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Ginger Beer Recipe

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Spicy Ginger Beer

(1-Gallon @ 6%-9% ABV)

The Boat-Brewing Master Recipe

by Michael Pail, SV Mira (OnANewTack.com)

Hardware & Tools

  • 1-Gallon Fermenter: A glass carboy or a food-grade plastic jug (HDPE).
  • Airlock & Bung: To allow CO2 to escape while keeping fruit flies and bacteria out.
  • Large Pot (4L+): For the "Big Water Boil."
  • Secondary Pot: For simmering the ginger concentrate.
  • Fine-Mesh Sieve or Cheesecloth: For removing the ginger pulp and boiled yeast solids.
  • Fine-Mesh Grater: For grating the frozen ginger into the Secondary Pot.
  • Funnel: Sanitized, to transfer liquid into the fermenter.
  • 1/4” to 3/8” tubing; Sanitized, to siphon liquid from the fermenter without the yeast.
  • Long Spoon: Plastic or stainless steel (avoid wood as it can harbor bacteria).
  • Plastic PET Bottles: (7 bottles of 500ml size). Reused soda or carbonated water bottles work perfectly.
  • "Master Jar": One or more small (250ml) glass mason jar with a lid for your yeast bank.
  • Digital Thermometer: Essential for pitching yeast at the correct temp. (95°F /35°C)
  • Star-San Sanitizer: A small bottle of concentrate. It is no-rinse and food-safe. Bubbles are ok!
  • Spray Bottle: For applying Star-San to hands and surfaces.

Ingredients (Per 1-Gallon Batch)

  • Voss Kveik Yeast: 1 tsp / 5ml / 2-3g or 2 Tbsp/30ml trub from a prior brew.
  • Baker’s Yeast: 2 tsp/10ml (6% ABV) to 3 tsp/15ml (9% ABV), used solely as a nutrient.
  • Fresh Ginger: 4–6 oz / 115–170g per batch. Keep this in the freezer. No need to peel.
  • Sugar: Unrefined sugar / Brown sugar or white sugar.
    • 2 cups/450g (6% ABV) to 2 ¾ cups/620g (9% ABV) for the primary fermentation
    • ½ cup/115g to ¾ cup/170g for back-sweetening/carbonation.
  • Limes: 2–3 fresh limes (1/4 cup/60ml lime juice) – must not contain preservatives.
  • Water: 1 gallon / 4 Liters of fresh water.

Notes

  • Sanitation is key. Make sure everything that your eventual ginger touches is sanitized.
  • You can harvest and re-pitch your yeast 5 - 10 times.
    If you notice off-tastes in a batch of ginger beer, it is time to start the next batch with fresh yeast.

Recipe

1. Preparation & Sanitization

  • Sanitize Fermenter: Mix Star-San in the 1-gallon fermenter at 1/4 tsp:3.33C / 1.25ml:800ml.
  • Spray Bottle: Transfer some Star-San to a spray bottle for your hands and any surfaces.
  • Sanitize Tools: Submerge/spray your funnel, sieve, spoon, bottling wand/tube, Master Jar, etc.
  • Sanitize Bottles: Dip/spray your plastic PET bottles and caps.
  • Wake-up the Trub: If re-using trub, boil 150ml of water and 1 tbsp sugar, cool to 32-35°C, add the trub and allow it to awaken for 3-4 hours or until krausen forms and bubbling is rapid.

2. The Boil

  • The Big Water Boil: Boil 13 cups / 3 liters of water for 5 mins.
  • The Flavor Pot:
    • Grate 4-6 oz / 115-170g grated ginger into the pot, add 1 liter of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 mins.
    • When there are 5 minutes remaining,
      sprinkle in 2 tsp / 5 ml (6% ABV) to 3 tsp / 10ml (9% ABV) baker’s yeast
      add the sugar; 2 cups / 450g (6% ABV) to 2 ¾ cups / 620g (9% ABV) sugar until dissolved.
  • Cooling: Place the Flavor Pot and the other sterile water (covered) in a sink of cold water/saltwater or under a fan to cool to 35°C (95°F).

3. Pitching & Fermentation

  • Transfer: Funnel/strain the cooled ginger liquid into the fermenter.
  • Add Lime: Stir in ¼ cup / 60ml of fresh lime juice or non-preservative bottled lime juice.
  • Top-Up: Use your cooled Sterile Water to fill the fermenter to within 10cm from top.
  • The Yeast: Pitch when the liquid is no hotter than 95°F/35°C.
    • First time: Pitch 1/4 of the Voss Kveik packet (~2-3g). Reseal and refrigerate.
    • Future times: Pitch 2 Tbsp / 30ml of “awakened” trub.
  • Oxygen: Shake the fermenter vigorously for 1 minute, then fit with air-lock filled with sanitizer.
  • Ferment: Store in a warm spot (30°C) for 3-5 days, until bubbling stops and liquid clears.

4. Bottling

  • Rack: Siphon or slowly pour the ginger beer into a clean and sterilized pot; leaving the bottom 2cm of sludge behind.
  • Sweeten: Stir in ½ cup / 115g to ¾ cup / 170g extra sugar into the liquid pot.
  • Bottle: Fill plastic PET bottles. Leave 2cm of headspace. Cap while air is squeezed out.
  • Pressure Check: Store at room temp. Squeeze bottles every 12 hours. When rock-hard, move to the fridge.

5. Harvesting Trub

  • Collect: Swirl the fermenter and pour the contents into a sterilized container.
  • Allow to separate: Cover loosely and allow to separate into 3 layers over about 15 minutes.
  • Harvest: Pour off the top layer (ginger beer), and then scoop out and save the middle layer, leaving the bottom layer of dead yeast cells and ginger fibers.
  • Store: Collect this into a sterilized container, and then cover with a thin layer of sterilized water.
  • Document: Mark the number of re-pitches and date on the jar (5-10 is the max).
  • Refrigerate and Use: Refrigerate immediately. Use within 3-4 months, max.

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