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    • The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Drybones wrote:

      I'm beginning to warm up to craft beer...a couple of my favorites...really like the breakfast stout.

      foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/breakfast-stout/

      lexingtonbrewingco.com/product…tucky-bourbon-barrel-aler
      well, they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. :)

      i used to happily in my ignorance drink coors and bud. now i can't stand the stuff.

      now i go to the brewery and spend $7 for a craft beer.

      it's all scotty's fault.

      (at a ballgame i'll still have a bud light and a hot dog. tradition i guess.)
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      Drybones wrote:

      I'm beginning to warm up to craft beer...a couple of my favorites...really like the breakfast stout.

      foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/breakfast-stout/

      lexingtonbrewingco.com/product…tucky-bourbon-barrel-aler
      well, they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. :)
      i used to happily in my ignorance drink coors and bud. now i can't stand the stuff.

      now i go to the brewery and spend $7 for a craft beer.

      it's all scotty's fault.

      (at a ballgame i'll still have a bud light and a hot dog. tradition i guess.)
      And at a ballgame it just might cost more than the draft at the brewery.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Drybones wrote:

      I'm beginning to warm up to craft beer...a couple of my favorites...really like the breakfast stout.

      foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/breakfast-stout/

      lexingtonbrewingco.com/product…tucky-bourbon-barrel-aler
      well, they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. :) i used to happily in my ignorance drink coors and bud. now i can't stand the stuff.

      now i go to the brewery and spend $7 for a craft beer.

      it's all scotty's fault.

      (at a ballgame i'll still have a bud light and a hot dog. tradition i guess.)
      And at a ballgame it just might cost more than the draft at the brewery.
      $11!!! my limit is one.
      2,000 miler
    • Drybones wrote:

      I'm beginning to warm up to craft beer...a couple of my favorites...really like the breakfast stout.

      foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/breakfast-stout/

      lexingtonbrewingco.com/product…tucky-bourbon-barrel-aler
      DB,

      If you want to up your game a bit try Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS). It comes out once a year, usually on 'Black Friday' after Thanksgiving. You have to be quick, it is usually all gone in a few hours (at least around here). Ask around in your area to see if anyone is getting it this year and if they will set one bottle aside for you.

      I don't really care for Lexington Brewing's take on the style. But if you ever have the chance try a Goose Island Bourbon Barrel Stout (GIBBS). Again, only comes out on Black Friday and often is not even put on the shelves (they hold it behind the counter for their special customers). One bottle will set you back $10-15, but it is a nice slow sipper on a cold winter's night.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • max.patch wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Drybones wrote:

      I'm beginning to warm up to craft beer...a couple of my favorites...really like the breakfast stout.

      foundersbrewing.com/our-beer/breakfast-stout/

      lexingtonbrewingco.com/product…tucky-bourbon-barrel-aler
      well, they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. :) i used to happily in my ignorance drink coors and bud. now i can't stand the stuff.
      now i go to the brewery and spend $7 for a craft beer.

      it's all scotty's fault.

      (at a ballgame i'll still have a bud light and a hot dog. tradition i guess.)
      And at a ballgame it just might cost more than the draft at the brewery.
      $11!!! my limit is one.
      If you only have one, the alcohol content was too small in #1....was speaking with my lady nurse practitioner, she was getting a little history on me, told her I drank too much, she said, I know, one was good, too has to be better.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.
    • Celebrated the end of our Thanksgiving festivities with my last beer from the 20th century, a 25 year-old Thomas Hardy'sAle. A bit past peak, but still delicious. Cheers!

      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • Hey Coach...

      <snip>

      Bud Light says its new strawberry hard seltzer goes great with...cheesecake

      How to enjoy it: This is pretty much open-the-can-and-glug-away drinking. If it is cold enough, you might even start to like the product. The Bud Light folks suggest getting inventive with the food pairings, saying cheesecake goes well with the strawberry seltzer, for example. In any case, enjoy the game.
      2,000 miler
    • I’m attempting to make ginger beer later this week. My ginger bug is nearly ready. Ginger bug is a live culture, like sourdough starter. It’s made with fresh ginger, sugar, and water and fed daily. I also added some turmeric root. You have to be careful to only use organic ginger as most of the ginger in the US has been irradiated so all the good yeast has been killed.

      I plan to make one gallon starting off. My biggest concern is carbonation, I’ve read a lot of accounts of exploding bottles.

      Despite the name, it probably won’t be alcoholic, it’s more like ginger ale.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • odd man out wrote:

      I can help you with carbonation. I bottle conditioned homebrew for decades. Never lost a bottle.
      Thank you! I’m going to attempt it tomorrow. I’ve read several methods for making it and haven’t decided what to do.

      One method is to bottle it immediately and let it ferment for 1-3 days before refrigerating. Another says to put it in an open, one gallon container and let it sit for 1-3 weeks before bottling and refrigeration. I need to do a little more reading.

      I did read that if it’s bottled in a plastic soda bottle, it’s easier to determine when it’s carbonated.

      Any tips appreciated.
      Lost in the right direction.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Traffic Jam ().

    • I don't have anything worthwhile to contribute; I'm just making conversation. :)

      Many years ago, back when I was drinking Boones Farm and other similar fine wines, I attempted to make my own wine from a recipe I found somewhere. I remember it involved frozen grape juice (among other things that I don't recall) and a balloon. After mixing it all up you put it in a bottle and put the balloon over the opening of the bottle. Set it on the porch, the balloon would eventually expand -- and then fail. Tried it 2 or 3 times and gave up. Never successful. Which was probably a good thing. I doubt it would have reached the fine flavor of Boones.
      2,000 miler
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      I can help you with carbonation. I bottle conditioned homebrew for decades. Never lost a bottle.
      Thank you! I’m going to attempt it tomorrow. I’ve read several methods for making it and haven’t decided what to do.
      One method is to bottle it immediately and let it ferment for 1-3 days before refrigerating. Another says to put it in an open, one gallon container and let it sit for 1-3 weeks before bottling and refrigeration. I need to do a little more reading.

      I did read that if it’s bottled in a plastic soda bottle, it’s easier to determine when it’s carbonated.

      Any tips appreciated.
      the science is this. The yeast is fermenting sugar to form CO2 and alcohol. In the open container, the CO2 escapes. When you put it in a sealed bottle, the CO2 builds up, carbonating the beverage. Explosions take place when there is too much sugar when it is bottled and more CO2 is produced than the bottle can handle. The two methods you describe deal with this two ways. Refrigerating it after a few days relies on refrigeration to stop fermentation. This will produce a sweeter product with less alcohol because it has not been allowed to ferment much. Fermenting for 3 weeks will allow the sugar to ferment out. It will not be sweet and more alcoholic. This is the standard procedure for beer making. But if fully fermeted, it won't carbonate. What we would do is add the right amount glucose so it will give the right amount of carbonation. We would add from 2/3 to 3/4 cups of glucose per 5 gallons. We ferment on a closed container with an air lock so you can monitor fermentation do you know it's complete. Using plastic bottles let's you monitor carbonation by squeezing them. But it can still be over carbonated and plastic isn't very good for long term storage.

      It would help to know the complete procedure you are using. Including ingredients and what kind of sugar and methods.
    • When I used bottle fermentation to carbonate my beers, I quickly learned to use less than the usual recommendations of additive sugar (usually I would go half as much). If I am going to be off I would rather be under carbonated than over carbonated, but that went well with the styles of beers I liked to make (stouts and such). I never lost a bottle.

      I have had some commercially purchased craft beers explode on me ( I have many beers aging in the cellar). That is a PIA, because they usually take out a few of their expensive neighbors too. For the ones that blew it was almost always because they were contaminated with 'wild' fermentors like Brettanomyces. I think that Brettanomyces can live in higher alcohol levels, so the fermentation keeps happening even after the beer is bottled.

      The thing is I like the funky flavors of Bretty beer. So when I hear of a 'bad batch' of beer, I will actually try to grab a few bottles to see if it turns into something special. A few years ago Goose Island issued a recall on one of their batches of Bourbon County Brand Stout. I could have gotten a refund, but I held on to my bottles and aged it and to me it ended up being one of the best BCBS's produced. It was not the beer they meant to make, but a complex and interesting 'happy accident'.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • max.patch wrote:

      I don't have anything worthwhile to contribute; I'm just making conversation. :)

      Many years ago, back when I was drinking Boones Farm and other similar fine wines, I attempted to make my own wine from a recipe I found somewhere. I remember it involved frozen grape juice (among other things that I don't recall) and a balloon. After mixing it all up you put it in a bottle and put the balloon over the opening of the bottle. Set it on the porch, the balloon would eventually expand -- and then fail. Tried it 2 or 3 times and gave up. Never successful. Which was probably a good thing. I doubt it would have reached the fine flavor of Boones.
      Ha ha. :)

      I've read of this technique and believe people still use it.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • odd man out wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      I can help you with carbonation. I bottle conditioned homebrew for decades. Never lost a bottle.
      Thank you! I’m going to attempt it tomorrow. I’ve read several methods for making it and haven’t decided what to do.One method is to bottle it immediately and let it ferment for 1-3 days before refrigerating. Another says to put it in an open, one gallon container and let it sit for 1-3 weeks before bottling and refrigeration. I need to do a little more reading.

      I did read that if it’s bottled in a plastic soda bottle, it’s easier to determine when it’s carbonated.

      Any tips appreciated.
      the science is this. The yeast is fermenting sugar to form CO2 and alcohol. In the open container, the CO2 escapes. When you put it in a sealed bottle, the CO2 builds up, carbonating the beverage. Explosions take place when there is too much sugar when it is bottled and more CO2 is produced than the bottle can handle. The two methods you describe deal with this two ways. Refrigerating it after a few days relies on refrigeration to stop fermentation. This will produce a sweeter product with less alcohol because it has not been allowed to ferment much. Fermenting for 3 weeks will allow the sugar to ferment out. It will not be sweet and more alcoholic. This is the standard procedure for beer making. But if fully fermeted, it won't carbonate. What we would do is add the right amount glucose so it will give the right amount of carbonation. We would add from 2/3 to 3/4 cups of glucose per 5 gallons. We ferment on a closed container with an air lock so you can monitor fermentation do you know it's complete. Using plastic bottles let's you monitor carbonation by squeezing them. But it can still be over carbonated and plastic isn't very good for long term storage.
      It would help to know the complete procedure you are using. Including ingredients and what kind of sugar and methods.
      Originally I planned to do a short fermentation but now I’m considering trying a long one. Theres time to decide. This morning I’m making the decoction (not sure that’s what it’s called).

      I’m bringing 1/2 gallon of water and sliced ginger and turmeric to a boil, simmering for 15 min. then adding another 1/2 gallon of water, some sugar, and some Meyer lemon juice. I’m unsure about the amount of sugar to use, I’ve read all different amounts. The authority I trust the most says 1-2 cups. I’ll probably go with 1 cup and see how it tastes. Then I’ll add my ginger bug and wait.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • IMScotty wrote:

      When I used bottle fermentation to carbonate my beers, I quickly learned to use less than the usual recommendations of additive sugar (usually I would go half as much). If I am going to be off I would rather be under carbonated than over carbonated, but that went well with the styles of beers I liked to make (stouts and such). I never lost a bottle.

      I have had some commercially purchased craft beers explode on me ( I have many beers aging in the cellar). That is a PIA, because they usually take out a few of their expensive neighbors too. For the ones that blew it was almost always because they were contaminated with 'wild' fermentors like Brettanomyces. I think that Brettanomyces can live in higher alcohol levels, so the fermentation keeps happening even after the beer is bottled.

      The thing is I like the funky flavors of Bretty beer. So when I hear of a 'bad batch' of beer, I will actually try to grab a few bottles to see if it turns into something special. A few years ago Goose Island issued a recall on one of their batches of Bourbon County Brand Stout. I could have gotten a refund, but I held on to my bottles and aged it and to me it ended up being one of the best BCBS's produced. It was not the beer they meant to make, but a complex and interesting 'happy accident'.
      Yeast (and bacteria) is so fascinating. I think that’s why I’ve really gotten into fermentation. The health benefits are nice but to put vegetables in brine and let it sit for months and have it be so flavorful and crunchy just amazes me. Dang, I wish I’d taken more microbiology classes.
      Lost in the right direction.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Traffic Jam ().

    • I hope this pitcher is okay for the ginger beer, the shape has me a little concerned. Maybe shorter and wider is better for the yeast distribution? I don’t know. I will stir it often to keep the yeast moving.
      Images
      • 8ECE8000-BB74-4E19-9BE2-9D46BCBDC28B.jpeg

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      Lost in the right direction.
    • Not sure how much similarity there is between beer and ginger beer brewing. But for making beer, you want it to become anaerobic (no oxygen) so a wide container and stirring is not advised. I read that a cheesecloth lid was to allow wild yest to enter, but to me that does not make sense. The ginger bug is the source of yest for this phase. The main idea of fermenting is to make your yeast happy and other things unhappy. A good starter should get the fermention off to a fast start. The ethanol kills off wild bugs. I would cover it with a plastic lid but vented so CO2 can escape.

      One other thing about at this point. While fermentation is anaerobic, the yeast requires oxygen to make an essential unsaturated fat. So the trick is to saturate your solution with oxygen before adding the yeast. You do this by chilling your solution to room temp after boiling and then aerate it. I pour the liquid from on bucket to another several times until it is very foamy. Then pitch the yeast and let it set. You don't want to aerate when it is hot or after fermented as that gives off flavors.

      As for the bottle question, it seems that this is to be a sweet product so there will be no way to stop fermentation and prevent gushers (over carbonation) or bottle bombs other than refrigeration after it is done and drink it before or goes bad. Professionals will filter out the yeast but that is not practical for the home Brewer. Plastic bottles have the advantage of being able to open the cap to let them vent CO2 when it becomes over carbonated
    • odd man out wrote:

      Not sure how much similarity there is between beer and ginger beer brewing. But for making beer, you want it to become anaerobic (no oxygen) so a wide container and stirring is not advised. I read that a cheesecloth lid was to allow wild yest to enter, but to me that does not make sense. The ginger bug is the source of yest for this phase. The main idea of fermenting is to make your yeast happy and other things unhappy. A good starter should get the fermention off to a fast start. The ethanol kills off wild bugs. I would cover it with a plastic lid but vented so CO2 can escape.

      One other thing about at this point. While fermentation is anaerobic, the yeast requires oxygen to make an essential unsaturated fat. So the trick is to saturate your solution with oxygen before adding the yeast. You do this by chilling your solution to room temp after boiling and then aerate it. I pour the liquid from on bucket to another several times until it is very foamy. Then pitch the yeast and let it set. You don't want to aerate when it is hot or after fermented as that gives off flavors.

      As for the bottle question, it seems that this is to be a sweet product so there will be no way to stop fermentation and prevent gushers (over carbonation) or bottle bombs other than refrigeration after it is done and drink it before or goes bad. Professionals will filter out the yeast but that is not practical for the home Brewer. Plastic bottles have the advantage of being able to open the cap to let them vent CO2 when it becomes over carbonated
      You’ve given me lots to think about and read about. Thank you! This really helps with my understanding...maybe.

      My book says that vigorous stirring stimulates yeast proliferation. It also says, “In the oxidative mode, yeasts grow and produce much more efficiently.” However, as you mentioned, “alcohol accumulates in the fermentative mode without oxygen.”

      Hmmm.... ok.... if yeast proliferates in oxygen, why do I pack my vegetables nearly to the top of my fermentation vessels and add a water lock so that it doesn’t get oxidized? The goal is to prevent oxygen from getting to the vegs.

      Does it depend on whether you’re wanting alcohol or not? More oxygen = more yeast, no oxygen = alcohol. Yet, even when making an alcoholic beverage, it eventually needs some oxygen which (I think) is the purpose of racking the beverage. And, as mentioned, fermentation is anaerobic.

      Ugh, I’m very confused!!
      Lost in the right direction.
    • Correct that the yeast grow better with oxygen but no alcohol is produced. Oxygen is needed initially to get the culture started. But there are lots of bad bugs that will live you n oxygen. That's what makes your food rot. Fermented foods were developed to preserve food. Of course there are lots of microbes besides yeast that are involved and the process is very complex. I read that in fermenting saurkraut, there are a whole series of microbes involved. The byproducts of the initial fermentation provides conditions so a second wave of bugs thrive. Then they make it favorable for the next, etc. Your ginger bug uses natural microbes from the ginger so there are probably lots of things in there. I made Kimchee a couple times. Once it came out great. I tried again and it was a total failure. What I should have done is to save some of the good batch to do innoculate the second. For most beer, you just want one strain of yeast so you set up the conditions to make your starter culture pure. Then you get your primary fermentation to start as fast as possible but it has to go anaerobic so the alcohol knocks out the unwanted bugs. The pH is also important. The beer should be slightly acidic. Under these conditions, bad bugs won't thrive. I think your recipe has lemon juice. I'm guessing that is there the acid.
    • I woke up to a bubbly brew this morning so I think it can be bottled tomorrow. My bottle supply is limited. I have these three containers and various sized mason jars but all on the smaller size. Or should I just put the lid on the pitcher and stick it in the fridge?

      This is the part that has worried me the most.

      Another idea is to put some in the blue bottle (it holds 750 ml) and save it for a few months to see what happens and put the rest in the fridge to drink.
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      Lost in the right direction.
    • I'm guessing that this is a product that was meant to drink fresh. Refrigerate to stop/slow the fermentation and enjoy.
      If you bottled now and placed that blue bottle some place to age, I would be worried it would explode. Probably still lots of sugars in there to ferment. If you want to try an alcoholic version of this drink, I would use an airlock to let the gas escape until the fermentation was near finished and only then cap.

      kegfactory.com/products/airloc…2JUQ80EAQYAyABEgJgYvD_BwE
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • I decided I really want to try a long-term brew and see how it turns out. I poured 12 ounces in two jars and sealed them using pickle pipes. The pickle pipes will allow the gas to escape. I expect this will affect the carbonation? I think I should add a little bit of sugar too so googling now for suggested amount, I’m thinking 1 tbs?

      Last night, I mixed equal amounts ginger beer and sparkling water and it was very refreshing, but I’m biased.
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      Lost in the right direction.