Honey Ginger Beer

Classification: spiced ale, ginger beer, honey, extract

Source: Oliver Grillmeyer (topramen@ernie.Berkeley.EDU) Issue #101, 3/15/89

Six ounces of ginger seems about right to give a nice balanced flavor. The ginger was grated in food processor, but it had to struggle as the ginger tends to break up into strands that get stuck in the blades. (I did not peel the ginger). This beer had an amber color and all flavors were readily apparent---hops, malt, ginger, and light honey. The color was a medium amber shade.

Ingredients:

4 pounds, honey
6 ounces, grated ginger
3 pounds, light malt extract
1 ounce, Brewers Gold leaf hops
1/2 ounce, Northern Brewer hops pellets
1/2 ounce, Saaz hops pellets
yeast

Procedure:

Use two brew kettles. In the first, add 4 gallons water, honey, and ginger. Maintain at 180 degrees for 45 minutes. While first pot is heating, add malt extract to 3 gallons water in the second pot. Bring to boil. Add 1 ounce of Brewers Gold to boil for 45 minutes. Add 1/2 ounce of Northern Brewer at 30 minutes. When second pot is removed from heat, add 1/2 ounce of Saaz hops and steep. Combine pots, cool, and pitch. I also brewed a second batch with the same procedure, except that I used 8 pounds of honey instead of 4, 1/2 ounce of Northern Brewer hops replaced the 1 ounce of Brewers Gold, and 1/2 ounce of Galena replaced the 1/2 ounce of Northern Brewer.

Specifics:

O.G.: 1.051