Home Brew

A few months ago I had an idea hit me: make homebrew. Where it came from, I have no idea. It would make sense if that thought occurred to me while reminiscing of the ginger beer my dad made years ago. I can easily recall that fierce bite it had; from the nose to the back of the mouth, you knew that was no store bought brew. I wanted that.

Have you ever had a thought that you cannot shake? At times I catch myself perseverating about one thing or another, and this was one of those times. Soon I was scouring internet pages, gleaning ideas for my recipe. My goal was to create something entirely unique, something that left an indelible impression, a truly perfect beverage.

My first batch was good. I spent over two hours crafting the stuff. I was pleased with my first attempt, but not satisfied. I went overboard on the citrus, under-board (word check, please) on the ginger, and the overall beverage lacked complexity. It tasted fine. 

My second batch was less tasty than my first. Still to much citrus, not enough ginger bite, and again it lacked complexity.

The third time is the charm, right? In an effort to add complexity, I spiced up my syrup with thyme, cloves, Franks Red Hot Sauce, and a host of other weird ingredients. It smelled wonderful, and as I bottled the abmer liquid I truly believed I had created the perfect brew.

Two days later, after fermentation and a near explosion in my cupboard (Kel called me frantic because the bottles  were screeching with all the built up pressure) I cracked open the first bottle. It definitely had complexity; it contained a pretty good kick, though not the typical ginger-type bite; it was sweet, but not too sweet; after a few big gulps, I had my conclusion: terrible. Absolutely terrible. Undrinkable, in fact. I poured the rest down the drain.

So, I've decided to document my fourth attempt at homebrew. I went to a brewing supply store for some tips, and decided that I'd like to try my hand at crafting a gourmet root beer. Is there anything more American?

Here are some pictures from my brewing this week:

My Ingredient Selection 

Grinding up my ginger

Ginger ground, ready for squeezing!

Freshly squeezed ginger juice... Yum! Definitely the most labor intensive part of this process

Syrup Boiling

My secret ingredient notebook. After my first three failed attempts, Sam gave me the idea to write it down each time until it is perfected. Thanks Sam!

Yeast: A pivotal fungi.

Last step: fermentation.

Hopefully I will not come home to a sticky exploded mess in my cupboard and will be able to enjoy a nice, handcrafted brew. I will let you know how it goes in my next post.