Ginger Bug Ginger Beer

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Preparation Time
 
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Serving Size
Refresh / Double it
Comments
 
Source
Web
 
Source Description
https://marysnest.com/homemade-fermented-ginger-ale/  
Last Modified
2026-06-05  
User
Daruthe



Ingredients
1 Unit roughly 4 inch piece Ginger 
4 Cup Water, Filtered
1/3 Cup Sugar, Raw
1/4 Cup Ginger, Bug
1 Unit from 1 lemon Lemon, Juice

Directions
1. Add chopped ginger to a saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil then turn down to a high simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in sugar until it dissolves.

3. Strain liquid in saucepan into a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl using a mesh strainer to catch the ginger.

4. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature and then add ginger bug and stir well.

5. Decant mixture into a jar and put on a lid and allow to ferment for 2 – 6 days. Loosen lid each day to release fermentation gas that will build up in jar. Once the desired level of carbonation and flavor have been achieved, refrigerate.

Ginger Bug (required)
Ingredients
5 Tablespoon Sugar, Raw
3 1/4 Cup Water, Filtered
1 Unit Ginger

Directions
1. Mix 3 ¼ cup of the water with 3 tablespoon of sugar in a glass quart jar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Wash the ginger root, then grate 3 tablespoon of ginger into the quart jar. Don’t peel the ginger because the skin helps with fermentation. 

3. Cover with a cloth (cheesecloth or coffee filter) and secure in place with a rubber band or jar ring.

4. Place the jar somewhere warm and dark to ferment (a kitchen cupboard is ideal). Give the ginger bug a good stir once or twice a day.

5. After 3 to 7 days it should start to bubble. Once it’s started to bubble, feed it 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of grated ginger each of the next two days. 

6. When it is really bubbly you are ready to make ginger beer or ginger bug sodas. See the section above for information on how to maintain your ginger bug starter.