Root Beer FAILED

[CrealCritter]

Well just like that it's slowed down to a crawl, a bubble about every minute through the airlock. It's interesting how that works, the yeast eats up what it can until it runs out of food (fermentables) or it kills itself with to much alcohol.

It's time to bottle with some more food / sugar (bottling primer) to carbonate the bottles. I washed 24 pint bottles so I can sterilize them when I bottle tomorrow. I finally get to give this root beer a taste test .

Significantly less activity now. But I want to make sure the yeast is still active when I bottle so the bottles will carbonate. Shooting for the mid 3% for alcohol content. since I now know this yeast is only good for a little over 4%.

Trub on the bottom of the carboy, it quite thick.

 

[CrealCritter]

This batch was a FAIL.

I syphoned the "good" stuff off the trub into my bottling bucket and poured myself about 1/2 in a glass. It was sour, not rotten or vinegar, but sour. I measured the alcohol content @ 4.4%. I added a little sugar to the glass and that made it taste worse. Drinking just that little bit in a glass on a empty stomach gave me a very faint buzz.

Anyways I poured it all down the drain because I wasn't after sour mash .

It tasted good going into the carboy. Maybe it was my ginger bug or maybe it fermented to warm or sat too long in the carboy or all three... IDK. I may try again with ale yeast and see what happens. Learn by your mistakes... next time try something a little different and see if it turns out any better.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I was so hoping that you got a good root beer out of this. I was hoping to try it for myself. Better luck next time.

I am trying to talk a brewing buddy of mine into making your Blueberry Ginger Beer for me. He is my DH's best friend, so I hope he will be willing. He has all the equipment, I don't.

 

[CrealCritter]

I was so hoping that you got a good root beer out of this. I was hoping to try it for myself. Better luck next time.

I am trying to talk a brewing buddy of mine into making your Blueberry Ginger Beer for me. He is my DH's best friend, so I hope he will be willing. He has all the equipment, I don't.

For 3 gallons of blueberry ginger cream ale with ginger bug. I used 1 lb or 16 oz of grated ginger root. My wife says its a little to spicy for her tastes. So I'm going to cut it down to 12 oz or 4 oz per gallon and see how she likes it then. It does mellow some in the bottle though but still a little to spicy for her tastes. I like it just how it is but I would also like it more, if she would enjoy drinking some also.

 

[CrealCritter]

I talked with my son who has brewed for years he said that he suspects lacto fermentation occurred. This generally happens when its fermented to warm. Which I had a problem getting this ferment started, so I ended up putting it on a heating pad. I tend to agree with him that that's what happened.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/amp/ja4FY2UohM
"They (lactobacillus) grow best in environments with a pH value of 4.0 to 5.0 and a temperature of roughly 30°C (85°F)."

 

[wyoDreamer]

You are so considerate!
At our house the solution would be to make 2 batches - a his and a hers! lol

 

[CrealCritter]

You are so considerate!
At our house the solution would be to make 2 batches - a his and a hers! lol

Happy wife, happy life. I would suggest making a ginger bug (only because I was successful) to ferment your ginger ale. It's really easy, just ensure the ginger root is organic which means it was not irradiated prior to import into the USA. The little sticker that's on the piece of ginger root will say organic, if its organic. And peel the skin off the chunk you grate to add to the bug daily. I tried it both ways (skin on and skin off) the one with the skin on started to get a hint of sulfur smell, so I dumped it.

Tell your husband's friend I did a 30 minute boil of the ginger, sugar & lemon juice in 1 gallon of spring water. Beer usually rolls forn an hour boil in 3 gallons of water with additions (hops) at various time intervals.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Thanks for the directions!

 

[Hinotori]

Sorry it failed. I hope it turns out on the next try.

Experimentation is good!

 

[CrealCritter]

Sorry it failed. I hope it turns out on the next try.

Experimentation is good!

Well now I know how to make a Belgian sour beer amazing people like that stuff