Beer · Alcoholic ginger beer

Coopers Ginger Beer (Alcoholic)

Name: Coopers Ginger Beer (Alcoholic)
Total time: 7 d
Yield: Fills about 13 × 740 mL PET bottles.
Ingredients: 500 g Coopers Ginger Beer; 500 g Dextrose; 1 pack Carbonation drops

A traditional alcoholic ginger beer with zesty ginger, tangy spice and a refreshing kick. A simple 10 litre brew from Coopers' own recipe, at around 3.5% ABV.

Batch: 10 L
ABV: Approx. 3.5%
Difficulty: Beginner
Style: Alcoholic ginger beer
Fermentation: 7 days

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Supplier recipe · Coopers DIY Beer

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Everything you need

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Ingredients for this batch

Brewing extract

Cooper Ginger Beer 500g — 1 Unit Recipe requires 500 g · Buying 1 × Cooper Ginger Beer 500g — 1 Unit Includes a 7 g Coopers yeast sachet.

In stock $16.90

Sugars

Dextrose Brewing Sugar — 1 Kg Recipe requires 500 g · Buying 1 × Dextrose Brewing Sugar — 1 Kg Buy a 1 kg bag. This recipe uses half.

In stock $5.60

Bottling

Carbonation Drops — 250 g Recipe requires 1 pack · Buying 1 × Carbonation Drops — 250 g 2 drops per 740–750 mL bottle, or 1 per 375 mL bottle.

In stock $4.80

Method

9 steps

Mix

Clean and sanitise. Clean and sanitise your fermenter, lid, airlock, tap, spoon and hydrometer.
Dissolve. Add 1 litre of water, the Coopers Ginger Beer and 500 g of dextrose to the fermenter and stir until dissolved.
Top up to 7 litres. Top up with cold tap water to the 7 litre mark.
Top up to 10 litres. Check the temperature, then top up to the 10 litre mark with warm or cool water so the brew starts at 21–27 °C.
Pitch the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast supplied with the Ginger Beer on top, stir it in and fit the lid.

Brew

Ferment. Keep the fermenter out of direct sunlight at 21–27 °C. Fermentation takes about 7–10 days.
Check it has finished. From around day 7, check the specific gravity (SG) each day. It's ready once the reading is steady for two days, at about 1.000–1.005. ABV calculator

Tip: Only bottle once the gravity is stable. Bottling too early can over-carbonate the ginger beer and burst bottles.

Bottle

Fill and prime. Gently fill clean PET bottles to about 3 cm from the top. Add 2 carbonation drops per 740–750 mL bottle (1 per 375 mL) and secure the caps.
Condition and enjoy. Store the bottles upright, out of direct sunlight, for at least 3 weeks. Squeeze a bottle to check it's firm, then chill upright and pour into a glass, leaving the sediment behind.

Tip: Bottles kept unrefrigerated keep improving with age. Expect around 3.5% ABV.

Make it your own

Everyone brews a little differently, and that's half the fun. Use this recipe as a starting point, then adjust it to suit your taste: a little more or less sugar for strength, some fresh ginger or citrus for zing, or a warmer or cooler ferment.

For a stronger brew, add up to another 500 g of dextrose, or grate in some fresh ginger for extra bite. Write down what you changed so your next batch turns out just the way you like it.

Safety information

Only bottle once the hydrometer reading is the same two days in a row. Bottling before fermentation has finished builds up too much pressure and can burst glass or PET bottles. Store bottles where a failure can't hurt anyone, and drink responsibly.