Ginger ale vs. ginger beer
Mar 09 2012 0 Comments Tags: beverage, fermented, ginger, Nourishing Traditions, real food
Ginger beer
Following the instructions in Nourishing Traditions, I grated lots of ginger. In a jar I put 1.5 cups of rainwater, 2 teaspoons of ginger and 2 teaspoons of white sugar, put the lid on and left it on the bench. I added 2 teaspoons each of ginger and sugar every morning for a week. After a few days I could see bubbles forming (that was an exciting start to the day!).
Day 1 |
Day 3 - see the bubbles? |
After a week, the bug was ready, and I was supposed to make it up to 8 L, adding sugar and lemon juice, however, I wasn't sure what vessel to use, as ginger has a reputation for explosiveness! My husband had the bright idea of using one of our beer fermenters, but they are 20 L, so we decided to make it up to 20 L with extra sugar. After a couple of days the fermenter hadn't started bubbling (so much for the explosion risk!) and we both worried that it wasn't working, so we added a packet of ale yeast that we had in the fridge. Still no bubbling. After a week my husband poured it into a keg and "gassed it up" using the CO2 bottle that we have for beer making. With the keg in the beer fridge, its pretty convenient to pour a jug of ginger beer, however I don't think we really made it properly! It tastes sweet and gingery, with only a hint of alcohol or yeasty taste. I want to try this one again without fiddling with the recipe.....
making the ginger beer in the fermenter |
A jug of ginger beer (after I drank some!) |
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Day 1 |
Day 3 (after straining) |
Do you make ginger beer? Or ale?
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