...with a hint of Ginger.

[talltwits]

Hello guys.

 

I'm looking to pick your master brewer brains! Beginner brewer here. I have two home brews under my belt. One ale, one cider. Both successful but very basic.

 

I'm looking to start on my third. I want to do an ale again. I done the cooper Canadian blonde previously. I'm looking for something simple but here's the catch. One of my favourite ales is Arran Brewery Fireside. This is the description the website gives it.

 

Smooth dark amber malty brew with a warm ginger aroma and a sweet bitter & spicy finish., the perfect beer for the cold winter nights.

Nose: Spicy ginger up front partnered with some caramel malts in background.

Palate: Caramel malts provide a base for a vibrant range of flavours such as aromatic spices; cloves, redcurrant fruit and fiery ginger. Spicy hops give a resiny aftertaste which leads to a rather dry smoky finish.

Appearance: Clear ruby red.

Finish: Medium to light bodied with a medium thick texture and a decent clean finish.

Comments: A smooth malty brew with a pleasant hop character. Fireside has a bittersweet finish with a hint of ginger, perfect for those cold wintry nights.

 

 

So I'm looking to make something along these lines. Where do I start? I've only used the coopers tins in the past. Could I create something similar to this using one of there tins?

 

I'll start with this for the time being. Thanks again.

[ChristinaS1]

Hi Talltwits,

 

Here is an article you may find helpful:

 

http://www.nchomebrewing.com/beer-ingredient-profile-ginger-root/

 

According to the article, if you are looking for just a hint of ginger, than adding it to the boil is the thing to do.

 

As for personal experience, I have only used ginger once, along with some other spices and molasses, in a Christmas Stout. I used dried (powdered) and added it to the beginning of fermentation. There was a lot going on in that recipe but I ended up not liking it. I can't say how much the ginger contributed to that.

 

After I made that stout I did a lot more reading about using spices and it is actually very complicated. One thing that the article above does not mention is that some compounds in spices are alcohol soluble and some are water soluble, and they taste quite different. If you add them after fermentation you'll get alcohol extraction. The main pungent flavour compound in ginger, gingerol, is water soluble.

 

In any case I am not in a hurry to brew with spices again and, if I do, I will probably draw 4 liters off of a 23L batch and limit my experimentation to the smaller volume.

 

Apparently honey and ginger go well together, but that combo is probably more suited to a blonde ale and not a crystal heavy amber.

 

Anyway, good luck with your brew Talltwits. Cheers. -Christina.

[talltwits]

Hey Christina,

 

Thanks for that. I'll have a look at that link. It does all sound a bit above my knowledge level to be honest. I don't know how to boil my own (wort I believe is the proper term). From the two brews that I've done they have came from tins.

 

If you suggest the honey and ginger is a good mix in a blonde, could I use the coopers Canadian blonde for this?

 

Thanks

[Otto Von Blotto]

My red ale would probably make a good base for adding ginger to, to get something like what that description says, although I wouldn't say the hops I use in it are 'spicy'. Easily subbed for something that is spicy though.

 

The only thing is it needs to be made from scratch to get the proper flavours; you would have to make it from unhopped extract and boil your own wort to add hops for bitterness etc. It's one of those beers that doesn't really seem to fall into any real style, it's just something I made up one day a few years ago that turned out so well I've kept it on the regular brew list.

[talltwits]

My red ale would probably make a good base for adding ginger to' date=' to get something like what that description says, although I wouldn't say the hops I use in it are 'spicy'. Easily subbed for something that is spicy though.

 

The only thing is it needs to be made from scratch to get the proper flavours; you would have to make it from unhopped extract and boil your own wort to add hops for bitterness etc. It's one of those beers that doesn't really seem to fall into any real style, it's just something I made up one day a few years ago that turned out so well I've kept it on the regular brew list. [/quote']

 

Cool, can I be cheeky enough to ask you for your recipe? I've been watching a few videos of how to boil your own wort from scratch and I think I'd be able to pull it off. I've also discovered a home brew shop much closer to home o hopefully they could give me what I need...ie unhopped extract.

 

I suppose this is the best way to learn eh?!

 

Thanks

[ChristinaS1]

Hey Christina' date='

 

Thanks for that. I'll have a look at that link. It does all sound a bit above my knowledge level to be honest. I don't know how to boil my own (wort I believe is the proper term). From the two brews that I've done they have came from tins.

 

If you suggest the honey and ginger is a good mix in a blonde, could I use the coopers Canadian blonde for this?

 

Thanks[/quote']

 

Hi again. You could go with the Blonde kit. I will let you figure out how much ginger to use, and which kind, and when to add it. I suggest about 300-400gm of honey. I believe 300gm will give you mostly aroma and with 400gm you might be able to taste it too (mild). Add the honey on day 3 of fermentation. Dilute it in hot water first, about 72C, cover and let it cool, then add to the FV. Cheers. -Christina.

[Otto Von Blotto]

I started a big thread on it last year actually. Mine is an all grain recipe but easily adapted to extract brewing. There are a few suggestions in the thread for extract based versions of it. Appearance wise it comes out clear ruby red.

 

It started out with the intent of having a similar flavour to an APA but just red in colour. I nailed the colour, but the use of Caraaroma gave it this malty hit that I wasn't expecting but really enjoyed. Toffee/caramel like flavours. I'm currently trialling some English ale yeasts in it, rather than the original US-05. So I guess it's kind of morphed into some sort of cross between an ESB and an APA. Never tried putting ginger in it (not really my thing), but from reading the description of the commercial beer in your first post, it sounds like it might produce something similar if ginger was added to it.

[talltwits]

Brilliant ta,

 

Thanks for the advice. After having a busy weekend and running low on my current batch I decided to run out and pick up a coopers lager kit to try. Means I can get it on and read up a little more about all grain and adding the ginger etc.

 

Once again thanks for your help. I found your post on your ale so that will give me time to read it through and see how to go about it.

 

Cheers

[headmaster]

Is it the Fireside Chat Porter?

 

Recipe for that here, lots of adjuncts in this recipe!

 

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/146797/fireside-chat-clone

 

Fermentables

Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %

13 lb American - Pale 2-Row 37 1.8 60.5%

3 lb American - Bonlander Munich 36 10 14%

2 lb American - White Wheat 40 2.8 9.3%

1 lb American - Caramel / Crystal 40L 34 40 4.7%

1 lb United Kingdom - Chocolate 34 425 4.7%

0.5 lb Belgian - De-Bittered Black 34 566 2.3%

1 lb Belgian - Aromatic 33 38 4.7%

21.5 lb Total

Hops

Amount Variety Type AA Use Time IBU

1 oz Magnum Leaf/Whole 14.2 Boil 60 min 38.13

1 oz B. C. Goldings Leaf/Whole 6.3 Boil 15 min 8.39

Show Summary View

Mash Guidelines

Amount Description Type Temp Time

6.25 gal Sparge 154 F 60 min

Starting Mash Thickness: 1.25 qt/lb

Other Ingredients

Amount Name Type Use Time

0.5 oz irish moss Fining Boil 15 min.

0.25 tsp all spice Spice Boil 5 min.

0.25 tsp clove Spice Boil 5 min.

1 tbsp coco powder Spice Boil 5 min.

1 each cinnamon stick Spice Boil 5 min.

0.5 tsp ginger Spice Boil 5 min.

3.2 oz cocoa nibs Spice Secondary 5 min.

1 each cinnamon stick Spice Secondary 5 min.

0.25 tsp all spice Spice Secondary 5 min.

1 each clove pinch Spice Secondary 5 min.

0.5 tsp ginger Spice Secondary 5 min.

4 oz vodka Spice Secondary 5 min.

Yeast

Wyeast - Denny's Favorite 50 1450

Attenuation (avg):

75%

Flocculation:

Low

Optimum Temp:

60 - 70 °F

Starter:

No

Fermentation Temp:

68 °F

Pitch Rate:

-

Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator

Notes

Added crystal, de-bittered, and chocolate grain last 15 min of mash.

 

All spice adds to secondary were for 5 days.

 

Used Vodka to sanitize the spices added to secondary.

 

Final was 1.029

[Otto Von Blotto]

Bloody hell!