Ginger Beer

Yield: 4 litres
Source: Adapted from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz

Screwups: Overfermented to two weeks.  I added bread yeast to guarantee it would work, this may have caused the quicker fermentation.  This meant the sugar was eaten too quickly, and the ginger and lemon tang had disappeared.  It was also too alcoholic as a result.

• 8 inches fresh ginger root
• sugar
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp each cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg

Process:

1. Start the 'ginger bug': Add 2 tsp grated ginger (skin and all) and 2 tsp sugar to 1 cup of water. Stir well and leave in a warm spot, covered with cheesecloth and elastic band. Add this amount of ginger and sugar every day or two and stir, until the bug starts bubbling, in 2 days to about a week.  Keep the ginger in the freezer in the meantime.

2. Make the ginger beer any time after the bug becomes active. Boil 2 litres of water. Add 6 inches of grated ginger root, 1.5 cups sugar, and the spices. Boil this mixture for about 15 minutes. Cool.

3. Once the ginger-sugar-water mixture has cooled, strain the ginger out and add the juice of the lemons and the strained ginger bug. You can reserve some of the bug to keep it going if you want. Add enough water to make 4 litres.

4. Bottle in sealable plastic soda bottles. Leave to ferment in a warm spot for about a week.  I recommend adding some to a smaller bottle, to test after the week. Squeeze the bottles each day to check how firm they are.  If the pressure is huge, release the caps until the fizz dies down, then leave to ferment.  Put the bottles in the fridge when they've fermented enough.

5. Open and drink