Ginger ale recipe

[torquill]

For the latest batch of ginger soda, I reduced the amount of ginger (it was a little strong last time, I admit), and added some lemongrass. What I got out of it was a mellow ginger ale, with clear ginger flavor but no bite, and a very pleasant floral/citrus finish.

I'll make another batch of ginger beer this week, since I like the heat this one lacks. This would be ideal for someone who isn't nuts about ginger but likes ginger ale.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. fresh ginger
2 stalks lemongrass
1 tsp. citric acid
4 C sugar
~2 gallons water
vanilla
1/2 tsp champagne/wine yeast
4 empty 2-liter bottles, sanitized

I used foogod's trick of chopping the ginger in a food processor. I chopped the lemongrass coarsely by hand (careful, it's woody), then threw that and the ginger into a 4-quart pot. I added two quarts of water, brought it to a boil, and let it simmer for about ten minutes.

I strained the ginger out with a muslin cloth -- I'd recommend real cheesecloth or a new cloth diaper, they'd drain faster -- and saved the liquid, then returned the ginger to the pot with a fresh 2 quarts of water. I added the citric acid, brought it to a boil, and simmered for 10 minutes again. Then I strained out the ginger, threw it away, and combined the two batches of ginger tea.

I added 1 cup sugar and a dash of vanilla to each 2-liter bottle, poured the hot ginger tea into each one (it came up to less than halfway, so be careful to balance the levels), and topped them off with cool water up to halfway up the domed top. A three-inch headspace seems about right. I checked the temperature to make sure it was warm but not uncomfortably hot, added a heaping 1/8 teaspoon of yeast to each bottle, and capped them. Then I shook the bejeesus out of them to make sure the sugar was dissolved (it took a little while; dissolving the sugar in the hot tea before adding more water is probably easier). After a day they were ready to refrigerate.

I'm waiting on my shipment of soda extracts... I hope it comes in before the end of the week. I want birch beer. :)

Comments

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

Oh, I want to try this! And birch beer, of course! =)