They asked for a ginger beer recipe

At Jackal969k's request here is a ginger beer plant for the brewing impaired. If I can get it to work anyone can!

There are a lot of good sites out there which have recipes on them for ginger beer. There are three basic approaches to take. The first is to introduce a stock yeast such as brewer's yeast which is easily available to make the thing go. The second is to rely on natural yeasts to start it, perhaps from the skins of raisins or a source like that. The third is to get the proper strain of yeast which costs money and is very difficult to get your hands on! Apparently a ginger beer plant is a "symbiotic relationship between a unique yeast (Saccharomyces pyriformis) and a dependant bacteria (Brevibacterium vermiforme)". Oldie will no doubt smell those big latin words from a mile away and grow some for us!

I have never used the correct yeast, I have always used brewer's or even baker's yeast or relied on natural yeasts and it has always made very drinkable ginger beer.

First we make the starter. In a large container, 2 pintish is good, place 6 or 8 largish sultanas, 2 teaspoons dried ginger, 4 teaspoons of white sugar and a pint of cold water. Mix well, cover or loosely plug and place in a cool spot. Notice we are relying on the natural yeasts found on the skins of the sultanas here. You will know when it has started because a scummy froth will rise to the top and it should have a nice yeasty smell. Every day feed the starter with 4 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger. Stir after feeding. This becomes your ginger beer 'plant' which with luck will be ready to use after about a week.

Then we use it to make the Ginger Beer. Make sure your bottles are clean and dry. You will need lots! I prefer to use old 2 litre (3.5 pint) coke (soda?) bottles, the clear plastic types which are all but indestructible. The only problem is that once you have opened a 2 litre bottle it is hard not to drink 2 litres of ginger beer ! You can buy them new very cheaply over here from specialist brewer's stores but to be honest there are a million a day going into landfills so I do my bit and reuse them . Place around 2lb of sugar and 2 pints of boiling water in a large clean bucket. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. When it is cool, add the juice of four lemons. Strain the ginger beer plant through a piece of clean cloth such as muslin or an old teatowel into the bucket. Be careful not to do this too early, too hot a mix will kill the yeast. Keep the solid matter from the plant in a clean place!!! Add 14 pts of cool water to the bucket. Stir well and bottle. Allow a little air space at the top of the bottle for expansion and to decrease the risk of the screw top blowing off. Store safely somewhere cool where a little mess from an exploded bottle won't make any difference ! You can test whether it is maturing by squeezing the bottles. They should get as hard as rock in a few weeks! I find it needs to be left for about 6 weeks on average in the bottle to mature, but this depends on lots of factors so it may be ready earlier and it won't go off if left later. Purists say that all water used should be boiled then cooled, but I have never found it a problem to use clean tap water. The quantities of each ingredient are variable as well. After the first couple of batches you will know whether you like more ginger for more bite or less for a more lemonadey flavour. One last thing to note is that because of the "organic" method you are using to make it it may be a little cloudy, and there will probably be sediment in the bottom of the bottle. This is not harmful in any way and is easy to deal with when you pour. Just don't juggle with the bottles!

Split the solid part of the plant in two and give half of it away so someone else who likes ginger beer can get in on the act. Place your half back into its cleaned container and add 1 pint water and start to feed it as before. After a week you can make up another batch.

They say that your starter improves as it gets older. You can also refrigerate it if you want to stop the process for a while. To restart just feed it and give it a few more sultanas and off she goes.

There you have it. It's not rocket science and it produces lovely gingery beer, not like the usual run of the mill store bought stuff. One thing to note, although it is described as beer it has virtually no alcohol in it at all ! But the good news is that it goes great with vodka!!!!!!

Now, I have a Hellishly good recipe for an Elderflower Champagne which, if I get a good batch, I prefer to the real thing.

 

I have heard that ginger Beer is good but is an aquired taste.
I would probably like it.
I have made a few home brews and am still a rookie at it.
Thanks for the recipe

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Thanks AlbertB!

 

Kindly post a Guinness recipe please Mr.

Thank you

Mr Oldie

 

Ok Oldie,

Walk to your nearest off licence and purchase toucans of Guinness. Open toucans and pour into glass. Leave for at least touminutes to build up thirst and expectation. Drink very slowly. Guaranteed to grow that moustache!

Here's a genuine Guinness recipe I lifted. Personally this style of British cooking doesn't need a recip[e really, it is just a feel, a flair, a "je ne sais quoi" which takes it beyond the French!

Guinness Beef Stew
2lbs sirloin steak
2 tablesp. dripping
2 onions (large)
2 cloves of garlic
¼ cup plain flour
1 cup beef stock
1 cup Guinness
3 carrots
2 bay leaves
1 teasp. fresh thyme
6 prunes
2 tablesp. chopped parsley
Chop onions, crush garlic and slice carrots. Cut meat into small chunks. Cut prunes in half and remove the stone. Fry onions in dripping. When golden brown add crushed garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
Remove onion and garlic from the frying pan and put aside. Add meat to remainder of dripping in pan and fry until meat is brown on all sides. Reduce heat and add flour. Coat the meat with the flour and add stock slowly to form a thick sauce (no lumps is best!).Add Guinness and simmer. Add onions and garlic and carrots, herbs and season with salt and pepper. Stir all ingredients simmer for 1-2 hours.

Don´t cover. This gives it a thick sauce. Stir occasionally so that the meat doesn´t stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Add the prunes a half an hour before the end. Garnish with parsley before serving. This dish can be prepared the day before and reheated gently before serving.

Incidentally which one was you and which one was Paq?

 

The one with the hat on - you can keep your hat on baby - after all - I am from Sheffield

Could turn into a funny recipe thread this

 

Ensure wan is completely blootered... no yer ordinary blootered mair yer "I huv tae get a taxi hame cos I cannae walk" type blootered.

Jump in a taxi at Paisley Gilmour street. makin sure ye survive the bampottery while waiting; Nae talkin to tramps, daft wee boys or auld wimmin.

Get taxi hame...Get oot taxi...Get back in taxi...

"I've pure dead got the munchies... an' at no? take us tae the gairage pal..."

Arrive at the gairage... go tae the windae...say
"crisps an' ginger, pal."

Yer choices are as follows....
1) Cheese'n' Onion and Irn-Bru.....(only when ye've got a burd fur the night)
2) Salt'n'vinegar and diet cola .... (when ye want tae impress)
3) Curry crisps and red cola ..... (Pure boggin)
4) Twigglets and Dr Pepper .... (fer that fag ash effect, saves on ra smokes)

Instruct Mr taxi driver tae "take me hame again noo."
Ye should ge change oot of a fifty bar fae the taxi driver ... If yer on ra giro culture... dae a runner!

Bon pure dead apetit as they say in Feegie park...

Angel - please dunna ask

Oldie

 

You're kidding right? Gilmour street Paisley? The centre of "The Knife Capital" of the UK!!! And you expect to get a taxi there too. Your more likely to get a lift in a passing personnel carrier or an ambulance I suspect.

 

AlbertB.....Like the stew recipe (made a copy) except I can't abide prunes.

My British grandmother every night would pour herself a tankard of Guinness then she would pull the poker out of the coal fire and stick it into the Guinness and make it boil. Smack her lips and down it would go in a single swallow followed by "Nite Luv! Off to bed."

 

Mulder also has a nightly ritual with a hot poker!

 

Mulled Guinness, I have to admit to never having tried that. Mulled wine at Christmas, but unfortunately without the ritual of the poker. Sadly nowadays my family has to get out my plumbing tools and remove a small radiator from the hallway in order to plunge that into it. It isn't the same somehow.

I am told the Irish use a flaming toucan, or something .

Be careful with that poker Mulder, severe proctological complications have been known to be caused that way!

 

wackibackimunchieplatteroanapiece
by Oldie

Here's a brammer of a snack fur when yuv been puffin the weed or yer so pissed ye canny remember yer name.

Stuff ye need:
A can o' Heinz (Kerry) Beans 3 immature chickens (eggs)
4 slices o' plain breid
a quarter pun o' gammon
hauf a pun o' butter
hauf pint o cow juice
some dehydrated watter from Saltcoats (salt)

First try an fun yer way intae the kitchen, make sure its yer ain. Open the beans and fling them intae a pot or stick them in the poodle drier to warm them up. Scramble yer eggs wi the butter an cow juice. Take the breid and toast wan side of 2 pieces then put yer gammon oan and then yer Mrs Kerry beans and then yer scrambled eggs. Stick the breid back under the toaster until its nice and broon. There ye huv it but watch whit yer doin when ye take a bite, the scrambled eggs and beans huv a tendency tae splatter oot the sides like diahorea oot a waens nappy.

By the way, dinnae use wan o' they stand up toasters, its a right pain in the arse gettin the beans oot later.