Just put a new batch of Ginger Beer in the fridge to chill.

[blogslut]

Damn, it feels good to be a gangster. I make my own booze. I am golden.

[poiuytsister]

1. What is ginger beer?

I've heard of it but can't figure out what is is.

[blogslut]

4. Ginger beer is crazy simple

The alcohol content isn't super high, I think the max is something like %12. Just the same, that's probably good because trying to make ethanol can get you blowed up.

My Ginger Beer recipe is this:

1 clean, empty gallon-sized PET jug
1 rubber glove
1 rubber ban
1 billiard ball-sized piece of fresh ginger
2 TSP dry aniseed
4 TBS lemon juice
2 packets regular baking yeast
2 cups sugar
6 cups water
(Supplies, grater, strainer, funnel, measuring cup + additional 1QT PET bottle for storage.)

1) Grate the fresh ginger and then put it in the gallon jug.
2) Add aniseed and sugar to the jug.
3) Pour in two cups of heated water into the jug.
4) Replace the lid to the jug and shake the contents until the sugar is dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes.
5) After ten minutes, pour the remaining water (4 cups - room temp) into the gallon jug. Replace lid and shake to mix.
6) Open the two yeast packets and pour the stuff into the gallon jug. Replace the lid and shake to mix.
7) Place the rubber glover over the spout of the gallon jubg and secure it with the rubber band.
8) Let the jug sit for 12 hours.
9) After 12 hours, strain the contents of the jug into the smaller 1QT PET bottle, using the funnel and strainer to catch the pieces of ginger and aniseed.
10) Chill

Here's a pic of my sample taste tonight. It's cloudy and a light yellow with a wee bit of effervescence:



I'm tipsy already! :cheers:

[MrsBrady]

9. it ferments that quickly overnight?

can you leave it for more than 12 hours?

[blogslut]

10. Sure

Some folks redistribute the stuff into individual bottles and store 3-7 days before serving. I think the extra waiting time makes the drink more fizzy but unless one adds more sugar to the mix, the alcohol content doesn't get any stronger.

[seemunkee]

11. If you don't refrigerate it it will continue to ferment

until the sugar is all gone. Of course that ends up making bottle bombs.
You should order some champagne yeast. The flavor will be much better.

[blogslut]

14. You are correct

Chilling stops/slows the fermentation. For me, 12 hours is enough to make a buzz-worthy drink. I'm kind of a lightweight when it comes to alcohol content. And you are absolutely right about the bottle bombs. I've seen a lot of recipes that require one to add extra sugar into the bottles after the fact. I don't do that. I strain/pour my batch into a smaller PET bottle and pop it in the fridge immediately.

Sometime I'll get me some champagne yeast. Right now, I'm pretty happy with what I've been making. Fresh ginger made a heck of a difference from the store-bought grated stuff I used in my first batch. I like the fact that I can make something from ingredients readily available at my local grocery store. Grabbing yeast packets from the old-lady baking aisle, for my nefarious purposes, gives me a private thrill. :hi:

[MrsBrady]

16. i think we are going to try this

can you give me any pointers?

DH and I had been discussing making beer...this seems like an easy place to start?

[blogslut]

17. I 'm new to this too

Only been making the stuff for a couple of months. You're going to want to adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes. I probably add too much ginger.

Try making a batch and see how it goes. The ingredients and supplies are cheap so there's no major loss. :hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. Thanks for posting the recipe. Will have to give this a try.

Cheers! :toast:

[crimsonblue]

8. ginger beer is equal parts beer

and red-headed step children.

[seemunkee]

2. Sounds great

I've made a ginger ale a couple of times. Start with a wheat beer recipe and add ginger to the boil. great lawnmower beer.
I also make a ginger beer soda fairly often. Got some root beer in the keg that needs to be finished before I make some ginger beer.

[blogslut]

5. I love rootbeer

Is yours delicious?

[seemunkee]

7. Its OK

Root beer is hard to make. Haven't ever been completly happy with it.

[Chan790]

3. Dark and Stormy.

2 oz. Dark Rum
1 oz. Lime juice
Ice
Top with ginger beer
Add a lime wedge.

It's my favorite mixed drink...it was originally a pirate beverage down in the West Indies with known roots at far back as the 17th c.

I like to make them for company because they go down too easy for something with that much alcohol and taste really really good.

[blogslut]

6. Oh, that does sound delish.

I have been drinking my stuff straight but I've pondered the mixer possibilities. There are no liquors stores in my town so my options are limited to non-alcoholic stuff. I'm a lightweight so mixing it with say, tonic, sounds yummy. :hi:

[buzzycrumbhunger]

12. Damned skippy

I glommed onto the recipe when someone here posted a link to this recipe (I actually tweaked the low-sugar recipe and add a lot more fruit--pineapple, etc.) We have a serious addiction to Reed's ginger brew, but it's too expensive to buy often. I was disgusted when I saw how easy it was. I still have a ways to go before I have The Perfect Recipe for my tastes, but even the most primitive efforts are amazingly good.

BTW, they recommend against using champagne yeast because it doesn't work as well. I'm not a beer drinker so I'm not sure I'll ever get to love the yeast twang, but you can really use very little and it still ferments a lot.

My next step is to see if I can combine it with kombucha. I've got an even worse addiction to those Synergy drinks and they're about $3.50 a pop.

Even better, my elder brother has now declared me the only one worthy of inheriting Gran's dandelion wine recipe. All I need is to follow through on those plans I got to build a still and brew my own single malt and I will want for nothing. :P

[blogslut]

15. I would like to make some mead some day

Honey instead of sugar. I love mead.

I did do a batch where I added a pint of strawberries in sugar to the ginger beer. That was super yummy. I will do that again.

From what I understand, all one needs is sugar, yeast and water to make the low-alcohol base. The rest is up to the maker.