 15 minutes, 45 gr ginger + 500 gr sugar
After another 15 minutes (flame out): 45 ginger + 5 gr same hop
(Total boil 30 minutes).
Quick cool. Added 2 litre cold water and everything into fermenter with kveik Voss.
Should end up at ABV of about 5.5%

I took a sample just at flame out (refractometer) to decide on dilution.
This sample tasted great!
So next experiment will be identical, but with half the sugar (or less).
No yeast, just cooling, then into keg and onto CO2 for an alcohol free version

looks good, let us know how it comes out

 

[The Brew Mentor]

I wonder if you could add campden tablets when you hit your preferred final gravity? The potassium/sodium metabisulfite should kill yeast activity.

Shock the yeast, yes, but it won't kill them. In a small period of time, they'll get busy again. Now if you add it with sorbate, that's a different story.