Hi, I just made my first batch of ginger beer from a recipe that was on here a few days ago, I'm not a huge fan of ginger beer but thought i'd try to make it for my nephews who love the stuff. Just had my first taste and to me it tastes like its mildly alcoholic, like a beer shandy would taste. Cant give it to them if it is, their parents would have a fit, is there anyway of measuring if theres any alcohol in it other than sitting here drinking it all afternoon to see if i get a buzz on :-) I dont even know if its possible to get it fermenting enough in 30 hours to create alcohol, may just be my imagination TIA
accroul,
Dec 13, 6:56pm
You know Bundaberg Ginger Beer! it's alcoholic too! Yeast + sugar = alcohol - even with only a 30hour ferment time. Edited to add that with the right yeast & amount of sugar, you could have 15% but you would need something like Lalvin ec-1118 for that - not bread yeast!
makespacenow,
Dec 13, 7:40pm
You can always send it to me for testing!
mwood,
Dec 13, 7:44pm
The yeast converts the sugar to alcohol - the by product iscarbon dioxide (C02) which makes it fizzy. Letting it get flat and gassing up the bottle only removes (and then replaces) the C02 - the alcohol will still be there. 2 kg of sugar in 20 litres will produce about 5% ABV (alcohol by volume)
accroul,
Dec 13, 7:47pm
OP, do you have/have access to a vinometer! that'll get you a fairly accurate alc% gauge. A Hydrometer calibrated for alcohols would be more accurate but I haven't worked out how to use one yet!
elliehen,
Dec 13, 8:16pm
Stone's of Ginger Wine fame makes a very nice 4% alcohol "ginger beer" beer.
pickles7,
Dec 13, 9:21pm
It won't be alcoholic at all, unless you fermented it using an air lock.
dibble35,
Dec 13, 11:06pm
No didnt use an air lock, just put all the ingrediants in the bottle and left it to ferment for 24hrs before putting it in the fridge to cool. Mixed messages from everyone, yes can be alcoholic, no it wont be. Maybe I wont risk it on the nephews,even if its only very low percentage,might have to drink the rest myself, I had a couple of glass's this avo and it did put me to sleep(Nanna Nap), or maybe that was just the hot weather and the gardening i did this morning
lythande1,
Dec 13, 11:41pm
Real ginger beer always was, and is, alcoholic. Google it, it's only that fake stuff they make now that isn't.
pickles7,
Dec 14, 12:06am
If ginger beer had alcohol in it, it would not be on sale in shops to children. A chemist will help you out on this matter.
dibble35,
Dec 14, 12:40am
I have googled it and you can make alcoholic and non alcoholic ginger beer, from what i've read this one shouldnt have any alcohol in it. it just tastes like it does, i'm not a big fan of the stuff and as i said dont want to risk it on the nephews so i'll just not make it anymore. Thanks
sathan81,
Dec 14, 12:46am
lol my brother inlaw (who is russian ) kept buying ginger beer by the pack after a couple of weeks my sister broke the bad news lol it isn't alcaholic
kuaka,
Dec 14, 1:50am
24 hours fermentation wouldn't be long enough to produce anything much in the way of alcohol - it will produce fizz but not much else (that's my opinion anyway)
elliehen,
Dec 14, 2:05am
"The original recipe requires only ginger, sugar, water, lemon juice and a fungal-bacteria symbioteknown as a ginger beer plant. Fermentation over a few days turns the mixture into ginger beer.
Forms of live culture other than the ginger beer plant can produce a fermented ginger beer. Cultures used include brewers or baker's yeast, lactic acid bacteria, kefir grains, and tibicos.Brewing ginger beer generates carbon dioxide as in beer. The alcohol content, when produced by the traditional process can be high, up to 11%,although ginger beer is usually brewed with much less alcohol."
I've made beer/spirits for years, with a very vigorous wash or mash I use no airlock. just a damp towel or cling wrap over an open barrel. I can assure you is alcoholic.
digger148,
Dec 14, 3:12am
The trouble with a vino meter or hydrometer in a carbonated beverage like ginger beer, the rising Co2 bubbles hold the hydrometer higher in the liquid and give a false reading.
accroul,
Dec 14, 1:09pm
You are quite right! In my typical fashoin of rewriting of my posts, I seemed to miss that bit out of my final edit. My error.
lythande1,
Dec 14, 1:52pm
History
Brewed ginger beer originated in England in the mid-18th century[1] and became popular in Britain, the United States, and Canada, reaching a peak of popularity in the early 20th century.[2]
Brewed ginger beer was brought to the Ionian Islands by the British Army in the 19th century, and is still made as a local specialty known as "tsitsibíra" (τσιτσιμπίρα) by villagers in rural Corfu.[3] Today ginger beer is almost always produced as a soft drink. Ginger beer and ginger ale as soft drinks have been moderately popular in many parts of the world since they were introduced.
cgvl,
Dec 14, 2:32pm
well if it was alcoholic then my parents and the previous generation of parents as well as myself would never have let children touch the stuff. If you made it using a "plant" eg recipe off here then I very much doubt it would be alcoholic or contain enough alcohol to upset anyone. Gosh we drank it like water when I was a kid and never had any ill affects from it, still love the stuff when I can presuade other half it wont tip my BS over its limit. Oh and not a fan of beer at all, two totally different ways of making and tastes.
moore.,
Dec 15, 8:41pm
There is a new Ginger Beer out this year, got some from Countdown i think. RANGA ,It was delish!well worth a try.
redhead96,
Dec 16, 1:07am
Our first lot of brew turned out alcoholic tipped it down the drain probably cleaned them.
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