Making ale at home. How to make ginger ale Brew ale at home

El- a type of beer produced by rapid fermentation.

Unlike lager, ale takes less time to prepare and the ale is sweeter. Preparation of such a drink takes 3-4 weeks, some types are prepared for 4 months. Drink also changes its taste depending on storage time. Aged for several weeks, it tastes like a young beer with a strong flavor, but ale aged for several months has a pleasant herbal flavor.

To increase the strength of the ale, it is enough to store it for a month at room temperature. Beer lovers claim that such storage makes the drink even tastier.

Ale is a very ancient drink. The Sumerians knew how to brew it, although they did not add hops to it, and therefore it took very little time to prepare it. The first mention of hoppy ale was first found in England already in the 15th century.

The name "ale" has Proto-Indo-European roots and literally means "intoxication." Before hops were brought to England, the name “ale” meant drinks made by fermentation. Drinks that included hops were commonly called “beer.” The presence of hops has become a characteristic feature in order to separate beer from similar drinks. Hops gave the beer a pleasant bitterness and also perfectly set off the sweetness. Gruit was originally used to make ale. It was a kind of herbal beer that had tonic and even psychotropic properties.

In the Middle Ages, ale was very common. This is due to the fact that in those days drinking water was a very valuable product; it was obtained from rain or snow in small quantities. River water was dangerous to drink as it contained a large number of dangerous microorganisms. Low-alcohol drinks, including beer, were considered a safe alternative to drinking water. Unlike other products, this beer had a long shelf life, which was a very important advantage at that time. Beer gained particular popularity in those areas where growing grapes was problematic due to the climate or soil.

It is customary to classify ale by yeast type and fermentation temperature. At a standard temperature for ale of 15-24 degrees, esters are released. As a result of this production process, the drink is obtained with an original, slightly fruity taste. In its preparation, mostly barley malt is used.

Ale beer is very common in England. This is one of the few countries where the predominant beer type is ale rather than lager. The British drink mostly draft beer, so the maturation of this product is carried out not in brewing companies, but directly in the pub cellar. Atrectus is considered the first British brewer. His name was discovered during excavations of a Roman fort, indicating that the Romans consumed Celtic ale in Britain. In 1342, the London Brewers' Guild appeared, which was a big event in the history of the intoxicating drink. The founding of the London Guild marked the professionalization of the brewing industry.

On the world market, the main producer of ale beer is Great Britain, accounting for about 90% of all production. Basically, traditional ale can be found on the territory of the manufacturer; buying English ale abroad is quite problematic.

How is ale different from beer?

Many lovers of intoxicating drinks often do not know how ale differs from beer.

According to accepted standards, “beer” is the general name for drinks that are produced by fermenting malt wort. Ale, on the other hand, is a type of beer, but has distinct production characteristics. Ale, unlike another type of beer - lager, not pasteurized or filtered. The drink is first infused and then poured into barrels. The main distinguishing feature of ale is that it produced by top fermentation method. The result is a drink with a more complex aroma and taste, predominantly copper in color (see photo).

The ale is poured into small barrels, and in this form it ends up in the bar. Next, a tap is installed in the lower part of the barrel, and a small hole is left in the upper part so that air can enter the barrel. The presence of air allows you to maintain the so-called “yeast cap”, which, in turn, protects the drink from rapid oxidation.

To avoid oxidation, a keg of ale should be drunk within a few days.

Types of ale

Traditional ale is usually divided into the following types:

Bitter or bitter ale, is the national English beer, it appeared due to the fact that brewers began to add a little hops to the drink, so the taste of the ale became slightly bitter. This drink has a pleasant dark copper color and has a refreshing taste. The strength of Bitter is within 4-5%.

Pale ale- a type of ale made from light malt. Its special feature is the local water from the city of Burton, where brewers first made this drink. Burton's water is rich in minerals, which could not but affect the taste of the new drink. Pale ale was so loved by the local population that soon all of England knew about the new beer. The name of the drink translates as “pale ale”, because its color is pale honey or golden, which distinguishes it from other types of ale. Its taste is pleasant with a slight bitterness.

India Pale Ale- it was invented at the end of the 18th century in India, which at that time was a British colony. Unfortunately, the beer did not survive sea travel. When the drink reached the shores of India, its taste was hopelessly spoiled. In this regard, brewer George Hodgson decided to add more hops to the ale, which would play the role of a natural preservative in the drink. So George Hodgson invented a new strong, hoppy ale that finally survived the sea voyage without loss of taste. This drink became known as “India Pale Ale” it is stronger than other types of ale, today it is produced in Burton and London.

Porter– the drink appeared in the 18th century as an alternative to traditional ale. Porter owes its appearance to Ralph Harwood, who began using dark malt and burnt sugar to produce beer. The beer had a light taste, which harmoniously combined sweetness and bitterness. The drink got its name due to the fact that London “porters” were very fond of it. The strength of beer is 4.5-10%.

Stout– a type of porter, belongs to the type of ale. Ireland is considered the birthplace of stout. Stout is a beer with a characteristic bitterness. Its taste and color are due to its high degree of roasting. This is what distinguishes stout from other types of ale. There are many types of this drink: dry, coffee, etc. It all depends on the characteristics of preparation and the additional ingredients included in the ale.

Brown ale- British beer known as "brown ale". Initially, it was a dense, sweet, low-alcohol beer. Then they began to add large amounts of hops to it. The range of tastes of this ale is extremely wide (it can be nutty, caramel, etc.).

A special type of ale is the traditional “ real ale", it is distinguished by the fact that the drink is not subjected to filtration and pasteurization. The shelf life of the so-called “live ale” is only a few days.

Real ale is a traditional British ale, known since the 17th century.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of ale are due to the presence of hops and other components in its composition. Ale in moderate quantities prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases. The drink contains vitamins B1, B2, as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium, zinc, selenium, and iron.

How to drink correctly?

Ale beer has its own characteristics of consumption.

In order to fully enjoy the taste of ale, you should drink it from special beer mugs. They are traditionally made from glass, ceramics, and wood. Nowadays, such mugs have been replaced by transparent glasses (it is believed that the play of this foamy drink is better visible in them).

In Great Britain, it is customary to drink beer in pints, that is, a little more than 0.5 liters. To begin with, drink about half of the drink, then half of what is left. They drink ale beer slowly, enjoying its pleasant taste. Before drinking, the beer can be cooled slightly (up to +6 degrees), since a supercooled drink loses its taste. Interestingly, some types of porter are served warm.

Beer ale snacking is not accepted, since even the most delicate dish will overwhelm its light fruity taste. The traditional Russian snack for beer, that is, fish, is simply inappropriate when drinking ale. In addition, the fishy smell is quite difficult to get rid of, and it will definitely end up in the glass. The difficulty is that it is not customary to wash beer glassware; it is enough to simply rinse a mug or glass with hot water.

Ale is not usually mixed with other alcoholic drinks; it is drunk on its own. Drinking beer on the go is also considered bad manners. The true taste of ale can be enjoyed in a good bar or in the company of close friends.

Use in cooking

In cooking, ale can be used to prepare some dishes.

The drink has a pleasant bitterness and a sweetish aftertaste, which gives dishes a special taste. Ale is perfect for preparing the base for soups with the addition of oysters or crabs. Also, preparing beef, onion and cheese soups cannot be done without it. Ale goes well with seafood, meat dishes, and fish.

The drink is great for making very delicate French batter. To cook beer batter, we will need ale directly, 2 egg whites, 40 g butter, 125 g flour. Pour 1/8 liter of ale into the flour and stir until smooth. Then add butter, 2 egg whites, mix again. This batter is perfect for cooking meat, fish, and also for frying shrimp.

How to cook at home?

You can easily prepare a refreshing one at home. This is an effervescent all-natural hop drink with a strength of 4-5%.

According to the recipe, to prepare 5 liters of this ale, we need 300 g of sugar, 1 tsp. yeast, 2 lemons, ginger root. All ingredients are available, ginger root can be bought in the supermarket. It must be finely grated. The spiciness of the future ale depends on the amount of grated ginger added, so if you have gastrointestinal diseases, it is better to use a smaller amount of the root. For those who do not like spicy food, it will be enough to add 4-5 tbsp. l. grated ginger. Next, squeeze the juice of 2 lemons. Lemon juice, grated ginger, 300 g sugar and 1 tsp. yeast now needs to be poured into 5 liters of water. The water should be boiled, but not hot(about 40 degrees).

The future ale is poured into a bottle on which a water seal is installed. Soon the drink will begin to ferment, and after two days the water seal can be removed by closing the bottle with a lid. Next, homemade ginger ale is left in the refrigerator for another day. After this, the drink can be consumed.

The benefits of ale beer and treatment

The benefits of ale have long been of interest to scientists around the world.

Thus, in Finland, scientists came to the conclusion that hops, on the basis of which beer is produced, inhibits the release of calcium from bones, which, in turn, prevents the formation of kidney stones.

Drinking a small amount of stout will also do more good than harm. Thus, the drink is able to enhance antioxidant processes, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the cornea of the eye, and prevents the formation of cataracts.

Harm of ale beer and contraindications

The drink can cause harm to the body if consumed excessively. It is not recommended for use by children, pregnant and lactating women. Although ale is a low-alcohol drink, its excessive consumption can lead to the development of beer alcoholism.

Drinking four glasses of beer per day increases the risk of liver cirrhosis by 2 times.

Ginger ale is one of the most popular types of alcoholic drink today. Highly carbonated with a distinct ginger scent and sweet taste, it will complement any dish. In terms of strength, it is classified as a low-alcohol drink (from 2 to 5%). It should not be advised or sold to persons who have not yet reached the age of majority, and any health procedures using this drink should not be carried out on children, so as not to cause addiction to alcohol.

Story

The first mentions of ginger ale can be found in the United States of America. This drink is consumed in clear form or as one of the components in strong drinks with strong alcohol, such as vodka, gin or whiskey. Often used during filming as a substitute for beer to keep the cast from getting drunk.

Dark ginger ale has a brownish tint and a strong, pronounced ginger aroma. In contrast to this type, there is a light ginger ale, which is milder in flavor and visually lighter in yellowish hue.

This magnificent drink was invented in the 70s of the 19th century by Dr. Thomas Cantrell, when he was still working in a pharmacy and then specialized in surgery.

Application

Ginger ale can often be found in recipes for treating colds and some viral diseases. If you prepare ginger ale at home (3 days in advance), you can fully experience its benefits. It stimulates blood circulation, helps with indigestion, reduces sore throat and calms cough.

As mentioned above in the story, you can often find this drink on film sets. It is very common in its pure form and not only (meaning an ingredient in alcoholic cocktails). In Russia, this drink can be found from manufacturers Schweppes and Evervess. But it is not so easy to buy it, because due to its low popularity, stores are afraid to put this product on their shelves. Of course, if there is a demand for this drink, it will quickly sell out to all chain hypermarkets. And the growth in popularity among ordinary consumers will not be long in coming.

Alcoholic Ginger Ale Recipe

Compound

For five liters you will need the following ingredients:

ginger root (not pickled; black ginger root will result in a dark ale, while light ginger root will produce a more golden ale with a less pronounced aroma);
sugar 300 grams (both white and brown are suitable);
lemon 2 pieces (or rather lemon juice);
yeast (one teaspoon);
water 5 liters (must be boiled).

Equipment

For this process you need few tools, or rather one - a medical dropper. It is necessary in order to participate in the fermentation process, which will be discussed below.

Procedure for preparing the drink

Fresh ginger must be peeled from its hard peel using a knife or grater and grated “pulp” on a fine grater. We also peel and squeeze the juice from the lemons. If the resulting nectar contains pulp or seeds, this is not a problem, since at the end of preparation the drink will need to be strained in any case.
Fill half a glass with warm water and add two tablespoons of sugar and yeast into this glass to check their performance.
Mix the juice of two lemons and grated ginger with the remaining sugar. Then dissolve this mixture in five liters of water (it should be no more than forty degrees, that is, not hot, otherwise the yeast will simply die and the ale will go stale). Add the already tested yeast to the resulting solution. Mix everything.
We make a water seal (needed to let out carbon dioxide and keep oxygen out, thereby preventing the bottle of ale from bursting when it starts to ferment) to do this, take the lid from a five-liter canister and make a hole in it, and then insert the thicker end of the dropper there, from which the syringe was previously removed and the end of the hose was cut off.
Next, to ensure complete impermeability, coat the outer part with plasticine. Check for air passages. Once you are 100% sure that the air is easily passable, take the other end of the dropper and place it in a second bottle of water (the main thing is that the dropper is in the water).
We wait until the fermentation process begins. The system will stand in a dark, cool place with a water seal for two days, after which you can pull it out and close the bottle with a lid. All that remains is to put the ale in the refrigerator for a day.

The drink is ready!

Non-Alcoholic Ginger Ale Recipe

Compound

ginger root (150 grams);
sugar (4 tablespoons);
lemon (3 pieces);
sparkling water (3 liters).

Procedure for preparing the drink

Peel the ginger root and grate it. Then mix the resulting slurry with granulated sugar and stir.
Lemons need to be zested and finely grated. Combine lemon with a mixture of sugar and ginger, mix well.
The remaining two lemons need to be placed in a juicer. Pour the resulting nectar with a solution of ginger, sugar and grated lemon.
Pour all the sparkling water into the mixture. Let it brew for 10-15 minutes.

The drink is ready!

Orange Ginger Ale Recipe

For three liters you will need the following ingredients:

ginger root;
sugar (200 grams);
yeast (one teaspoon);
orange (1 piece);
boiled water (3 liters).

Procedure for preparing the drink

Peel the ginger root and grate it on a fine grater. Then place the grated ginger in the bottom of a three-liter jar.
Squeeze the juice from the orange and add it to the ginger along with sugar. Mix.
Pour the resulting mixture with water and mix everything well until the mixture takes on a homogeneous appearance.
Then cover the jar with a rubber glove or a special fermentation lid.
We pour water into the recess so that the contents of the jar are not oxidized by the outside air, but can release the gas produced during fermentation.
Leave the jar with the starter in a dark place for a couple of days until there are no air bubbles on the lid with water, or until the rubber glove stops inflating from fermentation.
Strain the resulting ale through cheesecloth and put it in the refrigerator.

The drink is ready!

Ginger Ale with Honey Recipe

For three liters you will need the following ingredients:

ginger root;
3 teaspoons honey;
1 liter of mineral water;
1 lemon.

Procedure for preparing the drink

Remove the zest from the lemon and grate it together with peeled ginger on a fine grater.
Next, add honey to the lemon-ginger mixture, stirring the mixture until the additive is completely dissolved.
Let the resulting gruel sit for 10 minutes. And then fill it with mineral water.
The prepared ale must be tightly closed with a lid and cooled in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

The drink is ready!

Ginger Ale with Raisins Recipe

For four liters you will need the following ingredients:

Ginger root (200 grams);
Cold water (4 liters);
Lemon (3 pieces);
Sugar (0.5 kg);
Raisins (100 grams).

Procedure for preparing the drink

Put raisins in a liter jar, add 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 spoon of grated ginger and the juice of one lemon along with the pulp and mix the ingredients put in the jar together.
This mixture must be poured with about a third of 1 liter of water, covered with a cloth (preferably thin) and left for 3 days in a warm place. When the mixture begins to ferment, it will need to be periodically “fed”, i.e. add two teaspoons of sugar and one spoon of ginger daily for a week.
At the end of the 10th day, add all the sugar to 600 ml of boiling water and stir until a homogeneous liquid similar to syrup is formed.
Squeeze and add the juice of the remaining lemons, stir and strain. Pour the resulting solution into a larger container so that you can add the remaining water and mix thoroughly.
The drink is infused for 4 days, after which it can be consumed after cooling it in the refrigerator.

The drink is ready!

If you are not a fan of spicy food, then add about 4-5 tbsp of ginger. l., this advice will save your stomach and will not spoil the impression of the drink.
If you want to quench your thirst and refresh yourself, then you need to drink very chilled ale, but to get rid of a cold and just gain strength, you should drink hot ale.
If you want to diversify the drink, you can mix ginger ale in equal proportions with rum, vodka, gin or whiskey.
To avoid the unpleasant consequences of a bottle exploding, I advise you to store it in a bag during the fermentation process, then it will be easier to clean up spilled liquid.
If you want to give the drink a more interesting taste, you can replace the lemon with lime or add mint leaves to taste.
It's hard to get drunk from ginger ale, but I don't advise you to get behind the wheel.

Video recipes

Home breweries are becoming more popular every day. Fans of the foamy drink highly value not only the confidence in the high quality of the ingredients used, but also the opportunity to independently select flavors, experiment with the composition and create their own unique recipes.

Before starting experiments and creating your own “author’s” recipe, you should definitely try such classic varieties of beer as cream ale, Trappist herbal, amber ale, Munich ale.

To make ale at home, you need a microbrewery, a set of ingredients and a recipe. The brewing order will largely depend on what kind of beer you want to brew. However, there are general recommendations for brewing ales at home.

Often, when formulating an ale recipe, brewers act on the principle of “take whatever they give you.” When it comes to malt and hops, some liberties are indeed permissible. But you shouldn’t experiment with yeast and water. The water must be carbonated, and the yeast must be exactly the same as indicated in the original recipe. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting a product that is completely different from what was planned to be cooked.

Light English malt is usually used as a base malt. In most recipes you can also find crystal malt - it should be no more than 15% of the total grain volume. It is allowed to add chocolate malt - within 4-5% of the total volume.

Homemade ales are a real find for those who like to experiment with specific malts (biscuit, toaster, aromatic and others). Although in industrial brewing they usually make do with one or two types of malt.

Low Alcohol Ginger Ale Recipe

Almost any ale is alcoholic by default. Although some varieties can be called conditionally alcoholic. For example, ginger ale.

To prepare this pleasant, refreshing drink, you will need:

2 tablespoons grated ginger root;
glass of water;
sugar – 9 tbsp;
salt – 1/8 tsp;
lemon juice – 5 tbsp.
yeast Saf Levure – 1/8 tsp.

Let's look at the following step-by-step recipe as an example:

Grate the ginger.
Boil 0.25 liters of water, add salt and sugar.
Stir and add ginger.
Let the water cool, add lemon juice and pour into a bottle.
Add water almost to the neck of the bottle, add yeast and shake.
Leave for 1-2 days in a cool, dark place.
The drink is infused in the refrigerator for a week.
Before drinking, you need to carefully remove the carbon dioxide from the bottle and strain it through cheesecloth.

Despite the fact that the recipe looks quite harmless, you should not drive after a glass of ginger ale.

Simple Homemade Ale Recipe

A novice brewer can try another simple homemade ale recipe with just four ingredients:

Munich malt – 4 kg;
Saaz hops – 50 g;
any ale yeast – 1 pc.;
water – 20 l.

How to brew simple homemade ale:

The ground malt is added to water preheated to 77 0 C, stirring constantly. Cover the boiler with a lid and wait half an hour.
Heat the wort to 72 0 C and leave for another 30 minutes. Repeat the procedure again.
Filter the wort and simultaneously heat 4 liters of water for rinsing.
The spent malt is thrown away, the kettle is washed and the filtered wort is poured. It needs to be brought to a boil and immediately add a third of the prepared hops.
The wort is boiled for 55 minutes and the remaining hops are added.
It remains to boil the wort for another 5 minutes.
A quarter of an hour before the end of cooking, you can put a chiller in the wort for disinfection. Using a chiller, the beer must be quickly cooled to 20 0 C and the wort allowed to settle for 10 minutes.
The wort is poured into a fermentation container and yeast is scattered over the surface.
Fermentation lasts 2 weeks in a cool place without direct sunlight.
After fermentation is complete, the beer needs to be bottled. First, you need to add 10 grams of dextrose to each.

The final stage – carbonization and ripening – will take 4 weeks.

Of course, the result will depend not only on the quality of the ingredients, but also on compliance with the production technology. A good home brewer will be an indispensable assistant and will greatly simplify the task. To choose a suitable model, read, study the most interesting recipes and clarify the requirements that the equipment must meet. This is the only way to choose a good brewer for home use and not overpay for useless features.

Cream Ale - “creamy” recipe with vanilla

Cream Ale is often called creamy, but of course it contains no dairy products. The drink deserves this name for its drinkability, refreshing taste, which has an ideal balance of hop bitterness and malt sweetness.

At home, to prepare 22 liters of cream ale you need to take:

Pale Ale malt – 2380 g two-row and 910 g six-row;
Wheat malt – 910 g;
corn flakes – 230 g;
caramel malt Karapils – 230 g;
caramel malt Crystal – 230 g;
barley flakes – 110 g;
honey – 340 gr;
Cascade hops – 28 g;
Saaz or Williamette hops – 14 g;
vanilla extract – 84 g;
nutrient mixture for yeast – 1 teaspoon;
Whirlfloc – 1 pack;
yeast Wyeast - Kölsch 2565 - 1 pc.

You need to prepare butter ale carefully and scrupulously, since the composition is quite complex:

The malt is ground and mixed with water preheated to 75.5 0 C.
After stabilization, the mixture is kept at a temperature of 65.5 0 C for 75 minutes.
You need to add 14.25 liters of boiling water to the mash and leave it for a quarter of an hour to saccharify.
Then the wort is filtered.
The grain is washed with water (temperature 77 0 C) for 45 minutes. The wort volume should be 28.4 liters (if less, you need to add more).
The wort is brought to a boil and after 15 minutes add 14 grams of Cascade hops, after another 40 minutes - the remaining Cascade hops.
After 15 minutes, add Saaz hops and boil for another 5 minutes. The total boiling time is 75 minutes.
Fermentation takes place at a temperature of 15 0 C.
Beer is carbonated for 3 weeks at a temperature of 20-21⁰C.

Red cream ale – “mix” of 5 malts

If you wish, you can try to make not just cream ale, but red cream ale. The ingredients for red cream ale look like this:

German Pilsner malt – 2700 g;
Vienna malt – 2000 g;
Caraaroma malt – 200 g;
Caramunich malt – 200 g;
Carared malt – 200 g;
Chinook hops – 20 g (at the beginning of boiling);
Cascade hops – 10 g 45 minutes after the start of boiling and another 10 g immediately after turning off the heat;
Centennial hops - 10 g 45 minutes after the start of boiling and another 25 g immediately after turning off the heat;
yeast WLP080 Cream Ale Yeast Blend – 1 pc.

The main preparation steps are similar to brewing regular cream ale:

The malt is mashed in two temperature pauses - the first is an hour at 67 0 C, the second is fifteen minutes at 71 0 C.
Hops must be added in accordance with the scheme indicated in the list of ingredients.
After filtration, the fermentation stage follows for 7 days (primary) and the same amount of time will be spent on secondary fermentation.
Before secondary fermentation, you can add some cold hopping hops.
Bottling and maturing for 2 weeks.

The result is a velvety drink with a pronounced hop flavor and a pleasant copper aroma.

Munich ale – the “legend” of Oktoberfest

Munich ale is a real legend among lovers of the foamy drink. Crispy bready character, pronounced malt taste and unobtrusive caramel notes, balanced by hop bitterness - many associate the famous Oktoberfest with Munich ale.

For 19 liters of drink you will need to prepare the following components:

German Pilsner malt – 1810 g;
German Munich malt – 1360 g;
Vienna malt – 910 g;
caramel malt – 340 g;
Hallertauer hops – 56 g;
yeast Wyeast 2206 – 1 package (this is lager yeast, but it is also quite suitable for brewing Munich ale).

The cooking scheme looks like this:

Before washing the grains, the wort must be mashed for 1 hour at a temperature of 60 0 C.
After washing, the wort should be brought to a boil and immediately add 42 grams of hops.
After 40 minutes, add the remaining hops and boil for another 20 minutes.
Filter the wort.
After filtering, the wort is poured into a fermentation container and mixed thoroughly.
Then the wort needs to be cooled to 10 0 C and yeast added.

The beer must ferment for a month before it can be carbonated and bottled.

Heather ale - an undeservedly forgotten recipe for an aromatic drink

The recipe for homemade ale with the addition of heather is considered undeservedly forgotten. However, today it is being actively revived, mainly in craft breweries. In medieval Europe, heather was actively added to drinks primarily as a preservative - and, contrary to popular belief, this was done not only by the Scots.

At home, it is quite possible to prepare a drink according to Bruce Williams’ recipe. To prepare 19 liters of drink you will need:

Scottish pale ale malt Golden Promise – 3000 g;
caramel malt – 298 g;
heather branches - 12 cups (it is better to take fresh flowering branches and lightly compress them);
Irish moss – ¼ tablet;
Golding hops – 51 g;
Scottish ale yeast.

Step-by-step description of the cooking process:

After mashing for an hour and a half at a temperature of 67 0 C, the mash must be rinsed.
Add 2/3 of the prepared volume of heather branches and boil over high heat for 1.5 hours.
At the last minute of boiling, add hops and immediately stop heating.
The hot wort must be poured into a fermentation container through a sieve (you must first place 2 cups of heather branches in it).
The wort is cooled and yeast is scattered over the surface.
Fermentation at a temperature of 16 0 C takes from 1 week to 10 days.
On the fifth day of fermentation, you need to pour 2 liters of ale and pour the remaining heather branches into the container.
Then the beer is heated to 70 0 C, infused for a quarter of an hour and returned to the fermentation tank.

Heather ale takes about 2 weeks to mature. By the end of this period, the beer should acquire a pronounced heather aroma.

Sour Ale - a recipe made from unusual ingredients

Sour ale is not a drink for everyone. However, homebrewers should definitely try making it - anyone can be a fan of sour ale. How to brew a delicious sour ale?

First, you will need to stock up on a large number of ingredients (the amount is calculated to prepare 19 liters of beer):

Pale Ale malt – 4540 g;
oat flakes – 113 g;
Amarillo hops – 28 g (add a quarter of an hour before the end of boiling);
Galaxy hops – 14 g (add at the very end of the boil and immediately turn off the heat);
Citra hops – 14 g (for dry hopping with seven days aging);
yeast Safale US-05 American – 1 pc.;
live yogurt – 1 cup (can be replaced with probiotic powder in the amount of 10 g);
fresh lemon zest - 8.5 g, 25 g orange zest, 15 g grapefruit zest, 5 g tangerine zest (for dry hopping with seven days aging).

How to brew sour ale from these seemingly unusual ingredients:

The malt is mashed for 60 minutes at a temperature of 68 0 C.
After washing the grains, 30 liters of wort is taken into the boiler.
During the boiling process, 5 liters of wort should evaporate.
As soon as the boiling is completed, the wort must be cooled to 42-44 0 C and live yoghurt must be added.
The boiler is covered with a lid. at this stage of preparation - 5 days in a warm place until the pH reaches 3.4.
Now you need to boil the wort and hop it according to the recipe.
Fermentation is carried out until signs of yeast activity disappear.
Hop pellets and additional cold hopping ingredients are added after the beer is pumped into the secondary fermenter. It will take 1 week.

After this stage is completed, the beer can be bottled.

Trappist Ale - a classic monastery recipe in the Belgian style

Weak, sweetish with a biscuit or even honey-like flavor, the clear, light-golden Trappist ale is known as monastery beer. This Belgian-style drink is traditionally brewed in abbeys, and it is almost impossible to find a true Trappist in commercial outlets. If you want to try it, you will have to go to a Belgian monastery or take a recipe for making ale and try to cook it at home.

To add to the mash you will need several types of malt:

Pilsner – 4500 gr;
Munich Malt – 1300 gr;
Caramel/Crystal Malt – 1000 g;
Brown Sugar, Dark – 450 gr.

To achieve the desired flavor, you will need three types of hops:

Hallertauer Hersbrucker – 49.9 g;
Hallertauer – 28.35 g;
Fuggles – 20.13 g.

Trappist Ale strain (White Labs #WLP500).

Brewing a Trappist ale with herbs allows for a variety of experimentation with ingredients. You can try adding ground coriander or grinding corn kernels together with malt in a mill. If you want to make the beer darker, you can burn part of the malt in the oven - no more than 3% of the total volume.

How to brew Belgian-style monastery ale:

Mashing is carried out with standard ale temperature breaks at 63 0 C (1 hour), 70 0 C (20 minutes), 72 0 C (20 minutes) and a mash out - 10 minutes at a temperature of 78 0 C.
Hopping is carried out at the very beginning of boiling in one step.
Cooking time – 1 hour.
Before adding yeast, the mash must be quickly cooled to a temperature of 20-22 0 C. It is believed that the main secret of a true “Trappist” lies in the yeast, so you need to choose them as carefully as possible.

Trappist ale - the simplest recipe

If this recipe seemed too complicated due to the long list of ingredients, you can try a more concise formula. For 19 liters of drink you will need:

Belgian Pils malt – 4500 g;
Styrian Goldings hops – 57 g;
Saaz hops – 57 g;
yeast Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity) – 1 pc.;
corn sugar - 1 cup.

How to brew Trappist ale using this recipe:

Yeast starter (1 l) must be prepared in advance - 2 days before the start of cooking.
The malt is mashed at a temperature of 55 0 C for 10 minutes.
The mash is heated to 8 0 C and left for 40 minutes.
After heating the mash to 70 0 C, there is a short ten-minute pause and the next heating to 76 0 C.
This is followed by recirculation, mashout and rinsing.
The wort is boiled for an hour and a half, adding hops according to the following scheme: Styrian Goldings half an hour after the start of boiling, Saaz immediately after turning off the heat.
After boiling, the mash is cooled to 18 °C and the prepared yeast starter is added.
Fermentation begins at a temperature of 18 ° C, during the process the beer will warm up a little, this is normal.
Beer is bottled with primer.

Trappist ale will require another 14 days to mature.

American Amber Ale Recipe

Amber-chestnut beer with a pronounced malt caramel flavor and a wide variety of flavor tones - from floral and fruity to spicy and even pine.

For preparation you will need:

Pale Malt – 5900 g;
Caramel malt – 450 g;
Chocolate malt – 180 g;
Crystal hops – 85.05 g;
Northern Brewer hops – 28.35 g;
White Labs Ale Yeast #WLP028.

The volume of components is indicated for a batch of 23 liters. Cooking time is 1 hour.

American Amber Ale is brewed according to the standard procedure:

Mashing malt with temperature pauses - an hour at a temperature of 63 0 C, the next twenty minutes - at 70 0 C, at 72 0 C there is also a pause of 20 minutes.
The mash-out when preparing American-style Amber Ale lasts 10 minutes at 78 0 C.
Hopping is carried out at the very beginning of the boil to avoid excessive bitterness;
Boiling lasts 1 hour.
Cooling the mash and then adding yeast.
Two weeks fermentation.
Bottling with pre-prepared primer.
Carbonation to saturate with carbon dioxide.

During the brewing process, it is necessary to do an iodine test and control the density in order to notice in time any mistakes made when mashing the wort.

Today there are a myriad of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks with a rich range of tastes and aromas. Ginger Ale is especially popular. This is a highly carbonated drink with a pronounced taste of ginger and spices.

Traditionally, ginger ale is low-alcohol and can be bought in Moscow and other Russian cities, but non-alcoholic versions can also be prepared at home.

The production technology of Ginger Ale is very different from the production of beer, although it is a type of beer product.

The drink is obtained by top alcoholic fermentation under high temperatures.

Reference! The main component in the composition is ginger root, which is mixed with granulated sugar, yeast, lemon juice and water. After a few days, the fermentation process begins, resulting in delicious ginger beer.

Gourmets add orange zest, honey, cinnamon, mint and even tea tree leaves to the drink.

Features and useful properties:

Hot ginger drink is effective in treating colds and flu. It has warming and disinfecting properties.
Traditionally, ale is usually consumed very chilled, as it can perfectly quench thirst.
It perfectly tones and improves mood.
Ginger contains many useful minerals, vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Silicon, Phosphorus, Potassium.
Ginger has analgesic properties, relieves stress and calms.
A ginger-based drink is beneficial for the digestive system, speeds up metabolic processes and helps remove toxins from the body, therefore it is effective during various diets.
Moderate consumption of ginger drink can reduce cholesterol levels and eliminate dysbacteriosis.
Ginger Ale relieves nausea and increases appetite.

Important! There are two types of Ginger Ale: dark (made from black ginger root) and light (made from fresh light brown ginger). A light drink is more common, as it has a balanced taste and a not very pronounced aroma.

Ginger Ale is widely used in the bar craft. It tastes great in various cocktails based on vodka, gin and rum.

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Homemade recipes

Today there are many recipes that allow you to make Ginger Ale easily and quickly at home.

You can add orange, honey, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg and even raisins to the drink to create a complex taste and spicy aroma.

Classic way

To prepare traditional low-alcohol Ginger Ale at home, you must have:

Bottled water – 300 ml.
Dry yeast without additives – 5 g.
Brown or white granulated sugar - 3-10 tablespoons.
Lemon - 2 pcs. medium size.
Fresh ginger root, light golden color – 5 cm.

Using dark ginger root will result in a drink that is deeper in color and has a distinct ginger flavor.

Step-by-step preparation:

The ginger must be thoroughly washed, peeled and finely grated.
Then the water is brought to a boil, grated ginger and granulated sugar are added to it, and the whole mixture is mixed well.
You need to squeeze the juice out of the lemons using a juicer or by hand and dilute the dry yeast according to the instructions. After which the sweet solution with ginger is cooled to room temperature, fresh lemon juice and diluted yeast are added to it.
The resulting mixture is poured into a plastic container (you can use a 2-liter plastic bottle), which is filled to the neck with water (3 centimeters from the end). The container with the wort is tightly screwed on with a lid or stopper.
The jar with the solution is placed in a cool, dark place (air temperature should be from 18 to 25 degrees) and left for 2 days.
If the plastic bottle has become hard, then the carbonation process inside has ended and the container can be transferred to the refrigerator for subsequent aging (for 4-5 days).
After 5 days, the ginger drink is carefully opened and filtered using gauze (several layers) or a sieve, and then bottled or jarred for further storage.
3 hours after bottling into separate bottles, Ginger Ale 25 strength is ready for drinking, you can safely start tasting!

Important! The shelf life of opened ale in the refrigerator is no more than 10 days.

How to prepare a refreshing drink in the classic way is described in the video:

Complicated version

There are several options for preparing Ginger Ale with the addition of additional ingredients. In this case, you can get fruit tea or sweet, burning lemonade.

With raisins

To prepare low alcohol ginger lemonade you will need:

Ginger root – 200 g.
Still water – 4 l.
Lemon – 3 pcs.
Raisins – 100 g.
Granulated sugar – 500 g.

The recipe for making a homemade drink takes a little longer than creating a classic ale.

Preparation:

First you need to prepare sourdough with raisins. To do this, squeeze the juice out of 1 lemon, grind the pulp and put it all together with raisins in a glass jar. Add 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of finely grated ginger to the mixture.
The resulting mixture is poured with 0.3 liters of water and left in a warm place to ferment for 3 days.
Starting from 4 days, it is necessary to add 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar and 1 tsp to the solution every day for a week. grated ginger.
After 10 days, pour 0.6 liters of water into the pan and bring to a boil, then add 0.5 kg of sugar to the solution.
As soon as the sugar is completely dissolved in water, the juice squeezed from the second lemon is added to the mixture.
The resulting lemon juice is poured into a separate container, raisin starter is added to it, the whole mixture is left for 4 days in a cool, dark place.
After 4 days, the drink is filtered and transferred to the refrigerator for storage. Ginger Ale with raisins is ready!

This video explains how to improve the fermentation process of ginger ale:

With orange and honey

To make this refreshing Orange Ginger Ale, you need the following ingredients:

Ginger root – 5-7 cm.
Granulated sugar – 0.2 kg.
Dry yeast – 1 teaspoon.
Orange – 1 pc.
Boiled water – 3 l.

Preparation:

The ginger root must be washed well, peeled, grated on a fine grater and placed in an empty 3-liter jar.
The juice is squeezed out of the orange using a juicer or by hand, which is added to the ginger paste along with 200 g of sugar.
Then you need to pour pre-boiled water into the jar, mix the mixture well until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
The jar with the resulting starter should be placed in a dark place, a rubber glove (or a special fermentation lid) should be put on the neck and left for 3 days.
When the rubber glove stops inflating from internal fermentation processes, the jar should be opened and the mixture should be strained through cheesecloth or a sieve.
The resulting drink must be placed in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, after which you can begin tasting.

Important! Before serving, you can add a little honey, mint, anise, cinnamon and cloves to ginger lemonade.

This will create a rich summer taste of ginger ale with spicy and explosive notes.

Non-alcoholic

The easiest recipe for making homemade ginger drink.

Ingredients:

Ginger – 7 cm.
Medium sized lemons or limes - 6 pieces.
Black peppercorns – 1 tsp (optional).
Bottled water without carbon – 2 l.
Mineral soda – 2 l.
Granulated sugar - 500 g (sugar can be replaced with other sweeteners, for example, fructose or sorbitol).

The result should be a sweet and aromatic soda.

Cooking process:

Pour 1 liter of plain water into the pan, wash the ginger, grate it and add it to the pan along with the pepper.
The solution is thoroughly mixed and brought to a boil, then cooked for 5 minutes over low heat.
The resulting broth is filtered through a sieve and cheesecloth (several layers), 1 liter of ordinary water is added to it, after which the whole mixture is boiled over fire for another 5 minutes.
The broth is removed from the heat and filtered again. Sugar is added to the mixture, after which the solution is thoroughly mixed.
The juice is squeezed out of limes or lemons and added to the broth, after which it is mixed well.
The drink is cooled, after which it can be bottled. In this case, the mixture is diluted with soda in a ratio of 1:1. Before serving in glasses or glasses, Ginger Ale can be garnished with lime wedges, a sprig of mint and chopped ginger slices.

The process of making non-alcoholic ginger ale is shown in the video:

Ginger Ale is usually consumed both hot (without adding soda) and chilled.

In the first case you will get a vitamin tea that helps with colds and restores strength, and in the second- ginger lemonade.

You can decorate the cocktail with orange zest, a cinnamon stick or a sprig of mint. Ginger Ale is perfect for a house party and will also be indispensable on hot summer days.

Tired of coffee and tea?! Are juices and fruit drinks not making you happy?! Make some ginger ale! This light, effervescent, moderately spicy drink will literally become a breath of freshness and taste in a series of monotonous tea and coffee everyday life.

We will prepare ginger ale in two versions at once. Let's prepare a low-alcohol and quick, non-alcoholic version of the drink. Shall we begin?!

Prepare the ingredients according to the list.

Peel the ginger (it’s easiest to use a regular spoon for this) and grate the root.

To prepare a low-alcohol version of the drink: boil 2 liters of water. Once the water boils, turn off the heat and add grated ginger and sugar. Mix everything thoroughly until the sugar dissolves.

Add lemon juice, mix everything again and cool to a temperature of 36-38 degrees.

Then add the yeast.

Stir and pour the drink into plastic bottles, leaving 2-3 cm to the neck of the bottle. Ideally, bottles should be darkened and made of thick plastic.

Infusing ale in plastic bottles, in addition to convenience, also has practical significance - by the hardness of the bottle you can monitor the degree of readiness of the drink. After filling the bottle with the drink and screwing the cap tightly on, squeeze the bottle with your fingers - at this stage it is pliable and compresses quite easily.

Leave the drink at room temperature for one to two days. After just a few hours, the bottle will become harder to the touch - this means that the fermentation process inside is in full swing. When the bottle becomes completely hard, place the drink in the refrigerator for further aging and storage. General recommendation: keep the drink for another 3-4 days before drinking.

Strain the finished drink and bottle it again - in a few hours it will be ready for tasting.

Ginger ale made with this recipe typically contains about 2% alcohol.

Now let's prepare a faster and no less tasty version of the drink - non-alcoholic ginger ale.

Place the grated ginger root in a small container. Add sugar and lemon juice.

Pour in about 1 cup of sparkling water and mix everything thoroughly until the sugar dissolves. Leave the mixture for 5-10 minutes to infuse. Then strain the mixture and squeeze out the cake.

Add a few slices of lemon to the pitcher or serving container and, if desired, some mint or basil.

Pour in the concentrated ginger mixture and then dilute it with sparkling water to suit your taste. Stir lightly and serve the drink.

Ginger ale is ready!