Now this was a great success!
I’ve made two batches of this wonderful ginger beer, and both turned out to be a gingery, spicy delight. I tweaked the recipe the second time, and it only improved. Aging the brew makes it get better and better with time, resulting in fine, strong carbonation and a good, natural head of foam. It clears nicely in the bottle, and stays that way if you pour carefully and don’t rile the sediment at the bottom. It reminds me of Vernor’s in its heyday, with a even a tad more bite.
Used approx 8 oz. fresh ginger, peeled. Rough grated, about a cup or so.
Extract:
- 8 oz grated fresh ginger
- 3 cups tap water or bottled spring water
- 2 cinnamon stick, 2″ long
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (approx)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp table syrup
Simmered with ONE cinnamon stick for 1/2 hour, strained once, rinsed pulp multiple times and squeezed with 1 cup of clear water. Strained a second time.
Added 4 1/2 cups cane sugar
Brought to boil, Simmered 1/2 hour to reduce by 1/4. Added second cinnamon stick in last 15 minutes of simmer for added aroma and flavor. Removed cinnamon stick. Cooled in water bath to safe temperature for incorporating. Made 4 1/2 cups of extract.
Yeast: Premier Cuvee, 1/4 tsp in 1/2 cup warm water, bloomed with 1 tsp cane sugar for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Divided Extract in half in 1 1/4 gallon spigot container, added 1 gallon Pure American spring water, stirred yeast and pitched half. Closed container and agitated to dissolve extract, aerate, and distribute yeast. Aeration is especially important if using bottled water. If you have an oxygen or aeration system available, use it. Your efforts will be rewarded.
Decanted first gallon into 9 empty, sanitized 500ml PET bottles. Mixed remaining extract exactly the same way, decanted into 2 sanitized 2-liter PET bottles.
Allowed all bottles to ferment in fermentation chamber on 25W pad. 2 liter bottles achieved desired hardness in approx 30 hours. Allowed 500ml bottles to remain extra 8 hours for extra fermentation. Removed all bottles to refrigerator.
Tested 2 Liter bottle contents after refrigerating for 6 hours. Effervescence is nearly completely contained in liquid, rather subdued. Perhaps further fermentation would be beneficial, approaching 48 hours, risking explosion. Bouquet was remarkable, having elements of fruit, wood, and slight alcohol tinge. Taste is sweeter than previous batches, with smokier bite due to cinnamon, lingering slight burn from the ginger. Sweetness is not cloying, fading without an unpleasant aftertaste. Effervescence is acceptable, but could be stronger on the tongue. Yeast taste is unremarkable, merging in bouquet and flavor of cinnamon, in contrast to prior attempts. Addition of brown sugar and table syrup to extract in second batch improved finish remarkably, and added to complex flavors by adding different sugars to extract.
One thing I found very useful when using gallon containers of spring water was to store them on top of the kitchen radiator until ready to use. This kept them at the proper temperature at all times, so they did not shock the yeast when it was pitched, yet did not require special heating.
Brigid’s Blessing Cinnamon Ginger Beer is a winner.