Cookbook:Ginger Beer

| Fermented food recipes

Ginger beer is a traditional fermented drink that can be made as either a soft drink or an alcoholic drink. Make it in a carboy with more sugar or malt extract and with longer fermentation time to get alcoholic ginger beer.

Ingredients

 * 100–300 grams fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
 * 1 whole lemon, zested and juiced OR 2 tsp cream of tartar mixed with lemon extract or zest to make a lemon juice substitute.
 * 500 grams sugar
 * Water
 * Fermentation starter (see note)

Procedure

 * 1) Simmer the ginger, lemon zest and sugar in about 1.5 L water for about 10 minutes.
 * 2) If using yeast as the fermentation starter, rehydrate the yeast in a glass of warm water for 5 minutes.
 * 3) Add the lemon juice and enough water to get 10 L to the fermenter (see note).
 * 4) Let the mixture sit in the fermenter until it has started bubbling well, which should take 8–12 hours with yeast or longer with kefir grains.
 * 5) Bottle into PET bottles or other food-safe bottles.
 * 6) When the bottles are hard (not just firm) from the carbonation, put them into the fridge for storage.
 * 7) Serve cold.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * For the fermentation starter, you can use kefir grains or tibicos, ginger beer plant, ginger bug, ale yeast, or bread yeast.
 * Lemon juice is to provide acidity as well as flavor.
 * For a fermenter, you can use anything from an old PET water bottle to a food-grade bucket or a large stainless-steel pot; don't use copper or aluminium.
 * The water used should be free of chlorine if possible (e.g. boiled and cooled, or filtered, or bottled spring water). This is because chlorine (or chloramine) will inhibit the fermentation a little. Use what you've got, but best results will be obtained without the chlorine.
 * Once the ginger beer is fermenting, as evidenced by lots of tiny bubbles rising to the surface, it can be used as a leavening agent. Simply replace the water and yeast in a bread recipe with ginger beer, and leave to rise as normal.
 * If left to ferment longer (about a week) a yeasty colony called a ginger beer plant will develop. Carbonation will also increase, greatly raising the chances for bottle (or other container) exploding; therefore, it is advisable to use a carboy or suitable container with an airlock.