Home made ginger beer

resolutionx, Jan 1, 2:55pm
Here is a reciepe both with and without plant (both work great I got it off here ages ago):

Ginger Beer Recipe

Without Bug

You can make your own this way, with ordinary yeasts, brewers or bakers will do. I do 9 litres at a time so this is for nine litres

1. Boil 9 litres water in a big stainless steel or enamel pot Chop up about 4 or 5 oz of ginger - actually I just grab a big piece of Ginger, peel it and slice it.
2. Slice about 3 lemons Throw all of that plus a heaped teaspoon of cream of tartar and a kilo of sugar into the boiling water and then let cool down.
3. If it's just normal ginger beer you want then when it's about 20 degrees C Throw in some yeast - about a teaspoon.
4. Put the lid on and wait for about 36 hours then bottle (actually it's ready when it forms a thin white scum).
5. Stored at about 20 degrees for a week it's ready to transfer to a cool storage place or into the fridge.
6. If it's alcoholic, Add the yeast and let it ferment until it stops bubbling in the water trap - about 4 or 5 days at about 22 degrees.
7. Then bottle with 1 tsp sugar.
8. Let it condition at 22 degrees for about a week or two.

GINGER BEER PLANT

1. Put in container (not metal) 1/2 cup sugar 1 dessertspoon ground ginger juice of 1 lemon 480 ml water Stand 3 days
2. Pour off half water and feed for 10 days 1 teaspoon ginger and 1 teaspoon sugar
3. BEER Dissolve 4 cups sugar in 3 cups boiling water
4. Strain bug through cloth (I used 2 thicknesses of muslin) and squeeze well.
5. Add juice from plant to sugar mixture.
6. Add juice 2 lemons, 25 cups cold water and bottle
7. RENEW PLANT Keep 1/2 plant left in the cloth (give the other half to a friend) Put it back into the jar and add 1 cup warm water, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons ginger
8. Feed with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon ginger for 1 week

rpvr, Dec 27, 9:00am
I am going to start making ginger beer again, something I did many years ago. I used to bottle it in old glass beer bottles with crown seals, but I understand some people now use recycled plastic soft drink bottles. How successful is this! Can you reuse the screw caps and do they seal ok!

seafield1, Dec 27, 9:05am
I use recycled plastic bottles, its been highly sucessful,yes you can reuse the screw caps, just tighten them as hard as you can

resolutionx, Dec 27, 9:07am
Just make sure they are cleaned/sanitised properly so you do not introduce wild or contaminated yeasts in to your brew.

harrislucinda, Dec 27, 9:30am
yesi alwaysusethedrinkbottlesandlidsTheyresealjustasgoodwhenmakingupdrinks

dms01, Dec 27, 11:27am
better in some ways, as they have a bit more give and if they do explode, no bits of glass all over the place

daleaway, Dec 28, 2:27am
The advantage of using plastic bottles is that they feel soft when you fill them, and when they go firm after a couple of days, the ginger beer is ready to go into the fridge. No guesswork!

mottly, Dec 28, 2:54am
I give 'em a good squeeze to get all the air out - so you can 'see' how much ferment is in there, when they're round and tight again - helps to avoid explosions too :)

rossco51, Dec 28, 3:44am
Hi can any one tell me how to get the ginger beer plant to start of with please! cheers.

harrislucinda, Dec 28, 4:04am
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mairangi, Dec 28, 9:28am
I made it once and once only. I kept it in a shed outside. We heard this loud booooom it exploded, never made ginger beer again.

rpvr, Dec 29, 7:57am
There is a recipe here on how to start it"
http://www.allysongofton.co.nz/recipe/Ginger-Beer/!r=1218

tehenga288, Dec 30, 4:44am
Put " ginger beer " in the search on the left and you should comre up with one you can make directly in the bottle without a bug . I made it last summer from a recipe on here . Tastes really good too .

52many, Dec 30, 5:40am
I don't suppose it was the "Rivercottage" one! With brewers yeast! I would love to know as someone else recommended that recipe and I want to try it. However I'm not sure what brand of Brewers yeast to buy!

fisher, Dec 31, 9:03am

tehenga288, Dec 31, 10:04am
No I didn't use brewers yeast. fisher has some good options there.
Here is the one I got off here ( can't remember who posted )
" In a 1.5 litre plasticfizz bottle place 1 c sugar; 1 tsp grd ginger & juice of half a lemon. Half fill bottle with water and shake well with lid on till sugar is completely dissolved . Fill with water leaving at least a 2.5cm gap at top to allow for fermentation. Add 6 sultanas or raisins and screw lid on. Leave in a warm place till bottle feels hard with pressure. Chill well & drink.
For lemonade leave out the ginger "
I cut down on the sugar a bit and stored it under the bbq on the trolley with the bbq cover over - kept the sun off but was still warm - was a bit worried it might explode but was fine and tasted delicious.