Brewing with Cinnamon or Ginger

A little goes a long way. Don't calibrate by what would be appropriate in baking, where a typical recipe might call for a teaspoon or two. The flavor will go much further in beer.

 

Agreed. A little goes a long way.
You should consider adding your spice after you have completed the beer. Pour a few ounces, add spice and then scale up.
also, candy ginger, ginger powder and ginger root are not at all similar and not interchangeable. It is difficult to offer advice because spicey means different things to different people.

 

I haven't used ginger in a beer, but I have used it in cider. A little does indeed go a long way, and it will depend how prevalent you want the ginger to be to determine the amount. It would not take much to be overpowering.

 

Well, if you're talking about a spiciness similar to proper ginger ale/beer...then around 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (.62 cups) of grated ginger should get you there. If it were me, I'd add at 5 min.

 

I like to make a tincture and add it to taste at bottling.

 

I used 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 of nutmeg, and 1 of all spice in the last 5 minutes of the boil for a pumpkin ale I brewed a few months back. When I re-read the recipe I had concocted, it said teaspoon...! I thought I had over-spiced, until I tried it, and it tastes like pumpkin pie. I think it's all a matter of preference really, but for me, 1 tablespoon of each and the spices melded together nicely for a 5-gal batch

 

I've used .9 oz of fresh ginger per gallon in a pale beer added to the fermenter. The results were definitely not "very spicy," mostly moderate in the nose, with moderate ginger flavor and low spiciness.

My preference with additions like these is into the fermenter. Similar to adding hops, the smell is stronger. Also not a fan of anything in powdered form, except peppers, because of the almost chalky mouthfeel (which might be solved by adding into the kettle).

 

Seeing how you're new to home brewing ... see if you can find a ready-made kit with these ingredients so you'll have a better chance for a successful outcome.

 

Be very careful with cinnamon, it is very noticeable even when adding just a pinch. This flavor vanishs over time though

 

I have not used cinnamon but have used fresh ginger. I used a recipe for a ginger ale that called for 3.5 lbs in 5 gallons, and I heard criticism that it wasn't "gingery" enough. I noticed the flavor faded pretty quickly, so even if it had come out too strong for my taste, it would have eventually been fine.

I believe how strong the ginger you are using tastes should be your guide, as the amounts can vary a lot.

 

I just brewed an oatmeal stout this weekend with cinnamon sticks. Threw 2 in the last 20min of the boil, and left in the primary for two days. I was planning on taking them out today to throw in the vanilla beans, but when I racked the wort into the ferm. unit it had some spice to it already. Not overpowering but you definitely get some from the boil. I would recommend adding them to the primary and check it every day or so until you find the flavor you are looking for.