The Ginger Bug is Your Starter Culture
A ginger bug is a live fermentation starter made from fresh ginger, sugar, and water. It captures wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria from the ginger skin and the air. You feed it daily for five to seven days until it becomes reliably bubbly, then use it to ferment a batch of ginger wort into carbonated ginger beer. The bug can be kept alive indefinitely in the refrigerator with weekly feedings.
5to 7 Days
Growing the Ginger Bug
In a clean jar, combine 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger (skin on), 2
Growing the Ginger Bug
In a clean jar, combine 2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger (skin on), 2 teaspoons of white sugar, and 250ml of unchlorinated water. Stir well, cover loosely with cloth, and leave at room temperature. Feed every 24 hours with the same amounts of ginger
Brewing the Ginger Wort
Combine 1 liter of water, 150g of sugar, and 60g of grated fresh ginger in a
Brewing the Ginger Wort
Combine 1 liter of water, 150g of sugar, and 60g of grated fresh ginger in a pot. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Add the juice of two lemons and let cool completely to below 30 Celsius. Strain out the ginger solids, then stir in 60ml
Bottling and Carbonating Safely
Use plastic bottles or flip-top glass bottles designed for carbonated drinks.
Bottling and Carbonating Safely
Use plastic bottles or flip-top glass bottles designed for carbonated drinks. Fill leaving 3 to 5 centimeters of headspace. Seal tightly. Store at room temperature for one to three days, squeezing plastic bottles to gauge pressure. When a plastic bottle
Bottle Safety and Avoiding Explosions Over-carbonated bottles can burst. This risk is real with glass bottles. If using glass, open one test bottle each day during secondary fermentation to check pressure before it builds to dangerous levels. In warm weather, carbonation happens in 12 to 24 hours rather than two to three days. When in doubt, refrigerate early. You can always let it sit at room temperature for another few hours after chilling if it needs more fizz.