Ginger Beer Fermentation

[The Kitchen Witch]

Hi Guys

I have just made my first batch of ginger beer from fresh ginger,malt , yeast and sugar.

First 4 days it went ballistic fermenting then day five it seems to have stalled.

Is this normal for ginger beer? I was expecting a longer ferment.

Granted it was VERY VERY lively but surely 4 days is too short to have done?

 

Thanks in advance

 

[ben 10]

Check with a hydrometer.

[Ocean's of Ale-]

Evening brewers,

 

Any chance you could enlighten us with your recipe kitchen witch? 4 days is an adequate amout of time for primary fermentation however leave it 7-14 days for optimal results. ( but double check your hydrometer as ben10's suggested its definitely more accurate way of knowing )

 

Ive researched some interesting gb recipes (this one iam intrigued to try )for a malt base ginger beer:

 

Makes for 20liters

1.25kg of fresh ginger( 1.5kg's for more ginger intensity)

1.5kgs of Thomas Cooper's light malt extract (iam curious as to what a TC amber malt extract might be like instead)

1kg of raw sugar (maybe honey instead or 50/50 raw sugar )

300g's of lactose (the recipe doesn't call for lactose but i imagine it may need a little)

2/3 cinnamon quills

4 lemons zest

(I imagine the inclusion of chilli would add a little punch/heat as well would dried ginger extract )

Fermetus us05 yeast.

(With Cooper's seemingly discontinuing there gb line iam out of stock for the fist time for years although ,

Lager and ale aren't exactly sad alternatives )

[ChristinaS1]

Evening brewers' date='

 

Any chance you could enlighten us with your recipe kitchen witch? 4 days is an adequate amout of time for primary fermentation however leave it 7-14 days for optimal results. ( but double check your hydrometer as ben10's suggested its definitely more accurate way of knowing )

 

Ive researched some interesting gb recipes (this one iam intrigued to try )for a malt base ginger beer:

 

Makes for 20liters

1.25kg of fresh ginger( 1.5kg's for more ginger intensity)

1.5kgs of Thomas Cooper's light malt extract (iam curious as to what a TC amber malt extract might be like instead)

1kg of raw sugar (maybe honey instead or 50/50 raw sugar )

300g's of lactose (the recipe doesn't call for lactose but i imagine it may need a little)

2/3 cinnamon quills

4 lemons zest

(I imagine the inclusion of chilli would add a little punch/heat as well would dried ginger extract )

Fermetus us05 yeast.

(With Cooper's seemingly discontinuing there gb line iam out of stock for the fist time for years although ,

Lager and ale aren't exactly sad alternatives )[/quote']

 

That looks like a nice recipe blurred. Let us know how it turns out.

 

Cheers,

 

Christina.

[ChristinaS1]

Hi Guys

I have just made my first batch of ginger beer from fresh ginger' date='malt , yeast and sugar.

First 4 days it went ballistic fermenting then day five it seems to have stalled.

Is this normal for ginger beer? I was expecting a longer ferment.

Granted it was VERY VERY lively but surely 4 days is too short to have done?

 

Thanks in advance

[/quote']

 

Hi Kitchen Witch. If you had a good amount of malt in there, it could be done in roughly the same amount of time as beer.

 

When you use more than 30% sugar, which many ginger beer recipes do, fermentation can be slower, due to lack of nutrition.

 

I agree with blurred about leaving it for two weeks, then checking with the hydrometer. But if you have fresh ingredients in your recipe, like ginger, or lemon zest, or cinnamon, you might want to taste a sample every few days after to one week point, to check the flavour. Rack to secondary one you achieve the flavour you like.

 

Cheers,

 

Christina.