Coopers Ginger Beer - Still Fermenting (2wks)

[XavierZ]

Hey all,

 

I have a question with regards to my Ginger Beer.

 

Before I started, I did a search with regards to bumping the

alcoholic% up. From what I found, 2kg of Raw sugar could bump

it up to around 6.0%.

 

Come Saturday, it will have been fermenting for two weeks now.

The fermenter is in an old freezer and the temperature is set

to keep it at 25 degC (and confirmed).

 

Here are my specifics.

 

Recipe:

 

* 1x Coopers Ginger Beer can 980ml

* 2kg Organic Raw Sugar (Woolworths brand)

* 125g grated Ginger root

* 24g fresh lemon zest

* 44ml fresh lemon juice

* 4g cinnamon stick

 

Logged Process:

 

1. Sterilised all pieces of equipment.

2. Peeled and grated Ginger root

3. Zested two small lemons.

4. Snapped one cinnamon stick.

5. Placed all ingredienbts above into a sterilised stocking.

6. Boiled in 1500ml of water for 10 minutes.

7. Removed bag of ginger/lemon/cinnamon.

8. Dissolved 2kg Organic raw sugar in remaining liquid.

9. Poured can of Coopers Ginger Beer into fermenter.

10. Washed out can with 500ml of hot water.

11. Poured in hot ginger/lemon/cinnamon/sugar mix into fermenter.

12. Added approximately 10 litres of cool water and stirred well.

13. Added bag of ginger/lemon/cinnamon and lemon juice to fermenter.

14. Filled fermenter to 20 litres.

15. Stirred well and monitored temperature: 26-28 degC.

16. Moved to fermenter cupboard set at 23-25 degC.

17. Checked brew temperature: 26 degC.

18. Measured OG: 1096@26 degC

19. Added supplied Coopers Yeast sachet as per instructions.

20. Sealed fermenter with air lock immediately.

 

 

Original Gravity 1096

Current Gravity 1010

 

The fermenter is still going nuts and there's lots of bubbles

sitting on top (approx 5cm thick with bubbles).

 

Is anyone able to shed any light on the situation?

I would have expected the fermenting to have slowed down by now.

 

Cheers,

 

Xavier.

[Robbo]

Hi Xavier,

 

Your recipe sounds great, I have a Coopers Ginger Beer kit ready to go this weekend.

 

In my somewhat limited homebrew experience, I have learned to rely on my hydrometer to know when fermentation is finished. If by Sat your SG is still 1010 then you're pretty safe to bottle. It means the yeast has done its thing. One thing I noted from your description though is your OG reading... 1096 seems very high for the amount of fermentables you used. I found that reading the hydrometre required a bit of practice. According to my approximations your ginger beer is sitting at an ABV of around 11%

 

I so in a nutshell, take another hydro reading and if it is still changing then let it be. If the reading is steady, then bottle.

 

Looking forward to comparing tasting notes in a month or so.

[Muddy Waters]

Hi Xavier - Like Robbo said you OG is way too high for the ingredients you added. Robbo is also right in saying you should rely on your hydrometer.

 

To avoid false readings draw a little of the wort out and discard (or drink [biggrin] ) as there may be sediment in the tap which would make you reading inaccurate. Then fill your tube as normal and take a reading.

 

It is a good idea to leave the sample to sit for a while to let it settle and "de-gas". You can use the "Thirsty Matt Method" of going and having a shower then checking your sample with the hydrometer or the "PB2 Method" of tipping the sample back and forth between to mugs before taking a reading.

[Robbo]

However I don't recommend you try the Robbo method of degassing, which is to put both lids back on the tube after taking a sample and shaking it...

 

... this method tends to make quite a mess when the lids pop off...!

[XavierZ]

Cheers guys for the tips.

 

I was quite shocked about the 1096 reading at first. In fact I

took three separate readings due to the value.

I've used hydrometers a lot in the past and my partner is a

Scientist which helps. She was the one who recommended the extra

readings confirm.

 

Tell you what though, the brew tastes very much like 11%.

Might have to take it to my local HB dude and get him to

check on a refractometer.

 

We'll see how it tastes after a while conditioning in the bottle.

I'm planning to grab another can and try again anyway. I'd still

prefer to have a 6% beverage.

 

When I do try again with the 2kg of raw sugar, what initial

gravity should I expect do you think? 1050-1060?

And what should I do if I find it's that high again? Dilute?

[XavierZ]

Well... I've been away for the weekend.

Got back about an hour ago

and the fermenting is still going!

Current gravity is 1002.

Any ideas what's going on?

Super-Yeast maybe? LOL

[PB2]

The yeast is super, no doubt about it! This partuclar strain - 7g is able to ferment a can of brew + 5kg of white sugar to around 13.2% ABV [devil]

 

You can expect the yeast to ferment your recipe to a SG of 1000 or less.

[XavierZ]

[devil] indeed!

I think it's something like 12.8% ABV at the moment.

That means it's gone from a Ginger Beer to Ginger Fuel

 

"New E13 petrol. 87% Unleaded, 13% Coopers Ginger Beer!" [innocent]

[JoelA1]

Thanks for the receipe here. Its inspired me and Ive just knocked up something similar with coopers dry ginger can + 1kg of raw sugar, 250g white and 100g brown sugar, 4 half lemons, cinnamon and some small chillies from the garden. [devil] Im a complete newbie at home brewing so it will be interesting! But even now it smells great! [biggrin]