Get your fermentation on with this ginger beer recipe from Alexandra Daum's new book, Occasionally Eggs.
A ginger bug is like a sourdough starter. It’s fed daily, and using a little kick-starts the fermentation process for the beer.
Homemade ginger beer is spicy and not too sweet, especially this version, sweetened largely with apple juice. I’ve tried with honey but it doesn’t produce consistent results. If you like carbonated drinks, this is like a healthier soda pop and great to add to a number of drinks and co*cktails. Ginger beer is probably the easiest thing to ferment at home.
Ginger beer and bug
Makes 2 pints (1 litre)
10 minutes prep time, 15 minutes cooking time, 5 days (ginger bug) plus 3 to 10 days (ginger beer) fermenting time
Ingredients
Ginger Bug, for Each Feeding
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- 3 teaspoons water
Ginger Beer
- 3 cups (750 ml) water
- 1 large piece ginger (about 6 inches / 15 cm), sliced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) ginger bug
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup (250 ml) apple juice
Instructions
- To make the ginger bug, add the ginger, sugar, and water to a jam jar or container—the 8-ounce (250 ml) Ball jars are ideal—and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cover with a thin cloth and secure to keep any insects out.
- Feed your bug the same amounts of ginger, sugar, and water on a daily basis, and you should see strong bubbling action after about 5 days. Once it’s very bubbly, it’s ready to use for the ginger beer. Continue to feed daily if you want to make a batch of ginger beer about once a week. If you plan on making ginger beer less frequently, refrigerate the bug until you want to use it, then feed once and leave it on the counter to use the next day (see note).
- Sterilize a 2-pint (1 litre) bottle with a flip-top. You can use boiling water or run it through a dishwasher cycle.
- To make the ginger beer, add the water and ginger to a large pot and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it smells strongly of ginger and is pale yellow. Remove from the heat and cool, with the lid on, until room temperature.
- Pour the ginger tea into a large non-metal bowl with a spout or any other non-metal bowl. Pour the ginger bug through a fine strainer into the tea, add the lemon juice, and gently stir with a wooden spoon.
- Pour the apple juice into the clean bottle, then top with the ginger tea mixture. Seal and set in a dark place for 3 to 10 days (see note). The timing is a wide range because temperature will play a large role. Pop (or burp) the bottle once a day to release any pressure buildup. After the ginger beer is very fizzy, the bottle is ready to refrigerate and drink. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes:
A ginger bug can stay dormant in the refrigerator for months. The longest I’ve kept it is about 4 months; I then fed it once and it was back in action the next day. If you want to keep it for a while without using, cover it with a lid or something non-permeable.
If your house is very hot, try to find a cool place for the ginger beer when it’s fermenting. The summer I wrote this book, I had a few bottles on the counter and one exploded after less than 2 days, even though I had burped it earlier that day. It was a record-breaking summer for heat, over 105°F (40°C), and as I mentioned before, Dutch houses are not built for heat! I’ve read that some people store their bottles in bins so that any explosions don’t hurt anyone nearby.
Excerpted from Occasionally Eggs: Simple Vegetarian Recipes for Every Season by Alexandra Daum. Copyright © 2021 Alexandra Daum. Photography by Alexandra Daum. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved
Next: Trying to Drink Less? These Tasty Summer Mocktails Make it Easy
FAQs
Allow the ginger beer to ferment in bottles for 2-7 days at room temperature, checking for carbonation daily. Once carbonated, transfer to the refrigerator for an additional two days to age. Consume within 4 weeks. Cold storage slows down fermentation activity, but does not stop it.
Is homemade ginger beer good for you? ›
Drinking ginger beer can help reduce inflammation, promote digestion, relieve nausea, and even help in the prevention of cancer. Ginger beer is a less-sweet alternative to ginger ale, and the popularity has skyrocketed among Americans, especially millennials.
How alcoholic is homemade ginger beer? ›
Traditional fermented ginger beer is a non-alcoholic beverage. Wild yeasts can't ferment to alcohol levels much above 1% ABV. Using a ginger bug starter means that this beverage is unlikely to ferment to above 0.5% ABV. If you want to brew alcoholic ginger beer, then you need to use commercial brewing yeast.
What is the best sugar for ginger beer? ›
Brown Sugar – this works well for ginger beer but is harder for the SCOBY to break down. It will contribute a more caramel/molasses flavour. Coconut Palm Sugar or Syrup – this will work well but may give sour or bitter flavours due to the high level of minerals.
What happens if you let ginger beer ferment too long? ›
Let ginger beer ferment too long, it's very dry and has no sweetness at all. Almost unpleasant.
Is ginger beer probiotic? ›
WHAT IS GINGER BEER? Ginger beer is a naturally fizzy beverage with a sweet and spicy bite. Grated ginger is fermented in sugar water and lemon juice, allowing the natural yeasts in ginger to feed and multiply, creating a probiotic beverage.
Does ginger help lose belly fat? ›
It can help stimulate the production of digestive enzymes and improve overall digestion. By reducing bloating and improving digestive function, ginger may contribute to a flatter belly appearance, but it won't specifically target fat in that area.
What does ginger beer do to your stomach? ›
A serving of ginger beer contains 40 grams of sugar. Speaking to Marie Claire, Dr. Gina Sam said all that sugar "feeds the bad bacteria in your GI tract, causing more bloating, gas, and indigestion."
What is the healthiest ginger beer? ›
- The Ginger People Bottoms Up Unfiltered Ginger Beer. ...
- Brooklyn Crafted Sugar Free, Extra Spicy Ginger Beer. ...
- Q Mixers Q Spectacular Ginger Beer. ...
- Bundaberg Ginger Beer. ...
- Hollows & Fentimans Botanically Brewed Ginger Beer. ...
- Maine Root Hand-Crafted Ginger Brew. ...
- Barritts Sugar-Free Diet Ginger Beer.
Yeast. Ginger ale is a light, refreshing beverage, so neutral ale yeasts that throw off minimal esters and phenols are best. There's no need to get fancy; simple dry yeasts like S-04 and US-05 are great choices, with S-04 producing a slightly fruitier version and US-05 a little cleaner.
The Bottom Line: Ginger Ale vs Ginger Beer, What's the Difference? While these two drinks were once identical, ginger ale is typically sweeter, non-alcoholic, and made using artificial carbonation. Ginger beer tends to be spicier and is carbonated via fermentation.
How long before ginger beer becomes alcoholic? ›
Cover the jar with a lid with an airlock. Fill the airlock to the line with water or alcohol. Allow to ferment at room temperature until there are no more bubbles left for at least a week. This can take up to 1 to 3 months.
Should diabetics drink ginger beer? ›
First, keep in mind that you want to stick to the spice itself. That means processed drinks, like ginger ale and ginger beer, which contain loads of added sugar, are off-limits. These options have the opposite of the desired effect, potentially sending blood sugar levels soaring.
What does cream of tartar do in ginger beer? ›
Adding cream of tartar to simple syrup inhibits the natural tendency for granular sugar to recrystallize, there's also a side benefit that the cream of Tartar gives a smooth mouth-feel finish to the drink.
What has more sugar co*ke or ginger beer? ›
The average glass of ginger beer contains a whopping 38.5g of sugar - the equivalent of just over eight teaspoons - according to the research by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open. A glass of co*ke, on the other hand, contains 35g - that's about seven teaspoons.
How long does fresh ginger beer last in the fridge? ›
For the best flavor and most fizz, we suggest drinking the ginger beer within four weeks.
How long is homemade beer shelf life? ›
On average, homemade beers last about twelve months in bottles before they start to deteriorate. Does that mean you should guzzle your brews down as soon as possible? Not at all—there's still plenty of time to enjoy your home brews at your own pace!
Does homemade beer expire? ›
Homebrew keeps well for about a year, and its flavor often continues evolving. The flavor tends to keep improving for a month or two after bottling, stays steady for several months, and then starts to deteriorate and turn stale after about 12 months.
How long does homemade ginger ale last in the fridge? ›
Seal tightly and chill for at least 1 hour until cold. You can also store it for up to one week in the fridge. When ready to serve, mix 1/4 cup ginger simple syrup with 1 cup cold club soda per serving and pour over ice. Additional ginger syrup or sugar may be added to sweeten it to taste.
