Alcoholic Ginger Beer Recipe

Apr 26, 2017

Alcoholic Ginger Beer (20 Litres)

A thirst quenching, traditional bevy with a hint of spice and plenty of bite. A kilo of raw sugar makes it alcoholic or priming sugar in the bottles only for the non-alcoholic variety.

Ingredients

980g Coopers Ginger Beer
1kg Raw Sugar
Dextrose Corn Sugar

Features:

Colour: Straw
Body: Light
Bitterness: Low
Approx. Alcohol Level: 3.5% ABV
Naturally Carbonated: Natural

Instructions:

STEP 1: Mix

Mix the contents of the can and 1 kg of Raw Sugar in a fermenter with 2 litres of hot water. Add 17 litres of cold water and stir vigorously. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface and fit the lid.

STEP 2: Brew

After 6 days check for Final Gravity (FG). Ginger Beer brews often take longer than usual to finish fermenting. FG is determined when two separate specific gravity readings (using a hydrometer) are the same over two days. Ferment the brew in the range of 21C - 27C. To avoid the risk of overcarbonation - glass bottles may explode. Only bottle your brew when the fermentation process is complete. Fermentation is complete when the density of the brew remains constant over 2 days. We recommend the use of a hydrometer to check the specific gravity (density) of your brew.

STEP 3: Bottle

We recommend the use of PET bottles or reusable glass bottles designed for storing beer.

Priming

Bottles need to be primed so that secondary fermentation (producing the gas in the bottle) can take place. Bottle the brew using 2 carbonation drops per 740ml-750ml bottle (that is a priming rate of 8g per litre) Sugar or dextrose may be used at the rate of 8g per litre (approximately 6g of sugar to a level metric teaspoon). Store the bottles out of direct sunlight at 18C or above for at least 1 week while secondary fermentation occurs. Your beer can be consumed after 2 weeks. Bottles may be stored (conditioned) for long periods of time (3 months or more). Conditioning should improve flavour, reduce the size of the bubbles and make the yeast sediment more compacted.

STEP 4: Enjoy!

Store the bottles at or above 18C for at least two weeks to allow secondary fermentation to take place. After a couple of weeks, place your bottles in the fridge and enjoy! Expect the alcohol content to be around 3.5% ABV. You may find that your brew benefits from further conditioning. Mid-Strength Beer is very popular with experienced home brewers. This brew should produce about 3.5% ABV and may be served cloudy or as a bright beverage.