Ginger beer from a ginger bug

[Shiner]

Yea I'm thinking if I can up the Abv of the wash that might overcome low yield, I know GB does rely on secondary fermentation.

I love the idea of drinking it with a Rum!

Shiner

[bluc]

Yes me two wich is why i wanted to make it! :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Shiner]

I'll let you know how I go.

Shiner

[EziTasting]

Went out and got some whole ginger, grated it up (just on 2tablespoons) and added that to the minced ginger in the hope that it will activate!
Been thinking of putting it outside to warm it up, but it's been rather warm (42+ degrees & 78% humidity) not sure it would help?!?! So you in to be AC it stayed!

[TasSpirits]

My plant came to life today :happy-partydance: reckon Ill bottle on Saturday :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[EziTasting]

Hmmm :snooty: not happy Jan!
Been doing this feeding and grating of ginger every day and nothing! Not a ginger-fart! Not a bubble...

Most of the ginger is sitting at the bottom, some is floating but that's about it. Left it outside last night (31 degrees over night) in the hope of getting something to happen... Nada, nix, nuttin!

So I realise that probably don't know what I'm looking for! Tasted the liquid - it's still very sweet so I'm guessing no fermentation has happened as yet...

Anyone want to reassure me? Throw some suggestions at me? :pray:

[EziTasting]

My plant came to life today :happy-partydance: reckon Ill bottle on Saturday :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Can you take a short vid so I know what to look for... please??

[bluc]

Ezi should be small bubbles breaking at surface like a real sedate ferment. I put a tap a draft bottle full in the fridge but must have been to soon flat as a tack :handgestures-thumbdown: will leave the rest couple weeks..

[prawnz]

Ezi , grab a pinch of lowans or any yeast for that matter and stir it in and boom , trust me :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If your not getting any bubbles it just means that the natural yeasts in the air in your corner are not sufficient .

[bluc]

Before adding yeast ezi i think i may have spotted your problem. Looks like you have a sealed lid. Your should have a loose weave fibre cloth over it.Single layer Cheesecloth new chux cloth etc to allow wild yeast to enter :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[prawnz]

Before adding yeast ezi i think i may have spotted your problem. Looks like you have a sealed lid. Your should have a loose weave fibre cloth over it.Single layer Cheesecloth new chux cloth etc to allow wild yeast to enter :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Ah yes that will do it .

Just as an aside , I always use a pinch of yeast to get it going , rapido rapido thats what I like . You cant taste the yeast because really there is not enough added to notice but it gets things going quick. Each to their own but thats what I do .

[EziTasting]

Ah ok, I've used a papertowel... will change to a chux!

Then we'll see

[bluc]

I use a chux and rubber band to hold it in place :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[EziTasting]

Hah. So after sleeping in (till 8:30!!!), dragged my sorry butt out of bed going to the shops for those last minute things (batteries, ice cream, milk) come home to a wonderfully prepared bacon & eggs... when I realise it's time to action the G-bug!

So go outside (flaming humidity is still above 80% :hand: ) and I find this:

IMG_7395.JPG

And a closeup...

IMG_7396.JPG

So I'm feeling encouraged! Hoping this is the beginning of the bug... :dance:

[bluc]

Looks good :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bluc]

Finished my first bottle today its not a bad drop, ended up carbonating up fine :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[EziTasting]

Noice!

I have now fed mine for 5 days, altho the first 4 were inside in AC and that didn't work too good!
Now it's outside (did sprinkle a pinch of bakers yeast on top) now to let it get really going...

Lol gotto get more ginger for the tea to make the beer!

[TasSpirits]

Anyone got any feedback? mines not ready yet :crying-blue:

[bluc]

Mine was pretty good but my tap a draft bottles keep cloging up cant get it out of the bottle :angry-banghead: think next lot will be in small bottles or corney keg.

[Bumper]

This is one I am trying cant comment on it as its the first i have made with a bug. I made some from scratch without a bug and it was :puke-huge: hoping this is better :handgestures-thumbupleft:

GINGER BEER INGREDIENTS

1. Water

2. Ginger (a large piece about 8 inches long)

3. 1.5 cups of sugar

4. 2 lemons (it just isn’t the same without them)

GINGER BEER INSTRUCTIONS

1. To start the bug, place 1 cup of room temperature water in a jar or bowl (I use a mason jar). If your tap water is chlorinated, allow it to sit open to the air for an hour before proceeding (this will help eliminate the chlorine and will help the fermenting).

2. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger. Stir well.

3. Cover loosely with cheesecloth; I use a single layer as natural yeasts will enter the jar but flies will not. I hold it in place by screwing a band around it (just not using the lid).

4. Store in a warm, dry place.

5. Add ginger and sugar (the same amounts) every day, stirring after. Repeat until your contents become fizzy (you’ll be able to hear it). This should take a couple of days and up to a week. Our apartment has a bit of the initial chill of winter in it so it takes its sweet time.

6. Boil 2 liters of water with six inches of chopped ginger root (for a strong flavor, you can use less if you’d like) and 1.5 cups of sugar.

7. Allow the mixture to cool completely and strain the contents to remove the solids.

8. Add the juice of two lemons, and this syrup to your ginger bug.

9. Strain the mixture to remove solids.

10. Add water (again a good practice is to let the chlorinated water sit for a bit) to increase the contents to 4 liters (roughly a gallon)

11. Bottle in clean bottles – you can get them from brew-your-own beer stores, reuse Grolsch pop-top bottles (there’s a full post on how to use them here) or use beer bottles if you have a capper. We’ll share how to sterilize/clean later this week (it’s a post unto itself). Per above, plastic is the safest if you’re worried about explosions.

12. Store until the bottle is hard to squeeze (in the case of plastic). It should take 2 days to a few weeks (the warmer things are, the quicker this will be as long as the temperature is under 100 degrees farenheit). If you’re worried about pressure, open slowly over a sink to release pressure (further fermentation will make sure it stays carbonated).

13. Once it’s complete, store in refrigerator; know that this can be a little more prone to making a mess when opening so be near a sink, with a glass!

It’s really fantastic.

Double down, thanks mate, this will go well with my first batch of rum - I have a spare tap on my kegorator so good to go!

B