a_merryk_hunt
Well-Known Member
I will be making a trip to my local homebrew supply store in the very near future and would like to make 2-3 gallon test batch of a sweet (not dry) sparkling brew that is very heavy on ginger root (hot) and would prefer to use honey over sugar for the majority of the fermentables (if I use sugar, would prefer small amounts of brown sugar, the flavor compliments the ginger quite well, at least in my experience of making candied ginger), something similar to an alcoholic ginger beer (soda). I suppose the preference of honey would make it a mead or a wine, correct?
I've found quite a few recipes on the site, but am unsure of which one to choose and have not been able to read them all (there's so many). Planning on a beer range ABV, letting the fermentation come to a complete stop, priming/backsweetening with ratios of honey and brown sugar (similar to the ratio used in the must) while still in the gallon jugs w/airlocks for 24-48 hours, and crash cooling (half an hour or so in a deep freezer, to kill off the remaining live yeast) immediately after racking into grolsch style bottles. Would this method be effective for preventing bottle bombs, or would anyone suggest an alternative method (looked at the stovetop pasteurization method, but seems likely to overpressurize the bottles)? Please reccomend a few recipes that you experienced members have tried, either as links or copied and pasted.
Thanks in advance.
(edit: formulated/custom recipe added)
after quick calculations using gotmead and beercalculus, ABV should be around 5-7%. Slightly over my target, but quite acceptable. Also, decided to bottle still and not carbonate/prime (I don't fancy the idea of having grolsch shrapnel everywhere) and use sovetop pasteurization.
Possible name: Ginger Honeywine
For 2-3 gallons:
3.5# honey
3-5oz fresh grated or sliced ginger root (split into 1/3 portions)
1.75cups brown sugar
1-2tbsp vanilla (not extract, just plain dark liquid vanilla)
1 cinnamon stick
Yeast nutrients
Red Star champagne yeast
-Boil 2 gallons water, let 1 gallon sit unheated for ease of cooling must. Add 2/3 of the ginger to the water, boil for 30 minutes.
-Flame out, add the gallon of water that was left unheated, remove ginger and pour into 3 gallon carboy/primary fermenter onto remaining ingredients: the 2-3# honey, 1-1.5cups brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon (needs to be cooled with the unheated gallon, especially since I'm planning on having a "better bottle" as my primary) until carboy is full.
-Pitch dry yeast and yeast nutrients into must and shake vigorously to aerate, then seal with stopper and airlock.
-Leave in primary fermentation until the gravity is stable and/or the airlock no longer bubbles.
-Rack into 1 gallon jugs for secondary, sample and add more raw ginger if a stronger "bite" is desired (rack onto ginger). Seal with stoppers and airlocks, leave in secondary until clear.
-Once clear, rack 2 gallons into available grolsch style bottles rack remaining gallon off of lees into available clean 1 gallon jug (metal cap) and seal bottles. Then pasteurize (crashcooling was said to be ineffective for killing remaining yeast and preventing further fermentation).
-Sample and backsweeten in bottles as desired with a mixture of honey and brown sugar at a ratio of 1/4cup brown sugar:1# honey (will probably backsweeten with around .25# of honey).
-Put grolsch bottles in fridge, and leave the gallon jug at room temp to age.
I've found quite a few recipes on the site, but am unsure of which one to choose and have not been able to read them all (there's so many). Planning on a beer range ABV, letting the fermentation come to a complete stop, priming/backsweetening with ratios of honey and brown sugar (similar to the ratio used in the must) while still in the gallon jugs w/airlocks for 24-48 hours, and crash cooling (half an hour or so in a deep freezer, to kill off the remaining live yeast) immediately after racking into grolsch style bottles. Would this method be effective for preventing bottle bombs, or would anyone suggest an alternative method (looked at the stovetop pasteurization method, but seems likely to overpressurize the bottles)? Please reccomend a few recipes that you experienced members have tried, either as links or copied and pasted.
Thanks in advance.
(edit: formulated/custom recipe added)
after quick calculations using gotmead and beercalculus, ABV should be around 5-7%. Slightly over my target, but quite acceptable. Also, decided to bottle still and not carbonate/prime (I don't fancy the idea of having grolsch shrapnel everywhere) and use sovetop pasteurization.
Possible name: Ginger Honeywine
For 2-3 gallons:
3.5# honey
3-5oz fresh grated or sliced ginger root (split into 1/3 portions)
1.75cups brown sugar
1-2tbsp vanilla (not extract, just plain dark liquid vanilla)
1 cinnamon stick
Yeast nutrients
Red Star champagne yeast
-Boil 2 gallons water, let 1 gallon sit unheated for ease of cooling must. Add 2/3 of the ginger to the water, boil for 30 minutes.
-Flame out, add the gallon of water that was left unheated, remove ginger and pour into 3 gallon carboy/primary fermenter onto remaining ingredients: the 2-3# honey, 1-1.5cups brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon (needs to be cooled with the unheated gallon, especially since I'm planning on having a "better bottle" as my primary) until carboy is full.
-Pitch dry yeast and yeast nutrients into must and shake vigorously to aerate, then seal with stopper and airlock.
-Leave in primary fermentation until the gravity is stable and/or the airlock no longer bubbles.
-Rack into 1 gallon jugs for secondary, sample and add more raw ginger if a stronger "bite" is desired (rack onto ginger). Seal with stoppers and airlocks, leave in secondary until clear.
-Once clear, rack 2 gallons into available grolsch style bottles rack remaining gallon off of lees into available clean 1 gallon jug (metal cap) and seal bottles. Then pasteurize (crashcooling was said to be ineffective for killing remaining yeast and preventing further fermentation).
-Sample and backsweeten in bottles as desired with a mixture of honey and brown sugar at a ratio of 1/4cup brown sugar:1# honey (will probably backsweeten with around .25# of honey).
-Put grolsch bottles in fridge, and leave the gallon jug at room temp to age.