Ginger Ale

Home made Ginger Ale (aka Ginger Beer)

Ginger Bug

Equipment
- Quart mason jar
- Breathable lid (ie; clean coffee filter or cheese cloth, rubber band)
- wooden spoon

Ingredients
- 2 inches of fresh organic ginger root, grated (include peel)
- 2 tablespoons organic unbleached whole cane sugar
- 2 cups filtered (chlorine & chloramine free) room-temperature water


Add water to jar and stir in sugar until dissolved, then add ginger.

Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature in out of the way dark place.

Each day stir in additional 2 tsp of grated ginger and 2 tsp of sugar.  Can add a couple tablespoons of water as needed in case of evaporation.

You can tell if culture is active if there are bubbles forming around the top of the mixture after the second or third day.  

If mold forms or it doesn't appear active after 5 days then discard contents, sanitize equipment, and start again.   

As it ferments it will "fizz" when stirred and it take on a sweet and mildly yeasty smell.  It will also become somewhat cloudy and opaque.  Bug is ready to be used after 3-7 days when is "foamy" after stirring.   Warmer temperature and stirring the culture more often can speed up the process.

To use the bug, strain out 1/2 cup of the bug to use for wort.  Then add 1/2 cup water back to bug along with 2 tsp ginger and 2 tsp sugar and stir and will be ready for next wort within a day or two.


Ginger Wort

Equipment
- 2 Quart (half-gallon) mason jar
- Breathable lid (ie; clean coffee filter or cheese cloth, rubber band)
- wooden spoon

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons organic ginger root, grated
- 7 cups filtered (chlorine & chloramine free) room temperature water
- 1/2 cup organic rapadura (or other sugar with minerals intact or with added unsulphered molsasses)
- 1/2 cup strained ginger bug

Optional:
- 1/2 cup organic lemon or lime juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt or himalayan salt

Combine 3 cups of water, grated ginger, sugar and salt in saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes until mixture is dissolved and smells like ginger.

Remove from heat and add rest of water.

Transfer to 1/2 gallon mason jar and allow to cool completely to room temperature.

Add lemon or lime juice and ginger bug.

Cover jar and allow to sit at room temperature out of direct light for 2-3 days until observe bubbling.  


Ginger Ale - Bottling

Equipment
- Bottles

Ingredients
- Ginger wort

Strain and transfer to bottles with air tight lids.

Set at room temperature for 12 to 36 hours until desired level of carbonation.

Store in refrigerator and is ready to drink.

Can be stored in refrigerator for up to a month.


Variations

- Bottling is best time to add any fruit, herbs, or juice such as a tsp of concentrated dark cherry juice to each bottle.

- Can steep an organic tea in the wort while boiling and cooling for added flavor and health benefits of tea.

- To make a juice fermented soda, then replace juice instead of water, sugar and ginger for the wort.

- Warmer temperature and any added juices or flavorings will give the culture additional food and can impact the rate and level of carbonation.  If juices are used, they may become alcoholic faster.



Additional things:

- Recipe described is for making 1/2 gallon batch.  For larger or smaller batches use this ratio: For each Quart of water in Wort will need 1/4 cup ginger bug, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbs grated ginger

- The lactobacillus bacteria is naturally present in the skin of ginger root, so be sure to include the skin when first starting the ginger bug.  The skin does not need to be included when feeding the bug or for the wort.

- No metal should come in contact with the bug or with the wort after the bug is added.

- Equipment should be sanitized prior to use by boiling or running in dishwasher. Recommend removing of soap residues by vinegar rinse.

- Ginger used to start the initial bug should be organic and as fresh as possible, only rinsed with clean chlorine-free water.

- Ginger used to feed the bug after it is started and used in the wort can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, but should be room temperature before added to bug.

- Fermentation of wort beyond 3-5 days (when bubbling subsides) will result in alcoholic ginger beer. 

- For the bottled fermentation can use a small plastic bottle for one of the bottles and be able to tell carbonation is complete when bottle no longer gives when gently squeezed.

- The bug starter is similar to the kombucha scoby and may work better with white sugar with less mineral content.  The wort is more like a kiefer fermentation and will work better with a sugar (and salt) that has more mineral content.  Can even add unsulphered molasses to increase mineral content.

- Will ferment faster in warmer environment, but should not get too hot (over 100 Fahrenheit) as to kill the bug or wort.  Keeping a thermometer next to your culture will help.

- If taking a break, can store bug in refrigerator and feed it 1 tbsp. of ginger and 1 tbsp. sugar once a week. To reactivate bring to room temperature and resume feeding it daily.