Serves 1
Directions
- 1Wash the ginger. If not organic, peel the skin off.
- 2Chop the ginger into smaller pieces or grate it using a food processor to yield about 1 cup.
- 3Pour 0.5 gallon of filtered water into a pot.
- 4Add the chopped/grated ginger to the water and bring it to a boil.
- 5Once boiling, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to extract flavor.
- 6Remove the pot from heat and add 2 cups of sugar, stirring until dissolved.
- 7Cool down the ginger concentrate (wort). This can be done by waiting for it to reach room temperature, or by adding 0.5 gallon of cold water and placing the pot in a sink filled with cool water and ice cubes for about 15 minutes.
- 8Add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to the cooled concentrate for tanginess.
- 9Strain the ginger pieces out of the concentrate using a mini strainer and a measuring cup, pouring the liquid into fermenting containers (such as sterilized wine jugs).
- 10Press the strained ginger to extract as much flavor as possible.
- 11Fill each fermenting container approximately 2/3 of the way.
- 12Add 1 cup of ginger bug starter culture to the entire batch (0.5 cup per container if using two). Pour it through a strainer and funnel.
- 13Loosely cap the fermenting containers to allow pressure to escape, preventing explosions.
- 14Ferment the ginger ale on the counter, away from direct harsh sunlight, for 3 to 4 days (or up to 5 days if cooler temperatures slow fermentation).
- 15After fermentation, prepare for bottling into pressure-designed beer bottles. Use one plastic bottle as a tester.
- 16Before bottling, mix up the lees (sediment) at the bottom of the fermenting container to incorporate all the goodness.
- 17Fill glass bottles up to the neck to allow for pressure buildup, and the plastic tester bottle a little over halfway.
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated ginger
- 0.5 gallon filtered water
- 2 cups sugar
- 0.5 gallon cold water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup ginger bug starter
Equipment
food processorpotsinkice cubesmini strainermeasuring cupwine jugsfunnelbeer bottlesplastic bottle
Tips
- If ginger is not organic, peel it to reduce bitterness.
- Do not add the ginger bug starter to boiling water, as it will kill it.
- To cool the concentrate quickly, add half a gallon of cold water and place the pot in a sink filled with cool water and ice cubes.
- When fermenting in jugs that cannot handle pressure, ensure the caps are very loose to prevent explosion.
- For a clearer ginger ale, you can filter out the lees (bacteria and yeast sediment) after fermentation.
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