I thought it might be an idea to provide a couple of recipes. I don't
guarantee either of them.. The first one I found on the net, courtesy of
somebody called The Green Man, and it is an example of traditional
technique using a ginger beer plant (it's a bit like making yoghurt or
sourdough bread).
In a jar place 8 sultanas, juice of two lemons, 1 teaspoon of lemon
pulp, 4 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, 2 cups of cold
water. Cover lightly with a cloth.
leave for 3 or 4 days in warm weather when it should be starting to
ferment. Then each day for a week ass 2 teaspoons of ground ginger and 4
teaspoons of sugar to the plant. It should be ready at the end of the
week to make into beer.
To make the ginger beer
Place 4 cups of sugar into a very large bowl and add 4 cups of boiling
water. Add the juice of four lemons. Strain the liquid from the plant by
passing it through muslin or other fine cloth. Squeeze the plant dry and
reserve dry material. Add 28 cups of cold water to the bowl, then add
the liquid you extracted from the plant.
Mix and bottle in air tight bottles. You can use old beer bottles or
bottles with screw tops. Store in a cool dark place for at least 2
weeks. Makes approximately 10 bottles.
Keeping the plant alive
Halve the plant in the cloth and place it back in the jar with 2 cups of
cold water. Continue feeding with 4 teaspoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons
of ginger for one week. Then you are ready to make your next batch of beer.
The second recipe is out of my trusty PWMU Cookbook. It makes a very
large quantity and requires a container more like bath than a bowl! But
it uses a different method. I suspect that there are dozens of slightly
different recipes out there and people swear by their family favourites.
2 lemons
2 1/2 cups (625g) sugar
25g fresh ginger, bruised
i tsp cream of tartar
24 cups (6 litres) boiling water
1 tbsp (30g) brewer's yeast
Pare lemons as thinly as possible, strip off every particle of white
pith, cut lemons into thin slices, removing pips. Put sliced lemon into
earthenware bowl with ginger, sugar and cream of tartar, and pour in
boiling water. Allow to stand till lukewarm, then stir in yeast and
leave in warm place for 24 hours. Skim yeast off top, strain liquid
carefully, bottle, tie down corks securely, and in 2 days it will be
ready for use.
They are dead serious about securing the corks.
Christine