AlbertB
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- Nov 24, 2002
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At Jackal969k's request here is a ginger beer plant for the brewing impaired. If I can get it to work anyone can! 
There are a lot of good sites out there which have recipes on them for ginger beer. There are three basic approaches to take. The first is to introduce a stock yeast such as brewer's yeast which is easily available to make the thing go. The second is to rely on natural yeasts to start it, perhaps from the skins of raisins or a source like that. The third is to get the proper strain of yeast which costs money and is very difficult to get your hands on! Apparently a ginger beer plant is a "symbiotic relationship between a unique yeast (Saccharomyces pyriformis) and a dependant bacteria (Brevibacterium vermiforme)". Oldie will no doubt smell those big latin words from a mile away and grow some for us!
I have never used the correct yeast, I have always used brewer's or even baker's yeast or relied on natural yeasts and it has always made very drinkable ginger beer.
First we make the starter. In a large container, 2 pintish is good, place 6 or 8 largish sultanas, 2 teaspoons dried ginger, 4 teaspoons of white sugar and a pint of cold water. Mix well, cover or loosely plug and place in a cool spot. Notice we are relying on the natural yeasts found on the skins of the sultanas here. You will know when it has started because a scummy froth will rise to the top and it should have a nice yeasty smell. Every day feed the starter with 4 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger. Stir after feeding. This becomes your ginger beer 'plant' which with luck will be ready to use after about a week.
Then we use it to make the Ginger Beer. Make sure your bottles are clean and dry. You will need lots! I prefer to use old 2 litre (3.5 pint) coke (soda?) bottles, the clear plastic types which are all but indestructible. The only problem is that once you have opened a 2 litre bottle it is hard not to drink 2 litres of ginger beer! You can buy them new very cheaply over here from specialist brewer's stores but to be honest there are a million a day going into landfills so I do my bit and reuse them . Place around 2lb of sugar and 2 pints of boiling water in a large clean bucket. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. When it is cool, add the juice of four lemons. Strain the ginger beer plant through a piece of clean cloth such as muslin or an old teatowel into the bucket. Be careful not to do this too early, too hot a mix will kill the yeast. Keep the solid matter from the plant in a clean place!!! Add 14 pts of cool water to the bucket. Stir well and bottle. Allow a little air space at the top of the bottle for expansion and to decrease the risk of the screw top blowing off. Store safely somewhere cool where a little mess from an exploded bottle won't make any difference ! You can test whether it is maturing by squeezing the bottles. They should get as hard as rock in a few weeks! I find it needs to be left for about 6 weeks on average in the bottle to mature, but this depends on lots of factors so it may be ready earlier and it won't go off if left later. Purists say that all water used should be boiled then cooled, but I have never found it a problem to use clean tap water. The quantities of each ingredient are variable as well. After the first couple of batches you will know whether you like more ginger for more bite or less for a more lemonadey flavour. One last thing to note is that because of the "organic" method you are using to make it it may be a little cloudy, and there will probably be sediment in the bottom of the bottle. This is not harmful in any way and is easy to deal with when you pour. Just don't juggle with the bottles!
Split the solid part of the plant in two and give half of it away so someone else who likes ginger beer can get in on the act. Place your half back into its cleaned container and add 1 pint water and start to feed it as before. After a week you can make up another batch.
They say that your starter improves as it gets older. You can also refrigerate it if you want to stop the process for a while. To restart just feed it and give it a few more sultanas and off she goes.
There you have it. It's not rocket science and it produces lovely gingery beer, not like the usual run of the mill store bought stuff. One thing to note, although it is described as beer it has virtually no alcohol in it at all! But the good news is that it goes great with vodka!!!!!!
Now, I have a Hellishly good recipe for an Elderflower Champagne which, if I get a good batch, I prefer to the real thing.
There are a lot of good sites out there which have recipes on them for ginger beer. There are three basic approaches to take. The first is to introduce a stock yeast such as brewer's yeast which is easily available to make the thing go. The second is to rely on natural yeasts to start it, perhaps from the skins of raisins or a source like that. The third is to get the proper strain of yeast which costs money and is very difficult to get your hands on! Apparently a ginger beer plant is a "symbiotic relationship between a unique yeast (Saccharomyces pyriformis) and a dependant bacteria (Brevibacterium vermiforme)". Oldie will no doubt smell those big latin words from a mile away and grow some for us!
I have never used the correct yeast, I have always used brewer's or even baker's yeast or relied on natural yeasts and it has always made very drinkable ginger beer.
First we make the starter. In a large container, 2 pintish is good, place 6 or 8 largish sultanas, 2 teaspoons dried ginger, 4 teaspoons of white sugar and a pint of cold water. Mix well, cover or loosely plug and place in a cool spot. Notice we are relying on the natural yeasts found on the skins of the sultanas here. You will know when it has started because a scummy froth will rise to the top and it should have a nice yeasty smell. Every day feed the starter with 4 teaspoons sugar and 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger. Stir after feeding. This becomes your ginger beer 'plant' which with luck will be ready to use after about a week.
Then we use it to make the Ginger Beer. Make sure your bottles are clean and dry. You will need lots! I prefer to use old 2 litre (3.5 pint) coke (soda?) bottles, the clear plastic types which are all but indestructible. The only problem is that once you have opened a 2 litre bottle it is hard not to drink 2 litres of ginger beer
! You can buy them new very cheaply over here from specialist brewer's stores but to be honest there are a million a day going into landfills so I do my bit and reuse them . Place around 2lb of sugar and 2 pints of boiling water in a large clean bucket. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. When it is cool, add the juice of four lemons. Strain the ginger beer plant through a piece of clean cloth such as muslin or an old teatowel into the bucket. Be careful not to do this too early, too hot a mix will kill the yeast. Keep the solid matter from the plant in a clean place!!! Add 14 pts of cool water to the bucket. Stir well and bottle. Allow a little air space at the top of the bottle for expansion and to decrease the risk of the screw top blowing off. Store safely somewhere cool where a little mess from an exploded bottle won't make any difference ! You can test whether it is maturing by squeezing the bottles. They should get as hard as rock in a few weeks! I find it needs to be left for about 6 weeks on average in the bottle to mature, but this depends on lots of factors so it may be ready earlier and it won't go off if left later. Purists say that all water used should be boiled then cooled, but I have never found it a problem to use clean tap water. The quantities of each ingredient are variable as well. After the first couple of batches you will know whether you like more ginger for more bite or less for a more lemonadey flavour. One last thing to note is that because of the "organic" method you are using to make it it may be a little cloudy, and there will probably be sediment in the bottom of the bottle. This is not harmful in any way and is easy to deal with when you pour. Just don't juggle with the bottles!Split the solid part of the plant in two and give half of it away so someone else who likes ginger beer can get in on the act. Place your half back into its cleaned container and add 1 pint water and start to feed it as before. After a week you can make up another batch.
They say that your starter improves as it gets older. You can also refrigerate it if you want to stop the process for a while. To restart just feed it and give it a few more sultanas and off she goes.
There you have it. It's not rocket science and it produces lovely gingery beer, not like the usual run of the mill store bought stuff. One thing to note, although it is described as beer it has virtually no alcohol in it at all
! But the good news is that it goes great with vodka!!!!!! Now, I have a Hellishly good recipe for an Elderflower Champagne which, if I get a good batch, I prefer to the real thing.
