GINGER BUG

Our 5 year old ginger bug is still thriving. 🧡 This week we are preparing to make another batch of homemade, fermented ginger beer, perfect for those sweltering summer days ahead.

•If you want to make a ginger beer the traditional way, first you must make a ginger bug.
•Grate fresh ginger, skin and all.
•To activate all of the natural yeasts in the ginger, add it into a jar of distilled water with a couple of spoons of sugar.
•Cover with a muslin cloth.
• Store in a warm, dark place for around a week while adding a little bit of sugar and a little bit of grated ginger, every couple of days.
• This helps feed and maintain the bug. This process activates the probiotics and yeasts that are in the ginger and allows them to begin reproducing. After 3-5 days, the liquid will start bubbling when you stir it. Once you can see and hear the bubbles without touching the jar, your bug is ready to use.

To make the beer:
•For 5 litres of distilled and filtered water, use 500ml of your ginger bug, 100g of grated ginger and one cup of sugar.
• For naturally fizzy beer, pour the mix into a swing-top bottle and leave in a warm dark place.
•Taste the mixture periodically to see if more sugar needs to be added as the yeast will eat the sugar and the beer will gradually loose it's sweetness.
• Only add a little sugar at a time, as overloading can kill the probiotics. Do this for 2-3weeks, remembering to release the pressure occasionally.
• When the fizz and sweetness satisfies your taste buds, the fermented beer is nearly ready to enjoy!!

•At this point, place the bottle in the refrigerator to calm the fermentation process. Remember, fermentation will slowly continue in the refrigerator so try to consume within a few days.
•The longer you leave the beer, the drier it will become as the yeast consumes the sugar
•When ready, chill and pour yourself a glass of sweet, spicy gingery goodness!

Feel free to add honey and spices to 'hipsterize' your ginger beer!

We've been growing our own ginger bug using wild yeasts for the last 5 years so it's always ready when we need it. We gave it 24hrs to liven up once out the fridge and added it to our ginger tea.

It's now bottled up in our 2L super cool growler flasks and now we just wait the 10 days needed for fermentation to complete. Alive and active, fuller in flavour and tastier than the store bought. With no artificial preservatives and packed with probiotics. We're 'gingerly' awaiting for our perfect, spicy, fizzy brew.

Follow us on Instagram for more updates from our sanctuary! @thelondonalchemists

Moni Dajee, founder of The London Alchemists - artist, creator, explorer, beekeeper and avid practitioner of natural alchemy.