Fermented Ginger Beer Recipe From a Ginger Bug

A naturally fermented ginger beer recipe made with a homemade ginger bug, complete with process notes, troubleshooting, and brewing details.

• Fermentation
• Brewing
• Recipes
• Ginger Bug

In the last year or so, I’ve brewed three batches of ginger beer using a natural “ginger bug” or starter (similarly to how you might make sourdough bread after developing and maturing a sourdough starter). I’m not sure if this particular batch will turn out significantly differently from the previous batches, but I at least feel like I had a solid process worth sharing (and certainly worth repeating).

I should note that I have previously homebrewed beer and have quite a bit of equipment that gave me options for brewing ginger beer. Ginger beer is significantly less complicated and can easily be done with stuff you have around your kitchen, but once you understand the process there is no downside to having better equipment that can help improve the aspects of the process that are important to you to improve.

If you want the deeper process notes behind this batch, see Brewing Ginger Beer From a Ginger Bug.

Why I Make Ginger Beer This Way

First, I think it’s helpful to make a distinction between “ginger ale” and “ginger beer”. While both terms are somewhat misleading, think of the former as (mild) ginger flavor extracted, sweetened to taste, then force-carbonated with $CO_2$ (carbon dioxide) and the latter as (fuller, spicier) ginger flavor extracted, sweetened to provide food for fermentation, then fermented to develop flavor and carbonation. My preference is for the latter both for its taste and because I wanted something not for its sugar content but for the potential probiotic upsides (not a verified health statement; in fact depending on the wild bacteria and yeasts that thrive in your ginger bug, you could end up with an alcoholic beverage).

However, even within ginger beers, there is room for variation. I have tweaked my recipe in various ways to emphasize the aspects that I want out of my ginger beer. For instance, I use the whole ginger rhizome (root) including the skin and steep it in water to get a spicier beverage. I ferment using my own ginger bug to develop the flavors, dry out the solution by converting more sugar to acid and alcohol, promote the growth of healthy bacteria and yeasts (again, not verified as health advice), and naturally carbonate it.

Batch Details

I brew ginger beer in 5-gallon batches. This is both a result of my homebrewing experience (5 gallons is large enough that small accidental fluctuations in amounts due to the imprecision of home equipment won’t significantly impact the outcome from batch to batch, but small enough that it won’t take forever to drink or hurt to dump if it’s an absolute disaster) and a practical decision: my equipment works for 5 gallon batches and that’ll give me enough to drink over several months.

I like my ginger beer fairly dry, but at the same time I need to provide enough sugars to cause fermentation for all the reasons listed above (the most important of which is biotransformation or flavor development). This also means that I’ll let fermentation go for at least a week or two, then let it sit in mt fridge and continue to condition while I wait for it to carbonate.

I carbonate in a keg. Again, a holdover from my homebrewing, but it’s also a container that holds pressure and allows me to not worry too much about when to carbonate, how to carbonate, and I don’t have to save a bunch of plastic soda bottles (which works out because I don’t drink soda in bottles very often). If there’s one thing you buy specifically for this recipe, I recommend a keg. You can likely find a Cornelius keg (or “corny” keg) for very cheap locally and with $20 in replacement O-rings, a “quick-release” connector that matches the posts on your keg, a few feet of “beer line” (silicone tubing), and a “picnic tap”, it’ll be money well spent.

Ingredients

These are the amounts that I use. Aside from the water (appropriate for a 5-gallon keg/batch), everything else can be scaled up or down. Be careful going too low with the sugar, though; what’s listed here is already on the lower end. If you make a smaller batch, scale the quantities appropriately.

• 4 1/2 gallons (~18L) water (use water that you would drink; tap water can certainly be OK)
• 600g fresh, whole ginger rhizomes, cleaned of dirt and debris
• 1000g (1kg) white sugar
• 50-100 mL ginger bug (if your ginger bug has been in the fridge for a while, like mine had, feed it with 10g of sugar a few days before you plan to “pitch” or add it to the ginger base; I typically top it up with some distilled water, add the sugar, let it reactivate, then shake and pitch the top 50%, leaving the rest to do the same for the next batch)

Equipment

At a minimum, you’ll need:

• a pot that can hold at least 5 gallons
• a food processor with slicer and multipurpose blades (if you don’t have one, you need some way to cut the ginger into roughly 1/8” to 1/4” cubes; smaller leads to more extraction, but can also gum up strainers)
• kitchen scale (for accurately measuring ingredients)
• strainer (possibly two of different sizes)
• something to ferment and package in (I use a keg, but you can just as easily use bottles)

Additionally, you’ll need some way to cool down your ginger base (sometimes called ginger tea) to pitching/fermentation temperature. This could be a dedicated refrigerator, a “wort chiller” if you’re a homebrewer, a really cold winter day, or just a closed keg and patience. (I do have a wort chiller, but closing the keg and waiting a couple days has worked for me, and gives my ginger bug some time to wake up again.)

Some optional equipment:

• A separate container to perform extraction in (I use an igloo cooler with a false bottom that I use as a “mash tun” when brewing beer; this has the added benefit of a spigot that I can use to drain the “ginger tea” from the cooler into the keg, as well as keeping the temperature relatively constant for the entire extraction)

How to Make Fermented Ginger Beer From a Ginger Bug

1. Prepare the Ginger Base

Add your water to the pot and bring to a boil. Some recipes will have you add the ginger to the pot before boiling, but depending on your stove this may scorch the ginger.

While the water comes to a boil, puree/mince/chop your ginger.

Once the water hits a boil, add your ginger. This has two purposes: it will kill any “bad” bacteria on the ginger and it will extract the flavors. (If you’re using a separate extraction container, carefully pour the boiling water over the pureed ginger.) Be sure to keep the temperature just at or below boiling, stirring constantly to keep the ginger from burning.

Soak the ginger in the boiling water for 30 minutes for spicy ginger beer, closer to 10 minutes for milder ginger beer.

Once extraction is complete, you’ll want to remove the ginger with a strainer, then add your sugar. You can certainly do this in your large pot, but if you’re using a keg you can also pour the sugar into the keg (make sure it’s clean and sanitized) and then pour the ginger water over top of it. The boiling water will kill any bacteria that might be hanging out in the sugar, keeping everything safe and sanitary.

2. Cool the Ginger Tea

Before you add your ginger bug you need to cool down your ginger base. If you did everything in a large pot, pop the lid on top and stick it in a very cold location. You can let the pot naturally cool down, but it will take quite a while and since pots are not air-tight you will risk the possibility of bacteria from the air getting in and spoiling your ginger beer.

If you dumped your ginger water and sugar into a keg, seal the keg and stick it somewhere cold (or let it come down to temp naturally; this is safe because it is completely sealed).

3. Pitch the Ginger Bug

Once your ginger base has come down to room temperature (or below, ideally between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit), add 50-100 mL of ginger bug, taking care to strain out any ginger chunks with a sanitized strainer. If needed, mix it in evenly with a sanitized spoon. Then divide into your fermentation/packaging containers (e.g. if you’re fermenting in bottles).

4. Ferment the Batch

Keep the ginger beer at room temperature for several days. Cooler temperatures are better if you’re looking to avoid creating an alcoholic drink, but will result in slower fermentation.

If you’re using bottles, “burp” them for the first few days. You may not notice anything at first, but as fermentation gets going you’ll hear a slight hiss when you open the lid, like opening a nearly-flat soda. After a few days, stop burping the bottles to let the pressure build up. When the bottle is firm (like a fresh bottle of soda), it’s all done and ready to be chilled.

If you’re using a keg, you can release pressure, but it’s not strictly necessary as the pressure will help carbonate the batch as it continues to ferment.

If you’re using a transparent fermentation vessel, you may even be able to see some of the effects of the fermentation.

5. A Note on Carbonating and Packaging

In these steps, I recommended fermenting, carbonating, and packaging in the same vessel. This is by far the easiest way to do it, but it’s also possible to ferment in a dedicated fermentation vessel, then package in bottles when most of the fermentation is complete; or package in a keg and force-carbonate from a $CO_2$ tank. The latter is what I did with my first batch, but there are enough sugars to naturally carbonate that I found force-carbonating to be unnecessary if I was willing to wait a couple extra weeks, or just drink somewhat flat ginger beer until it was fully conditioned.

No matter what you do, it is extremely important to ensure that pressure never builds up too much in any closed container. While wild yeasts and bacteria probably won’t ferment all the sugars in the ginger base before they create enough alcohol or acid to be an unfavorable environment and become lethargic, some of the more efficient strains (like many commercial products) absolutely can generate enough $CO_2$ to be dangerous from 1kg of table sugar. Watch the pressure carefully, use vessels with pressure relief valves, and release pressure periodically (eventually simply by drinking it) to ensure it never gets too high.

6. Serve and Store

After a week or two, chill the ginger beer and let it sit for a few days to finish carbonating. Fermentation will continue, even at refrigerator temperatures, so the ginger beer will get drier over time (and with that, additional pressure may build up). I have yet to have a batch go bad on me before I finished drinking it, but it’s possible that it could oxidize or attract bad bacteria and turn into vinegar if left open to the air, so keep it sealed until you’re ready to drink it.

Notes From This Batch

This batch I feel like I nailed the process. While it’s not exactly what most people might do, I used some additional equipment that I had that I really think made the process significantly easier.

In previous batches, I had used the food processor, but this time I used two different attachments. I started with the slicer, which cut through the stringy fibers that run through the ginger rhizome without crushing it, then used the multipurpose blade to mince/puree that. (In previous batches I’d used frozen and then thawed ginger; I do not recommend that as the structure is damaged making it difficult to mice without it turning to mush.)

I also used my Igloo cooler with a false bottom, which made it way easier to combine the water and ginger puree; to then separate the ginger from the ginger water; and to transfer the ginger water into the keg. The only mess I made was in forgetting that a 5 gallon keg can only hold 5 gallons, so starting with 5 gallons of water and adding more (ginger, sugar) to it was not going to work.

Troubleshooting

My ginger bug is not active

You probably just haven’t given it enough time to revive yet. Feed it with 10g of sugar and leave it on a counter at room temperature. After a few days you should see bubbles at the surface.

The ginger beer is too sweet

Fermentation may not be complete, or as far along as you would like. Let the batch ferment longer, or at a higher temperature. It may also help to revive your ginger bug, ensure it is very active, and add more to the batch.

The ginger beer is too dry

Three things may have happened: you let fermentation continue too long, you fermented at too high a temperature, or you didn’t add enough sugar initially. In all of these cases, the solution is simple: add more sugar (this is called “back-sweetening”), then chill to slow fermentation. If fermentation occurred at too high a temperature, watch out for high alcohol content, as above 70F is a yeast-friendly zone leading to more alcohol production.

It is not carbonating enough

Two things could be happening: your container might not be sealed all the way (or capable of holding pressure) or your batch may not be fermenting. To determine which, taste the batch. If it is sweet, fermentation is the issue (see answers above). If it tastes like ginger beer, just flat, then your container is leaky. Try a different container (you may also have to add more sugar).

It got too spicy or too mild

Spiciness could be related to how much ginger you used, but in my experience more ginger leads to a bolder, stronger flavor (which could also be spicier). Most often, the spicier batches are the ones where I’ve let the ginger steep in water longer. If you’re boiling ginger in water, it can also impact the flavor. Try letting the ginger steep longer to get a spicier flavor, or remove the ginger earlier for a milder flavor.

Keep in mind also that there are natural variations in ginger crops, growing locations, and various strains and varieties of ginger.

FAQ

Is fermented ginger beer alcoholic?

In general, assume yes. There is always the possibility when fermenting sugars with wild yeasts that some alcohol will be produced. The advantage to wild fermentation is that typically the yeasts have a fairly low ABV tolerance, limiting the potential for alcohol production. Additionally, you can ferment at a temperature that favors the acid-producing bacteria rather than alcohol-producing yeasts.

How long does ginger beer from a ginger bug take to ferment?

Many factors influence how long it takes a ginger beer to ferment, including temperature, the health of the ginger bug, the amount of sugar in the base, and your desired sweetness or dryness. There’s also no “wrong” time to start drinking your ginger beer. It will continue to ferment, even at refrigerator temperatures, and you could even drink moderately carbonated sweetened ginger water (this is essentially ginger ale). I let my fermentations go at least a week (maybe two) and then at least a week or two of conditioning in the fridge.

Can I make this recipe without a keg?

Absolutely. While I find the keg extremely useful for both fermentation and packaging, it is by no means necessary. In fact, most first-time ginger beer brewers use plastic bottles. If you have a keg, or are willing to spend $50-70 on a Corneliu (“corny”) keg, it is well worth the investment and (in my opinion) makes the whole process significantly easier.

Can I reuse the same ginger bug for future batches?

Yes! In fact, this is one of the major advantages of using a ginger bug. Just like a sourdough starter that you revitalize and propagate from batch to batch, you can store it in the fridge, revitalize it for the next batch, and just keep growing it.

Additionally, I think it’s pretty cool that you can essentially create a flavor-developing machine out of thin air just from the microbes present on the ginger rhizome and wild yeasts and “good” bacteria in your local environment.

For more detailed notes on building and maintaining the culture itself, see Brewing Ginger Beer From a Ginger Bug.