Beer Forum

I'm planning to brew a beer with a hint of ginger. Not an alcoholic ginger beer, but a beer where ginger can be perceived as part of the flavour profile. I'm planning on using grated root ginger at the end of the boil - my question is how much to use? I don't want to overwhelm the other flavour components.

Any thoughts?

What style are you making? The amount of ginger needed to bring flavor to a Helles is going to be different from the amount needed for an Imperial Stout... by grated root I'm assuming fresh grated?

ElectricLandlord wrote:I'm planning to brew a beer with a hint of ginger. Not an alcoholic ginger beer, but a beer where ginger can be perceived as part of the flavour profile. I'm planning on using grated root ginger at the end of the boil - my question is how much to use? I don't want to overwhelm the other flavour components.

Any thoughts?

We recently made a fabulous lemongrass-ginger-rye beer. We used 3 oz at 30 mins and 2 oz at 10. It's pretty gingery! So go for less than that

I brewed a Christmas ale in June. Among other spices we used 4 oz of sliced Ginger in a 12 gallon batch (O.G. 1.075). It was perfectly Gingery in July but it fades and may not be enough at Christmas time.

I used 4 oz in a mead that is aging right now. It was simmered for 15 minutes too at O.G. 1.080 and I don't think there is enough Ginger there. I ended up dry spicing by adding some crystalized ginger to the carboy and I'm going to rack the mead off that after a month of aging.

I think that the biggest variable is the Ginger. I find that it isn't consistent in flavor or strength. I purposely picked younger looking pieces of Ginger for the mead and I think it was too mild.

If you will drink your batch in 2 - 6 months I would try 3 oz/5 gallons for 15 minutes in a 1.060 beer.

Good Luck.

You could also make up a tincture and add it to taste at packaging...

Thanks guys. The beer I'm making doesn't really fit a style - I guess strong pale ale is nearest. OG will be in the 1.070 range with plenty of body from a high mash temp.

I think I'm going to aim for 3-4oz of freshly grated root late in the boil. As someone pointed out, I can always adjust at bottling time, but I can't adjust downwards if there's too much flavour in there already!

Thanks for all the input, I'll let you know how it goes.

I would be cautious, I made a ginger beer using the same method you are and I used to much. I would go with about 2oz, personally.

Here is a tip for grating ginger: Freeze the ginger first. It grates cleanly that way without gumming up your grater. Once you have the amount you want, stick the rest of the root into a baggie and toss it back into the freezer. It will keep for months that way.

Wayne the Chef