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Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:06 pm
by prawnz
bluc wrote:After looking at my options i bought some plastic bottling bottles put a teaspoon of sugar in each and capped them. Will report back when I try one..



When you say bottling bottles , you mean pressure bottles (like soft drink bottle design ) ?

The reason Iask is because when I first started with the GB thing I bought what I thought where suitable plastic bottles from a HBS and after a couple of days they had all blown up like footballs.

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:21 pm
by EziTasting
I'm using recycled 1.25L soft drink bottles and a couple of soda stream bottles...

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:30 pm
by TasSpirits
Im using PET bottles from the HBS and 1.25L soft drink bottles. No probs so far. Going to try make a RTD Dark & Stormy tomorrow. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:33 pm
by bluc
prawnz wrote:
bluc wrote:After looking at my options i bought some plastic bottling bottles put a teaspoon of sugar in each and capped them. Will report back when I try one..



When you say bottling bottles , you mean pressure bottles (like soft drink bottle design ) ?

The reason Iask is because when I first started with the GB thing I bought what I thought where suitable plastic bottles from a HBS and after a couple of days they had all blown up like footballs.

Brown pet bottles for bottling beer :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:44 pm
by Doubleuj
I just used left over Schweppes bottles, unwashed, un sterilised... here's hopeing... 8-}
A lot of work for three 1.25L bottles of ginger ale... tastes good already though :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 7:43 pm
by bluc
I doubled the bug then split it into 4 lots added it to 4 lots of 6l syrup.ended up with 24l.

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:05 pm
by EziTasting
Doubleuj wrote:I just used left over Schweppes bottles, unwashed, un sterilised... here's hopeing... 8-}
A lot of work for three 1.25L bottles of ginger ale... tastes good already though :handgestures-thumbupleft:



Thing is, you reuse the Bug, over and over and over again... so, really, you only need to grate the ginger for the boil... then add the bug, refresh the bug, boil the ginger tea, add the bug....

bluc wrote:I doubled the bug then split it into 4 lots added it to 4 lots of 6l syrup.ended up with 24l.

good move!

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 10:18 pm
by bluc
:text-+1: the bug is all the solids. You strain the bug use the liquid in the ginger beer the bug goes back into the jar with water ginger and sugar and the feeding starts again.

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 5:59 am
by Doubleuj
bluc wrote::text-+1: the bug is all the solids. You strain the bug use the liquid in the ginger beer the bug goes back into the jar with water ginger and sugar and the feeding starts again.


Yeah I thought that, like a bread starter it should be able to be kept alive indefinitely.
If I had strained the bug first it would have been easier.

Anyway, if it's tasty I'll definitely do it again, the right way :violence-smack: :handgestures-thumbupleft:
My bottles seem to be pretty firm after only one day, is that normal?

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:21 am
by prawnz
Doubleuj wrote:My bottles seem to be pretty firm after only one day, is that normal?


Yeh , just means you have ideal conditions for the magic , just remember when you open each bottle for the first time do it in the sink and do it in one swift movement , if you just crack it to see what happens you will very quickly end up with a high pressure GB sprinkler . once you have opened and started drinking you can then open and close with gay abandon :obscene-drinkingdrunk:

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:28 am
by EziTasting
Doubleuj wrote:My bottles seem to be pretty firm after only one day, is that normal?


Yes I found that as well, didn't wait much after that, was too keen to have a taste and popped them into the fridge! I'll be going again!

prawnz wrote:Yeh , just means you have ideal conditions for the magic , just remember when you open each bottle for the first time do it in the sink and do it in one swift movement , if you just crack it to see what happens you will very quickly end up with a high pressure GB sprinkler . once you have opened and started drinking you can then open and close with gay abandon :obscene-drinkingdrunk:

:laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: you said "gay" :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: I also like your sprinkler analogy! :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 4:23 pm
by TasSpirits
:handgestures-thumbupleft: to this recipe, I'm up to 20L now. Next step some very strong alcoholic Ginger Beer, going to do a test batch tomorrow night. :D

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:33 pm
by EziTasting
Doin it again!! :music-deathmetal:

TONIGHT...

Loving it... :obscene-birdiedoublered:

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:53 pm
by bluc
Lol

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:56 pm
by Doubleuj
Had a bottle of this on Saturday night. It was completely flat. :handgestures-thumbdown: no carbonation at all even though the bottles were hard before opening.
Got another 2 bottles that I'll leave for a while longer.
Tasted good though, a little sweet for the dry ginger ale I am looking for.

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:19 am
by Doubleuj
Well I'll be a monkeys uncle.
After ignoring my minced ginger bug for 3-4 days it's come to life this morning :handgestures-thumbupleft:
Going to have another go at bottleing this up.
How long after it starts fizzing do you leave it before bottling?
Thinking I bottled too early on the last batch and maybe that's why I didn't get any carbonation :think: or that I didn't sterilise my bottles
IMG_6576.JPG

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:33 am
by EziTasting
WJ,
You're missing steps 6-13 on page 1! This is where you get your volum from... you should get around 4L...
Also, you'll refresh the G-bug (stuff in the jar) and start it all again...

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 8:21 am
by Doubleuj
Lol, I'm not planning on just chucking the bug in a bottle ezi 8-} :O)
Last batch I got 3x1.25L bottles (3.75L) that didn't work.
My question was as my bug has only just come to life do I complete the process asap or wait a few days?

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 8:46 am
by EziTasting
6 of one, half a dozen the other...

Once it bubbles, to my understanding, its ready to go... because the yeast is actively fermenting. May be I'm over simplifying this but thats how I've made mine. The second batch is already tasting better (first go had a slightly bitter taste & I used much more ginger so it was very spicy). My bug came back to life, stronger in fact, but I did wait a couple of days, just to make sure ... coz I was Chicken!

Here's a
vid I found most informative. Only thing I picked up from another vid is that they pour in the whole liquid into the 'Tea', stir it and then scoop out some of the whole mixture back into the G-Bug jar to keep it going, then bottle the remainder, keep it warm for a couple of days then refrigerate. Hope it helps...

Re: Ginger beer from a ginger bug

PostPosted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:24 pm
by TasSpirits
Dark and stormy worked :happy-partydance: not quite as fizzy as I would have liked, but still worked. Going to try again tonight, more of the bug juice to try get a few more bubbles. :handgestures-thumbupleft: