Ginger Beer from a Ginger Bug

This recipe is perfect for the summer months! You may have heard of a ginger bug, which is the name given to the “starter” for probiotic ginger beer. When I first heard the name ginger bug, I pictured something like a physical probiotic colony, similar to a SCOBY or kefir grains. However, a ginger bug has no solid form, it’s the liquid containing the specific probiotic strains that will make your ginger beer. You can make a separate ginger bug to begin this recipe, or obtain one from a friend. But you can make a ginger bug by making ginger beer. The couple who taught me how to make ginger beer explained how you can make your first “ginger bug” during your first ginger beer recipe. If you do not have a ginger bug to start with, you can start with whey freshly dripped from 24 hour cultured yogurt.

This ferment primarily grows lactobacillus bacteria, so it’s probiotic profile is more similar to fermented vegetables, and not very similar to kombucha or water kefir (which are primarily yeast ferments). As with all ferments, any amount of chemicals or chlorine will likely kill the good bacteria you are trying to grow. All ingredients in this recipe must be organic, and you must use filtered water. This is a great alternative to soda; not only does it have less sugar it is also teeming with beneficial bacteria. It takes approximately 48 hours to make from start to finish, but you can hurry the process along a little if you use more warm water and a little warmer ambient temperature.

Ingredients For Ginger Beer:

• 60-80 g of ginger (about a palm size)
• 2 lemons and/or limes
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• filtered water
• 1/2 cup ginger bug or fresh dripped whey

Equipment for Ginger Beer:

• 1 large glass jar
• 1 immersion blender or standard blender
• 1 loose fitting lid or cloth with rubber band
• 1 fine mesh strainer
• 1 funnel
• glass bottles or clean plastic soda bottles for the secondary vessel

Directions for Making Ginger Beer:

Rinse your citrus and ginger with filtered water using only your fingers to remove any visible dirt. Do not over scrub! Cleaning too vigorously will remove the beneficial bacteria and you will not be successful in your fermenting.

Cut the ginger on the cross grain to make the fiber strands shorter (no need to peel). Cut some or all of the skin off the lemon and/or lime (the zest makes it more tart/bitter), then slice. Your goal is to make the pieces small enough to be able to blend.

Add the ginger, citrus, sugar, and salt to a large glass jar. Pour in about ½ cup of filtered water—just enough for blending—and use an immersion blender until everything is finely pulverized. (You can also add everything to a standard blender.) After it is fairly blended, add a little more filtered water and blend again. This also incorporates oxygen, which helps the fermentation.

Once everything is well blended, add more filtered water to fill the jar. We recommend adding a little warm filtered water to bring everything closer to room temperature. This will help your fermentation process go more quickly and be more likely to succeed.

After all the ingredients are well blended, add about ½ cup “ginger bug” (reserved liquid from a previous batch). If you do not have access to a ginger bug you can use whey dripped from a 24-hour cultured yogurt. For future batches, make sure to reserve about 1/2 cup to be your next “ginger bug.”

Cap loosely or use a cloth with a rubber band. You want it to off-gas, but not allow bugs or fruit flies to get into it. 

Leave on the counter for 24-48 hours. The longer the fermenting time, the more dry it will be, but it will also be less sweet. Remember that it will ferment more quickly in a warmer ambient temperature.

24-48 Hours Later: Make the Secondary Ferment

When you’re ready to prepare the second ferment, first stir the jar with a clean utensil to distribute the denser sugar water evenly.

Pour the liquid through a strainer and jar funnel into a second vessel*. You can use glass or plastic for this second ferment stage. This stage is for carbonation and to let the bacteria have time to eat a little more of the sugar. It definitely “finishes” the beverage.

Once the liquid is in the secondary vessels*, you can top off the jars with a little more water if you are short.

The usual time for this second fermentation is around 24 hours. After this move to the refrigerator. Otherwise the pressure will build up too much and the bottle may explode. It will ferment faster if the room temperature is warmer.

*A Note on the Secondary Vessel

If you are using glass swing tops, be sure to leave enough head room to prevent explosions. You can also use recycled 2 liter plastic soda bottles with good sealing caps. This allows you to feel for the pressure/gas increase so you can know when your ginger beer is done. If you are using glass swing tops, open with caution, as you have no way of knowing how much pressure is built up.