Ginger brew - advice needed!

[GeordieBrewer]

Hi all,

Was wondering if anyone had any pointers with a All Grain brew I'm planning for Sunday....

I'd like to do something similar to Marble Ginger (by the Marble brewery in Manchester) but it's so long since I've had it, can't remember some bits of the profile. Hopefully a distinct Ginger aroma, and a good bit of bite that really hits the tastebuds, also a reddish sort of colour.

I'm thinking about the following for the main brew :



and adding 400g of grated root ginger in the last 10 minutes of the boil
Yeast options I have are Safale S04, Safbrew T58 and Muntons Gervin - I'm tempted to go with the latter for a cleaner taste
Then rack into the secondary and add an additional 400g ginger as a hop tea (or ginger tea in this case)

Any thoughts?

[Patterd Ale]

I'd be tempted to ditch the sugar, and Chinook. Use the clean Challenger for bittering and pile in the ginger! Save your Chinook, S04 would be my choice out of your selection. Should be a goodun although have never tried the original.
Cheers, PA

[GeordieBrewer]

I'd be tempted to ditch the sugar, and Chinook. Use the clean Challenger for bittering and pile in the ginger! Save your Chinook, S04 would be my choice out of your selection. Should be a goodun although have never tried the original.
Cheers, PA

I might well do that.. I'm not fermenting in garage because of the weather, so are more forgiving yeast could be a good idea, and will definately pull everything out of suspension, as for the hops, that sounds good also

[dave-o]

Seeing as it's called "atomic" i guess it's meant to be fiery? I've used 500g of ginger in a 23l brew and it wasn't that fiery. I'd happily use a kilo if i did it again.

[GeordieBrewer]

Seeing as it's called "atomic" i guess it's meant to be fiery? I've used 500g of ginger in a 23l brew and it wasn't that fiery. I'd happily use a kilo if i did it again.

Cheers, Dave,

I looked at the amount of ginger, and wimped out at 350g! It was 10 minutes before flameout and pitched directly, so sat for a good 30 minutes while achieving the hot break. so post-ferment ginger is on the cards, as a hop-tea.

I''ve also just received a couple of packets of Challenger and Hallertau finishing hops through the post, so thinking sbout chucking one of those in the secondary for aroma.

[Fuzzy]

Sounds like a tasty brew. Let us know how you get on if you brew it.

[GeordieBrewer]

Ok! Brew done on Sunday, and fermenting happily in the spare rrom

[GeordieBrewer]

I also settled for taking out the Chinook......

50g of Challenger at 6.9% AA at boil

20g Fuggles 10 minutes before flame-out
20g WGV 10 minutes before flame-out

I reckon when racking to seconday for a month, going to dey hop with some Challenger and add stem ginger

[dave-o]

Have you tasted the wort? Was it fiery enough?

[GeordieBrewer]

Have you tasted the wort? Was it fiery enough?

Hi Dave,

I should have tried the wort but forgot I guess it'll have to wait until I rack to the secondary, but don't know how much of an idea I'll get with the yeast profile being so strong, so quick after fermentation.

I think I'll still make a ginger hop tea and add it to the secondary, but also a teabag of Better Brew Challenger Finishing Hops. I'll leave it for a month in the seocndary and have another taster, can always add a bit more as stem ginger just before bottling

[GeordieBrewer]

Here's a further update!

After 6 days, checked the gravity and it's dropped to 1010 - seems steady, so ready to rack to the pressure barrel



Made a Hop tea by adding a sachet of Finishing Hops (Challenger) to 600ml filtered water, and left to infuse at 80degrees for 30 minutes



Peeled 262g Root Ginger



Grated in the food processor, and added to 800ml boiled filtered water, left at 80degrees for 20 minutes with hotplate magnetic stirrer



Yeast trub had settled really solid at the bottom of the fermenter (one of the features I like about S-04)



The I added the hop tea, and strained ginger liquid to the bottom of the pressure barrel, and racked from the fermenter. Also added a little priming sugar, to build up a bit of CO2 to prevent oxidation.

Planning to leave it about a month in the pressure barrel, then bottle.

[GeordieBrewer]

Ok! It's been conditioning for 6 weeks in the cask, and just bottled. batch priming with 80g brewing sugar. Gravity has remained constant at 1010, and it definately has a ginger "kick" to it Can't wait to see how it ages!

Only problem is clarity - it's the cloudiest beer I've bottled yet, hoping it'll settle down in the bottle over a couple of months - I'm not sure if the ginger has added a haze