Ginger Beer - Step by Step!

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We’re digging into more fermentation today with a step-by-step breakdown of making a bubbly and spicy ginger beer! Ginger beer is a very different beverage than ginger ale! Ginger ale is a soft drink that is very sweet, has mild ginger flavor, and added carbonation. Ginger beer is a naturally effervescent beverage made from fermented ginger. It’s less sweet than ginger ale and has a lot bolder of a ginger taste.

I mentioned in my sauerkraut post that fermentation can feel really intimidating when you get down to the science of it all.

But you will be shocked by how easy it is when you follow this step-by-step tutorial!

The first step is to make a ginger bug! A ginger bug serves as the “starter” for making ginger beer. Starters are used in fermentation to build an ecosystem of microorganisms that is active and will continue to ferment whatever base it is added to. For kombucha the starter is the SCOBY. For sourdough it’s the fermented flour and water mixture that lives on your counter or neglected in your refrigerator door. Here are some tips for a healthy and active ginger bug:

• Start with a 1/2 quart (or larger) jar that is clean and has been sterilized. You can sterilize it in your dishwasher or by dunking it in boiling water for 60-90 seconds. Be careful of the boiling water method so as to not burn yourself or shatter the glass!

• Gather your ingredients. It’s important to use organic ginger (or homegrown!) to ensure it hasn’t been sprayed with anything. Then you need a sweetener. I only ever use cane sugar for fermentation because it gives the best results and the most effervescence (bubbles). You could try using a liquid sweetener like honey, agave, or maple syrup though! Finally, you need some filtered water. Room temperature is best since that’s the zone that microorganisms thrive in, but cold is okay too!

• Make sure you leave the peel or skin on the ginger! It’s loaded with microorganisms that will aid in the fermentation process. The fertility of our soils is dependent upon millions of microorganisms and they make their way into our guts through our food!

• Grab a clean cotton, linen, or natural fiber towel. This will become your lid. You can secure it with a rubber band or use the outer ring of your mason jar lid. It’s important to allow air to flow (this is how the wild yeasts and other fermenting microorganisms get to our starter, especially in sourdough!) but we want to keep bugs out (even though it is called a ginger bug)!

• Leave your ginger bug out on your counter so you don’t forget about it. It likes to be stirred daily. If a few days pass and you’re not prepared to make your ginger beer yet, you should feed your bug. It’s easier to remember if it’s within eyesight!

Once your ginger bug has bubbles - they’ll be at the top of the liquid - it’s ready to be used for ginger beer.

The base of ginger beer is ginger tea. It’s super easy to make!

To make your ginger tea heat up the water. When it’s boiling, add the grated ginger. Reduce the heat a little and let this simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain out the ginger chunks - these don’t go into the beer! Add sugar and lemon juice. I do this when the tea is hot because it helps the sugar dissolve evenly.

When the ginger tea is cooled to room temperature (remember, the ideal temperature for microorganism activity) strain and add your ginger bug. If you add the ginger bug when the ginger tea is too hot it can kill the microorganisms needed for fermentation. If you want to continue a cycle of making ginger beer you can reserve a bit of your ginger bug. Cover the ginger beer mixture with a clean towel (natural fiber is best) and secure it with a rubber band. Let this sit for 24-48 hours to let the ginger bug do its fermentation magic. You can remove the lid and stir it every now and then. Again, bubbles are a sign that it’s ready to be bottled!

My favorite bottles for carbonated or bubbly beverages are swing top bottles. Make sure your bottles are clean and sterilized before filling them. Stir your ginger beer really well and transfer it to your bottles. Leave about 1/2 to 1” of headspace (air) at the top of your bottle. Too much space will prevent the natural effervescence. Too little and you can risk your bottle exploding. It’s rare, but it does happen!

Once bottled, your ginger beer should sit at room temperature for another 24-36 hours. You can pop one to test it, but again, you should see bubbles rising to the top of the bottles. That’s your sign to put the bottles in the fridge. They’re ready to drink immediately or once cooled!

Ginger Beer

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Adapted from Wild Fermentation

• prep time: 10 minutes
  

• cook time: 30 minutes
  

• total time:3-5 days
  

• yield: 1 gallon
  

Ingredients:

Ginger Bug

• 1" piece of organic ginger, grated
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener
  
• 1 cup filtered water
  

Ginger Beer

• 1 gallon of filtered water
  
• 4-8" of organic ginger, grated (the more ginger the spicier the beer will be)
  
• 1 cup sugar or other sweetener, more or less to taste
  
• juice of 2 lemons
  
• 1 recipe ginger bug as listed above
  

Instructions:

Ginger Bug

1. Combine the grated ginger, sugar, and filtered water in a clean and sterilized jar. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Secure a clean towel with a rubber band or mason jar band.
   
2. Stir once a day. The ginger bug is ready to be used in ginger beer when bubbles are present. This can take 1-3 days depending on the temperature of your house. If you aren't ready to make ginger beer yet, feed your ginger bug by adding 1" of grated ginger and 1 teaspoon of sugar, stir well.
   

Ginger Beer

1. Heat the gallon of water in a large pot. Bring it to a boil. Add the grated ginger. Reduce the heat so the mixture simmers for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the ginger out. The strained liquid is ginger tea.
   
2. Add the strained ginger tea to a 1 gallon glass jar that has been sterilized. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside or in the fridge to cool to room temperature.
   
3. Strain your ginger bug and add it to the cooled ginger tea mixture. Remember to reserve some of the bug if you want to keep a cycle of ginger beer going (just follow the steps for ginger bug above and add the reserved bug). Secure a clean towel with a rubber band and set aside at room temperature to ferment for about 24-48 hours.
   
4. After 24-48 hours it's time to bottle. Transfer the ginger beer into sterilized bottles. Leave about 1/2 to 1" of headspace at the top of the bottles. Wipe the rims of the bottles and secure the lids. Let the bottles sit at room temperature for 24-36 hours. Refrigerate and enjoy!