This document provides instructions for making ginger beer using a double fermentation method based on the champagne method. It lists the ingredients needed, which include ginger, lemon juice, champagne yeast, water, and sugar. It describes a first fermentation where the ginger-infused liquid is sealed for 20-24 hours. It then describes pouring off the liquid and doing a second fermentation for 2 days by adding more sugar-infused ginger liquid and sealing it. Optional steps include removing sediment through remuage and disgorgement over several weeks.
This document provides instructions for making ginger beer using a double fermentation method based on the champagne method. It lists the ingredients needed, which include ginger, lemon juice, champagne yeast, water, and sugar. It describes a first fermentation where the ginger-infused liquid is sealed for 20-24 hours. It then describes pouring off the liquid and doing a second fermentation for 2 days by adding more sugar-infused ginger liquid and sealing it. Optional steps include removing sediment through remuage and disgorgement over several weeks.
This document provides instructions for making ginger beer using a double fermentation method based on the champagne method. It lists the ingredients needed, which include ginger, lemon juice, champagne yeast, water, and sugar. It describes a first fermentation where the ginger-infused liquid is sealed for 20-24 hours. It then describes pouring off the liquid and doing a second fermentation for 2 days by adding more sugar-infused ginger liquid and sealing it. Optional steps include removing sediment through remuage and disgorgement over several weeks.
This document provides instructions for making ginger beer using a double fermentation method based on the champagne method. It lists the ingredients needed, which include ginger, lemon juice, champagne yeast, water, and sugar. It describes a first fermentation where the ginger-infused liquid is sealed for 20-24 hours. It then describes pouring off the liquid and doing a second fermentation for 2 days by adding more sugar-infused ginger liquid and sealing it. Optional steps include removing sediment through remuage and disgorgement over several weeks.
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ginger beer
(using double fermentation
based loosely on la mthode champenoise)
I messed around a few times to get the proportions and timing to what I thought was pretty ideal, but obviously preferred amounts ginger, carbonation, etc. vary from person to person. The easiest way to adjust while youre going is to start off with less water and sugar than you think and add if the flavour is too strong or carbonation not strong enough, respectively. And dont use bread yeast; this actually matters because champagne yeast (as well as other brewers yeasts) is bred for flavour and alcohol tolerance. I used the Pasteur Champagne type which ferments a bit quicker and yields alcohol content 13-17%.
YOU WILL NEED: / a fist full of ginger root (or like 1/3 the size of a big banana) peeled / the juice from a wedge of lemon / a packet of champagne yeast (you wont need the whole packet) / about half a gallon of water / about half a cup of sugar but this is a little give and take feed your yeast! (ideally they say rock sugar but I used regular granulated stuff and it was fine) / a tight sealing jar or bottle large enough to hold everything
THE FIRST FERMENTATION: / With the peeled ginger root you can either throw that into a blender/food processor to mush up or just grate right into a small pot. The point is to infuse the ginger flavour so you want all the juice in there too. / Toss into that pot 2 cups of water, all the lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of sugar and bring to a simmer while mixing so sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, fill your container with 6-7 cups of water (room temp or cold). / Once everythings all nicely dissolved and still hot, add 1/4 tsp (I used a little less) yeast and stir to dissolve. Then pour the whole mixture, including ginger bits into the bottle. Stir to distribute, and you can either allow the carbon dioxide to escape (as per la mthode champenoise) or seal that sucker because the bubbles are great and youre not making fancy champagne. Champagne yeast has a medium to low flocculation, meaning it takes longer for the yeast to cluster and settle out of liquid. Leave for 20-24 hours.
THE SECOND FERMENTATION: / Pour out everything into a bowl large enough and, using a strainer to catch the chunks, pour liquid back into the bottle or jar, saving 2 cups. Bring those 2 cups, the ginger clumps, and an additional 1/4 cup of sugar to simmer as before. There will already be some carbonation so you will see bubbles before boiling; these are the death throes of your yeast babies so shed a quick tear, but not into the pot. / Once again, dissolve 1/4 tsp of yeast into sugar mixture and stir this back into the jar, then seal that sucker up. Second fermentation for good champagne generally takes between 4-8 weeks, with ageing on lees taking at least 2 years (non-vintage) or 6 years (vintage), but that kind of patience is mythic so just wait 2 days.
REMUAGE / DISGORGEMENT (OPTIONAL): / This refers to the removal of the lees (the mixture of dead yeast and other solid stuff at the bottom), a process that takes 2 months by hand or about a week with new special machines. Just as some champagnes are left cloudy, you can leave your ginger beer cloudy too just strain out the ginger chunks before drinking. This is easier and the way a lot of store bought ginger beer comes sold (e.g. maine root). / If you so desire the removal of all the bits of yeast, transfer strained liquid to bottle or container with narrow neck and store at 45 degree angle with neck downwards. Then slowly (day by day so the yeast stays settled without losing too much liquid) rotate to eventually lower neck to vertically down. Quick- freeze contents of neck in cold brine. Once the cap is removed, the carbon dioxide should help push out the yeast plug.