| Author | Message | ||
     David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1411 Registered: 4-2003 |
GINGER BEER RECIPE Enjoying a long, cold glass of ginger beer on the veranda in an Australian summer with the cicadas singing in the background is a fond memory for many. A loud explosion emanating from the kitchen cupboard in the middle of the night is a less romantic memory many of us have for ginger beer. However, please be reassured that a bottle of ginger beer need not become an explosive device if you keep strictly to the recipe. There are recipes that use yeast rather than the ginger beer plant used for this recipe however I am firmly of the opinion the resulting product is not as good as the one produced using this recipe. It is important to sterilise the containers and bottles as you would when making real beer to avoid off-tastes due to bacterial contamination. The items should be soaked for a minimum of 30 minutes and preferably longer in baby bottle sterilisation or Sodium metabisulphite solutions followed by at least 3 and preferably more very thorough rinses to ensure all residues are removed before use otherwise the beer will have a distinct taste of chemicals. MAKING THE PLANT 8 or 9 sultanas juice of 2 lemons 1 teaspoon lemon pulp 2 teaspoons ground ginger 4 teaspoons sugar 2 cups cold boiled water Add all the ingredients to a large screw top glass jar (use one large enough to hold three cups of water). Stir, screw on lid [to prevent air-borne bacteria from contaminating the plant] and leave in a warm place to ferment. In warm weather this takes approx three days, under cooler conditions five to six days. A little froth on the top of the mixture & tiny bubbles rising from the bottom of the jar indicate fermenting is taking place (this can be seen clearly by holding the bottle up to the light). Once fermentation begins, the plant must be fed with four teaspoons of sugar & two teaspoons of ginger every day for one week. (Do not miss a single day or the plant will die.) Once the week has passed, the plant is ready to use to make ginger beer. MAKING THE GINGER BEER 4 cups sugar 4 cups boiling water juice of 4 lemons (medium sized) 28 cups cold boiled water Into a sterilised bucket, place the sugar & boiling water, stir until sugar has dissolved, then add the lemon juice. Line a large strainer with muslin or cheesecloth. Strain the liquid from the ginger beer plant into the bucket. Gather up the edges of the cloth & squeeze dry. Set aside the residue (this will be used later to make a new ginger beer plant). Add the cold water to the bucket & stir well. Fill screw top bottles leaving a 2.5 – 3cm (1”) gap at the top of the bottle. Clean, dry plastic screw top bottles may also be used. This quantity makes approximately 10-12 bottles. Screw the tops on the bottles & store in a cool place to age for approximately two weeks before drinking. Divide the residue from the ginger beer plant in half and place in two jars (or throw one half away) Add two cups of cold water to each plant & feed as above. THE FERMENTATION PROCESS Careful monitoring and cleanliness during the fermentation process is the key to maximising the flavour & avoiding exploding bottles. The yeast occurring naturally on the surface of the sultanas increases as it feeds on the sugar in the plant mix. In the process, carbon dioxide is formed, carbonating the plant as well as producing a very small amount of alcohol. The sugar added to the plant & to the drink mixture itself, continues the fermentation process until the appropriate taste & degree of carbonation is achieved. If too much sugar is added to the mixture the number of yeast organisms will multiply dramatically, possibly causing the bottles to explode. Exploding bottles tend to be more common in recipes using bakers yeast (rather than sultanas). If problems with exploding bottles are experienced, reduce the amount of sugar used when making the beer or let the beer mixture stand for around 4-6 hours before bottling. The sediment that accumulates in the bottom of the bottles is mainly dead yeast cells, the aftermath of the fermentation process. To avoid any likelihood of explosion: • Follow the recipe very carefully (use standard measures) and • Store bottles in a cool place out of direct sunlight. In cold weather, temperatures may be too low for fermentation to start. A temperature of around 25ºC is needed to break the yeast’s dormancy & start fermentation. If you require a stronger ginger taste to your ginger beer, just add more ginger to the ginger beer plant feed mix until the taste of the beer made from the plant is to your satisfaction. Do not add additional sugar just the extra ginger. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.79 |
Can ginger beer be used for brake fluid? My wife Kim likes ginger beer and recommends ASDA 2 litres x 3 bottles for 99p. I like the lemonade lager shandy. I have never been a big drinker of alcohol because I am an aggressive when drunk so I don't much further than pint or snifter of single malt. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1412 Registered: 4-2003 |
Can ginger beer be used for brake fluid? If only, would solve the periodic RR363 availability problems  . | ||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 420 Registered: 4-2009 |
Thanks for the recipe David. How much alcohol is in this brew? I quite like drinking fresh orange juice that has been left in the fridge for a month (unopened). After a month the bottle starts to swell and you need to be careful when you open the bottle. The brew then becomes fizzy and tastes a bit like orange juice and lemonade. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1414 Registered: 4-2003 |
Very little alcohol - if you want an alcoholic ginger beer, you need to buy a dedicated alcoholic brewing pack from a home brew supplier. There are a lot of DIY brews if you search for them but all I have heard is the failure rate is high and the commercial brewing packs give the most reliable and best outcome. | ||
| Bob uk Unregistered guest Posted From: 94.197.122.77 |
If I use ground ginger in my exhaust will I get more horse power. (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1415 Registered: 4-2003 |
No but you will have the smelliest exhaust you could imagine..........................not the done thing for a Rolls-Royce but it might be the Coup de Grace you need for your Cherokee. | ||
| Jan Forrest Grand Master Username: got_one Post Number: 566 Registered: 1-2008 |
Omar: If you like a little alcohol in your OJ please do not let it ferment 'naturally'. There are other little beasties in it as well as 'wild' yeast cells, many of which can give you a serious case of the Texas Two-Step, Montezuma's Revenge, The Congo Shuffle, etc. In future take one Campden tablet, crush it between a couple spoons, dissolve in a little of the pre-warmed juice and mix into the rest. Leave it for an hour or two to sterilize it and then add half a teaspoon of yeast. Even Breadmaker's yeast will give you a small amount of alcohol (2-3% typically). Other yeasts can be relied on to give higher %ages of alcohol, but extra sugar will be required. In ascending order you have Brewer's (basic ale) yeast Carlbergiensis (high end lager) yeast General Wine yeast Champagne (secondary fermentation in-bottle) yeast Turbo (rocket fuel) yeast. With care and a boatload of sugar the last one can be persuaded to go up to 21% ABV! Despite the expense (£10+) of the packet you can make several multi-gallon batches from each so-called 5 litre sachet of yeast, so the major cost is in the sugar and whatever fruit you prefer. I've found that seriously overripe bananas - skins included - along with some raisins and sultanas can be boiled up in a pressure cooker for an hour and then strained into 1.8 kilos of sugar per gallon to make the basic mash. When it's cooled to 25C you add the yeast and step well back before it explodes into fermentation in around 48-72 hours. The larger the batch, the longer it takes to ferment out fully. Clarifying can be time consuming business, but specialist finings can be obtained to shorten this time significantly. Once clear the result can be syphoned into bottles and given to your guests as 'port'. Only you will know that it's not' other than it will be stronger than 'real' port! | ||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 427 Registered: 4-2009 |
Well guys - I am no good in the kitchen!! The first part of the recipe went wrong - so what chance do I have of ever making this stuff? The plant was made exactly as per the recipe. Then during mixing some spillage happened, so another exact batch was made. Rather than throw away the first batch, it was kept in its air tight jar in our ambient temperature garage (40 deg C). The second batch went into the cooler bathroom inside the house (30 deg C). A few days later, the garage batch developed a floating layer of mould that went from green to black very quickly. A day later, the one in the cooler room also went mouldy. What went wrong? The recipe was followed exactly.... | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1458 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Omar, Definitely due to bacterial contamination either from the water used or from the surrounding air. I have just realised I did not include the most important information about sterilising the containers and isolating the plant from atmospheric contamination. You need to follow the same basic measures applicable to home brewing beer: 1. Sterilise the container for the plant with boiling water or, better still, Sodium Metabisulphite solution. Boil the water for the plant and allow to cool before starting plant. Cover the container with a clean muslin cloth and only remove when adding ingedients and replace immediately afterwards. Keep the plant in a dry environment especially one where mould is not present such as a bathroom, laundry, etc. I used to keep mine in a kitchen pantry cupboard and never had a problem with rogue mould. When making and bottling the beer, always use hot water to sterilise the brewing container, bottles and any utensils that come into contact with brew; use boiled water which has been allowed to cool in a closed container for making the brew. It is most important to ensure rogue yeasts do not get into the plant and the brew as they cause the problems you experienced. More info in the following links which apply to alcoholic brewing; the ginger beer solution is NEVER boiled during the brewing process unlike ordinary beer: http://www.ibrew.com.au/pages/sterilising-your-equipment | ||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 428 Registered: 4-2009 |
Many thnaks David. Ok will try again. Hopefully with the new procedure we will be bacteria free next time. Omar |
