Pineapple beer/Ginger beer...

[cyber7 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cyber7]

Hi Guys
This is my first post and I already have questions.

I am a complete newbie and have done 2 very nice brews of Ginger-beer. I am now in the process of brewing a Pineapple beer.

Questions:

• My second batch of Ginger beer gave me and my wife heartburn and made our arms lame if we drank too much (2 glasses or more). Other than that it came out great (5.2% ABV)! Why would we be getting these kind of symptoms?
• The Pineapple beer I am making is weird! It started at 1.050 (started on Saturday) and when I checked it last night it was on 1.050!!! (4 days later!) What is up with that! How is it possible that the gravity is constant? Is it possible the sugars in the pineapple chunks is still being released? Other than that, it tastes great!

beer 1.JPG
kind regards
cyber7 (aka Aubrey, Durbanville)

ps - I use a water-dispensing bottle as a carboy. A HUGE salt-grinder/pipe/little-bottle as an air-trap, glued on a stopper (for those who asks "what is THAT???")

[groenspookasem Banned Find all posts View Profile Close groenspookasem]

perhaps if you share the recipe for the ginger beer it might help with revealing the cause, did you use fresh ginger?

what yeast did you use on the pineapple beer?

[cyber7 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cyber7]

Ginger beer:
I used City Steading's recipe from Yoiutube and Bread Machine Yeast. The Ginger was grated, boiled and strained. (Fresh, about 400-500g) - see here: https://aubreykloppers.wordpress.com...e-beer-recipe/

Now, onto Pineapple Beer:
It is bubbling away and I did not crush the pineapple, just cut it...

• 18l water.
• 2 small pineapples chopped into pieces removing some of the core adding it to my carboy.
• 18 cups of sugar (one cup per liter) dissolved in 4l water adding it to my carboy with the rest of the water.
• 1 packet of Anchor Brewers Yeast already dehydrated by adding slightly lukewarm water to it (about 300ml) – also added to the carboy.
• Shook the entire thing to aerate.
• Measured the ABV with my hydrometer and got OG 1.050 ABV (Original Gravity)

Cheers
cyber7 (aka Aubrey)

[billionairebum Member Find all posts View Profile Close billionairebum]

18 cups of sugar


Perhaps it was just the diabetes kicking in that caused the symptoms.

[cyber7 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cyber7]

18 cups of sugar


Perhaps it was just the diabetes kicking in that caused the symptoms.

HAHAHA - I followed the rule-of-thumb of 1 cup/1 liter - the carbonation was then done with the leftover sugars. (if I am right?)

• According to "city steading" it is 2LB sugar to 1GAL water (4&1/2 cups sugar / 3.7L) (https://youtu.be/wbNKWkm65ro?t=427) <-at the time where he discusses the sugar to liquid ratio...

I still have a question regarding the ABV on my Pineapple-beer. Why am I getting no result, although I can already taste a slight hint of alcohol? Is this because the OG was actually higher than the 1.050 measured but the acidic in the Pineapple has some kind of influence on the reading? (Also according the "city steading" I should have gotten a +/- 1.080 with the amount of sugar I added!!!? - https://youtu.be/wbNKWkm65ro?t=1437)

[groenspookasem Banned Find all posts View Profile Close groenspookasem]

Gravity readings are based on solution density against water which is roughly 1.000, so more sugar the higher density reading on your hydrometer. Yeast burns this into alcohol during fermentation, and the gravity reading diminishes. There's a temp correction variable that could skew the reading slightly, but you'd need to know at what temp your hydrometer is calibrated at. It won't be a significant jump from say 1.050 -> 1.080 either, small incremental of a few points up/down.

I have never used brewers yeast or bread yeast to ferment beer, perhaps that's a culprit. It might ferment, but might take a long time, how old was the packet? If your yeast cells aren't fresh, then it might be in a stuck fermentation or slow. You could always pitch more. I would recommend that you try something like Fermentis S04

When you say it's bubbling, is that airlock activity or the fruit?

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

HAHAHA - I followed the rule-of-thumb of 1 cup/1 liter - the carbonation was then done with the leftover sugars. (if I am right?)

• According to "city steading" it is 2LB sugar to 1GAL water (4&1/2 cups sugar / 3.7L) (https://youtu.be/wbNKWkm65ro?t=427) <-at the time where he discusses the sugar to liquid ratio...

I still have a question regarding the ABV on my Pineapple-beer. Why am I getting no result, although I can already taste a slight hint of alcohol? Is this because the OG was actually higher than the 1.050 measured but the acidic in the Pineapple has some kind of influence on the reading? (Also according the "city steading" I should have gotten a +/- 1.080 with the amount of sugar I added!!!? - https://youtu.be/wbNKWkm65ro?t=1437)

1 cup per liter will get you up to around 10% ABV. That'll kinda explain why you're feeling pap if you've had a few glasses. It's strong, mate! You sure you measured the gravities and the stuff correctly?

[cyber7 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cyber7]

Gravity readings are based on solution density against water which is roughly 1.000, so more sugar the higher density reading on your hydrometer. Yeast burns this into alcohol during fermentation, and the gravity reading diminishes. There's a temp correction variable that could skew the reading slightly, but you'd need to know at what temp your hydrometer is calibrated at. It won't be a significant jump from say 1.050 -> 1.080 either, small incremental of a few points up/down.

I have never used brewers yeast or bread yeast to ferment beer, perhaps that's a culprit. It might ferment, but might take a long time, how old was the packet? If your yeast cells aren't fresh, then it might be in a stuck fermentation or slow. You could always pitch more. I would recommend that you try something like Fermentis S04

When you say it's bubbling, is that airlock activity or the fruit?

It is bubbling through the airlock...


Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[cyber7 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cyber7]

1 cup per liter will get you up to around 10% ABV. That'll kinda explain why you're feeling pap if you've had a few glasses. It's strong, mate! You sure you measured the gravities and the stuff correctly?

That's what so weird, I measured and got an OG of 1.050, which at the time did not make sense...

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

You getting 1,050 from the sugary water solution .... your hydrometer is not picking up the sugar in the fruit ...

so as it ferments, the fruit is still releasing sugars

Correction on previous calculations: 1cup (±200g) * 18cups is 3.6Kg ... in 18L water should give you a SG of 0,077 ???

18 cups of icing sugar will give you 0.050 as that equals to 128g per cup

PS: Welcome to the forum



EDIT: I think you'll need something like a refractometer to measure the sugar content in the fruit you're adding ... not exactly sure how to do or work this out for those 2 x pineapples

EDIT2: Apparently ±100g of pineapple will give you 0,19 gravity points in a US 5 gallon

Not sure ? ... see this > http://blog.craftbeertraders.com/fru...ol-calculator/

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

That's what so weird, I measured and got an OG of 1.050, which at the time did not make sense...

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

OK I overestimated. If I run the calculator, I get this:


I guessed a bit high, but it's still a bit over your range. Are you sure all the sugar was properly dissolved?

[cyber7 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cyber7]

I believe @jigsaw is right in saying there is unreleased sugar in the fruit. I also think that although the sugar was dissolved, I did not boil the water, just heated it up until the sugar was dissolved. It could be the sugar was still in some solid state, but very small molecules.

I did taste it last night and it was very good! Still sweet, but you got an overtone of perfume, pineapple and a slight hint of alcohol...

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[cyber7 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cyber7]

Where did you get this calculator from, @toxxyc?

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Where did you get this calculator from, @toxxyc?

http://gotmead.com/blog/the-mead-calculator/

It's made for meads, but it makes it easy to calculate some additions to your beer as well.