Marcus Ginger Beer Recipes

HOMEMADE GINGER BEER

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.

MARCUS' GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour into a bowl and let cool.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day. Strain before serving!

HOMEMADE GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Grate enough ginger using Microplane to measure 3 1/2 tablespoons, then put in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to collect juice, pressing on solids and then discarding.
• Place funnel in neck of bottle and pour in 3 tablespoons ginger juice (reserve any remaining for another use). Add sugar, lemon juice, yeast, and a pinch of salt.
• Fill bottle with water, leaving about 1 1/2 inches of space at top. Remove funnel and screw cap on tightly. Gently shake bottle to dissolve sugar.
• Let stand at room temperature until plastic feels hard and no longer indents when squeezed, 24 to 36 hours.
• Chill ginger beer until very cold.

HOMEBREW GINGER BEER

Steps:

• Take about a half-cup of warm water, and mix with sugar. Then sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit.
• Boil about 2 litres of water.
• Peel the ginger root and cut into smaller pieces.
• When water has been brought to a boil, add the ginger root, cloves, and anise. I like to put the cloves in a small tea ball so i can remove them easily later.
• Boil for 30 minutes. Then remove ginger root and cloves.
• Dissolve 3/4 - 1 cup of sugar in the brew.
• Let the brew cool until it is tepid (ie won't kill the yeast). Then add they yeast mixture to it.
• Now pour the mixture into a 2 litre plastic bottle. Top up with water. Make sure you leave between 5-8cm of air in the top. Play with this amount -- you'll find you get more pressure if you leave the air inches.
• Now leave in a warmish place for about 1 day. Watch it carefully the first time - wait until the pressure has built up, then refrigerate.
• Leave in the fridge for at least 2 days. If you leave it in longer, you'll get more pressure -- I usually leave it at least 2 weeks, but it can stay in there for 2 months. Still, it will continue to gain pressure in the refrigerator.
• When you open the bottle, be very CAREFUL! The pressure should be very high by this time. It's best to do it over the sink or outside, and do NOT aim at anyone! If you cover the cap while you open it, it will muffle the "pop". Instead, don't cover the top of the cap, but only touch the sides of the cap while you open it. In this way, it will fire like a gun.
• If you've got good pressure, it will bubble out like champagne, so have glasses on hand ot pour right away!

GINGER BEER

Steps:

• -------TO GET BUG WORKING-------.
• Mix the yeast, ground ginger, 2 tspns of sugar and lukewarm water together in a large glass jar.
• Cover with a cloth (the sort of material that you would use to strain jelly through as the bug needs to breathe).
• Let stand for 24 hours.
• After this feed the bug every day for 10 days with 1 tspn of ground ginger and 1 tspn of sugar.
• ---------TO MAKE THE BEER----------.
• Put 1 litre of the water and the sugar in a saucpan.
• Heat gently while stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Take off the heat and add the rest of the water and the lemon juice.
• Without disturbing the sediment, strain the ginger beer bug liquid through 2 layers of scalded muslin.
• Add this liquid to the sugared water.
• Pour the mixture into clean bottles, cap tightly and leave to stand for 2 days, or until it starts to fizz.
• After this, it must be kept in a cool place or the fridge to prevent the tops blowing.
• I use a sterilizing powder obtained from home brew shops to sterilize my bottles.
• After making the beer divide the sediment in the jar into two.
• You now have 2 bugs to feed and can double the beer recipe.
• As you double the bugs each time you increase the number of bottles you can produce.
• After all available surfaces are covered with bug jars and you are swamped with beer you can give the extra bugs away to get others on the treadmill.