How to make homemade ginger beer, including photos and a video! This simply recipe is lower in sugar than store-bought ginger beer, contains vitamins and probiotics, and is a healthier alternative to most carbonated drinks because it contains less sugar and no carbonated water.
Ginger beer has been all the rage for years, and for a very good reason.
The sweet and spicy beverage is tasty by itself and adds pep to all sorts of cocktails and mocktails. If you’re anything like me, you could add ginger beer to all of your cocktails from now until doomsday.
Most of us think of ginger beer in the context of the Dark n’ Stormy or Moscow Mule and other cocktails that involve the brew. But did you know you can make a stellar homemade ginger ale at home, and not only is it easy, but it’s also great for you?
Because we like to do things in the legit-est of ways, we’re going to put on our DIY cap and learn how to make fermented ginger beer at home.
And it’s going to be healthier than the store-bought version, because that’s the way we roll.
Types of Homemade Ginger Beer Recipes:
There are several ways to make ginger beer.
Method #1: Most people make a simple syrup using ginger, sugar, and water, and then combine the simple syrup with soda water or seltzer water.
While this is the least time consuming way of making ginger beer, and definitely comes out tasting great, we can take it a step farther by fermenting ginger beer into a healthful drink so that it contains less sugar but still tastes sweet.
Method #2: The old fashioned way uses a “ginger bug” or “ginger starter,” which is ginger that has fermented in sugar and water to the point that its natural enzymes and probiotics are released.
Once a ginger bug is formed, it is then brewed into a batch of ginger brew, which results in a probiotic-rich effervescent drink.
This method of making ginger beer takes between 4 and 6 weeks, and is the method I describe in my cookbook, Delicious Probiotic Drinks.
I have also posted a tutorial on How to Make Probiotic Ginger Beer on this site for real ginger beer. Check it out if you’re looking for a beverage with a higher concentration of probiotics.
It is also an alcoholic ginger beer that has a tiny amount of alcohol but can be fermented in such a way that increases the alcohol content.
Method #3 (this recipe): The method I’m sharing in this post uses regular baker’s yeast.
The yeast consumes the sugar as it reproduces, which means that while the finished product tastes sweet, it is actually very low in sugar. Plus, it contains so much delicious ginger flavor!
Which Type of Ginger Beer To Make:
The quickest way is Method #1 listed above, which will require a recipe outside of this blog post.
Whether you choose to make this easy ginger beer recipe laid out in this post or my probiotic ginger beer is a matter of personal preference (and time).
For those of us who want ginger beer quickly, this easy version only takes 3 days from start to finish.
It still has health benefits from the yeast, but because it is not fermented for as long as the authentic version, it isn’t as probiotic-rich.
Is There Any Alcohol in Ginger Beer?
As with any fermentation process, a small amount of alcohol results.
The alcohol content in this ginger beer recipe is very low, almost non-existent.
Still, if you need to avoid alcohol, it is best to be safe and stick with a non-alcoholic ginger beer.
Ingredients Needed for Ginger Beer:
All it takes is fresh grated organic ginger, cream of tartar, lemon juice, active dry yeast, and cold water.
You can replace the lemon juice with lime juice if you’d like. I always go with organic fresh ginger root because it contains plenty of natural bacteria and natural yeasts for the best ginger beer.
Some people add brewer’s yeast (beer yeast) or champagne yeast to this recipe to boost the activity and alcohol content.
I don’t personally have experience with either one so can’t offer advice on how much to use or how to employ it, but if you’re interested in stepping up your brew, they are worth looking into!
I have also heard some people use sourdough starter to make ginger beer, but I have no experience with this either.
Health Benefits of Ginger Beer:
Ginger is a root and has been used as a natural remedy for upset stomach and nausea across many civilizations for hundreds of years.
It is a natural anti-inflammatory and digestive aid.
Studies show fresh ginger prevents and fights several types of cancer cells including breast, colon, ovarian, prostate, and lung cancer.
Ginger is also known for cleansing the body of toxic chemicals, as it is full of antioxidants.
When fermented, ginger releases enzymes and probiotics, which help maintain healthy gut microflora.
So is ginger beer really good for you?
Based on its ability to lower inflammation, aid with digestion, and boost your body’s immune system, yes, ginger beer is good for you.
Now that we have all of the details laid out, let’s learn how to make ginger beer!
How to Make Ginger Beer:
- Peel and grate the fresh ginger using a box grater. You want about 1/4 cup of grated ginger.
- Add the cream of tartar (1/2 teaspoon), lemon juice (1/4 cup), and ginger to a large pot.
- Add 4 cups of water, and bring the mixture to a full boil.
- Turn the heat down to medium, add the sugar and stir until all of the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the rest of the cold water to the pot (5 cups) and allow it to cool to around 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius). Add the yeast (1 teaspoon), stir well.
- Cover the pot with a kitchen towel and place in a warm, dark part of your house for 3 hours. The mixture should smell gingery and yeasty!
- Using a fine strainer, coffee filter, or a fine-mesh sieve, strain the liquid into a large pitcher to remove all the bits of ginger.
- Pour this strain mixture into a clean 2-liter plastic bottle. Empty soda water bottles work perfectly, and you can also use 2 one-liter bottles. Do not fill up the bottles all the way because the fermentation will yield carbon dioxide.
Place the plastic soda bottles in a dark place (ideally a warm room or warm place) for a couple of days.
One to three times a day, carefully loosen the caps to relieve some of the pressure without opening the bottles all the way.
The drink becomes very pressurized and fizzy, so skipping this step could result in a ginger beer bottle explosion. True story.
Be very careful in this process and do not point the bottles at anyone’s (or your own) face.
After your brew has finished fermenting, you can either add fruit, simple syrup, juice, or liquor to it to create a customized treat, or drink it as is.
If you choose to bottle the ginger beer in glass bottles, allow the ginger beer to lose much of its fizz prior to bottling, as it will continue to carbonate in the bottles.
This could result in them exploding if there is too much pressure.
Important Notes:
During fermentation, DO NOT use glass bottles, because the glass can explode under pressure (yes, it builds up that much pressure!), be sure to use plastic bottles with screw tops, as noted in the recipe, so that you can relieve pressure during fermentation.
After 24 hours, you will notice yeast colonies on top of the liquid and settled at the bottom. This is normal!
Once the ginger beer has finished fermenting, glass bottles may be used for bottling and storing.
You must be very careful when opening the bottles because the beverage will still be very carbonated. Always point glass bottles away from your face or anyone else’s face while opening.
The longer you allow the brew to ferment, the more sugar will be metabolized by the yeast, resulting in a less sweet, drier beverage.
I recommend storing finished ginger beer in the refrigerator and always away from direct sunlight.
Depending on the time of year and the room temperature, the brew may take more or less time to ferment. If the room is particularly cool, it could take an extra day or two to finish fermenting, whereas if it very warm, it could take less than 48 hours.
How to Make Sweeter, Spicier Ginger Beer:
If you prefer a sweeter beverage, consider fermenting the ginger beer for one to two days only or simply start with more sugar (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups instead of 1 cup) than you need.
For spicy ginger beer, start out with double the amount of ginger for a kick. Make your own ginger beer based on your personal taste!
How to Store Ginger Beer:
Once the ginger beer has finished its few-day brewing process, store it in the refrigerator for 10 days, or up to 1 month when left untouched.
You can either store it in the same plastic bottle you used to brew it, or transfer it into glass flip cap bottles. I play it safe and store it in the same plastic bottle I use for fermentation.
Just note that the more you open the bottle, the more carbonation will be lost.
Enjoy the ginger beer as is or use it for cocktails or mocktails! I love it in my Strawberry Moscow Mules and my Cranberry Sauce Bourbon Cocktail!
While I was writing my cookbook, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, I had a great deal of fun with the ginger beer section – for me the challenge of making authentic ginger beer was even more interesting than brewing the perfect batch of kombucha.
Now go forth and ferment you some ginger juice.
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out, and thank you for your support!
If you make this ginger beer recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Refreshing beverages for a warm day that takes little time, let’s go! Enjoy this homemade ginger ale!
How to Make Ginger Beer
Ingredients
- 9 cups spring or well water
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar*
- 1/3 cup fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice**
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar***
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast****
You Also Need:
- 1 2-liter plastic bottle with screw top (a soda water bottle that has been carefully cleaned works great)
- A medium to large sized pot for heating water
Instructions
- Add the cream of tartar, lemon juice and fresh grated ginger to a large pot along with 4 cups of the water. Bring to a full boil.
- Turn the heat down to medium, add the sugar and stir until all of the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the rest of the (cold) water to the pot and allow it to cool to around 75 degrees F (23 degrees C). Stir in the yeast, stir and cover the pot with a kitchen towel. Place pot in a dark place for 3 hours.
- Using a fine strainer, strain the liquid into a pitcher to remove all the bits of ginger.
- Pour the brew into one clean 2-liter plastic bottle (or two 1-liter bottles) but do not fill up the bottle all the way because the fermentation will yield carbon dioxide, causing gases to build in the bottle – you will need to give the liquid some room to build the gas. Place the bottles in a dark, warm room for 2 to 3 days (two days if you want a sweeter ginger beer, and 3 days if you prefer a drier ginger beer).
- Once to three times a day, carefully loosen the caps to relieve some of the pressure (without opening the bottles all the way). Be very careful in this process and do not point the bottles at anyone’s (or your own face). After the ginger beer has finished brewing, store it in the refrigerator to chill. This will also slow the fermentation process.
- Pour in a glass and enjoy as is, or add a splash of rum and lime juice for a Dark n' Stormy. Ginger beer keeps for 10 days – be sure to store in air-tight bottles in your refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I originally shared this recipe on September 1, 2014. I updated the information and photos to make the tutorial even better.
Is it too early for a ginger beer cocktail? Because that sounds mighty fine!
Its past five some where in the world
This is awesome! Ginger is my favorite flavor ever. I go through several hands a week, because I juice about 2″ of it a day. I know, I’m going to live forever (not unless I cut out the sugar omg!)
xo
I love to savour the flavour of my favourite ginger beer
@Deej, me too what’s your fav brand
i was just looking into making ginger soda and root beer from scratch!
how do you make it
I am in the middle of the cooling period for the ginger beer and the sweet gingery brew is slowly dissolving into mid air lol.
Put a lid on it. It will cool slower, but you’ll save everything that would’ve otherwise evaporated.
Yum! This look fantastic! I love Ginger Beer but haven never made it at home. I can’t wait to try your streamlined version here!
Well, hell. Now you tell me that it helps prevent colon cancer. I’m not quite up to making any today, so if you could bring me some tonight, that would be much appreciated. K. Thanks.
This looks great and I love the way you’ve styled and shot the photos!
Wow, this is really fascinating! I had no idea you could make ginger beer at home!
This is perfect- for me nothing is better than some seriously ginger-filled…well anything, really. I typically find that most ginger beers are too sweet and not ginger-y enough for my taste so I’d love to make my own and really be able to adjust it to my preferences.
Thanks!
Try Fever Tree ginger beer if you want a strong gingery flavor. Expensive but worth the experience!
This looks fantastic!
I’m wondering if you learned about this exploding glass from experience or careful reading.. sounds like something I would do :/
I did it in the glass on accident, it really does explode quite magnificently.
@Dylan, burp the bottle daily and it will be just fine. Dena
Oh. My. Goodness, I cannot wait to make this!! I tried to make the ginger bug thing a long time ago and I just flat out failed. I’m a failure-fermenter! I have a question that is probably so absurd but I know nothing so bear with me. I can use a big glass mason jar with an s-lock thingy attached (I got one as a gift but not really sure how to use it) as opposed to the plastic bottles? Is that the purpose of the s lock, to let out the pressure? I’m so excited!!! I love me some ginger beer.
I have yet to try ginger beer but it sounds like my kind of drink! And now that you’ve shown me a shortcut, there’s pretty much no excuse. And thanks for the warning on the explosion problem. I have a tendency to point things in people’s faces so that’s always good to know. 😉
@Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health, when my grandson asked me to “make that ginger drink that’s not alcohol” I knew we had a winner. I made it a year ago and then didn’t for some reason. I now have a batch fermenting for the next 3-5 days.Just burp it daily and there won’t be any explosions.;)
Awww love that! I hope you and your grandson enjoy it! Happy fermenting! xo
I could actually do this and not lose my mind of ADD in the process! Yippeee!!!
I’ve always been kind of scared to make fermented things at home, but this ginger beers sounds too good not to make! I’ve been trying to add more ginger into my diet so my stomach will be happier, so I think this will be the perfect way 🙂
One of our good friends makes the best ginger beer…and now I know how to do it too!
Any drink with ginger beer in it and I am SO there. Though…I don’t think I’ve ever had ginger beer all on it’s own. Which just feels wrong now that I know it’s so easy to make!
If you like ginger beer cocktails, you’ll love this stuff, Joanne! It really is a cinch!
Does this recipe produce alcohol? I just followed it and I’m afraid I created an alcoholic drink and haven’t drank in 5 years
It could produce alcohol if allowed to ferment long enough. However, my son makes this frequently and it is NOT alcoholic, and it is absolutely delicious! Light and refreshing, but it could be more gingery to taste.
Wait but why does it taste exactly like beer then? I don’t even taste any ginger in it. Doesn’t even taste sweet. Nothing like Bundaberg’s.
Yes, it has alcohol.
I buy a six pack, and it’s gone in two days. wonderful stuff
Pinned! This looks amazing!
Your initial disclaimer (“about a zillion ways…”) allows wiggle room for experimentation, which is good! Just discovered your recipe when searching on “how long to ferment ginger beer,” curious primarily to learn at what point fermentation results in an alcoholic beverage. The recipe I’ve been using for a couple of years now is similar to yours in terms of the ingredients (minus cream of tartar; what the heck’s *that* for?), but does not require boiling anything. I just use regular drinking water, added to the ginger juice (which I’ve squeezed from the pulp and run through a cheesecloth), lemon juice, sugar and yeast (about half the amount your recipe calls for), and the result has been quite tasty. Still, I love experimentation and will try your recipe on my next batch. Love homemade ginger beer! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Will the drink that I make from this recipe be non-alcoholic?
Yes, most certainly non-alcoholic.
there Is most definitely alcohol I’m this, it is an anerobic fermentation of sugar by yeast. If this was left to ferment out to 0 sugar it would have around 4-5% abv
How does this recipe vary from the alcoholic ginger beer version?
Hi Emily, the alcohol content is lower in this recipe than if you were to brew a legit batch of ginger beer. Let me know if you have any more questions! xoxo
Do you think there’d be any problem with using rapid-rise yeast? That’s all I’ve got at the moment, sadly.
Hi Joyce, I think rapid-rise yeast would work! I’ve never tried it, so I can’t be sure, but I assume it would work just fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Do you add lemon juice to the pot in the first or second step? Also, do you tighten the tops after letting out some fizz each time?
Hi there! You add the lemon juice in step one. You do tighten the lids after letting the air out each time. 😀 Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for asking that question, I had the same question
I read a comment about keeping it chilled so I have a couple of questions.
1) during the 2 days of fermenting it doesn’t go in the fridge?
2) after it’s made it should be in the fridge? If so is it fine to take to work and not chill it for that day?
How long will this keep once bottled? Does it need to refrigerated?
My last batch, made in a one-gallon glass jug, lasted several weeks in the refrigerator; I’d also made a half-gallon at the same time, which we finished first. But after opening the gallon jug and enjoying a glass every day or two, it stayed nice for at least two weeks. (Yes, homemade ginger beer must be kept refrigerated.)
Awesome, thanks! Started the batch yesterday – can’t wait!!
So happy to hear it, Sarah! Keep us all updated on how it turns out 😉 xo
You are “The Great and Powerful Oz” You have “instilled” in me the courage, and knowledge to enable me to distill a fine batch of ginger beer, and for that I give you my “heart”felt thanks. Bob
Bob, I’m so happy to hear you love the ginger beer!! I think it’s such a fun project, and I love the way it tastes! I’ve been thinking about brewing another batch, myself, and using some of it in cocktails – YUM!! Happy New Year, and thanks for the kind note!
Have you ever tried using wine yeast? I make a lot of wine and while you could use bakers yeast it would make your wine taste funky. I’m guessing that if you used wine yeast in your ginger recipe it would come out even better. That being said, you have explained the process and recipe very well. I now understand the difference in using a “ginger bug” too! I will be making this, thank you!
The yeasts are pretty much interchangeable in my experience. I use both wine and champagne yeasts mainly, because they sound cooler. 🙂
Hi Zac!Thanks so much for your interest – and I’d agree with Rod – I bet wine yeast would work excellently, and would award you some extra bonus points for taking a unique and awesome approach 😉 Let us all know how it turns out!
I just noticed your recipe indicates you should add the lemon juice on both the first and second step. Which is the correct time to add it?
Cheers!
Thanks for catching that, Tim, and sorry about the confusion! Actually, adding the lemon juice in either step one or two will work, but I changed the recipe so that it says to add it in step 1 🙂 Many thanks!
Thanks for the quick reply!
I made a batch and added in the second step. It turned out well, but I’m making another batch today to try and up the ginger. I’m going to use double the ginger and I’ll add the lemon juice in the first step!
I’ll check back to let you know how it goes.
Cheers!
I recently discovered Moscow mules and the ginger beer. I made this recipe and it was wonderful! I used rapid rise yeast and it was very successful. Ready to add vodka now!
That sounds awesome, Camille! I love using ginger beer in cocktails, too 😀 So happy you made and enjoyed the recipe!
Hey! I’ve just finally got my brew down to 75degrees and have added the yeast and it’s now sitting in a dark spot for three hours before I bottle it! How would one turn it into an alcoholic version by natural fermentation rather than adding Vodka ect?
Thanks!
Hi Paul, That’s a great question! To be honest, I’m not sure. I don’t think you can get much alcohol out of using this method…I think you’d have to distill/brew using brewer’s yeast or champagne yeast. I believe doing so requires a few weeks of fermentation and some different equipment…so essentially, I assume it’s an entirely different process. Sorry I can’t be more help – let me know if you figure out how to make a naturally alcoholic ginger beer, because that sounds delicious! 😀
Hi Julia,
Thanks for the super quick reply! After doing a little research it does require a fair bit of work to make an alcoholic version so I’ll just stick to this one for now!
I vented my bottles this morning after their first 12 hour rest and boy’o’boy am I glad I used really sturdy plastic bottles as one of them was so full of gas it took a good minute to vent! The other unfortunately didn’t have the rubber seal in its lid so it was venting all night but I have since swapped it into a normal soda bottle and will be venting them quite regularly I think.
Thanks again! I’ll keep you posted on my progress!!!
No problem, Paul! I’m so glad you’re enthusiastic about making ginger beer and appreciate you sharing your feedback! Always feel free to reach out with questions and I can’t wait to hear how it all turns out!
If yeast eats suger alcohol is the byproduct…. More suger more alcohol. Alcohol will continue to be produced until suger runs out or the alcohol content becomes to high and kills the yeast… Different yeasts tolerate more or less alcohol depending on strain.. Different yeasts also impart different flavors
This recipie will get about 2% alcohol. If you want more you could add more sugar and let it sit a day or two longer. Yeast is a simple thing, however all are not the same. The basic thing yeast does is turn sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The flip side is that taste is going to be compromised if you go for more alcohol. Without going into a long disrotstion on yeast, I’ve had a pleasant results with Lavlin 1118, but I’m trying a few other varieties for fun.
I’m also syphoning off the mix into my bottles at the end, verses pouring it into the bottles. You leave behind the yeast residue this way.
I’ve made few batches and it keeps getting better!
Why does the finished product last only 10 days? What happens after 10 days?
Hi guys, I had a quick sip today and it’s tasting very sharp with quite a liquor style kick to it, should it be like that? I added more sugar to sweeten it up slightly also. It’s been sitting for two days and I plan on only sitting it another 24 hours. I’ve never tasted home brewed Ginger Beer so is this what it’s like?
Hi Paul, I’ve never found my ginger beer to have a liquor flavor, but it definitely has a spicy kick because of the ginger. To me, it tastes spicy, sweet, and yeasty. I’d say add some sugar (maybe some extra water, too). You probably don’t need to let it sit for another day because it sounds like the yeast has already eaten the sugar in your batch. It’s probably ready to chill and drink. Hope you enjoy and let me know if you have any other questions!
Sounds like you are onto a good thing there Paul. …. add a pricked chilli to the initial mix and that will give you that extra punch in the throat with the first sip….just for fun…
I followed your directions but after 2 days of fermentation my ginger beer had too much yeast taste. My senses tell me that I should use less yeast. I added it around 90 deg F but this should not be significant to give us that effect. I shall continue fermentation for another day. Thank you for your reply.
Different yeasts also impart different flavors. Try a champagne or cider yeast or cultivate a ginger bug… It’s a naturally occurring yeast from the ginger skin
paul my senses tell me you are not fit to drink ginger beer
Is there any way to make a ginger bug with the leftover yeast/pulp? Just wondering…and thanks for the great recipe!!! I’m about 12 hours into it now and can’t wait for my finished product!
Hi Lesli, I imagine you could use some of the leftover yeast and pulp to start a new batch, although I think you would still need to add more ginger, yeast, sugar and lemon juice. Let me know if you try it, and hope you enjoy!
Julia, just finished and tasted this ginger beer and it’s phenomenal!!!! Can’t begin to thank you enough! I started the “leftover culture” and keep feeding it so we’ll
see how it goes. Now back to my ginger beer… 🙂
I’m so happy to hear it, Lesli! It’s so tough to beet a nice homemade ginger brew!! Enjoy! xoxo
Has anyone experimented with different sugars? I like to use lower glycemic sugars like coconut sugar, I’m just wondering if other sugars will still ferment properly?
Hey Doug, I used a Low GI cane sugar for mine accidentally and it worked perfectly.
Hmm. OK, I’m going to try it with blonde coconut sugar. Probably this weekend, so if I do I’ll post results.
Thanks, Doug! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Well, I’m back with an update. I haven’t found the time to do an actual brew, but had been considering trying a quick brew version where I create a simple syrup, flavor it, and mix it with club soda or tonic water. Here is my initial results. I used 1 cup blonde coconut sugar (it’s low glycemic) to one cup filtered water. Boil for 5 minutes or so, all sugar must be completely dissolved. I would tip the pot to see the bottom to make sure there are no sediments or granules remaining. Once boiled, add a 1/4 cup of lemon juice (I boiled it some more just to be sure). In a separate pot I boiled about a cup’s worth of shredded ginger for 15 minutes (note, future batches I’m going to use my masticating juicer to extract the ginger juice instead of boiling the gratings, much more efficient and you get ALL of the juice highly concentrated). This I strained into the simple syrup mixture, and let it cool for about 10 minutes. This is your base ginger syrup. I combine about 2 – 3 oz with about 6 – 8 oz of club soda. I couldn’t wait for it to get cold, so I had some in my freezer cup, and shared it with the family, and it was a hit! The ratio of syrup to club soda might vary, just vary to taste. This version comes across with a high ginger bite, and a slight molasses flavor from the blonde coconut sugar. It is brown, but tastes really great! Will be experimenting further!
Doug, THAT is AWESOME!!! I’ve been very much wanting to try this but don’t consume sugar! (I really shouldn’t consume yeast either but this now sounds just too super to pass up!!) THANK YOU for posting a recipe for a coconut sugar version!! (May I ask which brand is considered “blonde” as I wasn’t aware of different types, just that some brands of coconut sugar taste slightly different?) Once again, Yay!!! I found this site for a different recipe and am so thrilllllllled!! Thank you to Julia too!! <3
I was wondering if it’s ok to drink all the yeast sediment that’s in the bottom of the ginger beer and also if there is an easy way to strain it out
Same question! Do you drink the sediment at the bottom, or strain it out?
I drink it. Typically when I open a bottle of ginger beer, the sediment on the bottom bubbles up toward the top and mixes in with the rest of the ginger beer. There’s no texture to it that I’ve detected 🙂 Hope you enjoy and let me know if you have any other questions! xo
Coffee filters? ?
I saw a traditional ginger beer recipe that uses all the same ingredients you do, including active dry yeast, but not cream of tartar/ baking powder. What’s the purpose of adding cream of tartar ? Thanks ! (:
Hi Amelia,
The cream of tartar reacts with the sugar (creating what is called “inverted sugar”), which in turn allows the yeast to feed on the sugar and ferment. So in essence, it helps with the fermentation process and also gives added depth of flavor. That said, the recipe will work without cream of tartar. Let me know if you have any more questions!
I’m wondering if the inverting works in this case.
All the guides I’ve read say the temperature of the mixture needs to reach at least 114 C for the reaction to take place. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for dedicated inverting mixtures because you have a much higher concentration of sugar in the water which raises the boiling point.
I used a similar recipe to this but I couldn’t get the temperature above 98 C since it was still mostly water.
It doesn’t do any harm to try, and worst case scenario the acid will still help the yeast grow since yeast prefers a slightly acidic environment, but I’d be curious if anyone knows how to test if inverting works below 100 degrees.. If we want inverted sugar, do we need to make it before adding it to the ginger beer mixture?
Hi 🙂
have you ever noticed the yeast sediment turning green after 2 days? I am afraid this could be mold and might be toxic?
After having a more detailed look i found out it is the plastic bottles which have a green bottom which make the sediment look green.
Sorry for the confusion, that’s embarrassing 😀
Greta question. I made a double batch and totally forgot to add this step! So glad you asked. Thank you!
i would never make this if i had to sit and grate ginger for that long. luckily it’s WAY easier than that. you pop a good chunk of ginger (about the size of your palm) into the blender with a bit of water and strain that. it takes 30 seconds instead of 15 minutes. also, don’t bother using all these random yeasts and things intended for other beverages, b/c there’s a probiotic culture called “ginger beer plant” that is specifically intended to ferment ginger sugar water for you and is reusable (it grows, in fact!) and allows you to make a new batch of ginger beer every 3 to 7 days and has a bunch of other good probiotic stuff in it other than just yeast (bacterial strains, too). it’s probiotic rich and doesn’t take weeks. ginger beer plant (and the ginger beer it makes) is my new favorite thing!
Hi Jamie, Thanks so much for your input. Yes, you can make naturally fermented ginger beer without using yeast, but it takes quite a bit longer than the method I have described in this post. In my cookbook, Delicious Probiotic Drinks, I give instructions on how to make a ginger plant and a continuous batch of ginger beer using a ginger pant. The purpose of this post was to show how to make a very simple fail-proof ginger beer in only a few days.
Thanks for the tip on blending the ginger – this is a brilliant idea and much quicker than grating. 🙂
I don’t think you understand. Ginger Beer Plant is a very old culture that was used to make ginger beer in households all over England for many years. It fell out of favor in the 1940’s, probably because of the lack of sugar during WWII, but it is still available. It is not really a plant, it is a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast and it grows, similar to Tibicos (water kefir grains). The Yeast makes the alcohol, and the bacteria eats some of it and makes probiotics. The beer is cloudy and a bit thick, not very sweet, only a little alcoholic, a little probiotic, very carbonated, and really wonderful. Personally, I like it hot!
I’ve make the ginger beer recipe here twice. Once, I followed the instructions to a tee, i.e., peeled and grated the ginger and used fresh-squeezed lemon. The second time, I wanted to do less work and see if shortcuts would affect the taste at all, so instead of grating the ginger I just used a “chopper” to basically mince the ginger into fine pieces (and I did not peel it first), and I used bottled pre-squeezed lemon juice. (The two batches were about 3 weeks between each other and used the same ginger root and same envelope of yeast.) In the end, I could not detect a difference between the two batches — they were both tasty. However, in the future I might try doubling the ginger since I like it with lots of bite.
Hi there,
I’m in the process of making my first batch and things are going well! I have two bottles that are bubbling and building pressure like crazy, but my third bottle doesn’t seem to be air tight for some reason. It bubbles, but it doesn’t require any gas to be released like the other two.
So, my question is why the need for airtight plastic bottles, and is there any harm to having one plastic bottle not be air tight if the beer still bubbling?
Thanks for your help!
The purpose of sealing the bottles is to allow the gasses (which are a biproduct of the yeast fermenting) to naturally carbonate the beverage. The yeast will still ferment and become “effervescent” if the ginger beer isn’t tightly sealed, although it won’t be as fizzy as the ginger beer that ferments in an air-tight container. So Basically, it’s a matter of preference for how fizzy (and fermented) you like your ginger beer to be. Hope this helps 🙂
Hi, I would like to try this but I’m a little confused. How do you know when it’s done fermenting and you can stop releasing the gas to avoid an explosion? Thank you!
Hi Judy,
Give the ginger beer 2 days if you want a sweet ginger beer, and 3 days if you want a dry ginger beer (releasing the gas 2 to 3 times per day). Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers!
Hello Julia,
Regarding inquiry on May 4, 2015 at 10:56, from a viewer on the Ginger Beer recipe using specific ingredient, “Cream of Tartar”. No reply was noted. Please reply as to this ingredient(s) purpose. Thanks and Regards, {;>)
Thanks for the heads up, Patricia! I just responded to Amelia. 🙂
Hello,
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this… nice and simple! So, thanks for that!
My questions is, assuming I follow you recipe correctly (which I am planning to do), could I use a demijohn as replacement for the plastic bottles?
I have a few of these hanging around from a few years back making wine and rather use this method than having to buy plastic bottles and “consume” the sugar liquid in them!
Thoughts much appreciated! 🙂
Hi Martin, You could use a demijohn and leave it uncovered, although I don’t think the ginger beer will get as fizzy if you do. Using a sealed container traps the gasses that are emitted through the fermentation process, thereby causing the drink to become naturally carbonated. I wouldn’t recommend using glass and sealing it airtight, as the bottle(s) will likely explode from the pressure. Let me know if you try the ginger beer using a demijohn and whether or not it gets fizzy! Best of luck!
I’m wondering the same thing, as I already have vapor locks and glass bottles I used for making mead. Can I use a vapor lock on my glass bottles or can I use a balloon over the mouth of the bottle to handle the built-up pressure?
75 is in C or F?
Thanks
Fahrenheit 🙂
Made this recipe three times now and I am finally getting good at it. I made one change. I didn’t like the bread flavor from the “baker’s yeast” so I changed to “SafAle US-05”. This takes most of the bread aroma away and leaves a good solid ginger beer. It is not as aggressive during fermentation but works well enough for me.
?Question? Does anyone have a good Root Beer recipe?
Martin, thanks for this suggestion! I just made this and, while I really want to like it, it is too yeasty for my taste. It’s a wonderful recipe that carbonates well, but I think I may try it again with that yeast you suggest and certainly more ginger because I love a kick. I also strained mine through a coffee filter before refrigerating because I didn’t like the grittiness the yeast left behind, and that worked quite well.
I made a similar recipe without your warning of putting it in a plastic bottle and releasing the pressure. Needless to say, it created glass all over my kitchen.
If you release the pressure daily for 2-3 days, how long will the ginger beer stay carbonated after that? Is this something that needs to be made a day or two before using it, a week, month, etc.?
Hi Mike, the ginger beer will stay carbonated for upwards of 2 weeks, even after opening the bottles multiple times. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! Just found this great recipe! Do you have any information about how much sugar is left in this once done? My wife is quite heavily into calorie counting and wants to know!
Hi Alex, That’s a great question!…But a tough one. The straightforward answer is you’d need a specific tool that measures the residual sugar in order to have a clear answer (I believe it’s called a refractometer or a hydrometer). A more vague answer is theoretically, there should be very little residual sugar, if any. The resulting amount of sugar depends upon how much of it the yeast has metabolised.
You can allow the ginger beer to ferment for a longer period of time (an additional 1 to 2 days…still being very careful to continually release some of the gas each day) in order to ensure you end up with as little sugar as possible, but you also need to be mindful of the fact that yeast need sugar in order to survive. Allowing the ginger beer to ferment for too long will kill the yeast. Also bear in mind, the longer it ferments, the “drier” the ginger beer, meaning the less sweet it will taste.
The ratio of sugar necessary for fermentation is a fine balance – on the one hand, you need enough to feed the yeast so that they get the job done and don’t die, but on the other hand, too much sugar can kill the yeast as well, and/or result in a beverage that is high in sugar. If your wife is concerned about the amount of sugar she consumes, you can use coconut sugar for the recipe versus cane sugar. It works just as well, but coconut sugar is lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar. I hope this is helpful! Let me know how your batch(es) turns out and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I have no idea how much sugar is left either. I would say though, you could experiment with less sugar and then add back sugar after the fermentation. You could also add a no calorie sweetener at the end to taste.
I am interested in making this at my bar, for dark and stormy and other cocktails, but i am worried about it’s shelf life. How long can I keep a bottle in the fridge?
Hi there! So happy to hear you want to make homemade ginger beer for your bar…I’ve actually been looking for a bar that does this and there aren’t any in my area. That said, I’ve stored ginger beer in my refrigerator for 2 weeks and believe it or not, it stayed fizzy. Because you’re serving it in a bar, I wouldn’t recommend taking chances, so I’d say keep it for 1 week. Although hopefully you’ll sell it so quickly that it’ll fly off the shelf 😉 Best of luck!
Would it be alright to use lime juice in place of lemon juice? Just asking.
Hi Lyra,
Fresh lime juice should work! I can’t confirm for sure until I try it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t 🙂 I wouldn’t use the bottled lime juice…I’d stick with fresh. Let me know how it turns out!
OMG…this second batch that I made with fresh lime juice tasted like Fever Tree Ginger Beer. DELICIOUS!!! I had a taste this morning and also tasted Fever Tree. Fever Tree was a tad sweeter. I also added extra ginger.
I also made a 1 and 1/2 times the recipe to almost fill my gallon water bottle. I try to release pressure several times a day. I waited too long yesterday morning and I could not loosen the top (the bottle was bulging). When my husband did it very slowly, the top flew, bottle tipped (he picked up immediately, we lost maybe a cup). Next time I will just make two full batches and store them separately.
Thank you, Julia, for the best recipe ever!!!
I know this is an older post but you can easily make a fermlock using the cap from you bottles then you won’t have to worry about excessive pressure or having to loosen the caps daily. Just a suggestion.
Hi Lyra…just made my second batch using fresh lime juice and I like it more than the lemon juice recipe. Just tasted this morning, DELICIOUS!!!
Hi Dorothy, did you use the same amount of fresh lime as lemon ?
Almost the same amount. I needed maybe another 1 – 2 more limes. Next time I will get a lot more limes so that I will have a more citrus flavor. If you’re a tad under, it will be delicious.
Do you think there would be any issues with letting it sit with the yeast for more than 3 hours… Say, 5-6 hours? I was going to let that step happen while at work! Hope it doesn’t make anything crazy happen!
Hi Travis,
I assume it would work, but I’ve never tried it…I think the worst that could happen is the yeast would die and the batch would be a flop, but I can’t be sure. Let us know if you give it a go, and I’ll come back to update you if I try it out too 🙂 Best of luck!
I let it sit for 7 hours before bottling it and I think it contributed to a very bitter flavor.
After you ferment in plastic bottles and place them in glass bottles how long will they last? Will they need to be consumed within a few days or will they just continue fermenting further?
Hi Sherry,
The ginger beer will last for 1 to 2 weeks in your refrigerator. It will continue to ferment, although at a much slower rate, since temperature effects the activity of bacteria and yeast. Let me know if you have any other questions!
What is the alcohol content with this brew. There seems to be quite a bit of yeast in this compared to the amount of sugar.
Hi Kevin, one of the other readers found you end up with about 2% alcohol. I, myself, do not have the proper equipment to measure the alcohol, but I’d say 1% to 2% seems right 🙂 Let me know if you have any other questions!
One could also use a gallon jug with an airlock during the ferment. That would save a lot of worry.
Great advice, Mike, thanks! I believe a few people have tried that and had success. I’m still in the market for a glass fermenter – I definitely think it would be a useful tool! 🙂
This is great. Twenty, twenty-five years ago I lived in NYC and used to buy sugar-free ginger beer (Olde Tyme brand). This seems to have vanished and no local stores carry sugar-free GB– in fact precious few carry any kind at all. Most of the recipes I have found call for a good amount of sugar (indeed, the “ginger bug” itself does). Yours is said to be low sugar. Is there a way to make the entire amount of sugar get fermented, leaving it essentially with zero sugar? Or is there perhaps a ratio of amounts of sugar to yeast which would result in a totally “dry” ginger beer (which I dould then sweeten with xylitol, stevia, or monkfruit)?
THANKS A LOT!! namaste
Blechh. Way too yeasty for my taste. Tastes like yeast water more than ginger beer. I’m going to have to dump the whole thing down the drain. I’m surprised there are so many positive comments. Either people don’t know what ginger beer is supposed to taste like, or something went seriously wrong with my batch. As far as I can tell I followed the recipe exactly. Are there factors which might cause some batches to turn out vastly different than others?
I agree. My first batch was more like bread than ginger beer. I switched my yeast to SafaleUS-05. This is closer to what I get in the UK. I am still adjusting the recipe for my specific desired taste. Keep trying, the recipe works.
Hi E.Martin, what quantity of SAFALEUS-05 did you use for the same recipe ?
I used the same amount (i think it is 1 tsp, don’t trust my memory). This is a “dry” ale yeast, if you don’t prefer dry you could experiment with a “mild” ale yeast, I plan to try mild soon. Let me know what you think.
Could i use champagne yeast instead?
Hi Dylan, I’ve never tried making ginger beer with champagne yeast, but my guess is it would work just fine! I’m curious to know how it would turn out – I bet the flavor would be awesome. Let us all know if you give it a whirl!
it does not take 4-6 weeks to make a ginger bug. It takes 3-7 days. Please stop spreading Ginger Bug Hate speech. Also you should never bottle in glass containers that is a glass bomb ready to go off even in the refrigerator. Very dangerous, google it to see. You should protect your blog readers more carefully from the glass danger.
#GingerBugLove
She wasn’t saying it takes that long to make the bug. She was saying that doing it that way takes 4-6 weeks in total from the point you begin the bug to the point your ginger beer is ready for consumption. Julia gives the method using a ginger bug in her book. I don’t see any reason to think she doesn’t love ginger bugs too!
I’ve begun making ginger beer the authentic way (I have your book!) And I had a question about using the ginger bug. I got mine going and used some for my first batch of ginger beer, and have since kept the ginger bug going with ginger and sugar, but I didn’t know whether I should add more water as well, or if continually adding ginger and sugar will make up the volume. Thanks!
Hey Scott! Yeeeeeeees! I’m so glad you’re diving into the art of super real and authentic ginger beer brewing! Sounds like it’s going well so far!
I’d definitely add water to the ginger bug, as the bacteria and yeast will need it in order to continue to reproduce. Honestly, I go by the color of the bug…it should stay a pale yellow, almost like lemonade. If it gets darker than that (or overly cloudy), you need to add water and you run the risk of killing the culture. If you’re keeping the bug in a 1-qt mason jar (or something similar), I’d start by adding a cup of water and see what the bug looks like…although, I wouldn’t worry much about an exact measurement of the water you add. As they say, follow your gut (buhdumching). Enjoy your badass ginger beer, and let me know if you have any other questions!
I started a batch of your homemade ginger beer from the book only to find ants taste testing it 24 hours later. I’ll be sure to keep my brew off the floor next time. But anyway, my questions are about the bug itself. If you only use the liquid for the beer, wouldn’t the solids in your bug keep building? I understand you can add more water once the liquid is used, but should you throw out some of the solids from time to time to keep that from building up too much? Also, is there a way to store the bug without feeding it every day? Like you can put a sourdough starter in the fridge and only feed it once a week. Can something similar be done with the ginger bug? Thanks a bunch!
Oh no, sorry to hear about the ant invasion, Allyson! Insects are super attracted to the gasses that bacteria and yeast release into the air, so I’d say it’s a good idea to keep the bug on a shelf – I keep mine in a cupboard.
You don’t need to throw out any of the solids in your ginger bug to keep it going, but you can use some of the solids in your batches of ginger beer. The idea is to continually use the bug as starter for batches of ginger beer, but with that said, most people can’t drink enough ginger beer to brew it fast enough to keep up with the bug. Most people I know who brew ginger beer using a ginger bug will only do 2 to 3 batches using the same starter and then will start over with a new ginger bug when their supply of ginger beer runs out. In this sense, you wouldn’t necessarily be growing the same ginger bug for months/years, although I’m sure you could if you continually used it.
As for keeping a ginger bug alive in the refrigerator similar to sourdough starter – this is a GREAT question…I honestly don’t know, as I’ve never tried. My guess would be the bacteria and yeast would die if they stayed cold for too long, but it’s possible they’d liven back up when brought to 75-ish degrees. Please do let me know if you end up trying this out, and I’ll let you know if I do the same 🙂
Thanks for your help, Julia! I’ve made a few batches now and I’m very much enjoying the process. But perhaps you can help me with my fine tuning.
My first batch was tasty, but a but more lemony than I wanted, but when I backed off the the lemon, the resulting drink seemed almost water, without that juicy fullness. I’m planning to experiment with limes and maybe pineapple juice (it’s listed on many brands of ginger beer I saw in the store), but I wondered whether you had further wisdom.
Secondly, I love my ginger, and I love its spice. So far, adding more ginger hasn’t gotten it nearly as spicy as I’d like, resulting in something between a ginger ale and ginger beer level of spice. I’m playing with using a mortar and pestle to bring out some of the ginger juices, but from other comments out doesn’t sound like others have has as much trouble getting their brew spicy. Could it be because I haven’t been boiling my water with the ginger and everything before adding the bug? That’s been my only other guess so far.
Anyway, thanks for everything again! It’s been a blast and many of my friends have partaken and become part of the process.
Lime and Pineapple juice sound amazing in ginger beer! I’m looking forward to hearing how you like it!
In terms of the level of ginger spiciness, it could definitely be because you’ve skipped the boiling process. Heating the ginger helps bring out the flavor and infuses the liquid with it. I’d recommend trying this, and also be sure your ginger is super fresh. I’ve found some of the ginger I pick up at the store is just kind of dry and doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor, whereas other times, it will be suuuuper spicy and juicy. Perhaps a combination of these things is what has lead you to a less-than-desired spice level. Thanks for stopping back to share your results and feel free to keep us all posted on your next batches!
Will do! I wasn’t sure whether boiling would take away from the authenticity or probiotic goodness since it wasn’t mentioned in the book. I assume I just use the bug in place of the yeast? I boiled some up and am waiting for it to cool now, so hopefully it’ll turn out well!
Ah, my apologies – I got confused and thought you were referring to the recipe in this post, then remembered you were following the recipe from DPD. For making an authentic ginger bug (starter), I would recommend keeping the ginger raw, but when you go to brew a full batch using the starter, you can maximize the flavor by boiling the ginger with the sugar and lemon juice first. So basically, it sounds like you’re all set…allow the ginger mixture that you just boiled to cool and then add the ginger bug/starter for the full batch of brew. I hope that makes sense – Let me know if you have any other questions!
I know this is an old post, but you can try:
1. Use a whipping siphon for a better and faster flavour extraction without heating anything.
2. You can use a glass mason jar for the fermentation part using one of these:
https://www.masontops.com/collections/pickle-pipe/products/pickle-pipe
HI Robin – So excited to have found your site. I made a little mistake. Instead of bottling (in plastic bottles) and sitting in dark place for 2-3 days. I bottled and put in fridge. Only for 12 hours. Then I pulled them out of fridge to sit out and ferment. Will that affect the brew? Thank you.
Hi Marie,
The good news is, your beverage will still taste great. The bad news is, it likely didn’t ferment much, as the yeast needs to stay at room temperature (or ideally the 70-80 degree range) in order to consume the sugars and properly ferment. That said, ginger beer does ferment in the refrigerator, but the fermentation is slowed quite a bit. My guess is your drink will turn out slightly effervescent, but not as much as you would have gotten had the bottles sat before refrigeration. I think it’ll still be quite tasty, though! Let us know how it turns out 🙂
Hi Robin – It turned out great! I doubled the amount of ginger in my batch. It’s been refrigerated now for almost 2 weeks and carbonation is still going strong!! Has a little more carbonation than a typical canned soda. More similar to carbonation from a fountain drink. Thanks again!
I only let mine sit for 2 1/2 hours before I bottled – should it still work?
I am making my second batch of ginger beer from a kit put out by Old Hamlet Wine and Spice Co, who don’t seem to answer inquiries, so I am wondering if anyone from here can help. Basically, they have you make up a ginger/ lemon “tea,” and sprinkle yeast on top. They don’t say to stir the yeast in, so I didn’t. You let it sit for three days in a container, then “syphon off the mixture into plastic bottles.”
I am one day into the first part, and have a nice layer of goo building up on the top of the brew, so the yeast is working. What I am wondering is: when I am ready to bottle it, do I stir the yeast mess into the liquid and put it into the bottle with the liquid, or do I skim it off and discard it? does it make a difference?
I would be grateful for any advise. The first batch I made wasn’t very active, si this issue didn’t arrive!
Hi… Thanks for the recipe, I always wanted to make ginger beer.. But mine has no bubbles! It´s been 2 days in mid-summer and it´s still flat. Can I put another spoon of yeast in now to see if it does something? Thanks!
Hi Mahoney,
I would say let the ginger bug go a few more days – sometimes it takes only a couple of days for the probiotics to activate and for you to see bubbles, and sometimes it can take a week. Unfortunately, it isn’t an exact science. I’d say as long as you’re keeping the ginger bug between 75 and 80 degrees, you should see some activity soon. I wouldn’t add yeast at this point. Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!
I’m so excited about this recipe, but unfortunately I used 1 tablespoon of yeast instead of 1 teaspoon. I just put it in a 2 liter soda bottle. What should I expect, and is there any way to fix this? I imagine it will have more of a yeasty bread flavor, and I may need to vent it more often. Thanks in advance for your tips.
Hi Joanne, I would imagine the ginger beer will still turn out just fine and I think your assumptions are correct. I think it will taste more yeasty and need to be vented more frequently. I think it will also take less time to ferment since there is more yeast to feed on the sugar. I’d let it go for just 1 or 2 days and see how it tastes. I’d say the only risk you run is letting the ginger beer ferment for a little too long and the yeast dies because it’s out of food (sugar) to consume – other than being aware of a shorter fermentation time, I think it will turn out just great! Let us know how it all works out!
It was very strong, but it wasn’t bad. I added a little pumpkin pie spice for flavor and Stevia for sweetness.
I used a 64oz glass growler with and airlock purchased from the local brewery supply shop, I also used pale ale yeast. after 5 days I split it into 2 one liter bottles with flip caps and let it sit for another 5 days. came up very sweet and full of ginger flavor
Thanks so much for sharing, Steve! I know a few people have been interested in making ginger beer with a higher alcohol content, so this info is super useful!
Hi Julia,
I’ve followed your recipe closely, and used 2 1L bottles which I left to sit for 3 days, regularly letting the gasses out. I’ve now opened them both and they smell and taste quite strongly like yeast, and they’re also quite sour, I don’t really feel the sweetness. I’m wondering what happened and what I did wrong. Now I know the sweetness might be gone because I’ve left them sitting for 3 days (which was my intention, as I was afraid I was going to get a beverage that was too sweet), but I can’t get over the taste and smell of yeast, which frankly makes the whole thing quite difficult to swallow. I used the right amount of sugar, but what exactly happens if the yeast dies ‘too soon’ and it doesn’t have enough sugar left?
And, last question, is there anything I could do at this point in order to save it? I’ve just left them in the fridge for now, but would adding more sugar and keeping them in a warm room for another day save them? If not, I fear I might just have to dump the whole thing… But I don’t know what to do differently if I start again…
Many thanks!
Hi Chris,
For this batch, rather than tossing it, I’d mix it with some homemade lemonade…simply mix fresh lemon juice with water and sugar to taste in order to dilute the ginger beer. Obviously you will end up with a less fizzy beverage, but at least it won’t go to waste. I’d also recommend making cocktails with it, if you like a good Dark & Stormy.
In the future, I would recommend adding slightly more sugar than my recipe calls for and allow the ginger beer to sit for 1 day. This way, your ginger beer will still be sweet, as you’ll end the fermentation process before the yeast has a chance to consume all of it. In terms of the ginger beer tasting yeasty, my guess is that is a result of the yeast consuming all of the sugar so that you’re left with a super dry beverage. You can also add slightly less yeast on your next go round, but when all’s said and done, if you can’t stand the flavor of yeast, I’d try making ginger beer without it entirely. I know some folks blend or grate ginger and mix it with club soda and sugar for a super quick ginger beer. Of course, this method isn’t fermented so it doesn’t have the natural effervescence, but this is the method I would recommend for folks who find the flavor of yeast off-putting. Hope all of this helps! 🙂
Fantastic!!! I made this and it actually tastes like real ginger beer! And I can make mine extra spicy!
Might I suggest adding an ingredients section, with amounts in grams instead of cups.
Awesome work!
Hi Charlie,
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the ginger beer! I’ll fashion up a recipe card with both measurements for both grams and cups – great suggestion!
Hello, I made a recipe 3 days ago.
Today I opened the bottles to release the pressure, I did open all the way (I used Perrier plastic bottles). I tried opening just a bit (as I read in your instructions) but by opening just a big there was not pressure being released, so I opened all the way and closed it again.
Do you think I ruined my recipe? Is it safe to drink it after having opened it and closed?
Thank you for your attention;
What a cool recipe! I considered making ginger beer years ago and was turned off by the wait time. I do love the fact that this drink has probiotics in it. I’ve been making a fermented drink called makgeolli for about six months now which is loaded with probiotics and really owes its beneficial properties to an amylase enzyme powder called nuruk. I’m definitely going to try out this recipe. Thank you!
I have a couole of questions: The yeast is still active even after refrigerating the 2ltr btl. How do I totally stop it so that I don’the have this griping, gassy, bloated feeling in my gut?
Should I filter through coffee filte paperr as I pour the ginger beer into the glass?
How long can I keep the 2ltr btl in the fridue, or must I consume it all within 2 days as I read somewhere?
Hi John,
The refrigeration process should slow down the activity of the yeast substantially, but you can definitely filter it out before you stick the ginger beer in the refrigerator. As a side note, the ginger beer shouldn’t make you feel un-well, so is it possible that you’re sensitive to yeast? I have to be careful with the amount of ginger beer I drink, because my digestive system isn’t fond of it in too high of volume, either.
I’ve kept ginger beer in the refrigerator for up to 10 days without having any issues, so I’d say you’re good to keep it longer than 2 days. 🙂 Hope you enjoy, and let me know if you have any other questions?
Hi there! Thanks for the recipe! Do you think I could use a veggie culture starter instead of the bakers yeast? Or would that be more along the lines of the recipe you mention in your book? History of candida but LOVE moscow mules so I’m trying to find a way to make a low sugar/naturally sweetened with stevia kind of ginger beer that also has a probiotic boost. The bakers yeast would be a no-no for me.
Hi Steph,
Wow, I never thought of that, but I think it would work!! What kind of starter would you be using? Some of the juice from fermented vegetables? Really, any probiotic starter would work to get the ginger beer going…my only concern would be the flavor, so if you can, try to use a culture that doesn’t already have a ton of flavor. For instance, water kefir, rejuvalac, or some of the juice from sauerkraut would probably work great. My guess is you’d need to let the batch ferment for 3 to 7 days (ideally, keep it around 70-75 degrees), just like you would any fermentation project. Let me know how it goes! I’m super curious…I think it will turn out marvelously! xo
Do you think you could use stainless steel bottles for the second stage? I don’t use much plastic. End result I would store in mason jars.
Two things that have not been answered which may be silly. One, what is a more specific way to define don’t fill the 2 liter bottle too high? Two, what if my towel fell in the pot and absorbed a bunch of liquid in the three hour window? Still alright? Why not use a lid for a pot instead of towel?
Hi – I tried this recipe and have just finished the 3 day dark room fermentation process. My batch is pretty flat and doesn’t resemble ginger at all. I can taste a far away flavor that it is trying to be ginger beer but I didn’t even get close. And I even used a little bit over the recommended amount of ginger. It is also a little bitter. Any idea where I might have gone wrong here?
My ginger beer was made 2+ days ago. today I tried it and found the bakers yeast I used to be the main flavour. Not my favourite. It is crisp and fairly dry. I’ll try it again using more ginger and definitely a different yeast. Taste it day 1
I made my beer 2+ days ago and just tasted. The bakers yeast I used overpowers the flavour. It is crisp and dry so the right time, have moved my 2 bottles into the fridge. I’ll make it again using different yeast.
3rd day, with the last day in fridge. added half a lemon and the yeast taste has gone and it’s delicious! Thank you for this recipe
Just finished my 1st batch and had such fun making it! I let it ferment for 2 days because I felt. it was dry enough. Next batch I will use another 1/4 cup of sugar and cut back on the ginger ( I grated it pretty fine so the 1/4 cup was pretty well packed) just a bit, hubby said it kind of burned his throat a bit! I’m thinking it was the ginger rather than the yeast. Anywho, made a Moscow Mule with a shot of Vodka, one of Cointreau lots of fresh lime juice and filled my new copper mugs that I bought for the occasion with my Ginger Beer over lots of ice! Super Yummy!
All I can say is this recipe is awesome! On the very first try the ginger beer came out great. We’ve been trying to find the perfect ginger beer and this is it. I only tweaked the recipe slightly but using 3/4 tsp. champagne yeast instead of active dry yeast, slightly more sugar (for Moscow mules), and more ginger for bite. The final product came out tasting like Bundaberg ginger beer. This will save us so much money. You really hit it out of the park, Julia! Thank you.
Thanks so much, Kelven! I’ve heard champagne yeast works like a charm, so I’m thinking I need to try this, myself! I’m glad you’re enjoying the ginger beer – definitely perfect for next level Moscow Mules! xo 😀
Hello I’m trying this for myself and was wondering how to increase the percentage of the final brew and what sort of percentage does it start off at?
Thank you very much for the recipe am eagerly waiting for the outcome….
Al
Can you purée strawberries (or other fruits) and add them to this recipe to create a flavored ginger brew? Or would a syrup be better/safer? We’ve been buying frui-flavored ginger brew all summer at our farmer’s market. It’s delicious but so expensive. Would like to try making it myself. Thanks!
Hi there! You can definitely add pureed fruit after the ginger beer has finished fermenting 🙂
Question: Will leaving the ginger peel on give it a more yeasty and/or earthy taste? I was thinking that it might give it a more yeasty taste since making a ginger bug requires you to leave the skin on. Any thoughts on this? I’ve made two batches now with the skin on and they tend to be a little yeasty (even after reducing the dry yeast). I’ll be sure to make the next batch peeled.
Thank you!
Peeling the ginger first yields a less yeasty ginger beer. Highly recommended to peel it first. I love this recipe!
This one looks a mouthwatering ginger beer recipe to prepare.
Julia, you’re still commenting on your recipe. Impressive! I want to say thank you for this recipe. I’ve done it four times now. I am here to add that in order to make it even healthier, I also grated some fresh turmeric into the 1/4 c. total ginger/turmeric. I decant it in Wecks canning jars, the little four ounce ones and offered it to friends and family over Thanksgiving as a quick and refreshing alternative to alcoholic cocktails. Everyone who tried it loved it. I’m making another batch this morning and after reading comments, I wish I’d used coconut sugar. I will be making a ginger bug. I’m ready for the next step and I do love a dark n stormy! My hat’s off to you!
I love the idea of adding fresh turmeric!! Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll have to make a new batch soon and try it with both turmeric and coconut sugar. Thanks so much for the sweet note! xo
I have a quick question about the temperature at which you add the yeast. Usually it is around 100+ degrees. How does it activate at only 75 degrees? Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Holly, You can activate the yeast as you normally would (between 95 and 115 degrees). Yeast can still activate at 75 🙂
When I finish brewing and go to store it in glass bottles, What is the best way to let the carbonation out? Just leave the lid open for a while? My husband LOVES ginger beer and I’m excited to make this for him for Christmas!
Hello I’m from South Africa and here we use 250 ml for a cup measurements. I would just like to ask you how much your cup is that you used. Thank you very much
I echo the sentiments above. I’m going to use this recipe in a UK curric school (ethanol production experiment) so need to convert to metric. I assume Julia is from the US so 1 cup = 250 ml. It’s the weight measures that are the problem as weight (mass) depends on density with even different sugars having wildly varying densities; no wonder people are getting mixed results!
Here’s the metric measures I’m going to use:
9 x 250 ml = 2160 ml Drinking Water*
2.5 ml Cream of Tartar**
15 g Fresh, Grated Ginger
60 ml 55% Lime Juice
200 g White Table Sugar (Sucrose)***
5 g or 5 ml Instant Baker’s Yeast
* I’ll be using 2 x 1.5 L drinking water bottles for fermenting
** I’ll probably use Baking Powder as it’s cheaper & readily available
*** I’ve seen 1 cup = 220 g but I think that’s an average of common sugars
Sorry 1 cup = 240 ml in the US…
Thank you for your very helpful conversion, Noel! xo
It’s really worth making your own “bug”. It’s not hard at all, and the end result is better. The best organisms for fermentation are those already present on the plant. Ginger has the right yeasts and bacteria on its skin. Just place rough cut ginger and sugar with water in a jar for a few days. Stir and add a little more sugar each day, and soon you will have a bubbly starter bug. You can add a single grape or plumb from your garden to introduce some more wild yeast. (You can see the powdery looking yeast on the fruit skin.) Good luck!
Love it, thanks for the advice, Lee! I have instructions on how to make a ginger bug in my cookbook, Delicious Probiotic Drinks. It can be more challenging to get a ginger bug to take, as this method is more sensitive to temperature and timing, but the result, as you pointed out, is well worth it! Thanks for the input! xo
Is there any rule about using a glass jug and a balloon to take the pressure. As my Grandpa would say, it ain’t done till the balloon pops. You don’t want to be standing near it when it does. lol We make our own “Morgan David” wine.
Hi Julia,
I wonder is it possible to ferment this mix in a pressure-cooker instead of a plastic bottle? I have glass bottles to transfer into once it’s ready but I really don’t want to go out and buy plastic bottles just for this process. What do you think?
The pot I have is an old, stove-top pressure pot that my other half bought in a second-hand shop for me! I have yet to use it but if it works for making ginger beer then it will become my favourite piece of kitchen equipment ???
Hi. I love ginger beer and just wondering what yeast you’d suggest for the most fizz. I’ve tried some homemade ginger beer and it’s never been fizzy enough for me. Any tips for some extra fizz?
Hi Matt,
This recipe will give you fizz galore, rest assured! I use regular active dry bread yeast (https://amzn.to/2J4nnUq) and it works great! Let me know if you have any other questions! xo
After 3 days the fizzy is there and taste not much carbonation bottle tightens should I not let presssure go cheer
Does the three hour resting period need to happen and why does ginger beer need to be in the dark cheers
Can I drink what’s at the bottom of the brewed ginger beer
Hi Duncan,
Absolutely! The sediment at the bottom is just yeast and probitoics, so if anything it would be good for you to drink it 😀
Do you know the calorie count of your ginger beer? We’ve been fermenting our own and love it, but I’m curious to know the calorie count.
Hi Julie! I have a troubleshooting question. One of my beers has a yellow paste (?) (not a foam) forming on the top and requires degassing every couple of hours. Has something gone awry; is the bacteria taking over in a bad way? Can ginger beer be brewed incorrectly and produce something that’s not good, or even toxic, to consume? Thanks!!
Hi Kristina,
It sounds to me like the yeast and possibly some ginger is congregating at the top of your ginger beer, which is no cause for concern. I would give it the smell test, and if it smells yeasty and gingery, you’re good to go. If it smells rank (like something you wouldn’t want to consume, or rotten), then toss it. It is definitely possible to end up with a bad batch of ginger beer, and you want to be careful with anything fermented, but my guess is your brew is just fine 😀 Let me know if you have any other questions, and happy brewing! xo
When you say “degas every few hours” you are inducating the problem. As with any fermentables , you must not seal the primary fermentation as it traps the carbon dioxide. There is no foam because there is no room to create foam. Loosely cover the fermentation vessel with plastic or a loose lid for the first 5 days then transfer it to a secondary fermentation vessel and a fix a fremlock. I doubt you have a bacteria problem but you may end up with a carbon dioxide burnt flavor in your finished product
i got garbage can from walmart washed it with bleach put few pds ginger an 6 lemons in food thingy ground it up boiled that in canning pan let it cool threw in some old yeast been in fridge since yr one an filled it with water o three 2 pd bags sugar sry um cream of tarter for fizz so up to you i prefer not to eat stuf dont know nothing much about dip cup in or bottle whatever probably better than buying beer for you
Would this produce alcohol if I let it sit longer than the 3 hours before bottling?
Hi Nicholas,
It will produce a small amount of alcohol if you let it ferment longer in the bottles – if you want to take this approach, use more sugar (I’d try 1.5 cups) so that the yeast and probiotics have more to feed off of. I wouldn’t allow it to ferment for longer than 3 to 4 days, and please do remember to continue releasing the pressure! That being said, you won’t end up with a substantial amount of alcohol. If you’re looking for more alcohol, you can go an entirely different route using brewing equipment and champagne yeast. Let us know how it turns out! xo
Can we use this recipe and ferment for a few weeks? To be honest, I’ve been burping this stuff daily for about a week but am brain fogged from school studies and lost track of the date- realized its been over a week ?. Yet reading other fermentation boards it seems I might be okay- it just won’t have any sugar, won’t be sweet yet it will be highly probiotic if I ferment up to 6 weeks? Is this right?
HELP!
Hi Christy, for this particular recipe, I wouldn’t recommend such a long fermentation. I would strongly suggest sticking to the 2-3 day fermentation period and immediately refrigerate after that.
There is a way you can make ginger beer that requires much longer fermentation, but it is an entirely different method. It involves making a “ginger bug” using a lot of fresh ginger, sugar and water. You create a probiotic-rich starter by allowing these ingredients to sit at room temperature for a week and once the starter is ready you make a full brew.
The full details on how to make this are in my book, Delicious Probiotic Drinks. I may pot a how-to on this site at some point, but I have found ginger beer tends to be one of the more difficult beverages to brew when it doesn’t have the help of yeast.
All of this to say, under the right recipe, a long brew time is fine, but with the one in this post, you want to keep it short. I wouldn’t recommend drinking it if you aren’t sure whether or not it’s still good. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions! xo
Okay,thank you for that. so to clarify further, the ginger beer is pretty much garbage or pretty much moonshine at this point? 😉 I just hate to throw it away if I can have some use for it. I do see little bubbles forming everyday, but I have not had any crazy bubbling going on that would make bottles explode. I have however, kept the lids lightly sealed so gas can escape on its own, even though I have been burping daily.
there is no mold, there is light sediment at bottom, I pureed my ginger in a nutrimix machine and then strained the mixture so there was no pulp.
I smelled it yesterday, does not smell bad at all, not too sweet, no foul odor, maybe the SLIGHTEST alcohol smell starting?
I guess I just hate to throw out the whole batch and wondered if it’s good or worth saving for anything?
Hi Christine,
Yes, I would discard it. If there’s ever any question as to whether or not a homemade probiotic drink is spoiled or not, I always say toss it…it isn’t worth making yourself uncomfortable or sick over.
Holy Mother of God!!! Day Two of room temp burping… had my husband loosen the cap since it scared me on the first day. This time (second time on second day) it surprised him! Shot off and made a very loud pop that scared my dog too! Now I’m thinking maybe I should just continue buying the expensive Fever Tree Ginger Beer that we love so much. I had read the comments from some people but still was surprised at the reaction. Is this normal? It is VERY dangerous, a lot more than I was expecting 🙂 Hopefully it will taste good after all this… I used bottled lemon juice and Active Dry Yeast so I may prefer to sub out real lemon juice and beer yeast (if I have the guts to try this again, lol).
Hi Lynda,
Did you make any changes to the recipe? For instance, did you use more sugar or yeast, or did you use less water? Just want to be sure I have a clear picture 😀 I never experienced a loud pop or shooting…just lots of fizz. If you feel the process is unsafe, definitely don’t take any chances…it’s certainly not worth frightening you or your husband. xoxo
Thank you. The only change I made was to add about 8 ice cubes when trying to get temp down to 75 degrees. I was taking several hours because I used room temp water for the 5 cups instead of cold water. I was all stored on one 3L plastic jug.
Hello! I’ve read all the posts and am just wondering if one can substitute honey for the sugar. I love using honey as a substitute and would like to in this. What do you think?
Hi Rhonda,
I’ve never tested the ginger beer using anything other than cane sugar so I can’t be sure it would work. My guess is it would work, as I’ve activated yeast for bread using honey in the past. Let me know if you try it! 😀
Thanks for sharing the steps of making Ginger Beer. I am fond of having beers on a daily basis and I am health conscious too. I use this thing of quitting the beer but couldn’t. I sure the steps will definitely help me out.
I don’t even taste any ginger in it. Doesn’t even taste sweet. Nothing like Bundaberg’s. It tastes exactly like beer. Does it have alcohol in it?
Using the above recipe with 1-1/4 cups of sugar (as I like sweet drinks) I find it is still fermenting 5 days later and I am still relieving the pressure every 6 hours. Do I have to wait until it has completely stopped fermenting before transferring it to glass bottles or do I bottle it while still fizzy, please?
Roger
Hi Roger,
You only need to ferment the beverage for 2 to 3 days (2 days for a sweeter ginger beer, 3 days for a drier ginger beer). You want the beverage to stay bubbly, so simply transfer it to the fridge after 2 or 3 days and drink whenever you’re ready 😀
Longer fermentation = higher alcohol . Wait till it’s slowed down.
I’ve made this 3 times in last 3 weeks. For me, reducing the yeast by half and increasing the sugar to 1.5 cups makes perfect ginger beer!
I also recommend using young ginger if you can find it in an Asian market- less fibrous & easier to peel 😉
Love it! Thanks for letting us know, Mike!! xo
I don’t understand why this ginger beer should only keep for 10 days, what will happen if you keep it for longer and how can you tell if it has gone off? There is a very similar recipe in Mrs Beeton’s Household Management but she uses 3 gallons of water and says this will fill 4 dozen ginger-beer bottles – and this was before we had fridges! Because I make double this quantity I haven’t got room for it all in the fridge. Also she stands it with the yeast for 24 hours before bottling which is what I do.
My first batch tasted more like cloudy lemonade than ginger beer so I now use less lemon and at least double the amount of ginger which was a huge improvement.
I meant I make double Julia’s quantity not double Mrs Beeton’s!
Love this idea! I’ve never made coconut rice before… pinning for later!
Personally don’t boil the ginger as it kills off good yeast attached. Make a syrup ,allow to cool,add cider yeast + grated ginger including skin.ferment for 7 -10 days.this should get to 4/6%alc. Strain.add 1/4teaspoon sugar\honey to each bottle for carbonation.ready in 2/3days or passterize for extra self life.
Can I replace the cane sugar with xylitol has so many health benefits!
Hi Adria, xylitol won’t feed the yeast the way regular sugar does, so I would advise against it. xo
Hi,
In your one instruction you have 1/4 lemon juice and 1/4 grated ginger and then in the other instruction you have 1/3 grated ginger and 1/3 lemon juice. Which one should it be?
And when you release carbon while it is fermenting how much do you let out?
Do you let all of the gas out or just a bit?
thanks,
I have some rubber “things” with nipples to use with mason jar lids on glass jars when fermenting veggies. They slowly release gasses. Do you think I could ferment this in a glass jar if I use those?
Hi Lesley,
I’ve never tested the recipe myself using those types of jars, so I can’t be sure. I truly wouldn’t advise it given how pressurized the ginger beer becomes. xoxo
Hi there, I love ginger beer. I have just read most of the content of your page. I am a Diabetic and as such, I am looking for the lowest sugar content as possible, with out compromising the recipe. Can you help[ me? Kindest regards Mike
Hi Mike,
It’s difficult to test the residual sugar of ginger beer after it is finished fermenting unless you have the proper equipment (which may be a bit pricy for homebrewing). I would hate for you to try the recipe and have a negative reaction to it, but I will say the beverage is very low in sugar at the end. If you let it sit the full 3 days once bottled, you’ll end up with a very dry ginger beer, which should be super low in sugar. You can replace the cane sugar with coconut sugar, which is lower glycemic, but unfortunately you can’t use a sugar-free sweetener. I hope this helps! xoxo
Thanks for all the effort you take explaining and supporting. Brilliant recipe. And for the info on the sugar. Please. After bottling the yeast version does one still has to release pressure? I would also like to achieve the driest possible due to diabetics but don’t want an explosion.
Karen
Hi Karen, after bottling, you do need to release pressure for at least 2 to 3 days in order to avoid explosion. Once you refrigerate the ginger beer, you won’t need to release the pressure as the activity of the yeast will slow. Hope this helps!
I would like to make your easy probiotic ginger beer recipe, but there is no yeast available at this time. I have sourdough starter for making bread, but I am not sure how much to use in place of 1 tsp of active dry yeast in your recipe. Would you have any idea? Hope you can help thanks.
Hi jeff,
Oh, that’s a great question and a creative idea. I have no clue if it will work with sourdough starter, as I’ve never tried fermenting a drink using it. If it were me, I would begin with a tablespoon and see where that takes me. You may need to experiment. Happy brewing!
I made this- had a load of baker’s yeast at the back of the cupboard that I’d bought a few years ago in bulk when going through a baking phase and that I wasn’t sure was still good.
Anyway, it turned out that the yeast was still active- if not quite as active as it used to be- and I ended up with a delicious, dry ginger beer.
I fermented it in a stainless steel mini-keg thinking that it wouldn’t explode- which it didn’t- however the pressure inside the keg was often high enough that opening it was near impossible, and I had to use the vise in my workshop to grip the top while I turned the keg enough for the gas to blow the rubber seal and escape! I’ve stored the finished ginger beer in my fridge in swing-top liter bottles that I got from a local brewery that also have rubber seals that should hopefully blow before the bottle explodes.
The next batch will be fermented in a 1 gallon glass carboy with a Spunding valve attached- which is basically a blow-out valve where you set the maximum pressure manually. It’s a system I use for carbonating beer at home naturally rather than force-carbonating using a carbon dioxide tank. With any luck this will result in a carbonated ginger beer but reduce the chances of any explosions or messes.
Presumably beer yeast could be used instead of baking yeast in this recipe?
Hi Pete,
This gave me a good chuckle 😀 Thank you for providing feedback on your method! It appears as though many people have had success with both beer yeast and champagne yeast, so I believe it will work nicely. Feel free to report back on future brews. xo
Hi Julia,
I finished the first batch- partly drunk on its own and partly with the addition of home-made sour mix and vodka as Moscow Mules.
So I’ve started a second batch. Rather than risk exploding carboys in the kitchen- at least for now- I bought a 128 oz stainless steel mini-keg from Amazon- at a surprisingly reasonable price- that has a pressure valve built into the cap which seemed like a much more sensible option.
I’ve tweaked your recipe a little too.
I didn’t peel the ginger but just grated it from frozen using a box grater- which seems to work well.
I added the zest of two lemons along with the pulp left over after juicing the lemons to the initial pan with the water, ginger etc and simmered it gently for about 10 minutes after it came to the boil- just to be on the safe side and make sure it was sterile- then added the lemon juice after taking it off the heat.
I might extend that to 15 minutes in future as that seems to be the recommended standard for maximising flavour when brewing beer if you are adding aromatics to the kettle towards the end of the hop boil- such as flavouring a dark stout with root ginger or licorice.
I used ice cubes rather than cold water to bring it up to its final volume- in an effort to force-cool it to the right temperature. Still needed to sit for about 90 minutes but the initial temperature drop was about 60°C
After leaving it for three hours for fermentation to get started I then strained it through a fine-mesh conical sieve- the sort that’s normally used for making bisque or stocks- as you can force the liquid through with a wooden spoon and leave everything else inside.
The ginger beer is sitting on the worktop happily fermenting away and it’s a very simple matter to release the carbon dioxide without having to use anything from the workshop- although I hold a cloth round the valve when I release the pressure as there can be a bit of an aerosol effect. It appears to be a very active fermentation which surprises me given the age of the yeast which is at least two years past its use-by date, but which has been stored in a warm, dark, dry place ever since I bought it.
I’ve been looking at your other ginger beer recipe that uses the ginger bug and might give that a try some time, but for now I think I’m more comfortable sticking with fermentation projects that use packaged yeast rather than wild fermentation. Can the ginger bug starter be refrigerated to slow it down, then removed from the fridge a day or two before use to bring it back up to speed? Or would storing it in a cooler part of the house- such as the garage or the basement- be a better idea?
Incidentally I originally found your site while Googling ‘brewed ginger beer recipes’ or something very similar, but I’ve enjoyed having a look around. There’s plenty here to keep me busy experimenting for a while.
Best wishes.
Hi Pete!
Thank you for the half-drunk note and for sharing your changes! All of that sounds brilliant – I love the idea of adding lemon zest and pulp, and am happy to hear the ginger beer is fermenting merrily.
For the wild yeast version, I like your idea of moving the starter to a cooler spot (like the garage) but not necessarily the refrigerator to slow fermentation. The only reason being this version is difficult to get started, so I would hate for you to have a successful starter and then risk loosing any probiotics if they get too cold and sluggish 😉 It’s worth the experimentation, but I’d say if you’re attached to keeping the starter alive, best to be cautious.
Thanks again for contributing, and happy brewing!! xoxoxo
Thanks for sharing the info, I really enjoyed reading your blog, you have lots of great information.
Hi I made this and doubled the quantities, all was fine first day, releasing gas a few times a day, on fourth day, when I went to try it, there was no fizz and it tasted like fault gingery, lemony water?
Where did I go wrong?
Is there a way I can revive the batch?
I.e. Add more sugar / yeast?
Many thanks
Hi Roger,
It sounds like the yeast ate up all the sugar and then died off. If it were me, I would start over fresh because if there’s no fizz it is very likely there is nothing living in the ginger beer 🙁 Since it died on the 4th day, I would say refrigerate the ginger beer after day 2 or 3 to avoid the yeast eating up all of the sugar. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Julia
I tried this receipe twice, first time was excellent, and the drink had even that ginger kickback that i really enjoyed. But second time, came out yeasty, n soury. Think it could be because i overboiled w the lemon juice in it, kept it in bottles for 3 days as well? As all the other quantities were the same. I am currently making it a third time now, and very careful to off the heat, immediately after dissolving the sugars. Can’t wait to try this third batch! Read your earlier comments about reducing the yeast, may try this too!
Hi there!
Yes, it sounds like your yeast ate up the majority of the sugar, so you could take a number of approaches for the next batch –
1.) use less yeast
2.) use more sugar
3.) brew for less time (1 to 2 days instead of 3).
You could try a combination of all three, but it may be best to start with one change so you know where the success is coming from 😀
Hi I followed the recipe to the letter but my ginger beer is bitter! Any clues as to what went wrong.
Hi Lyn,
It sounds like the yeast did a great job of consuming all of the sugar! You can add a simple syrup or more sugar before refrigerating it if you’d like it to be sweeter. xo
Hi lyn
I have made this drink at home. It is very delicious and jaw-dropping. Thank you for sharing this type of recipe to us. I loved it.
I made two batches already and it came out great. I tried adding a 1/4 cup extra sugar before fermentation but didn’t notice a change in sweetness. In any case, the grating is very laborious. Will I notice a difference if I use a food processor instead of a greater? Also you noted that the shelf life is 10 days. What happens after that (let’s say 14 days) if I keep it in the fridge? Does it self-destruct? How? No longer safe to drink?
Hi Ramy,
You can use a food processor or blender for the ginger, no problem 🙂 I note the shelf life as 10 days for safety purposes, but the ginger beer should actually last 3 to 4 weeks. Just be sure to give it a good sniff if you keep it for longer than 10 days to be sure it’s still good. Definitely keep it in the refrigerator 😀 Hope you enjoy, and happy brewing! xoxox
Your posts are really inspiring and useful for somebody like me who is planning a world travel. I think you deserve better attention on Google search rankings.
Hi. I enjoyed reading your recipe and all of the comments. I’m going to step it up a bit. I love the white vinegar bottles they sell at Costco. They’re 1.3 gallons (5 liters) thick plastic. I bought 2 different kinds of wine/beer yeast that top out at 18% ABV and also bought food grade yeast nutrient (1 tsp / gallon). I’m going to add 5-6 cups of sugar slightly over 1/4 tsp of 18% yeast that I first start in warm water for 20 minutes to rehydrate it and multiply. I will probably add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice. I have these bottles of ginger that come in a squeeze bottle. I think I have 3 or 4 unopened.(I just looked and for some reason I can’t find them). I’ll rip the house apart tomorrow looking for them or order new ones. I’m going to use probably 6-8 tablespoons of that. I will then leave about 3-4″ empty space in the neck of the bottle so it doesn’t overflow everywhere and cover with a paper towel and rubber band for about 5 days. Then I’m going to place a double bubbler on it and wait between 4-8 weeks.
I wish I could just use premade ginger ale (soda) and add extra sugar, extra ginger, and yeast, but the potassium benzoate (the preservative) would probably kill the yeast. Knowing me, I’ll probably try a 2 liter bottle that way too just to see if it’ll work.
Happy brewing all!
From beer brewing (many batches, but still less than 50, so certainly not an expert, and one time ginger beer brewer) I would recommend using a fermentation lock during the fermentation… this allows CO2 to escape, while keeping the fermentation vessel isolated from the bacterial nasties waiting to spoil your brew (basically bubble the output through a bleach bath – in such a way that the bleach does not get sucked back into the brew!) Fermentation is complete when the bubbling in the lock stops, rack it off the dead yeast, add a little more sugar and bottle, the yeast that is left will eat the new sugar, and carbonate the beverage. Exact quantities for correct pressure/carbonation TBD, but you can leave it unattended for the duration of fermentation. Much easier.
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This is the second recipe I’ve tried, and the second time I’ve made this recipe. But, as with any recipe, I have to mess with a good thing.
I sliced the ginger the second time…trying to strain the grated was a PIA. I used 2/3 cup turbinado sugar bc that’s what I had. And red star premium curve yeast bc that’s what I had left from the previously tried recipe. Like it! Thank you!
My pleasure! Thanks for letting us know your changes! xoxo
Absolutely stunning! Thank you on a detailed impressive recipe!
I love ginger beer! I always buy it in my locall hispanic market but its quite expensive so I love the idea of making it at home. I can make something healthy and save money yeah! will try it tommorow and tell you how it was.
Ah great! I hope you love it and I look forward to hearing from you! xoxo
Wondering if peeling the ginger before grating it is necessary?
Hi there,
I suppose it isn’t necessary to peel the ginger before grating it since you’ll end up straining the ginger out before drinking it anyway, but it’s more a matter of preference.
Hi I want to do this to make Moscow mules. How do u feel about the level of sweetness in your recipe? If it’s used to make a cocktail is it enough?
Hi Kamron!
I think for most people, the ginger beer recipe as written won’t be sweet enough for a cocktail, but you can add more sugar once it has finished brewing to sweeten it up. If you’d like, you can also put it through a secondary fermentation, which will make it sweeter as well. Hope you enjoy!! xoxo
Hi, how long do I boil in step 1?
Hi Jeremy,
It just needs to be brought to a boil – doesn’t need to go for longer than a second or two 😀
Current doing keto and dying for a Moscow mule or dark and stormy has any tried this with allulose – which theoretically bakes and cooks exactly like sugar but not quite as sweet or lankato monk fruit sweetener?
Why so much cream of tartar? That’s a hell of a lot of Potassium, really not good for you at that amount…
Hi there,
1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar for an entire batch of ginger beer is not a hell of a lot of potassium. In fact, most people are deficient in potassium, so if anything we could all benefit from adding more. Cream of tartar is completely safe to consume in this amount.
i have started making wine at home and my first effort was ginger wine. it came out well. i am making a second batch now with wine yeast. will definately try this ginger beer. i live in the south of india and the summers are very hot and sultry here. this drink will go very well here 🙂
Hi
Can I use honey instead of sugar?
Thank you for the update, ilove ginger beer, ken you send me video how too make ginger beer, that you
Hello! I’ve made this recipe a few times and love it, but this time it’s overwhelmed with the cream of tartar taste. Is it possible to make it without it? I’m really looking for a heavy ginger forward flavour.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Scott,
Are you sure it’s the cream of tarter you’re tasting? It has more of a creamy, neutral flavor on its own, which is pretty well masked by the ginger. Could it be the yeast that you don’t like? The cream of tarter can be omitting, but the yeast cannot. Hope that helps!! xo
This worked incredibly well! Thank you! I tried the ginger starter but failed 😅 so super glad this worked. I did find that it went pretty flat when I transferred it to another bottle and put it in the fridge. Any tips?
Hello!!
I use the ginger bug method, but let it ferment in a plastic bottle for a few days. Is this okay and am i getting the probiotic benefits?
Hi there! It’s possible you’re getting some probiotic benefits, especially if you’re leaving the top of the plastic bottle open for fermentation. The more air that comes into contact with the liquid, the better since we’re using native yeast for fermentation. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Can I use sourdough discard instead of yeast?
Hi Lauren! That’s a great question. Theoretically, it should work since sourdough contains probiotics, but the exact amount is something you would need to play with. I don’t have any experience using sourdough discard to ferment beverages. It may be worth a quick google to see if others have done it! 🙂
Please explain why you say this is healthier because there’s no carbonated water? As far as I know, carbonated water is perfectly healthy as long as no sodium or sugar is added.
Hi Sherri, My assessment of the ginger beer as being healthier than store-bought soda is the fact that the sugar is fermented so that the end result is a lower sugar beverage 🙂
“Just note that the more you open the bottle, the less carbonation will be lost.”
Can you explain this pls? My ginger beer was nice and fizzy, then I added syrup when bottling and it was super fizzy by the time I put it in the fridge. When I checked 24 hours later it had lost so much fizz! I did “burp” my bottles last night. Could this be a cause? Using 16 inch swing top bottles and left 2 inch headspace
Hi Cassidy! My apologies – I meant to say the most you open the bottle, the more carbonation will be lost. I fixed this note in the post to make it more clear. In this sense, Burping the bottles could be the culprit, but also adding more sugar can throw off the culture too. When sugar is added, the bacteria and yeast become active but they also multiply and then die out if there are too many bacterium and not enough food. Nevertheless, the ginger beer should still taste nice even if it isn’t as fizzy 😉 Hope this helps!
Well, I did the three day option for a drier ginger brew.
Disclaimer: I’m biologically allergic to alcohol. I flush red in the face, my blood pressure shoots up and I pass out asleep within an hour.
I took a gulp and tasted alcohol more than any ginger. Within an hour I had my allergic reaction.
Too bad. I was so looking forward to this. My recourse is to boil ginger and add stevia and sodastream seltzer for ginger ale.
Will this recipe work with less sugar ?
Hi Emily! Fermentation is tricky in that it requires a specific amount of sugar to feed the bacteria and yeast, so it can be tough to say. If you reduce the sugar slightly (for instance, to 2/3 cup instead of 1 cup), I would also reduce the amount of time you ferment the ginger beer so that the culture doesn’t die off from lack of food. So if you’re okay with experimenting a little, I imagine it would work provided you aren’t dramatically reducing the sugar. Let me know if you try it! xo
Hi this recipe looks great ! Can’t wait to try it
Just one question. I am a cancer survivor and try my best to eat clean food and drink.
Could I substitute honey for the sugar?
Thanks, Don
Hi Don! I haven’t tried making the recipe with honey myself, but I think it could work. I did a quick google and found this recipe for ginger beer made with honey: https://www.thepracticalbeekeeper.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Honey-Ginger-Beer-Recipe.pdf It looks great to me, so I hope it works out just fine for ya! Happy brewing!
I’ve made three batches of this (many compliments from friends!), plus one with champagne yeast fully fermented to about 4% abv (5 days to complete at about 75°F). It kicked off a new hobby for me! One note I am curious about, and will probably test, is if the temperature really needs to be 75°F or lower before adding the yeast. What I’ve read is that proofing bread can be done even as high as 90°F or more, which I think means the yeast will be ok in this recipe at that temperature? I don’t have the patience to let it cool that long in a 75°F house, haha. The champagne yeast will also ferment in an ideal range up to 86°F and gets proofed at 105°F-115°F.
Oh, one other thing that might help others, I have been using swing top bottles made for cider and soda (made for the pressure), but to avoid bottle bombs I use a set of rubber bands to hold down the latch without fully latching it. This holds back some pressure but allows it to vent safely. On day 2 or 3, I fully latch it and put in the fridge to finish carbonating a bit more while it cools and stops fermenting.
Thanks so much for sharing all of this Travis! This is certainly helpful to others who want to try the same bottling technique! I’ll have to try this, myself. In terms of the yeast – I had never thought about that! I think you’re absolutely right – it should still be fine to add the yeast around 90 degrees since it tends to operate well at that temperature in other applications. This is super helpful information and I appreciate you pointing it out! xo
Can I substitute Instant Yeast for the Active Dry Yeast or will it taste very different?
Hi Ramy! I would think instant yeast would work but I haven’t tested it myself. If you’re okay with experimenting I would say it’s worth the try. Otherwise, I would wait until you can pick up some active dry yeast from the store. Hope that helps and let me know if you try it with the instant yeast 🙂