BEST GINGER BEERS RECIPES

Steps:

• Ginger beer plant happens to be quite resilient but it is safest to ensure that everything in the kitchen is clean.
• The grated ginger should be tied in a small piece of muslin. It should be placed in a large jug with the cream of tartar, lemon juice, sugar and water. It should be stirred until the sugar has dissolved. The ginger beer plant should be added to the jug and it should be covered with a cloth or lid.
• The ingredients should be left in the jug for about 5 days or until it tastes slightly sweeter than the finished ginger beer should be. The liquid from the jug should be poured into plastic pop or swing top bottles using a funnel and sieve. Note: The sieve will contain quite an amount of ginger beer plant. It should be removed from the muslin and rinsed in freshwater so that it can be used to make another ginger beer batch.
• The ginger beer will be ready to drink within 2 to 3 days; though it will be fizzier if is left for one week. Any further fermentation can be stopped by chilling the ginger beer in the refrigerator once satisfied with the level of fizz and sweetness.

Steps:

• Take a 1.5-liter plastic bottle of spring water and empty it into a clean pitcher. Use some of it to make simple syrup by stirring 1/2 pound sugar into 1 cup hot water until fully dissolved.
• In a large measuring cup, mix all ingredients and stir well. Funnel back into the plastic bottle and cap tightly. Store in a warm, dark place for 24 to 48 hours. (I put mine inside a box, to contain it if it should blow.) The top of the bottle will expand and become tight. Check it and very slowly release the pressure if it’s looking groaningly tight. Some people ferment it with no top, or with the top on loosely, to allow gas to escape. I suppose if you wanted to get fancy you could spend $1.50 on a fermentation lock and stop worrying about it. If the temperature is quite warm, above 80F, a single day may be sufficient. The longer you let it ferment, the drier the final mix will be.
• After 48 hours, refrigerate it to stop the fermentation. Once chilled, you can strain out the pulp and dead yeast, which will have made a sediment on the bottom. Makes 1 liter and will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.