That is bloody beautiful…
There had a been a lot riding on that first taste. It seemed I’d passed though, I had passed the dad taste test. My father had many decades before, made ginger beer for several summers of his childhood. Happily filling the garage with his ginger beer bottles, the occasional pop as a bottle exploded and many glasses of bubbly gingery goodness enjoyed. Now it was my time to give it a go.
Last year Mr Chocolate acquired a taste for ginger beer. It was the drink of choice, the bottle to go looking for at the back of fridge. Thirst quenching, refreshing, gingery and really tasty. Of course I wanted to give it a go, I had to didn’t I? If there was another sort of fermentation process to try, I wanted in.
So I researched how to do it, and in doing so, it seemed a bit like making sourdough… 501 methods to choose from. None of the methods I read seemed exactly suited to me, so I thought I would just play and see how it turned out. Several batches in and I think I’m finally at a method I’m happy with.
Ginger Beer
1/2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp raw sugar
1 cup luke warm water
Add ingredients together in something like a large glass bottle. Shake it around a bit. To the top, with a rubber band attach a small square of muslin.
Daily for seven days, adding 1 tsp ginger and 1 tsp sugar each day.
Day eight- strain with a muslin lined sieve, into a bowl. Using 2 cups of sugar and the juice of 2 lemons add to the mixture and stir to dissolve. Pour mixture equally into 2 x 1.5 litre plastic bottles. Top up with tap water, leaving about two inches from the top to allow for gases to build up.
Put remaining ginger sludge (this is called the plant or mother) back into the glass jar with 1 cup of water.
Bottles leave out on the kitchen bench, for 2-3 days (longer in cooler weather). Tip upside down once a day to dissolve any sugar sitting at the bottom. You’ll be able to feel the gases build up by the tightness of the bottle.
Pop into the fridge and chill.
Gingery, sweet and ready to drink.
Looks great. Definitely one to try with Summer days a coming.
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An easy one for summer Jo. It’s also good to change to your taste buds, a little less sugar, more ginger etc.
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Yum! My Dad used to make a good brew too. Does Mr C like it? Getting the thumbs up from your Dad must have set your heart aglow. Great job Bridie x
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It did get the thumbs up from Mr Chocolate…thank goodness!
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Ah! That simple? Thanks Brydie.
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Easy huh?
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Looks great, has got Mr Good interested as well.
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Give it a crack Barbara 🙂
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Is there any way to make it so that it doesn’t put hairs on my chest? I have enough already!
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Insulation Nick, you’ve got winter coming!
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That looks pretty amazing. I may have to give this a try!
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Please do Ada, and I would love to know how you go.
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I would love to try some of your homemade brew.
Do the gases make it bubble and carbonated?
I made wine some years ago with crushed fruit and the same basic recipe.
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They sure do Heidi. Which I still think is pretty impressive actually. The fact that with just a little fermenting action, so much pressure can build up, and it tastes good. Mother nature eh…
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Yes. Must make. Tomorrow. Must make. Love ginger beer. Can’t wait to try it! Bloody fantastic.
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I could hear a distinct Australian accent there when you said “bloody fantastic” Turid 🙂
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Ha ha. What’s really odd these days is that people ask me if I am from Australia.. I know I am a bit of a linguistic chameleon, but Australian? I’m proud! (Also, I freak Michael out sometimes by doing a thick New Zealand accent)
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Hahaha! That’s awesome. I’m impressed you can do a New Zealand one too. The Aussie and Kiwi ones aren’t particularly easy.
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Well, my New Zealand is mostly repeating the words ‘chicken mince in a tin’. And ‘chip and pin device’. And I listen a lot to ABC Radio National online – Life Matters and All in The Mind. That helps!
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So many memories Brydie! My dad made it when we were kids too, and I used to make it as well. I only stopped as I went off sugary drinks. It’s so good though, maybe a brief reprise for Christmas?
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Brief reprises are always welcome, especially over Christmas.
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I grew up making ginger beer just like your dad. We had a ginger beer ‘bug’ we called it and every week we had to divide it in two. I used to make the ginger beer and bottle it and store the bottles in the garage. We were warned they could explode but they never did and I’m sure it’s because we were in NZ where the bottles aren’t subjected to the same kind of heat. We’d drink our ginger beer every weekend and I just loved it. It’s so much better than commercial ginger beer that’s too sickly sweet xx
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I think occasionally you can find some small independent brewer that still comes up with the goods, but you’re right mostly the commercial stuff is very sweet.
Do you ever make it now Andrew?
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Hehe ginger beer is catching! I have a post scheduled to go up for ginger beer but it’s made quite differently and not alcoholic. I should give your version a go! 😀
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Alas, this one isn’t alcoholic either Lorraine. Curious to see how you do yours now… it’s good stuff isn’t it.
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bloody awesome B, your recipe is printed and stuck to my fridge door. magus and i are going to have a go at it. i love bundaberg ginger beer hard to come by here tho 🙂
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Yay! let me know how you go. Yep, I would imagine Bundaberg ginger beer would be a little tricky to get hold of for you. Ginger, yeast…and your away 🙂
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I think I may have to try this – what a fun process. Mr Bite is also quite into ginger beer, but is very particular. He likes the Tasmanian Cascade brand, which is very hard to find. If I could hit on a good brew at home I suspect he’d be thrilled!
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I think the good stuff is really hard to find every where Kari. Inferior sugary substitutes seem to be readily available though. Give it a crack and let me know how you go.
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I love ginger beer muddled with lime and mint 🙂
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Yep…that would do it Tandy!
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Love everything about this but the hair…well, I might just have to try it anyway! Take my chances, you know? xx
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Good luck Spree 🙂
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I’ve never done this, but I do love ginger beer. and everything gingery, really 🙂
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Ginger is good isn’t it…I’m rather partial to some ginger dark chocolate.
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Hahaha, I couldn’t wait to read this one with a title like that! I’d take the chance of a hairy chest to taste this.. I’ve never had a Ginger Beer!
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Barbara I think you would do a hairy chest quite graciously 😉
No ginger beer in Canada?
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I’ve been planning to make ginger beer for AGES. The idea of a soft drink that is actually good for me is wonderful. Thanks for making it seem so easy.
I’m also keen to try making tonic water. I’m a lover of G&T – so a couple of bottles of tonic every few months is one of my guilty treats. I was thrilled to spot a recipe a while back.
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Tricia I’m so curious now. I’d never thought of home made tonic water, I don’t drink it but I love that fact that even this you can make at home.
As for the ginger beer…I think a little ginger beer brewing in a corner of your shed would work just fine, (and it is easy!)
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Ahhh… we used to make this when we were kids. Thanks for reminder.
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g’day 🙂 loving your beautiful posts, also love making ginger beer ( & recently rhubarb sparkling wine..) and currently bottling our first batch of your ginger beer recipe.. possibly silly question about the mother.. do we go again from day 1 ie add 1tsp sugar & ginger for 8 days to the mother?.. looking forward to a delicious cold brew!
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Rhubarb sparkling wine? How fantastic that would be!
Now the mother, it depends on the temperature in your kitchen or where ever you’re making it is. It should be quicker, especially coming in to summer with warmer conditions. Just check to see if there is some bubbly action going on about day 3 ish? Otherwise just feed it until you want to use it again. You could do it for longer and make larger amounts as well… Hope that helps!
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WOW I will have to pass this one on to a guy at work who is all about the F- WORD…. I also will make a stab at this.. 🙂
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Hi Brydie, I have mine on the counter in the 2 bottles now for the next few days. The mother back in the glass jar. Do I just feed it sugar everyday now till I want to use it or more ginger? Also warm water or cold this time? Do I keep the mother on the counter or in the fridge?
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Hi Sue. First up if you want to make more ginger beer, keep the mother on the counter and feed her up again as you have been (ginger and sugar). If you want to take a break, just put it in the fridge. The water initially is luke warm to activate the yeast, you don’t need to add that again so just cold water is fine.
Hope that helps!
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Thanks for the advice, I’ll do that! Two days till we get to taste it and hoping husband loves it since he is always buying ginger beer.
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