Here’s a school science project you could definitely get excited about!
Year 11 Boonah High School chemistry students have brewed an alcoholic ginger beer which will be launched during Scenic Rim Eat Local Week.
The students worked with Mike Webster from Scenic Rim Brewery to create GED, Ginger Extra Dry, a 4.8% alcohol ginger beer.
Mike says both the students – and their parents – were very enthusiastic about the project.
“The students were great,” he says.
“They did some test brews at school and then came here to do the full brew. It took a day to do the brew. Fermentation and clarifying takes three weeks and then we bottled the ginger beer. It takes three weeks to condition in the bottle and then it’s ready. We are kegging the rest of the 1000litre batch this week.”
Mr Webster says brewing traditional ginger beer uses the same process as beer brewing and is very scientific.
“The ginger beer everybody knows is really just ginger-flavoured soft drink,” he explains.
“It’s very sweet. We’ve created a drier product, it’s less sweet. Essentially we brewed beer, added ginger and some local Dewar’s honey.”
Students will visit the brewery with their parents, who have final say about whether they can taste the fruits of their labour.
You can try the ginger beer at the brewery’s Beef & Beer Night on June 28, where it will be served across the bar and incorporated into the five-course menu.
The ginger beer will also be sold at the Winter Harvest Festival on Saturday, July 1.