Quote:
Originally Posted by [1ponders]
Only one of the recipes I've looked at mentions yeast.
|
The GB 'plant' relies on fermentation which produces the 'plant' froth and alcohol and this (the alcohol) is what is necessary to extract the ginger flavour.
The fizz in the final product is also a result of the yeast fermentation and 'real' GB is about 0.5 - 1% alcohol - but unless you drink huge amount, this amount has no noticable effect, sobriety wise, that is.
Some recipes (such as the CWA) call for yeast -usually bread yeast as these are, or were, readily available- to be added. Otherwise it just uses the natual yeasts that are floating around in the air.
If you use a 'real' beer or wine yeast instead, you get a much better tasting GB. It's one of the reasons that Orstrahleehun (and other whines from non-traditional whine areas) taste better (some would say different...) to whines from the traditional whine producing areas such as France, Germany, Italy etc that often use the natural air-borne yeast. Mind you, in these areas the 'natural' yeasts are not really 'natural', rather 'ferals' due to the couple of thousand years of unnatural selection from the vineyards.
As for BB bottles - I would still use plastic fantastic. As far as I know, the BB is sterilised (to kill the yeast) and then artificially gassed to a specified pressure. If you get it wrong, the bottles may explode... believe me - I know from experience what they can do...