Ginger Beer

Time required

Measurement system

Ingredients

• 200 ml ginger bug
• 2.6 liters filtered water
• 85 g ginger
• 300 g refined sugar
• 350 g lemon (about 1.5 lemon)

Equipment

• Blender
• Fine nylon mesh sieve (200+ micron)
• Flip-top bottles
• Glass jar with airlock
• Measurement cup
• Kitchen scale
• Stainless pot
• Funnel

Steps

1. Clean your equipment, hands, and ginger

   Wash your jars, tools, and hands to avoid introducing unwanted microbes. Rinse the ginger to remove dirt — your ginger bug already supplies the live culture, so nothing else should interfere.

   While some people ferment ginger beer directly in sealed bottles, I recommend using a large glass fermentation jar with an airlock — like the one with the red lid shown on the right side of the photo. It gives you more control over the process and works better for larger batches:

   • You can scale up and tweak ingredients in one container instead of managing many bottles.
   • Flip-top bottles stay available for other drinks while the jar ferments.
   • The airlock lets gas escape safely during fermentation. Once the flavor is right, seal the drink in bottles to trap CO₂ for carbonation.

   

2. Grate or blend the ginger

   Break the ginger down to release its juice and flavor. The finer you grate or blend it, the more intensity you get. If you use a blender, add a splash of filtered water to help it process smoothly.

3. Add blended ginger and sugar to a pot with filtered water

   Combine the ginger and sugar in water to make a sweet, spicy base that feeds the fermentation. Use filtered or dechlorinated water — tap water may contain chemicals that weaken the culture.

4. Bring ginger water to a boil for 8 minutes

   Boil the mixture to extract flavor from the ginger and dissolve any coarse fibers. If sugar clumps at the bottom, stir while boiling to make sure it fully dissolves.

5. Turn off heat and let the ginger tea cool to 20–27°C (68–80°F)

   Let the sweet ginger tea cool to room temperature so it won’t kill the live cultures in your ginger bug when you mix everything. If the cultures die, there will be no fermentation and carbonation. Water above 32°C (90°F) may kill or stress wild microbes. When the liquid temperature is too high, fermentation may become unbalanced, with excessive alcohol or off-flavors.

   Ideally you just let the ginger steep for 4 hours until it cools naturally.

6. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons and add it to the fermentation jar

   Add lemon juice for acidity—it balances the flavor and helps create a good environment for fermentation. But too much lemon can hinder the process.

7. Add cooled sweet ginger tea to the lemon juice

   Strain out all pulp and fiber to reduce mold risk and create a smooth liquid for fermentation. Make sure the ginger tea has cooled to room temperature to avoid cooking the lemon juice and to preserve its fresh flavor.

8. Add strained ginger bug starter culture to the cool mixture

   Pour in the strained ginger bug only after the sweet ginger-lemon tea cools to room temperature, 20–27°C (68–80°F). Hot liquid can kill the live cultures, stopping fermentation before it starts.

9. Close with an airlock

   Cover the fermentation jar with an airlock to keep oxygen out while allowing gas to escape. If you don’t have one, use a cloth and rubber band instead — the risk of mold remains low as long as you strain out all solids and keep the jar clean.

10. Store the jar and let ferment for 5–7 days, checking daily

    Leave the jar at room temperature to ferment. Check each day for signs of activity: bubbles, a tangy or yeasty scent, foam on the surface, and white sediment forming at the bottom of the jar — all signs of good fermentation. Fermentation speed depends on room temperature: at around 23 °C (73 °F), it may be ready in 5 days; at 18 °C (64 °F), it could take 7 days or more.

11. Bottle for carbonation

    Stir the fermented ginger beer gently to distribute yeast and sediment. Pour into airtight bottles, leaving 3–5 cm of headspace. Seal tightly and keep the bottles at room temperature for 1–3 days. This allows the remaining sugar to ferment and build natural fizz.

12. Release pressure daily

    Open each bottle once or twice a day to release built-up CO₂ and avoid bottle bursts. This is especially important if your ginger bug is active or you added extra sugar. The longer it ferments, the drier and fizzier it gets. When opening, hold the bottle over a sink and be ready to control any overflow — the drink can gush out fast. In my experience, larger, wider flip-top bottles open more gently than small, narrow ones.

13. Refrigerate to slow down fermentation

    Once you’re happy with the carbonation level, transfer the bottles to the fridge. Cold slows fermentation, reduces pressure buildup, and helps avoid overflow when opening.

14. Consume within 2 weeks

    Finish the drink within two weeks to get the best flavor and fizz. If you let it sit too long, the taste shifts and pressure can build up if fermentation keeps going. Most ginger beer made this way stays low in alcohol — usually under 1%, especially if refrigerated — but letting it ferment longer at room temperature can raise that slightly.

    Note: amount of sugar stated in the recipe may yield alcohol significantly higher than 1%. I'm waiting for the equipment to calculate the yield and update the information. If you want less alcohol, you can try reducing the amount of sugar by 50-60%.