Ginger Beer

jaxma, Feb 18, 12:35pm
I made up my first batch of ginger beer 9 days ago! I went to the homebrew shop and got the proper bottles and did it all right. I left a gap at the top of each bottle (like they do for soft drinks etc). I noticed that the bottles have gotten very tight and started to swell heaps - they are taller and wider than the unfilled bottles now. Anyway, though the night two bottles exploded :-(My kitchen is now a sticky mess of ginger beer from the ceiling to the walls and the dining room carpet! Where did I go wrong? If it explodes like this after 9 days, how will it last the 8 weeks til it's ready for drinking?
jaxma, Feb 18, 12:36pm
I have released some of the pressure from the four remaining bottles for now (have probably ruined it all now). If it's going to be this much trouble, I'm not going to bother with it. Surely though, there must be some way of doing it so it doesn't explode.
korbo, Feb 18, 12:58pm
yuk... this is always my fear of making gingerbeer, and yet others on here have great sucess. hope those people can come up with a reason. this happened to me in my pantry and i was almost fullterm with baby. trying to clean up was ... ... ... . .
valentino, Feb 18, 3:12pm
Gee, which recipe did you use, and 8 weeks, that is a very long time... . . for most ginger beers... . normally after a week or thereabouts - some should go in the fridge and start drinking... .

Hmmm, still wondering what is the recipe that you used.

Cheers.
jaxma, Feb 18, 4:43pm
I used one that I got many many years ago - I've made it many times before (long time ago now though) and I don't remember it exploding. I do remember having to leave it for ages. Maybe I should store it somewhere really cool.
fisher, Feb 18, 6:55pm
jaxma... when you fill the bottles , squeeze themjust at the last minute before capping. . this allows a gap and room for them to pressurize... place in a real cool spot and they will expand and tighten till they go hard as fermentation takes place... that's the time to place them in the fridge and the fermentation will stop... I use plastic coke bottles and they have worked fine...
fisher, Feb 18, 7:00pm
Ginger Beer
Ingredients: Making the Plant
11/2 tsp dried yeast. . 2 tsp ground ginger. . 2 tsp sugar. . 600ml lukewarm water. .
Mix the ingredients in a large glass jar, cover with a cloth and let stand for 24 hours. .
Feeding the plant
Feed the plant every day for 8 days with 1 tsp ground ginger and 1 tsp sugar
Ingredients:Making the Beer
3. 5 ltrs water500g sugar Juice of two lemons
Method:
In a large stockpot put 1 litre of water and the sugar and heat gently stirring all the time until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and add the rest of the water and lemon juice. Without disturbing the sediment, strain the ginger beer plant liquid through 2 thickness of scalded muslin... Add this liquid to the sugared water. Stir well and add the mixture into pre prepared clean 1. 5 litre coke plastic bottles and cap tightly. Leave to stand for two days or until it starts to fizz and the bottles go very hard. Then keep refrigerated and use within a week.
Hints:
When filling the plastic bottle, don't fill to the top. Leave a gap of about two inches Squeeze the bottle to expel air and screw cap on immediately. Placing the bottles in the fridge stops the fermentation process and any explosive mess...
jaxma, Feb 18, 10:24pm
fisher - that is the same recipe I have, but it says to leave for eight weeks!
fisher, Feb 18, 10:35pm
eight weeks. . thirsty argument :]lol... normally leave in the cool place till hard and they stop fizzing... then into fridge. . if they get very hard, but still fizzing. . also put them in the fridge to stop fermentation and explosions. . :}
jaxma, Feb 18, 10:40pm
I'll see if the bottles go hard again and if they do, then I'll drink one and see what its like :-)I'll make up the next batch and squeeze the air out and see if that makes a difference - and try drinking it in a week :-)Thanks!
fisher, Feb 18, 10:48pm
yup... . make a batch... then let em stew in a cool place... if they get rock hard, shove them in the fridge to stop/slow the fermentation process... try one after about a week... if all good ... go for it... but they should be fine in the fridge...
biker_69, Feb 19, 4:59pm
You didn't put them in a plastic box with a lid.
jaxma, Feb 19, 11:31pm
Yes, I think I might do that next time too! Will keep the mess contained!
jaxma, Feb 25, 5:48pm
This time around, I've taken notice of all the suggestions - I've squeezed the excess air out of the bottles, capped them firmly and put them into a plastic box with a secure lid! Then I put the plastic box outside in the shade and put a sheet of ply over top! It's now been five days (I think) and they haven't even started to get firm! One extreme to the other! ! ! *sigh*
lindylambchops1, Sep 10, 6:55pm
I make this Ginger Beer every other day... . 1/4 tsp yeast, 3 tsp grd ginger, 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar, 2 tblspns lemon juice, 1 cup sugar... Put into 1. 5 ltr plastic bottle, fill nearly to top with warm water. Shake periodically during the day & leave for 24 hrs. Refrigerate. Slowly release gas before opening. Very refreshing on hot summer days. Enjoy!