Homemade Alcoholic Ginger Beer Recipe With Ginger Bug

HEALTHIER GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Pour 500ml filtered water (2 cups of water) into a clean glass jar. Add to it 2 tablespoons freshly grated or chopped ginger and two tablespoons of sugar. Stir it will. Cover the jar with a cloth and keep it at room temperature but out of direct sunlight.
• Every 24 hours, for the next 2-6 days, feed the jar another 2 tablespoons of ginger and 2 tablespoons of sugar and give it a good stir. After about 3 days you might see it start to bubble and the ginger will rise to the top. This is a good sign. How long the whole fermentation process takes can depend on the warmth of your environment plus many other factors.
• Once your ginger starter is fizzy and bubbling, it is ready to use. The next step is to make the ginger beer.
• Heat the water, ginger, salt, and sugar until a simmer and the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool to room temperature and let the ginger infuse in the water. Strain out the ginger. Add in the lemon juice and active ginger bug liquid.
• Pour the liquid into plastic bottles or glass bottles, leaving a 5cm (2inch) space between the ginger beer and the top of the bottle. Seal them airtight. Check for carbonation after 3 days, especially in glass bottles to avoid them bursting. It might not be carbonated yet at this point though, it can take up to a week.
• Once it is carbonated, store the bottles in the fridge to slow down further carbonation, but burp them daily.

HOMEMADE ALCOHOLIC GINGER BEER RECIPE (WITH GINGER BUG)

Steps:

• Recover the zest and juice from the citrus fruits. Put the peels in the compost.
• Pour all the ingredients into the blender with one or two cups of water.
• Blend until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. Add water as needed. If you do not have a blender, finely chop the ingredients with a knife or food processor.
• Filter with a fine sieve. Pour the liquid into a perfectly clean jar.
• Add water until you reach 2-3cm below the jar mouth.
• Cover the jar with a lid with an airlock.
• Fill the airlock to the line with water or alcohol.
• Allow to ferment at room temperature until there are no more bubbles left for at least a week. This can take up to 1 to 3 months.
• Bottle in pressure-resistant bottles. Leave sediments in the bottom of the jar. Keep the bottles in the dark for at least 1 month to develop the sparkling and enhance the flavours.

HOMEMADE GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Take a 1.5-liter plastic bottle of spring water and empty it into a clean pitcher. Use some of it to make simple syrup by stirring 1/2 pound sugar into 1 cup hot water until fully dissolved.
• In a large measuring cup, mix all ingredients and stir well. Funnel back into the plastic bottle and cap tightly. Store in a warm, dark place for 24 to 48 hours. (I put mine inside a box, to contain it if it should blow.) The top of the bottle will expand and become tight. Check it and very slowly release the pressure if it's looking groaningly tight. Some people ferment it with no top, or with the top on loosely, to allow gas to escape. I suppose if you wanted to get fancy you could spend $1.50 on a fermentation lock and stop worrying about it. If the temperature is quite warm, above 80F, a single day may be sufficient. The longer you let it ferment, the drier the final mix will be.
• After 48 hours, refrigerate it to stop the fermentation. Once chilled, you can strain out the pulp and dead yeast, which will have made a sediment on the bottom. Makes 1 liter and will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.