By Sharon Biggs Waller
In this post I will teach you how to make ginger beer the old fashioned way, no soda machine or brewery required. This drink is nice and refreshing on a warm day; itโs also one of the main ingredients in the popular Moscow Mule cocktail. Itโs easy, really, and surprisingly fizzy. Iโve outlined the recipe and process below, including a how-to video and photo tutorial
Ginger, with its zippy and refreshing taste, is listed among the worldโs oldest spices.ย As far back as 500 BC, this native plant of China and India was used for medicine, food, and flavoring. For most of the Western world, ginger was used to spice up drinks. Up until the Victorian era, beer was the drink of choice in England, especially herbal and spiced low-alcohol โsmallโ beers such as ginger beer.
I would be willing to bet that most us were introduced to the flavor of Zingiber officinale through ginger ale. I donโt know about you, but the zingy soda pop was my momโs go-to cure for tummy aches. This non-alcoholic ginger ale made its American debut in 1866 when a Detroit, Michigan pharmacist named James Vernor installed a soda fountain in his drugstore. Vernor began playing around with ginger extracts, and in 1870 perfected his recipe, which included mellowing the syrup for four years in wooden casks. Itโs not surprising that a pharmacist would chose ginger, as the rhizome was (and still is) known as a stomach soother.ย In fact, Vernorโs ads often touted โMothers tell their children to ask for Vernorโs Ginger Ale because itโs wholesome and healthful.โ Vernorโs Ginger Ale remains just as popular today.
MY OTHER RECIPES
Ginger ale and ginger beer are both basically the same thing. Itโs easy and inexpensive to make old-fashioned ginger beer at home, and you get more of a gingery taste than you do from the store-bought stuff. A bit of fermentation is involved, which produces a very slight alcohol content (not noticeable, but important to point out for those sensitive to alcohol). Some manufacturers ferment the mixture longer and make other adjustments to increase the alcohol content, but for our purposes this ginger beer is more akin to ginger ale. If youโre concerned, make the ginger syrup as noted below, but skip the fermentation process and mix it with seltzer water instead to produce a fermentation-free beverage.
Once you master the process of creating ginger beer, youโll be hooked. Itโs fun to ferment. Enjoy!
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Homemade Ginger Beer
6 servings
2 days 23 hours 55 minutes
5 minutes
Parve
Description
Learn to make ginger beer (aka ginger ale) the old fashioned way, with fresh grated ginger and the power of active yeast. Includes recipe, how-to video and photo tutorial. This recipe makes roughly 2 liters of ginger beer.
Ingredients
Ginger Syrup Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Ginger Beer Ingredients
- 1/8 tsp active dry yeast or brewer's yeast
- Ginger syrup (ingredients above)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 7 cups filtered water
Recipe Notes
You will also need: clean 2-liter soda bottle, funnel
Instructions
Peel a chunk of the ginger with the tip of a teaspoonโthe papery skin scrapes right offโand grate it, using the fine side of your grater. Place the ginger, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to steep for an hour.ย
Strain the mixture (discard the ginger solids) and allow to cool. ย
Youโve now made ginger syrup (or gingerette, as the Brits call it). Stop right here if youโre looking for a short-cut to ginger ale and you donโt want to mess around with the fermentation process. Pour three or four tablespoons (more or less depending upon how gingery you like it) of your syrup over ice and add 8 ounces of seltzer water or club soda. Bottle the rest of the syrup and store it in the refrigerator.ย
For the full ginger beer experience, place a funnel in the top of the bottle. Sprinkle the yeast in, followed by the syrup, lemon juice, and water.ย
Put the lid on the bottle and shake the concoction until the yeast is dissolved. Stow it on a shady shelf or in your pantry out of direct sunlight for 2-3 days, or until fizz is achieved. At this point it is ready to drink, and must be stored in the refrigerator to prevent further fermentation. Don't forget about the bottle, or the pressure will build up so much that it may explode!
As with any yeast-powered beverage, the fermentation process continues unless you prevent it from happening. Refrigerating will slow the process down but not stop it completely, that's why itโs best to treat ginger beer as a perishable beverage. Consume within 1-2 weeks.ย
CAUTION: be sure to open the bottle every day to release the extra gas, otherwise the bottle might explode and youโll have a big mess on your hands! ย The photos in the blog post above were taken using a glass bottle. Please keep in mind that home brew is volatile in nature. If you will not be "on top" of releasing built up pressure as it ferments, we recommend using a plastic bottle instead. Note that as the beverage ferments, sediment will settle at the bottom of the bottle. You can strain it out if you wish.
Serve over ice and savor the spicy taste of your very own homemade ginger beer!ย
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Try omitting the yeast as it occurs naturally. Slower fermentation process but it avoids the yeast taste beer taste
Ginger “bug” can be added…
Could you make the whole thing in a pressure cooker? That way fermentation pressure would not be a problem.
Hi!! I tried making this but it had a very decidedly alcohol flavor/smell to it. How do I make this so itโs completely non-alcoholic?
Hi Sunshine! Anything that is fermented will have naturally occurring alcohol. If you want to avoid this completely, I suggest referring to step 3 in the recipe and adding the ginger syrup to seltzer or club soda.
The fine grater jammed horribly on ginger so I had to old-school mince it. I’m using Chinese ginger though. Also started getting a bit of sugar precipitation while steeping but I good scrape and stir sorted that out. I must say, fantastic flavor.
Freeze the ginger first
Love these old recipes. My Mum made Ginger ale as it is easier to make and Ginger wine. Can’t get the cordial it was made from in Canada unfortunately. An old Glasgow soft drink is “sugar ally water” made by putting in one of these wee liquorice sticks., the really strong ones in a soda bottle, corking it and leaving it under the bed for a week at least. It will only dissolve the liquorice if kept under the bed so don’t try to mature it anywhere else.
Can you make a ginger beer even without the club soda?
I’m really excited about this recipe! I want to make the fermented version for a taco party but wanted to know what will happen if it fermented for longer than the suggested 2-3 days? Will it taste bad???
No it won’t taste bad… just stronger the longer it ferments. ๐
Tried this recipe and it was very tasty. My family is from Jamaica so I grew up drinking ginger beer. loved the authentic spiciness of the ginger in this recipe.
So I just made this for the first time and the flavour is great but the soda is flat.
What happened was when I opened the bottle to try it, I had to slowly open and close the cap to keep the bottle from overflowing. It was going to spill everywhere. So by the time I got the cap off, there was no carbonation left.
How do I fix this problem? Should I put it in the refrigerator for a day or something before trying?
That happens to me from time to time. I open it over a clean large mixing bowl. After the initial explosion, I pour all the contents through a sieve since I don’t make syrup but place all ingredients in the bottle. Then I pour it all back in the bottle with a tablespoon of honey. That seems to be enough to reactivate the yeasts to create carbonation. This is also know as a “secondary fermentation” in the lexicon of home brewing. In a couple days, it’s all fizzy again.
I think this recipe is basically very sound though I have adjusted it for my own purposes and I make 20 litres at a time. I can’t be bothered with peeling the ginger; I simply shove it all in the blender and then, in a large pan, heat it with demerara sugar and water (ratio circa 1:3:1. I then put 3 litres of the cooled syrup into a 20 litre plastic carboy, plus 500cc of a very sharp orange juice we grow locally, and top up with 16.5 litres of fresh water, adding 1.25 teaspoons of dried yeast. Give it all a good shake and let it ferment for two or three days, after which I put into lire bottles and refrigerate
What’s the alcohol %? I’d like to make something with about 2%
Thank you, that’s more likely what I want to do.
I love ginger beer. But I like to use a airlock for a longer fermentation and get a more sour taste without the risk of explode the bottle
I find that you need to ferment the ginger beer in a seperate container and then when fermentation is over tranfer it to a plastic container with a small amount of sugar.
If you ferment and drink from the same bottle when you open it for the first time you will get all of the spent yeast come up from the bottom and ruin the laste.
It’s just like making any other home brew.
Little confused here. Are you saying don’t add the sugar at time of yeast? I have had yeast rise as you say..would live to NOT have it. Please describe clearer. Thank you.
Yeast needs the sugar, he is saying don’t keep it in a sealed bottle during primary fermentation to avoided explosions. Once the primary fermentation has completed transfer to the bottle, add a little sugar to start a secondary fermentation which will carbonate the liquid, still be careful of pressure buildup.
But you’re not making homebrew. You’re basically just doing a secondary fermentation to give fizz to a non-alcoholic beverage. If you want to make alcohol out of gingery sugar, and then throw some fizz into it, yes, you’d do primary and secondary. This is more like JUST using the yeast to produce carbonation, NOT to make alcohol, except as an incidental, secondary factor. Because you’re doing this with a really sugary beverage, you’re inherently at a risk for bottle bombs, so you let it reduce the gas when you open to drink it.
The problem I’m having is that I have a lot of fizz after only a half day and not a lot of taste at the end of two days. It tastes like Champagne. This has happened with another recipe. How can a get a good sweet gingery taste? Sort of like Rachel’s Ginger Beer from Seattle. Can anyone help?
U r the best . Oh I made it n its awesome. The best recipe for Ginger beer.
Thanks a lot .
Love from India
This is a really great article. It got me started making my own Ginger Beer. I’ve made this a few times sometimes using a ginger bug. Also I leave the grated ginger in the bottle while it ferments and filter it all out just before I serve it. It seems to “keep” the spiciness better. I also use a special collander meant for washing rice that filters out a lot of the solids. I tend to use about 8 Tbsp of ginger per bottle (I love ginger). An interesting variant adds Cayenne Pepper, Cloves and Cinnamon giving it a Carribean flavor.
Dave can you leave more detailed instructions on what you did? I like really spicy ginger beer (as I added it to bourbon) and am interested in adding cloves. Also, where did you get the recipe for your ginger bug? Thanks!
Just made this for the first time and I am very impressed by how easy and tasty the beer is. Does anyone know how alcoholic it is?
As a beer brewer the only way I measure alcohol content is with a hydrometer to measure gravity of the
concoction before fermentation and after fermentation. After fermentation the gravity should be around zero. Not sure what the gravity would be prior, negligible I should imagine, as you are only
fermenting for carbonation, less than 1 % I’d suggest. With home brewing starting gravity gets to around
1.050 or higher to give a final reading of 1.000 – 4 -5% alcohol. On bottling a further smaller amount of sugar is added to the bottle for carbonation, that is all that would be happening here. increasing sugar content and proportionally, the yeast will yield alcoholic ginger beer.
My mom always added raisins in her ginger beer, how will raisins effect the ginger beer? Has anyone tried it?
The purpose of the raisins is to get some natural yeasts present on the raisin skins rather than brewers yeast into the fermentation process. The theory is that this process produces a product closer to that produced by the so called ancient ginger beer plant.
Th start one of these “plants” off, mix together water, sugar, grated ginger and or powdered ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest and about 9 raisins The ratios are not super critical. Feed this “plant” daily in the usual manner and after about 2 to 3 weeks, the plant should be fermenting away and be able to ccreate a brew in the usual way.
My mother used to make a traditional Finnish fizzy lemon drink that is prepared very similar to ginger beer. She alway put a couple of raisins in each bottle. The theory was when the raisins floated to the top the drink was fermented enough and ready to drink.
Hey I got a question, do I open the bottle everyday, right from the beginning, or only after 2-3 days when it’s ready to drink?
Looking forward to try it out ๐
Hi, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. You can open the bottle every day, right from the beginning. Enjoy!
Excellent. Halved the sugar. Very simple and easy recipe, tastes delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Just remember, the sugar is not for you it is for the yeast.
I could see a situation where if you didn’t go through the whole yeast production process that halving the sugar content could help. But if producing yeast cultures, they definitely need the sugar to survive!
I tried the recipe. Really looked forward to tasting. But it’s flat. It never began to create the bubbliciousness… Any suggestions. Already tried to add more yeast – still not working.
(And yes – I followed the recipe step by step)
Does your water have chlorine? The yeast would be killed if that’s the case. Try buying a gallon of spring water and give that a shot.
It is very important to NOT add yeast to hot wort. The boiled mixture must be cooled to room temp. Otherwise the yeast is easily killed. Also, you can test the yeast with a small glass of warm water and sugar to verify that it is living. Add a
pinch of yeast, stir, and look for bubbles or movement after 5-10 minutes of standing.
Okay. So. I have a SodaStream seltzer maker. Can I make ginger beer without the yeast using the soda maker instead? Also, what if I use Stevia instead of sugar to sweeten (since you don’t NEED yeast) ??
I’m ready to start right now. Thanx.
Use non chlorinated water
I’ve made this several times, but my current batch has something floating on top. I’ve. Ever seen it before. Is it mold? It’s patchy and the same color as the sediment at the bottom.
Part of the reason you use the lemon juice is to create an environment where only the yeast can grow. I’m inclined to believe it’s Krausen, a beer making term to describe the frothy buildup on top of fermenting beverages. It’s carbon dioxide bubbles trapped in wort and yeast proteins. Should be a-okay.
I haven’t made this yet but I do want to try.
Has anyone used a wine fermenter to let out the gas bubbles.
Yes and it was flat. Big mistake!
I make my own beer and have bottle C02, I used the recipe and gassed the bottle with the syrup water (chilled) and instant carbonated Ginger beer, so nice!
5 Stars!!
Did you use the dry yeast or brewers yeast?
Jim: As far as I know; When you make ginger ale instead of ginger beer (aka pour the syrup over carbonated water) you don’t need the yeast, as the yeast is there to create the bubbles.
Phillip I also have my own Co2 set up was the recipe too sweet and would you cut the sugar in half since we’re adding our own carbonation
I am excited to try! I let inside the bottle for the fermentation. I have a doubt, during the fermentation I open a bit to avoid the bottle to explode. However, the ginger beer starts bubbling and once I close the bottle gets the pressure quickly. Does it mean that I should let the bottle with pressure and only open once a day remove the over pressure? Does the pressure helps directly in the fermentation process?
Another thing, I notice a sediment in the bottom. Should I remove that before drinking?
Thanks a lot!
Opening once a day should be enough. If you let it open, you might not get as much carbonatation as you need. The pressure does not “help” the fermentation process, actuallyvis a result of it. If you think you are getting too much pressure, try to reduce the quantity of yeast you’re using. As for the sediment, you dont need to remove it. I usually avid shaking the bottle and simply do not serve when its about to finish. Trying to remove the sediment if not done properly may leave to mixing the sediment with the liquid or losing a big deal of the carbonatation. I personally think it is not worth the trouble!
Just made it 3 days ago. Very delicious, light, and refreshing. I think I will try other tart fruit juice in place of lemon next time. What do you think raspberry or orange?
I haven’t tried this yet, but I love a bit of lime (and rum) in my store-bought ginger beer. I cannot wait to give this recipe a go, and I plan on skipping tight to lime. Orange sounds pretty good – let us know how it works!
Pretty sure you need LEMON when using the yeast version (?)
Why not put a small hole in the bottle cap, to keep it from exploding?
And why not heat the brew to kill the yeast and stop the process at the perfect point?
If you put a hole in the lid, all the gas will slowly leave the fluid and escape. Just like when you leave the lid off from a bottle of fizzy drink (it goes flat). The pressure is needed to stop more CO2 from coming out of the S olution.
The same thing will happen if you heat it the drink to kill the yeast – instant flat ginger beer.
A small hole would cause all the CO2 to escape resulting in a flat ginger beer. Heating it would kill the yeast but also causes gases to expand, if you heated in the bottle it would explode, heating out of the bottle would make it flat.
A hole in the lid with negate the carbonation of the liquid. very sad flat drink.
Heating the liquid will degas the beverage – very sad hot flat drink.
You can buy water purification tablets from camping shops that will kill the process, but drop one in, and close the lid quick. The gas will try to escape like mentos in a coke bottle, but if you contain it – all good – process ceased, gas retained and happy cold and gassy drink.
“Trust me, I’m a scientist”
Delicious ginger beer and so easy to make!
How much ginger syrup do you add to the recipe for fermenting
I will find out if it works for me in a couple of days, but I was wondering that no one mentioned the ginger leftovers. I put them on parchment paper and in my oven overnight. It’s a 52 okeefe and Merritt so it’s warm all the time. The ginger soaked up so much of the sugar I really hope to have ginger candy in the morning. Has anyone tried this?
My father made it but a different way. He started off with yeast and water then every day for 6 weeks “feed” it a spoonful of ginger and sugar. After the 6 weeks half of solid mater was retained and water added for the next batch. the solids were filtered out then added to an amount of water for 6 bottles along with lemon rind. That was 50 years ago so don’t remember any more details!
Hi, Instead of using the yeast, would it work for fermentation if I use one of my SCOBY’s from the Kombucha I brew?
Hi Sue, Tori’s assistant Ashley here! We’ve never experimented with kombucha, so unfortunately I’m not able to answer this question for you.
Although kombucha feeds on tea , it also loves ginger so i would say give it a shot! Traditionally made with ginger beer plant which is a water kefir thats fed sugar and ginger. INJoy!
To stop the fermentation process you can pop the bottle in the freezer for about 40 minutes. The cold temperature will kill off the yeast (giving you a beverage with a nearly unlimited shelf life health wise, not so much quality wise). Also, some brewing supply stores carry yeast killing agents (primarily used by wine makers) which you can use at the end of “working” (brewing period). This period varies and in some cases depends on how much carbonation you want but typically is between 1-3 weeks (depending on room temperature and the quality of your yeast). Oh, and during the “working” it is typical to check on the bottle/bottles every 48 hours and every 72 hours alternating between the two. In hotter room temperatures (above 62-77Fahrenheit) check the bottle/bottles every 36 hours.
P.S.
Use brewers yeast (not to be confused with champagne or wine yeast although they are similar in the sense that they are both debittered yeast), it is sold online and in health food stores. It is also known as debittered yeast (for good reason, bakers yeast leaves behind a bitter aftertaste in your brewed beverages and thus unless you are planning on long-term brewing for high alcohol levels which tempers that taste out of the beverage, brewers yeast is the way to go).
I meant to add to the checking time frame that this is when you release the gas from the bottles as well.
Why would the freezing ruin the flavor? There arenโt any cells left to destroy, apart from the yeast.
Believe me, you donโt want to know what those yeast killing agents are made ofโฆ
It worked! I am so excited. Ginger beer is so expensive, but this is easy and cheap…and makes me feel proud of myself for making it at home. Thank you for sharing! This one is going into my permanent recipe book!
I tried this recipe out. The fermention seemed to proceed resl fast at first, looked well carbonated after only 12-18 hours. But I still let it ferment at room temperature (around 78F) for the 2-3 days per recipe instructions. Now it is flat!!!
What a beautiful and thoroughly full bodied, tasty drink. I’m from Tasmania, Australia and I grew up drinking my mum’s ginger beer over 40 years ago now. Your recipe although a quick version is gorgeous. My mother would love it too I’m totally sure. Thankyou for sharing this delightful recipe. My whole family love this! It literally tastes the same as my mum’s. Mmm-mmm…
Thanks, I’ll try this for sure.
Glad you shared this recipe. Originally from the US Virgin Islands, I grew up drinking ginger beer, maubi and sea moss beverages. Instead of yeast, I recall my elders used grains of rice that basically covered the base of the container. I enjoy making ginger beer and will give the syrup and the beer with yeast a go. Thank you for sharing!
I have to say this is my favorite recipe of the last 8 months! I brag about it to my family and all of my friends on Facebook and in person! I use organic cane sugar instead of white, and I use 2 parts lemon to 1 part Key Lime juice for a unique flavor. I love making both styles- fermented and not. I put the syrup in the Sodastream for instant ginger yummies and add Key Lime juice, so I can enjoy it while the other batch is fermenting. I cannot say enough good things about this recipe, thank you so much for sharing this!!!
Do you put the syrup in the water and then carbonate the sodastream bottle, or do you carbonate the water first, then put the syrup in.
I made two versions of your ginger beer. Thanks for a great start.
I tweaked the second version because I wanted to drink ginger beer right away, and I wanted a more “Caribbean” taste.
Ginger Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup water
1/3lb sliced fresh ginger
2 cloves
1/8 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional)
Ginger Beer Ingredients
Ginger syrup (above)
2 freshly squeezed lemons
2 freshly squeezed limes
1 dash mixed essence (optional)
7 cups strong seltzer water
1. Boil the sugar and 1 1/2 cup water. Stir until sugar is mixed.
2. Once cooled, blend the syrup with all the other syrup ingredients in the blender.
3. Strain the mixture. Squeeze out all the liquid from the pulp.
4. Pour the spiced syrup into a bottle along with the lime and lemon juices and the dash of mixed essence.
5. Slowly combine the syrup and the seltzer in a separate container or bottle the syrup and add it to individual cups of drink as needed or depending on the drinker’s preference.
Serve cold.
That’s exactly how I do it. Very simple.
Hi Alex,
What kind of mixed essence (essence of what) did you use in this recipe? Thanks!
What if brown cane sugar instead of white granulated?
Thank you.
That’s the ONLY way I make it and it is super yummy!
I used raw unfiltered honey fro a local farmer. Very sweet, I will use less honey next time but it’s real mellow sweetness.
Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve got into this whole ginger beer thing now. I was thinking I had to buy a soda stream to make ginger ale but making natural ginger beer is so much better!!!
I’ve done it a few times now and am getting a nice ginger taste as a add more ginger to find the place I like it to be, but am wondering how to get the burning bite to my ginger beer. Is there anyone with a suggestion to help head me in the right direction.
Timothy,
Take a look at my recipe. I’d suggest you increase the amount of ginger; I used 1/3 pound of sliced ginger. Or, add the additional seasonings to get the ‘bite’ you want. My version is cool going down- you’ll taste ginger, lemon/lime, and sweet at first, then you really taste the ginger and feel the heat as an after taste/sensation. Your lips will tingle. You won’t be able to stop drinking this bc it’s sweet yet spicy, hot yet cool, sweet yet tangy.
I make one gallon at a time and use 1 habanero pepper while only removing the stem. I blend the ginger and pepper together in a blendtech blender and follow the normal recipe procedures. You won’t get much pepper taste if any at all. The heat from the pepper added with the heat and flavor of the ginger makes for the hottest drinkable but not too hot ginger beer I’ve ever had. I’ve made this many times over the last 5 years and it’s never disappointed!
What kind of yeast do you prefer? I know the bread yeast is different than beer yeast, and there are even different kinds of beer yeast. I wonder what has been working for you best so far and if anyone has tried to experiment with different kinds of yeast!
Hi Persian Guy. There are actually MANY different kinds of yeast with different properties. Bread yeast is not a great choice for this as it is most suited to making lots of CO2 gas quickly to “inflate” the bread. Beer yeast is better as it makes a bit of alcohol and also a nice fine-bubbled gas and works a bit slower. The very best of all, though, is if you have a specialty brewers shop nearby to ask for champagne yeast. THAT’S the stuff! Ferments a bit slower, ferments to dry (if you don’t stop it by chilling it) and makes gorgeous tongue-tingling little bubbles. And the very best of the bunch that I have found in Anchor yeast (brand name) Vin 13 (product name). This actually adds an extra fruity flavor to your brew too!
Bread yeast works, but it can have an unpleasant flavor. Champagne yeast is much better. I use 1/8 teaspoon for 2 liters.
I have only ever used bread yeast, and have never noticed an unpleasant (or bitter) flavour. My ginger beer is ready in 24 hours (in summer), and drunk within another 24 hours. Even the kids love it. Maybe the unpleasant flavour develops with longer brewing?
Ive made this twice and both times it has been flat, Can anyone help?
did you make sure the base was well cooled before you put everything in the bottle? I’ve been getting a really good fizz and unlike soda there is fizz all the way through the bottle because it continues to slowly ferment.
With a flip-top bottle, as shown in this picture, it will not explode. It is designed to release gas but not let any air in as would be the case if you kept opening it. I have fermented plenty of beverages over many years and have never had trouble with flip-top bottles.
I’ve had them explode and fling glass and kombucha all over my kitchen a couple times. That was only after they got too warm (on top of the fridge) or were forgotten for an extra week… Be careful!
So, I tried this recipe out last week. I must admit, it didn’t turn out quite as well as I had hoped. The taste was great, but there was a strong yeasty smell to the drink; one that was a bit too pungent for my taste.
I’m trying a second batch, but this time I am using a ale brewing yeast that I hope will yeald a better brew.
Curious if you had any luck with reducing the yeasty smell?
Try champagne yeast.
this is not real ginger beer, sorry, but real ginger beer does not use yeast per say. to make real ginger beer you place a desert spoon of ginger and sugar in a jar with 1 1/2 cups of wate rin it. you then feed the plant that amount of ginger and sugar every day for 7 days. You have the car covered with a mesh cloth so that the natural yeast in the air can get into the mixture. after 7 days you drain the liquid out through a cloth, keeping half the plant for the next batch. add 4 litres of water, 2 cups of sugar and 2 lemon to the mix that you drained out, bottle (puttins a sultana in each bottle to stop it exploding) and that is real ginger beer.
how much water is required? Josie.
Yeah, that old school method was used in the good old days before dry yeast was readily and cheaply available as it is these days. The risk is you’ll get “natural yeasts” which are random wild yeasts which can produce off-flavours in your drink. Better to stick with standard store bought yeast or brewer’s or champagne yeast is best (go to a home brew store).
The sultanas was another old school method of adding yeast to the ginger beer (as dried grapes have yeast naturally on their surface). There is no logical explanation as to why it would stop bottles exploding.
i agree. There are many variations to ginger bug. I use a sliced jalapeno and tumeric in mine. I love the bite from the Jalapeno. Tumeric seems to ferment rapidly. It is also good for you. The whole concept is good for you. I have made many and unlike this other dude that says the wild yeasts cause off flavors, well he obviously hasn’t messed with making a wild ferment. Yeasts are necessary if you want to make a carboy of wine or beer or bread, if you want to avoid the time it takes to ferment from wild yeasts..but the wait it worth it…I make sauerkraut also…very good…we have jujube trees and man, they make some fine wine and apple butter..also vinegar..there is no limit to the food stuffs you can make and the way the world is turning..well everyone should be able to produce there own food and ferments, vinegars.etc..etc..The only way to get a real ginger ale/beer is by doing the method you describe. Check out a book called Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz..Lotta good info there..ethiopian tej’ recipe in there. It is simply honey, water and wild yeasts..pretty good stuff..You can vary anything by a little manipulation..the whole concept of fermentation is the cycle of life and death…its fascinating…
i loved it
surely the water needs to be warm to dissolve the yeast. I tried it without warming the water and the yeast wouldn’t dissolve even when left in the airing cupboard.
When beer brewing, you put the yeast in last and it floats on the top. It will eventually wake up if the liquid is at room temperature, dissolve , float to the bottom and eat the sugars. it doesn’t look the same as bread yeast when you add it to warm liquid and it blooms. It does bubble and produce gas in the same way, but since its contained, the gas will go back into the liquid to create the fizz. The problem with heating the liquid is you might kill the yeast and it wont do its thing to make it fizz. I am making this ginger beer now (much easier and quicker than regular beer), hopefully my brewers yeast is still alive (been in the fridge for a while …).
Thank you.
I just made this and it turned out great! I am just wondering if it will work the same if I divide it into several smaller bottles to sit for 2/3 days. Do you think anything would need to be altered? Thanks!
You wouldn’t need to alter the recipe, just make as directed in a 2 liter bottle and when its finished brewing, carefully add it to smaller bottles. But it might be more work to make sure they don’t explode. You would need to split the yeast equally between all the bottles, you ever tried to slit 1/8 tsp of yeast? lol If its not equal one may have more carbonation and explode the bottle.
I meant to write, “if you did try to make the recipe in smaller bottles, you would need to split the yeast equally”.
Great recipe! Done this 3 times already, now making a bulk! Thanks for sharing with us!
made my first batch, great but the carbonation process seems way too fast : i had to “burp” my bottles every 20 minutes and the ale was quite fizzy after just one night.
Best and easiest. The grandchildren love it. Cheap to make
This is actually the more modern way of making ginger beer. For truly authentic old fashioned Ginger beer, you must have access to a sample of the Ginger Beer plant, a composite organism consisting of a fungus, the yeast Saccharomyces florentinus (formerly S. pyriformis), and the bacterium Lactobacillus hilgardii (formerly Brevibacterium vermiforme). The lactic acid is what gives fermented ginger beer its signature tanginess.
Sharon, I absolutely love this recipe and have made it several times. I have doubled and tripled the ginger and use half cup of brown and half cup of white sugar. I also make it in a beer growler which is a thick glass. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Are you able to place the yeast ginger beer concoction into a used whiskey barrel? Will I need to release the gas from the sealed (corked) barrel? recipe looks great, thanks for the article!
Great question George. Maybe another reader will have some insight. I’ve never made this in a whiskey barrel but the concept is very cool!
I have tried several different recipes for ginger beer to try to replicate what my grandma used to make when we were children, this one was going to be my last attempt. I’m glad to say that this is the one!!!!! I will be making many more bottles in the future
I can’t wait to make this.. First time I had non alcoholic Ginger Beer was last Jan in Montego Bay Jamaica.. I have been craving it since! Can find it pre-made at Whole Foods Stores but very expensive.. Thank you for sharing.. Will rate it when I make it.. Lynn
Is it safe to drink with all of those active yeast?
wow I tried this recipe out using normal bakers yeast and let it ferment for up to a week…it turned out great..it tasted like a bubbly..my husband and I loved it….thanx for the recipe…
Hi,
I was thinking of dividing the 2 liters into 4 50cl bottles. Can you advise on which part of the process this should be done?
Do you think the trick of leaving the cap a bit undone, hearing the continuous fizz would prevent the bottle from exploding, giving the right amount of bubbles anyway?
Thank you
Thank you so much. I’ve been making this recipe for two years now, playing with the amount of ginger, the addition of dried ginger, a bit of molasses, a little more lemon juice etc. It is now a classic at my place, my friends are looking out for the next batch. Great in cocktails too.
I even made ร bitter with the same recipe and it turned out amazing but didn’t keep as well as the original recipe.
Did I say THANK YOU ???
So happy to hear that Danielle!
I forget how sweet the British like their food & tea !! I’ve been all over Asia, Europe, & America. The only time I ever got too energetic & restless from dessert was in a fine dining restaurant in England (& it was only half a chocolate pudding at that).
So I took the advice of one of the above comments, not to reduce sugar, otherwise it would be tasteless .. It’s only true if you’re British, probably. I followed the recipe to the tee, & it was way, way too sweet. More like a sugary drink with a whiff of ginger. I’d prefer to use only 2/3 of original amount, & increase the ginger by half. Otherwise, thanks for the recipe Tori ! It’s nice & simple, easy to follow.
I’ll have to make this again as I (probably) misread the recipe as I was making it. It wasn’t sweet at all, and didn’t have enough ginger flavor–at least, not compared to the commercially prepared ginger beer I had while in the UK.
I also let mine ferment for 4.5 days, so it got pretty alcoholic. Will try again next time!
My son was given a lot of honey so he is making mead. He has a balloon over the top of the bottle with a pin prick in it to release e cess gas. (sorry my ecks isn’t working) Do you think this will work with the ginger beer?
MY favorite libation right now is lemon mashed in a pint class,ice, and ginger beer. It is so good!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe ( WITH EXTRA GINGER )
Sounds yummy
So you should add more than the 7 cups to fill the bottle? I was also confused by the “place a funnel in the top of the bottle and pour in the filtered water. Sprinkle the yeast in, followed by the syrup, lemon juice, and water” because it mentions water twice.
Only add 7 cups. Do not fill the bottle. Hope that clarifies.
Daniela, I think you’re good to go. That might have been a little typo in the recipe. I’ve never added any other water other than the 7 cups filtered water. Hope that helps!
No typo– it just won’t fill the bottle completely. ๐
I have just prepared this now so waiting for it to get ready, but I have a question. I used a 1.5l bottle (it was the only thing i had on hand) but the liquids from the recipe don’t fill it up all the way. At this point I get a little puzzled: place a funnel in the top of the bottle and pour in the filtered water. Sprinkle the yeast in, followed by the syrup, lemon juice, and water.
Where does that last ‘water’ come from? Is it mentioned in the recipe? Is it different from the 7 cups of water? Am I being stupid?? Do I just pour water in until it fills up? Sorry for all the questions! Thanks!!
Daniela, it is only the 7 cups of water mentioned in the ingredients. It will not fill the bottle all the way.
I love this recipe! I have used it as a base for making more exotic ginger beers, too. Like cinnamon ginger beer. I was curious if anyone knew if there is a way to make it more fizzy?
Doesn’t the water have to be warm? I tried this and it didn’t ferment…
All yeast imparts some flavor and character to whatever you ferment. I’ve been brewing beer for over 30 years and select specialty yeasts based on just that. My favorite is Trappist Ale Yeast!
What simple, thorough instructions and gorgeous photos! Thank you so much for sharing! My family is enjoying lots of this strong, spicy brew. Since I hate food waste of every kind, I also make a second and third batch of syrup from the cooked ginger, and we have progressively milder-flavored brews. ๐ Oh, and we also experiment with different sugars and honeys, so it’s always a little different. Thanks again!
So happy you like it Naomi! ๐
Just saw this and looking forward to trying it out. However I’d like some clarification. The instructions says to “place a funnel in the top of the bottle and pour in the filtered water. Sprinkle the yeast in, followed by the syrup, lemon juice, and water” The ingredients list only says 2 cups filtered water. Do I just add extra water at the end to fill a 2-liter bottle?
You can also use Pat Mack’s Caps on the 2 liter bottle.
These allow carbonation of the drink without the risk of explosion- I have used them myself and find them perfect for small batch brewing such as this.
The use of a balloon tied off on top of a glass bottle will let the gas expand
What fun! If this works & i use the same bottle size & balloon size, will I be able to tell when it’s ready by the size of a balloon? If the balloon gets so full that it floats off the counter, then the brew might make you high? (NOTE:for those long on chemistry & short on humor i know its not going to take flight just being silly.)
Can dried ginger root be substituted for the fresh ginger? If so, how much?
I’ve ben successfully making ‘real’ root beer, and I want to make ginger beer. The recipe looks good!!
This recipe is similar to one I used when I was about 10 years old. I could only get powdered ginger back then but it tasted ok. I only used raisins ( 3 per beer bottle) instead of yeast. It took about 3 weeks to the end result. To eliminate the sediment I put the bottles in a refrigerator for 2 days along with extra empty bottles. Then poured off the original into new bottle and recapped to keep the fizz.
My father eventually banned me because by accident about 10 brewing bottles did blow up in a chain reaction when one was knocked over by a door in the wind. And yes, I was obliged to clean up !
Now there are prolific numbers of pressure capable plastic bottles I am inspired to try again.
Thanks