Ginger Beer

[Jollygoodfellow]

A few weeks back or so I got a craving for a drink of Ginger beer. My mum used to make it when I was a kid and I think that was the last time I had a glass.

So good old Youtube had plenty of info so off to work I went. Made a bug and fed it for maybe 9 days, then made up the water, ginger, and sugar and took it to a boil.

Let cool then bottled. Made up 4 liters. I  Left them on the table for 4 days (two bottles) then refrigerated one bottle and the other I left out for 2 more days. Almost finished 2 liters now just having one glass a day.

It's good but just a little strong taste for me so I add a dash of water.

The bug is in the ref and feeding once a week. I probably won't make it again for some time, but watching it develop was fun.

Anyone like Ginger beer or made it? 

Oh, I just can't get my partner to even have a sip of it. She likes ginger but won't taste what I made 

[BrettGC]

Dry ginger ale is my go to in cheap spiced rum, bourbon or blended scotch.  I also love it by itself.  Might have to give making it a try as the only stuff I've been able to find here is Canada Dry and it's way too sweet and watery without much of that ginger "bite" compared to the brands in Australia.  

[JJReyes]

1 hour ago, BrettGC said:

Dry ginger ale is my go to in cheap spiced rum, bourbon or blended scotch.  I also love it by itself.  Might have to give making it a try as the only stuff I've been able to find here is Canada Dry and it's way too sweet and watery without much of that ginger "bite" compared to the brands in Australia.  

San Miguel Corp. produced a ginger ale as a mix that had a wonderful ginger "bite" to it.  It wasn't sold in stores, but the bars had them.  I don't know if this product is still produced.  Today, if you ask for ginger ale, it's the Canada Dry version.

[manofthecoldland]

I never made ginger beer, but I used to make wonderfully tasting root beer when I made home brew back in the 80's. I lived in a small, 'dry' arctic town which prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages, so we'd import the makings from mail order beer making suppliers and make our own, since it was cheaper and easier than flying it in. They also had soda/pop making supplies which provided small bottles of colored flavoring that you  fermented with champagne yeast to make great, naturally carbonated soda/pops.

I do buy and mince fresh ginger root, both in the PI and the US, to have a constant jar of ginger tea available to drink a  bit of, after every major meal for digestive aid and the prevention of acid reflux. That was based on advice I got from an expat I met in a MNL pension house long ago, who had had a serious problem with several operations to his upper digestive tract. He told me that none of the expensive, prescribed medications had worked for him, but this had solved his long term problem. It worked for me.

[scott h]

8 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

I got a craving for a drink of Ginger beer.

On my first trip to OZ, I had for the first-time ginger beer and feel in love with it. On our return to the Phil, low and behold SnR carries Bundenberg ginger beer. I buy it by the case!!! 

[Jollygoodfellow]

2 hours ago, scott h said:

On my first trip to OZ, I had for the first-time ginger beer and feel in love with it. On our return to the Phil, low and behold SnR carries Bundenberg ginger beer. I buy it by the case!!! 

Metro supermarket has it too. Or at least the one over the road does.

[jimeve]

I made some years ago, really nice and sparkling, I added lemon juice to it gave it a zing.

[BrettGC]

54 minutes ago, jimeve said:

I made some years ago, really nice and sparkling, I added lemon juice to it gave it a zing.

I was thinking kalamansi in lieu of lemon or lime might do the trick for me. 

[Jollygoodfellow]

On 5/9/2023 at 10:57 AM, BrettGC said:

I was thinking kalamansi in lieu of lemon or lime might do the trick for me. 

You can put whatever you like for a different flavor. Incidentally, I did add lemon.  To me, now using my second bottle which I allowed to ferment a bit longer is not quite as strong but maybe l have got used to the taste now. 

[Sailor Jerry]

hahaha thinking about making ginger beer brought a nice chuckle for me just now. Gee, hope this isn’t too long.

We didn’t have a lot of money in those days & I think I was about 10 when my Mum (ever the experimentalist, usually pretty good) decided to make a batch of ginger beer, no Google then of course, so first she asked a few ppl and then went off to the library to get a how to book.

After we all spent a lot of time helping by getting ole coke bottles & cleaning them etc whatever we could find, Mum was doing the learning how to. Well, she made about 20 bottles of the stuff & was very proud of herself I recall, she explained that it need to be stored in a dark place & not touched by 5 kids & that we all couldn’t go near the stuff while it ferments. She said she understood all the process now & put it all in our kitchen pantry, a small room & said in a few days we’ll all be able to enjoy a nice cool glass of ginger ale!

I think it was the middle of the night on day 2 when the first explosion was heard, we were all in our beds & scared as we didn’t what this loud bang was? Mum went out the back & searched around the house & nothing. About an hour later there was 1, 2 then 3 more loud bangs! Lights were on ppl running around the house, even Dad got up. I was walking past the kitchen & about 7 bangs occurred & although I couldn’t stop yelling, I noticed Mum was realising what was making this noise...

She just stood in front of the pantry door & yelled to us all, it’s ok I think know what caused the noise, it’s ok everyone, back to bed there’s school tomorrow! She then explained to the ole man that she had made some ginger beer & just may have used too much yeast or sugar but it’s ok she’ll fix it all up in the morning.

For the next 3 hours before going to school, practically on the hour there was another bang & I just laid in bed chuckling.

When the door of the pantry was finally opened it was a grisly scene, glass from bottles, ginger beer (or the makings of it) were on the ceiling, walls & all through the shelves & stored food & everything in the room. I was the oldest so tried to help Mum in cleaning the mess, finding pieces of glass everywhere & throwing out lots of stuff. Other kids weren’t allowed in there for 6 months I think. Not one drop of ginger beer was consumed I can tell you that.

Mum died a few years back but it was a running joke she kept going well into her nineties, Would anyone like a cold glass of ginger beer she would say at family gatherings. Many occasions someone would bring a bottle of ginger beer for her on a visit lol. 

She was the smartest, funniest person I’ve ever known & taught me everything except how to make ginger beer...