CHOW Ginger Beer Recipe - fresh ginger

Method

• Combine 1 teaspoon grated ginger (unpeeled), 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar, and 1 cup distilled water in a small bowl.
• Stir, cover with cheesecloth, and leave in a room-temperature area (70 degrees F to 75 degrees F works best).
• Add another teaspoon of ginger and sugar every other day until the bug becomes active (it should take 6 to 8 days).
• The bug is active once there are a few bubbles on the surface and a white residue forms on the bottom of the bowl.
• Halve the lemons and juice them, reserving both the juice and the rinds.
• In a large pot, combine 1 quart (4 cups) distilled water with 2 teaspoons grated ginger (about 2 inches), the remaining turbinado sugar (should be a scant cup), the juice of the lemons, and the lemon rinds and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Let this mixture boil for 15 minutes and then remove from heat.
• Discard the lemon rinds.
• Add the remaining 7 cups distilled water and let the mixture cool to room temperature (about 70 degrees F to 75 degrees F).
• Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large, clean pot.
• Then strain the bug into the pot (stir before straining to make sure that the white residue gets included).
• Mix to combine, and now youre .
• Set the sealed ginger beer bottles upright to ferment at room temperature (about 70 degrees F to 75 degrees F works best) in an area where it is OK if the bottles explode (such as a bathtub).
• Let the soda ferment for about 7 to 10 days.
• Around day 7, test the flavor and carbonation of the ginger beer by sampling the test bottle.
• (Note: We fermented the soda for about 8 days and were happy with the balance of sugar and ginger at that point.
• The longer you let the soda ferment, the more sugar the yeast will consume, and therefore the less sugary the soda will be.)
• When the soda is ready, place the labels on the bottles and put the bottles in the refrigerator to halt the fermentation process.
• Make sure the bottles are completely cold prior to opening.