'kit bashing' with ginger

[micmacmoc]

I am relatively new to this brewing malarky....but after my first two kits am hooked!
I made a cheapy bitter kit and a lager kit, both were much better than i remember homebrew being in the 70s and 80s. I added some ground ginger to the primary fermentation of the btter kit. Did'nt seem to make a load of difference. I wondered if anyone would have any advice on 'kitbashing' a cheapy bitter kit with added root ginger, ground gingerand or crystallized ginger. I have also ordered some hops and am unsure at what point to add them to a kit. Also have bought brewers sugar, will this really help take the harsh 'homebrew' aftertaste away?
Anyhow, its a big hello from me down in Mevagissey, Cornwall.

[richard_senior]

Hello! You're in the right place... I'm no expert on extract brewing but...
Essentially you probably need to start with a basic pale malt extract kit, and then add other ingredients, such as specialist dark malt extracts, or sugars.
One method of adding hops is to boil the hops in water in a separate pan for a while, then add the strained liquid to your extract before fermentation.
Other people will tell you that this method isn't as good as making up the whole batch and then boiling the whole batch with hops in it. But my personal theory on this is that if you're going to boil the whole batch, you might as well start from scratch and make an all grain brew. That way you are fully in charge of all the ingredients in your beer.

[daveyk]

Hmmm.... ginger eh?

I was chatting to someone the other day that had tried a commercial beer with ginger in it.... I think that was one from the badger brewery..... hang on..... yes here it is

href=http://www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk/beers/b ... ordfly.asp

I was thinking it would be cool to try and brew one myself..... Not tried the commercial one yet, this would be my first step.... was thinking to mush some ginger root and boil ni 100ml or so of water at the intitial mixing stage....

OR perhaps adding this at the secondry fermentation stage when bottling... (I found this to be the best way in my opinion with honey)...... I'm no expert on these matters but that was my initial thinking.

One good bit of advice I did get from this forum regarding aditives is start with a kit you know you'll like..... it is difficult to turn a bad kit good but improving a good kit is a different story.

Keep us all posted and let us know how you get on.

Dave.

[Andy S]

I've tried Blandford Fly as I was bought a bottle as a gift. I thought it was truly horrible and could not believe that anyone would put ginger in a beer.

If you do try it then I will be interested to see what you think, but my advise is that unless you really really like ginger is to leave it out. Then make up a batch of ginger beer which is a drink I do enjoy and have made in the past. Actually I think it might be time to make up a batch myself.

[orable]

I have also ordered some hops and am unsure at what point to add them to a kit. Also have bought brewers sugar, will this really help take the harsh 'homebrew' aftertaste away?
Anyhow, its a big hello from me down in Mevagissey, Cornwall.

Regards the hops it depends what you've bought and what you hope to achieve with them, aroma or bittering. If it's for bittering you'll need to boil them along with some wort for an hour, for aroma add them to the dispensing keg or let the beer spend some time in a secondary FV with the hops.

Did you use a campden tablet to take the chlorine out of the water? if there is chlorine whilst fermenting this can cause an unpleasant medicinal / tcp type after taste.

[stevezx7r]

If your not sure on the amount (of anything) to add to a kit you could make the kit as standard and add whatever ingredient i.e. ginger, vanilla etc etc to a pint, then, multiply by 40 (if you've got a 5 gallon kit) and that should put you in the right area for next time.

Personally, I agree with Andy, normal beer and ginger don't mix too well for me but ginger beer is another story entirely

As orable says about the hops, just boil 28 grammes/one ounce in the wort from the can for about an hour to increase the bitterness or add a similar amount to the fermenter from day one to increase flavour and maybe "dry hop" the beer by adding an ounce or two to the barrel (if your using a barrel) which will add aroma and flavour.

The beer will need maturing for 1 week per 10 points of your original gravity i.e an OG of 1040 needs 4 weeks to mature (plus 10 days to ferment and clear).

If you can keep your mits off it for that long you will be in for a real treat

[micmacmoc]

I am sitting at work with a bottle of my lager and am quite pleased with myself. It was Blandford Fly and a beer from Hertford called Ginger Tom that first aroused a taste for ginger in ale, I had a go at a ginger beer plant this week, intending to make an alcoholic one. I messed it up, probably added the yeast whilst it was too hot.
Thanks for all your help.
I think I've had more help and entertainment browsing these boards than from anywhere else, thanks folks!
oh, will boiling the water remove the chlorine?

[orable]

Yes, boiling will also do the job. If you have access to a 5 Gallon boiler then start looking towards extract

[pantsmachine]

Another beer with ginger in it is Cairngorms Brewery Blessed Thistle. The ginger taste is there but not overpowering, very nice. They do mail order as well.

[SiHoltye]

Boiling the water will get rid off the chlorine but not any chloramines. They'll react and give you that TCP twang. Campden Tablets at the rate of half a crushed one to 5 gallons will rid your water of the Chlorine/Chloramine problem Add crushed and to tap temp water, they work pretty much instantly, why not give them a stir and about 5 mins.