hist-brewing: Re: hist-brewing digest, Vol 1 #60 - 1 msg

[Charles wettergreen]

In Vol1 #60, JazzboBob at AOL.com wrote, in part:

<BIG snip>
>good copper chiller.  Strain the ginger out of the must on the way to the 
>fermentor.  This is important because the natural >preservative power of 
>the fresh ginger will inhibit the yeast
>from fermenting.  I didn't strain

Interesting you should say this. It must be because you're heating your 
honey. (BIG Grin) My last ginger mead (named appropriately, GINGER!) was a 
three gallon batch incorporating approximately five pounds of ginger, sliced 
thin with a food processor, and honey and water to make a 1.100 batch. 
Fermentation was explosive and because of the tannins in the skins (I not 
only don't heat/boil, I don't peel!), it fell crystal clear almost 
immediately as soon as fermentation was finished.

I also add a pound of ginger in the primary to my Smoke'n Chiles mead and it 
also ferments with explosive speed.

So I just don't know why your ginger doesn't ferment and mine does, but I 
have never experienced that ginger has any inhibitory effect.

Cheers,

Chuck
meadmaker
beekeeper


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