Alpha-mashing ginger

[bluefoxicy]

Anyone mashed ginger root?  Apparently it has a large quantity of alpha-amylase, which will break down the starches in the root into maltose and such.  After mashing, you should be able to sparge and utilize the resulting wort to make a spicy golden ginger ale or an alcoholic ginger beer.

[weazletoe]

I didn't mash it, but I did make ginger ale. It turned "meh". I am curious now about mashing it. I've been wanting to make ginger brandy. Seems like it would take a ton to mash it though.

[euge]

I didn't mash it, but I did make ginger ale. It turned "meh". I am curious now about mashing it. I've been wanting to make ginger brandy. Seems like it would take a ton to mash it though.

The problem is that it's like cider and always finishes dry without intervention. Interesting you should mention ginger brandy. I was considering some old bottles of high test ginger brew to convert over.

[erockrph]

Does it really convert to maltose? If so, maybe a wine yeast may be an option to keep it from fermenting bone dry.

[majorvices]

IIRC if you mash corn with malt enzymes it turns to maltose. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Interesting topic about the ginger being mashed. I use a lot of ginger, mostly all at knock out and whirl pool. One  thing I have seemed to notice with ginger is the longer you boil it the "spicier" (IOW hotter) it becomes. I am planning on doing some actual tests on that soon to see how rue it is.

I just brewed a honeyed ginger ale with lemon rind a few weeks ago and it is pretty tasty, though perhaps a little over the top on the ginger.

[rjharper]

I did an ale where I substituted ginger for all the hop additions, then dry gingered afterwards. Very spicy, very tasty.

[weazletoe]

How many additions, and how much did you use?

[tschmidlin]

IIRC if you mash corn with malt enzymes it turns to maltose. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Yes, barley malt amylase enzymes will favor maltose.